1250 Red Hill Rd, Brookneal, VA 24528
Phone: 804-376-2044
Fax: 804-376-2647
Open All Year
Overview. Patrick Henry, Virginia statesman, patriot of the American Revolution, and fiery orator, is best known for his impassioned 1775 speech before a gathering at St. John's Church in Richmond, which ends "Give me liberty or give me death!" In 1794, after serving five terms as Virginia's governor, Henry moved to Red Hill, a small plantation overlooking the Staunton River Valley, where, though in semiretirement, he carried on a limited law practice and raised tobacco, corn, wheat, and livestock. Henry lauded his home as "one of the garden spots of Virginia," and lived there with his second wife, Dorothea Dandridge Henry, and children (a total of 17!), until his death in 1799. He is buried in the cemetery at Red Hill along with Dorothea and other family members. His grave bears the inscription, "His fame his best epitaph." What to see and do. Before visiting the the Red Hill museum, where you'll find the most extensive collection of Patrick Henry memorabilia in the world, stop to watch a 15-minute introductory video on Patrick Henry and Red Hill. A self-guided tour of the site's seven historic buildings includes a reconstruction of Henry's small, one-and-a-half story home, its five rooms furnished with genuine period pieces. Henry's law office and library are also on site, and the tour includes the family cemetery, a reconstructed carriage house, servants' quarters, the kitchen, and other outbuildings. If your visit coincides with the 4th of July, you'll be treated to a Revolutionary War living history demonstration and a fireworks display; Red Hill's annual Christmas open house takes place the first Sunday in December. Contact the memorial for more information. Red Hill is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM from April through October, and to 4 PM the remainder of the year. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Group tours can be arranged with prior notice. Leashed pets are permitted. Other historic and scenic attractions in the vicinity of Red Hill include Appomattox Court House, which is 26 miles away, and the Blue Ridge Parkway and Peaks of Otter, which are 65 miles distant.
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