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Stocked With Nostalgia

June 20, 2009 12:36 am

YOU'VE PROBABLY heard of the Smith- sonian, Louvre and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What about the Netherland Tavern?

I'm not exactly sure what the formal definition of a museum really is, but the Netherland Tavern, located right here in central Virginia, has enough artifacts inside, and more all around it on the grounds, to keep any history buff busy for many hours. Make that "days" if your sphere of serious interest is the Civil War.

TREVILIAN STATION

The original Netherland Tavern was standing in 1864 when Confederate Gen. Wade Hampton was said to have spent the night on site, sleeping on a carpenter's bench just outside the front door. That date was June 10, and the conflict Hampton was resting up for was the Battle of Trevilian Station, said to be the largest all-cavalry clash of the Civil War.

It was certainly a crucial fight, for if the North's Gen. Philip Sheridan had his way, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee would have found his supply lines cut off. Hampton obviously got enough rest on that bench, for this battle was eventually scored in the Confederates' favor.

The original Netherland Tavern was demolished in the 1950s, but a pretty fair copy stands on just about the same spot today and that's all because of a gentleman named Russell B. Anderson.

CHARISMATIC GUIDE

After spending a few hours recently with Mr. Anderson, I'm really surprised that a television show like "Virginia Currents" or even national broadcasts such as "60 Minutes" or "Dateline" hasn't yet beaten a path to his door. This man has stories to tell that should never be lost to history.

Born in 1919, he told me about his first job, at age 8, where he would take a 50-pound block of ice on his wagon to baseball games in Northern Virginia and shave off a ball of ice to be flavored and then sold to the spectators as snow cones at 3 cents each, or two for a nickel. I believed him; for from his fireplace mantel, he took down that original antique ice scraper to show me.

As a teenager, Anderson sold newspapers at 2 cents each, keeping a penny profit from every sale. "If I made a quarter, I'd give my mom most of it," he explained. "We had a lot of mouths to feed, and this was during the Great Depression, you know."

During World War II, Anderson was drafted into the Army. When he was finally discharged, he told me he had only 25 cents in his pocket. Then, Anderson held out his hands. "I made everything I have with these," he said with a smile.

He also explained that when he sold his home in Northern Virginia and moved to Louisa County, he also wanted to buy the property on the road just before his house. "That man just wouldn't sell it to me," he explained. "I tried to buy it off him for five years."

Then, that landowner died, and within six months, Russell Anderson had title to the property.

"I cleared up that land and found the foundation to the tavern," he said. "Some old people I met told me what it was and how it looked, and I tried to put it back just like it was, board for board."

Anderson told me his great-grandfather fought in the Civil War as a member of Mosby's Raiders. "I really like the Civil War," says Anderson. "I guess one thing just led to another. I do this for the history."

He also told me the furnishings today for the tavern, and other outbuildings on site, have come from auctions in places like Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. "I paid $23,000 for that stagecoach out back," he said. "And, within a few weeks, somebody offered me $50,000 for it."

"I guess you didn't take it," I said. "Nope; it's still around back," Anderson answered with a big smile.

MUCH TO SEE

If you do go around back of the Netherland Tavern, you might think you're instead on the CBS storage lot for the old "Gunsmoke" TV series. I didn't count them all, but Anderson told me he's got two stagecoaches and 35 buggies out there and that's not even including all the old wagons, coaches, trams and other assorted modes of transportation from the Civil War period that can be seen today on this property.

It's impressive.

Inside the tavern, or tavern/museum if you like, you'll find countless antiques and genuine relics such as you may never have seen before.

Anderson has a box full of letters written during the Civil War, another box is chock-full of Civil War bullets. Another big tin of nails are reproductions made in Williamsburg, and some of the cannonballs are fakes that first saw action as bowling balls.

Still, there are enough genuine articles around this place to more than whet any Civil War buff's appetite to see it all.

There are antique paintings, lots of furniture, plates, washtubs, flags, old stoves and more to keep you interested.

Anderson showed me a deck of cards he said was from the Civil War period. They looked old, no doubt about that, but what was most striking to me was there were no numbers on the cards.

I guess folks back then could count the seven or maybe nine hearts on a card and know what they were holding.

He even played the old crank-up Victrola; and, although certainly not from the Civil War era, the long- forgotten music coming out of those old speakers just has to make anyone smile.

The museum tours are free, but donations are gratefully accepted.

Getting to chat awhile with Mr. Anderson that's simply priceless.

Jim Kundreskas of Louisa County near Lake Anna has been a freelance writer for more than 25 years. E-mail him at
Email: Zbasser@aol.com.