Originally, I went to the Northern Neck peninsula in the Tidewater region of Virginia to see three historic sites; my plans did not include visiting Colonial Beach. However, I had to pivot topics because I severely underestimated how much time I would need to visit all three historic houses. Instead, this blog post talks about my opinion of Colonial Beach and what to do in the greater Westmoreland County area. Keep reading to watch my YouTube video about Colonial Beach and the nearby historic homes.
Colonial Beach
Despite living in Virginia for most of my life, I knew little about Colonial Beach except that it retained much of its historical nature. Colonial Beach consists of three parts. The first part is the beach, which resembles a miniature Virginia Beach minus the skyscrapers. The second part is the unimpressive main street called Washington Avenue literally a block away from the beach. The quiet and peaceful beach cottages make up the third part of Colonial Beach. The highlight of this area is seeing the (privately-owned) Alexander Graham Bell summer house.
For dining in the Westmoreland County, your only two options are eating in Colonial Beach or Montross, the county seat. If you do eat in Colonial Beach, plan for an earlier dinner, as many of the places that weren’t already closed by 6:00 close between 8:00 and 9:00. I picked Orchid Thai Cuisine because it was the first place from my quick perusal of Google Maps to still be open when I arrived at 5:30. Orchid Thai Cuisine was pretty popular and served good Thai food.
Historic Homes in Westmoreland County
The James Monroe Birthplace & Boyhood Home
The James Monroe Birthplace & Boyhood Home is a replica of the long-gone original home. The tour guide described the reconstructed house as being 95% accurate. Originally, the front door would have faced Monroe Creek, but the replica house’s front door faces the road. I learned that the Monroe’s were a middle-class family, and would not have entertained much. Nevertheless, James Monroe’s father had some political clout as he signed the Leedstown Resolutions alongside the Washingtons and Lees. There is also a park and trail associated with the site, but I could not explore it because I needed to head to the next historic house.
Before you go: The James Monroe Birthplace and Boyhood Home house itself is only open on weekends between April and October. The accompanying park is open all year-round during daylight hours.
Stratford Hall Historic Preserve
Stratford Hall is the third place I’ve been to associated with the Lee family this year after the Lee-Fendall House and Sully Historic Site. As fitting of the Lee’s status, Stratford Hall is a grand mansion with luxurious interiors. It’s also an odd structure because while it appears to be a two-story house, the second floor is actually the first floor, and the first floor is actually an above-ground basement. Stratford Hall was the highlight of this trip.
While at Stratford Hall, I learned some interesting things. First, the Lees were so rich that they were one of the few places in the colonies that served chocolate. Despite being the elite of Virginia society and having hundreds of enslaved workers, the Lee children were still expected to do chores to run the plantation. I also learned that plantation overseers were usually under contract for a year, and that there was frequent turnover. One interesting human touch is that Robert E. Lee would dig up prehistoric sharks’ teeth from the nearby beach as a child.
Before you go: Stratford Hall only does audio tours, but you have five options with different focuses. I did the basic information one, which gives a comprehensive overview of the house and the people who lived and worked there. I suppose you could spend the day going through all five audio tours. The only downside is they did not perfectly explain where I was to go next. There were several times where I would be listening to the tour in the wrong room. On a different topic, there are some cabins for rent on the property.
Other Places in Westmoreland County
The most famous historic house in Westmoreland County is the George Washington Birthplace National Monument. I went there as a little kid and remember it fondly, but perhaps I should make another visit sometime soon. Westmoreland State Park is for nature-lovers and located next to Stratford Hall. Menokin, while in Richmond County, is close enough that you could visit on the same day. However, this is the place I ended up missing, so either plan better or make it a separate trip.
Conclusion
Overall, I would recommend Colonial Beach only if you just want to spend a day on the beach. Those who hate the beach or want a place with more pizazz could probably skip Colonial Beach itself. Colonial Beach could also be used as a stopping ground to explore the Northern Neck area. Stratford Hall is a must-see destination, while the James Monroe Birthplace and Boyhood Home is for presidential homes completionists like myself. You could also use Westmoreland County to explore nearby Fredericksburg or go further down in the Northern Neck to see the River Realm area, such as Warsaw & Tappahannock.
Below is the companion YouTube video about exploring Colonial Beach and museums of Westmoreland County. If you enjoyed the video, please like and subscribe for more.