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Richmond

RoanokeFincastleFincastle

EmporiaEmporia SuffolkSuffolk

Charlottesville

HamiltonHamilton

81LexingtonLexington AccomacAccomac

FarmvilleFarmville

KILMARNOCKKILMARNOCKStauntonStaunton

AshlandAshland

DOWN HOME IN

by Carroll Lee Ashburn

DOWN HOME SERIES

Again in the year 2004, we’re making our way around the region, each issue visiting a small town and meeting some of the folks who make up the heart of electric co-op country.On this year’s sixthstop, we’ll be ...

Ataste of Scotland in old Virginiacould very well describe Kil-marnock, Virginia.

The area of Kilmarnock goes back tothe late 1600s, first called “Steptoe’sOrdinary,” later “The Crossroads,” andfinally Kilmarnock. Over the years it hasbeen the center of commerce, not onlyfor town residents, but for area fishermenand farmers.

The community, whichstraddles Lancaster andNorthumberland counties,has survived three devastat-ing fires that occurred in1909, 1915 and 1952.Kilmarnock was incorporat-ed in 1930, and with theleadership of Mayor MikeRobertson and new Town

Manager Lee Hood Capps, planning isunderway for a gala celebration for the75th anniversary during 2005.

Kilmarnock was named by Scottishmerchants in the 1770s for Kilmarnock,Scotland. These two towns maintain a sister-cities relationship to this day. Kil-marnock, Virginia, though much smaller

Kisha Thomas, a desk clerk at the HolidayInn Express, was excited to find that she hadbeen selected as the Kilmarnock Chamber ofCommerce’s Employee of the Month forMay. She was presented with a plaque anda flower from the hotel’s general managerRoger Harshbarger and chamber presidentDr. Matthew Shifflett. The program recog-nizes the extra efforts and hospitable serviceof employees at the chamber’s businesses.

Cooperative Living/July 2004

KILMARNOCK AT A GLANCE ...POPULATION: 1,244

LAND AREA: 2.9 square miles

INCORPORATED: 1930

ELEVATION: 89 feet

FUN FACT: First called “Steptoe’s Ordi-nary,” the Kilmarnock community was firstsettled in the late 1600s.

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Neck, or “the Neck,” as it is often called, isbound on the north by the Potomac River,on the south by the Rappahannock River,and to the east by the Chesapeake Bay. Asone would expect, the area was occupiedby Native Americans and visited byCaptain John Smith.

Kilmarnock is the home of HenriettaHall Shuck, the first woman missionary toChina. Her original house that was locatedin the middle of downtown is no longerstanding, having been replaced in 1957 by

an auto-repair shop. A state marker notesthe home’s historic location.

Close by is Historic Christ Church,recognized as the finest Colonial churchin North America. It was built in 1735 byRobert “King” Carter, one of the wealth-iest citizens in Colonial America. It is builtin the shape of a cross with three-foot-thickbrick walls. A national historic landmark,the original limestone slabs still pave thefloor and a three-level pulpit towers overthe high-backed pews.

Town Manager Lee Hood Capps.

July 2004/www.co-opliving.com 37

Piper’s Pub & Tea Room is oneof more than 20 eateries in town.than its Scottish counterpart, features an

authentic pub, complete with British food,a wide selection of British beer, musicalentertainment and an English dart board.The town even has its own bagpipe band.The Kilmarnock Museum has an exhibitof Scottish memorabilia direct fromKilmarnock, Scotland.

Kilmarnock is located in an area knownas the “Land of Pleasant Living,” Virginia’shistoric Northern Neck. The Northern

Main Street, Kilmarnock.

Historic Christ Church is recognizedas the finest Colonial church inNorth America.

Also nearby is Morattico BaptistChurch (est. 1778), the mother Baptistchurch of the Northern Neck, and WhiteMarsh United Methodist Church, themother Methodist church in the Neck.Located in Kilmarnock, New St. John’sBaptist Church is considered a goodexample of eclectic architecture withGothic arches and Victorian featureshandsomely joined.

Another historic site, Ditchley (est.1686) is just a few miles outside of town.Built by Hancock Lee, it was home todescendants of presidents Zachary Taylorand James Madison, and was later ownedand restored by noted philanthropist, Mrs.Alfred I. duPont. Mrs. duPont grew uphere and taught school in the area.

Not too far from Ditchley is CobbsHall, built around 1850 on the founda-tion of an earlier home from the 1720s.It was the home place of Richard Lee,from whom Robert E. Lee, PresidentZachary Taylor, and Chief JusticeEdward White descended.

Many other attractions are all situatedwithin a few minutes’ drive fromKilmarnock, including Indian CreekCountry Club, the former home of silentfilm star Helen Vincen and the free MerryPoint Ferry, one of the last cable ferries inthe country.

In addition to the KilmarnockMuseum, the town can boast of threemore very different museums. TheWelch Farm Museum depicts the history

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IF YOU GO ...

The best way to enjoy Kilmarnock ison foot, as most everything is close

by and there is much to do and see.

LIKE TO SHOP?No big-city, big-box stores or malls

here, but Kilmarnock has more than 15unique gift shops, with many featuringnautical items. There are three bookstores, a wine shop, a health food store,a toy store, an Irish pub, six clothingstores, an old-fashioned ice cream andbagel shop, and an almost museum-likecollectors’ doll shop that was featured inthe book, Virginia Curiosities. There arealmost 300 businesses located in andaround town.

HUNGRY?Kilmarnock has more than 20 eater-

ies, from delis to fast food, Chinese andThai and, of course, traditional family-style restaurants; and, don’t forget thatIrish pub. Eat and enjoy.

WHERE TO STAYThe Holiday Inn Express on North

Main Street has more than 60 rooms.Also located in town is the WaverlyHouse Bed and Breakfast. Nearbyaccommodations include FloweringFields B&B, Hope and Glory Inn B&B,The Inn at Levelfields B&B in Lancaster(an outstanding example of antebellum

architecture), St. Andrews Motel, Wind-mill Point Resort and, of course,renowned Tides Inn Resort.

Kilmarnock’s location is about centralto surrounding attractions and historicsites. A suggested trip itinerary might beto avoid the big cities’ traffic and hustleand bustle, and use Kilmarnock as abase for one’s next vacation.

Kilmarnock is a 90-minute drive fromRichmond, two hours from Fredericksburg,three hours from the Washington, DC,area, an hour from the Williamsburg,Yorktown, Newport News triangle, andeven closer to George Washington’sbirthplace and Stratford Hall. Both BuschGardens and Kings Dominion are lessthan 90 minutes away. And inKilmarnock, you’re just minutes awayfrom the beautiful Chesapeake Bay.

No visit to Kilmarnock would be com-plete without a trip to the unique village ofIrvington, with its many quaint shops.Reedville, in neighboring NorthumberlandCounty, is well-known for its manyVictorian homes, once known as“Millionaire’s Row.” Reedville also is thehome of the Fishermen’s Museum and thedeparture point for cruises to Tangier andSmith islands in the Chesapeake Bay. ■

Kilmarnock is home to The Doll House,a collector’s shop that was featured inthe book Virginia Curiosities.

The Kilmarnock Museum is one of fourunique museums in the community.

Cooperative Living/July 2004

of farming, the old Lancaster Roller Mill,which operated from 1843 to 1872, andthe fledgling Northern Neck Wall ofFame Museum that honors those whohave excelled in sports in the area.

Kilmarnock also has five Sears homes,all located within easy walking distance ofthe downtown area.

For the nature lover, there is HughlettPoint Natural Area Preserve. Over 200acres of sand beaches, hiking trails andobservation decks give one a view of shorebirds, deer, turkey and migratory water-fowl. The beaches are home to the threat-ened Northeastern Tiger Beetle.

There is also the Hickory Hollow trailwith two miles of marked paths. Huntingfor deer, quail, duck, geese, turkey and salt-water fishing is the best here with manycharter boats available.

The Kilmarnock Chamber of Com-merce, led by newly elected president, Dr.Matthew Shifflett, hosts many specialevents throughout the year including theRivahfest street festival on Memorial Dayweekend, Scottish Days during October,and the Illuminated Christmas Parade inearly December. The Christmas paradehas been voted one of the best small-townparades in Virginia.

The chamber also recognizes anEmployee of the Month and honors a fire-man, EMT and officer of the year withspecial plaques.

The annual Volunteer Firemen’s Fes-tival takes place each year during the last

July 2004/www.co-opliving.com 39

week of July, as it has for more than 65years. It is believed to be one of thelongest-running carnivals in the nation,and is second only to the Chincoteaguecarnival in Virginia. All rides and con-cessions are owned by the fire depart-ment, and are operated by firemen andvolunteers for the nine-day event. Thecarnival has become a homecoming formany who come back each year just forthis occasion.

The annual Holly Ball of the NorthernNeck that started in 1895 as a privateYuletide party, is one of the oldest debu-tante balls in the country. Held each yearbetween Christmas and New Year, it haslong been the premier social event of theholiday season. The original holly treefrom which the ball got its name is nolonger standing, but remnants are on dis-play at the Kilmarnock Museum.

Kilmarnock Today

Now billed as the Antique and ArtCapital of Virginia’s historic NorthernNeck, Kilmarnock can boast of two largeantique malls and two art galleries, alllocated within easy walking distancedowntown. Three smaller antique shopsare nearby.

The Center for the Arts opened in 1991and is home to live community theaterwith at least four productions a year,including a spring musical. The Academyfor Performing and Creative Arts offersinstructions in dance, instruments andkarate in the same building located onChurch Street.

Kilmarnock Tomorrow

The town has recently purchased several acres of open land near downtownwith committees working on how best toutilize this property for the community.Plans call for it to be called “CrossroadsCommons,” if approved by the public.

The town is also moving forward withthe Main Street renovation project, withmost of the construction to begin in early2005. When completed, the entire face ofdowntown Kilmarnock will havechanged dramatically to be more pedes-trian friendly.

Adding the gala 75th anniversary cele-bration to the mix makes an exciting futurefor Kilmarnock and the surrounding areafor many years to come. ■

Cooperative Living/July 200440