Trip Report: Tazewell Hall & Mellow Mushroom

Lions Bridge at Lake Maury, Newport News, VA

I took a trip a couple weeks ago to Newport News to look up a little bit of research on Ferguson Hall. On the side, I visited some new places and old haunts.

I finally decided to find the original Williamsburg building that got away - Tazewell Hall. Tazewell Hall is an original 18th century building that was located in Williamsburg. It was owned by the Randolph family. Due to its complex past and it had been moved off its original foundations (and could not be put back due to a road), John D. Rockefeller sought to get rid of it. Lewis A McMurran, Jr. (who was, among other things, influential in shaping Christopher Newport College, and was the man McMurran Hall was named after) decided to buy it. He had it shipped out to Newport News, and rebuilt right on the banks of the James River.

With my ties to Colonial Williamsburg and CNU, I really wanted to find it. And I did!

Tazewell Hall, Newport News, VA

I only went on the public road to see it, since it is a private residence. It looks well taken care of. It's down the road from CNU, and a few houses away from CNU's President's House.



Later that night, I went with a friend to a new pizza place in Newport News, the Mellow Mushroom. It's an awesome pizza place, I approved. We ate outside, so it didn't hit me until we walked inside as we were leaving that the restaurant was themed...

Nautical door openings and portholes

Smokestack light fixtures

Very nautical, nice tying the restaurant with its location. And then I saw the back mural, and about died...

SS Newport News mural at the Mellow Mushroom

The SS Newport News! A fictitious liner, but based off the SS America. Very beautiful. I think I will come back there next time I visit.


Also went to Colonial Williamsburg to see some new changes. That will be covered at another time, though.

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