The Ruins of Presidents Park Williamsburg

What draws us to ruins? The nostalgia of yesteryear? The perverse nature of decay? The visual history etched in cracks and holes? The artistry of the perfectly imperfect? The juxtaposition of knowing this crumbling setting used to be taken care of? Catching a fragment of what-was before it completely disappears? Paying homage to great dreams no longer dreamt? Imagining the What it was, What happened, and What it could still be? Whatever it is, a single thing or a mix of many, we are drawn to these places.

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In 2004, Presidents Park opened in Williamsburg, Virginia as a new history attraction, celebrating all the 42 elected leaders of the United States of America (as of then). After first starting at the visitor center, guests would stroll the grounds past 15-18' tall busts of each president, learning each man's history and accomplishments. It was meant to help boost the local stagnating tourist market. Unfortunately, due to many factors (a recession, high ticket prices, no repeatability), Presidents Park did not deliver and closed in 2010.

The busts, created by Houston artist David Adickes, sat fenced off in place for a couple years. In 2012, the property was being sold off, and construction recycling company Hampton Roads Materials was contracted to demolish the heads. The company's owner Harold Hankins couldn't bear destroying them, so he decided to buy them and truck them to his property. And there they have sat since, decaying and damaged. Between sanctioned tours and urban explorers visiting the property, the heads have gained a surge in popularity, more than they ever did at Presidents Park. Last year, Hankins publicly proposed a new development idea, The Ruines at Hankins Folly, with the presidents as its centerpiece. They would be preserved and stabilized as-is, as their ruined state has drawn more interest and attention than when they were pristine and intact. These plans were later put on hold as Hankins returned to the drawing board. 

I was able to to procure a tour ticket through John Plashal Photo, which is currently the only way for the public to visit the heads legally. This had been on my bucket list for quite a few years, and glad the stars finally aligned for me to visit!

The Hampton Roads Materials site is an organized chaos of torn-up concrete, dirt, and other materials. It's a little bit apocalyptic. After checking in, I parked my car by the main house, and walked down a lane. Passing foliage and a shipping container, the heads slowly revealed themselves.

Concrete waiting to be recycled

Shipping container holding and surrounded by Presidents Park ephemera

The Presidents Park Williamsburg Busts!

The heads are gigantic. It's so cool to look around them and explore. Each one has weathered in a different way. Their number is incredible. I also like the haphazard, condensed layout they are in.

Guests were told ahead of time to wear boots. It was quite muddy the day I visited, so I was glad I did, as it would have been impossible to reach the busts in the back two rows without them.

Love the details captured

John Adams partially buried under dirt

I loved looking inside the heads, seeing their interior supports. I am always amazed at how something may look like a solid chunk of material, but in actuality is only a couple of inches thick.

A missing jaw provides a look into this president's head

Looking through a hole in one president's shoulder/base

The back of some president's head

The 2' Obama mock-up bust
The park couldn't raise the money to commission
the full-size bust before it closed.

 

The experience is a good time. You're allowed to wander around the heads. At two points during our time, there were group talks, where John and the other tour leader went over the history and fun facts on the busts, as well as presidential trivia (with prizes!). Both were really informative and enjoyable to listen to. Now thinking about it, the tour was pretty much what the Presidents Park experience would have been when it was open. But now instead of the busts symbolizing a man/history, they themselves have a history that is visually represented on them. They're taken out of a museum setting and placed on the ground, allowing you to get a closer look at them. It's this failed funky roadside attraction that is thriving in a muddy field. It's so strange, but it works.

If you would like to visit the Presidents Park Heads, check out John Plashal Photo for all the upcoming offerings. I only took a regular tour, but there are specialty tours (evening, sunset, advanced photography, etc) available. Enjoy!!

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Alright. So most people would stop at that point and say, that's the ruins of Presidents Park! And that's all good and dandy, but that's really only half of the story. The heads may have moved, but the former grounds are still around and have been largely untouched since the heads' removal. If you know me, I like sharing the whole story. So let's now visit the other ruins of Presidents Park Williamsburg!!

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The former Presidents Park visitor center still stands. The outside appears the same as it did in its park heyday, an obviously imitation Georgian façade with a lack of windows towards the center and four awkwardly-narrow columns holding up a modest portico. The inside appears to have been reconfigured for office use, with the original lobby sectioned off. Along its backside is a second floor deck, where you could get views of the entire park.

Backside of the former visitor center

Presidents Park, 2005
View from the 2nd floor deck of the visitor center.
"263_6311" by David via Flickr [CC-BY-2.0]

Presidents Park, 2022
View from the 2nd floor deck of the former visitor center.

The grounds immediately surrounding the building and parking lot are maintained, while the park grounds have been allowed to grow freely. What had been a meadow-like space has now returned to its woodland roots. The only things on the outside denoting this had previously been developed are a lamppost and the concrete path that disappears into the foliage.

Let's go in.

Following the concrete path

I visited on an August summer day, so not only were all the plants vibrant and the bugs flying, but the Virginia heat and humidity was out in full force. Did I bring water or bug spray with me? Well, they were in my car, does that count? No, no it doesn't. By the time I realized I should have brought them along, my car was unreachable. I was too deep into the forest.

I did not plan this well.

There were moments I felt these presidential woods were never-ending. The path seemed longer than I thought it would be. It's just a loop, right? 

... Right??

Does this path actually go anywhere?!

And then, I started to notice the short cinderblock walls.

Like sarcophagi scattered through a wood, all missing their lid and contents. The former bases of the Presidents Park busts, all still in place. Some close to the main path, others a bit farther away. 

You get the idea. Initially slightly interesting, they quickly became a consistent, almost-banal feature every few yards along the path.


Somehow, through this neverending wood, I found the halfway point, which is marked by the gazebo. It was situated at the far end of the park.

My first view of the gazebo, buried by vines

Gazebo close-up, being swallowed by the foliage

Inside the gazebo

After being reinvigorated in my journey, I was surprised to quickly run into another structure I had no idea about. It was a rain covering for soda machines. It looked to be in fairly good condition. 

The rest of the journey was punctuated by the odd object here-and-there.

The top of a lamppost

Some snake rail fencing still in place

A former informational sign

More cinderblock bases

Finally, after passing 42 cinderblock walls, I emerged out of the forest. Was it still the same year? Was it the same century??

(Yes and yes.) (It had only been an hour.)

Tears of joy ran down my face, or at least would have if I hadn't already sweated out all of the water in my body. I hobbled past the old visitor center and into my car, chugging down my water bottle. I left, tired yet accomplished. I returned home and immediately showered.

If you want to visit the former grounds of Presidents Park Williamsburg, make sure to ask permission at the former visitor center first. Plan your visit in the fall or winter, when the foliage isn't as full and the humidity and heat are nonexistent.

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To conclude this post, while I haven't personally visited them, I want to share with you the other Presidents Parks and associated landmarks. 

In Leads, South Dakota, about 50 miles away from Mount Rushmore, there is a second abandoned Presidents Park. This was actually the first location, opening in 2003. Due to the same problems that plagued the Williamsburg location, it too closed in 2010. Unlike Williamsburg, South Dakota has more land available, both to give each president their own space, and for future expansion. 

The above video was taken in 2022. The busts are still in place along their path, and somehow are in really good condition. I've seen videos of Presidents Park Williamsburg while it was open, and some of the busts were weathering even back then. Maybe the humidity/weather combo in Virginia didn't bode well to the busts?

Then there was a set of busts made for an unrealized THIRD Presidents Park that would have been located in Pearland, Texas in the mid-2000's. Unfortunately, it never came to be. In 2020 (pre-pandemic), there was a groundbreaking in Huntsville, Texas for a public park that would have utilized the heads. Unfortunately, there does not appear to have been any other news since that announcement, so I'm not sure if that park is still happening. In the meantime, these busts are stored at artist David Adickes' studio in Houston, Texas, which is viewable both from the road and close-up whenever his studio is open to the public. This is also the only set that has a full-sized Obama bust!

Finally, there are individual busts scattered around*! Kennedy, Reagan, and Bush (#43) are hanging out at an RV park in Hermosa, South Dakota. There's an Eisenhower in a park in Denson, Texas, which is where he was born. My favorite I've stumbled across is American Statesmanship Park in Houston, Texas. Also known as Mount Rush Hour for being visible from a major highway interchange, it features Washington, Lincoln, and Texas' founding fathers Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston. It's an interesting match-up. I'm sure there could be more busts, but these are the ones I've been able to look up.

* It is unclear to me if some of these were made specifically for these locations or borrowed from one of the existing Presidents Park sets.

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So, here is the final conclusion of this post, but maybe this is just the beginning for you and your journey to discover your own ruins of Presidents Park. Bon Voyage, safe travels, and please bring a water bottle! 

SOURCES:

YouTube: PRESIDENT'S PARK WILLIAMSBURG,VA 4 7 09

Dylan in the Details: Finding and Photographing the Abandoned President Heads Across the USA

The Item: Presidents Park groundbreaking set for Monday

Roadside America: Denison, Texas: Giant Head of President Eisenhower

Houstonia: Who Needs Mount Rushmore When We’ve Got Mount Rush Hour?

Additional Materials of Interest:

Building Obama (1:30:36 video)

Stolen Obama statue reunited with ex-presidents on farm (2019)

Yelp Reviews of President's Park

David Adickes on the Presidents Heads (2014)

The Texas Bucket List - David Adickes Studio in Houston (2020)

Roadside America: Presidents Park South Dakota

Robertson's Windmill Flies!... Again! (2022)

Peering through fence slats at Robertson's Windmill, 2017

In 2015, I wrote a fun post about the successful re-lifting of the Colonial Williamsburg windmill back onto its post. I thought everything was concluded, good and dandy. 

... SIKE! Seven years later, the saga continues with new twists and turns.

So, quick rewind if you don't feel like reading the past article. The windmill was originally constructed in 1957 behind the Peyton Randolph House along North England Street. In 2010, after over a decade of being out-of-order, it was moved in pieces to a lot between Great Hopes Plantation and the Visitors' Center. In September 2015, the windmill was finally put back together and made viewable to guests. Huzzah! It was expected to open and be workable in the following month.

Windmill flying! 2015

Now, onto newer history. In early 2016, the windmill had still not opened. It was reported the mechanics had needed a larger overhaul than expected, but it was now on track to open in a couple months. This opening also did not happen.

In 2017, Colonial Williamsburg announced it was in dire financial trouble, and could not keep going as it had been. In an effort to save money, many actions were taken, including shuttering the Great Hopes Plantation. The trades that took place there were moved into the Historic Area -- the carpenter's yard moved to the corner of Nicholson and Botetourt streets, while a farming plot was set up behind the Prentis Store. 

Although Great Hopes had been a good depiction of colonial farm life, it had never been a huge draw. Being outside the Historic Area, just beyond the Visitor Center bus stop, it was out of the way from most visitors. The windmill was moved there to expand the farming interpretation, as well as visually draw guests to the farm. It was a good idea, and possibly could have worked if the Foundation's finances had been on better footing. When the site closed, the windmill lost its purpose for being there. It became a picturesque landmark only seen by guests taking the walking trail. Surrounded by fences, it was inaccessible for any closer looks.

Windmill in January 2022

Sign in January 2022 promising that "plans are underway
to develop the site for future visitor programming."
This same sign had been up since 2016-2017.

Jump to 2022. Colonial Williamsburg decided to move the windmill back into town. This time, on a plot of land on the corner of Francis Street and Bucktrout Lane. “It’s moving to a site where it’s going to see more use and maintenance and where visitors will have much greater access to it,” said Matt Webster, CW's executive director of Architectural Preservation and Research Department. On April 21, a crane lifted the mill portion off of its post again. A structural issue was discovered during disassembly, leading to a delay of further mill movement. Eventually, the issue was remedied, and the windmill made its move early in the morning on August 8!

Grounded windmill, May 2022

Here is a video of the mill house being driven down Duke of Gloucester Street:

And here is another one of it being lowered onto its post later that day:

Robertson's Windmill has now joined an exclusive club of Williamsburg buildings that have been moved around the Historic Area twice, including the Travis House and the John Galt House. It's more common than you might think!

Work continues on reassembling the windmill. Current plans for its future involve it being "passively interpreted through signage." It will be part of a new farming interpretation site "Ewing Field," named after the plot's 18th century owner, Ebenezer Ewing. A mini-Great Hopes Plantation, but just across the street from an established bus stop. It will definitely make this location more visible and accessible. I hope it will be a success. Third time's a charm, right?

Williamsburg Windmill, late August 2022

Great Hopes Plantation remains for now, its paths and fields overtaken by grass. Being outside the Historic Area and a modern creation to showcase rural colonial life, there's not much historic reason to preserve what is there. Colonial Williamsburg has been looking into options to reuse the land. In 2018, they applied for a 2-year permit to use the space as an outdoor event venue. I don't know of any event or concert that took place there during that period.

Great Hopes Plantation

Windmill's former footings left at Great Hopes Plantation
Late August 2022

The lime kiln I saw being constructed in 2015 was eventually completed. It was tested in January 2021, with the first fire with lime shell in April 2021. Kind of sad it is very out of the way. If the Great Hopes property does get reused, not sure what will happen with it.

Lime Kiln, 2022

Well, that's all the news I have for now. Good luck to the windmill! May your sails finally catch favorable winds.

Backside of Williamsburg Windmill, late August 2022

Bonus Video

Tour of the windmill from May 2020:

Previous Post

Robertson's Windmill Flies! (2015)

Sources Used

Testing the winds with Colonial Williamsburg's windmill (2016)

Old-school saw pit a throwback in Colonial Williamsburg (2017)

Americans’ Declining Interest In History Is Hitting Museums Like Colonial Williamsburg Hard (2017)

Palace Farms site to introduce new Colonial Williamsburg event venue (2018)

Emily Campbell Facebook Post Jan 28, 2021: Architectural Preservation and Research at CW

Matthew Webster Facebook Post April 28, 2021: Architectural Preservation and Research at CW

Gone with the wind: Colonial Williamsburg to move historic windmill (2022)

Steve Chabra Facebook Post April 21, 2022: Architectural Preservation and Research at CW

Plowing New Ground: Connecting With the Past at Ewing Field (2022)

Colonial Williamsburg’s Windmill Moves to New Location (2022)

The Stone House at Harper Park

The Stone House at Harper Park

East of Leesburg, Virginia on Route 7 is a small stone building. Charming yet forlorn, it is known as the Stone House at Harper Park. 

This one-room building was built in 1822, and was used as a tavern for travelers. At the time, taverns were places to eat, drink, and to rest for a night or so. It did pretty well in that capacity for many years, the owner at one point buying a slave to work there. In the 1960's, it served as a gift shop, but then sat vacant for a couple decades.

In 1996, work began on the Potomac Station housing development, threatening the house's existence. Thus the Hamblet family, descendants of the Harper family (of Harper Park) and current owners of the house, conveyed the house to Loudoun County to be moved down the road and used as a tourist information center and museum. The Stone House was loaded onto a trailer and driven 800 feet to its present location. A preservation group was formed shortly thereafter, the Friends of the Stone House at Harper Park, seeking to raise funds, stabilize the building, and guide its future use. "This place has welcomed so many travelers over the years, we want to restore it to what it used to be, a welcome center for people who are commuting," said Joan Coullahan, one of the Friends, "We also want it to be a living history, not just a rest stop, but a place where people can get to know what western Loudoun is all about even before they get there." 

The Friends were awarded some grants for the Stone House, including one for $100,000. Unfortunately, the Friends and the County eventually determined restoring the house and making it usable was costlier than expected, and abandoned their efforts. In 2007, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors conveyed the house and property back to the Hamblet family. The Friends of the Stone House at Harper Park slowly dissolved, their last activity disbursing their remaining funds to other historical and preservation societies in Loudoun County. Since then, the house has sat without any future plans, watching the cars zoom by on Route 7. 

Side of the Stone House

Stairs down to basement/crawl space

Back corner of the Stone House

Backside of the Stonehouse

Some wood rot

It's such a pretty little building, it seems a shame it hasn't found another use. The thing is, I don't think it is enough of a draw to be fiscally solvent and stand by itself. I've always thought it would be great for it to be added to Market Station in downtown Leesburg, which is a shopping complex composed of historical buildings that were moved together and readapted for retail use. Another option could be the Purcellville Gateway Center route, where they built and integrated new buildings with the property's historic farmhouse, barn, and silo. Or it could be a wing of a residential house, there's a cul-de-sac right behind the Stone House that could easily make room for a driveway access point.

In 2015, the last time an article was written about the property, a member of the Hamblet family was quoted as hoping that "the building would survive the test of time." I too hope the Stone House will keep standing the test of time, waiting for the right opportunity to present itself.

Sources:

Loudoun Times-Mirror: Blink and you'll miss a piece of Leesburg's history

Washington Post: HISTORY, WRITTEN IN STONE

A GUIDE TO THE FRIENDS OF THE STONE HOUSE AT HARPER PARK PAPERS, 1996-2009

Visit: Glen Echo Park

Glen Echo Park Entrance Sign

Glen Echo Park is a rare gem. Nestled in the Maryland woods just outside of Washington, D.C., this U.S. National Park was at one time a regional amusement park. One scenic trolley ride away from the city, and guests could spend their summers riding on the attractions, swimming in the pools, or dancing in the ballroom. When the park closed in 1968, it was acquired by the National Park Service, and was re-purposed as an arts and culture community hub (I'm skipping a lot of detail, see the bottom of this post for links to further reading).

I love all the different architectural styles scattered throughout. You have the Rustic Chautauqua Tower and carousel building, the Art Deco Arcade, the Spanish/Art Deco mix on the Spanish Ballroom, and then the 1970's wooden yurt colony. It's an eclectic mix, and differs so much from the predominantly Neoclassical/Brutalist landscape that makes up Washington, D.C.

Carousel and Arcade Building

Visiting recently has brought back some old memories. In the late 1990's, my parents would take me here to see puppet shows by The Puppet Co.. Glen Echo really stuck out for me. It was the first somewhat-neglected place I had ever visited. Many of the buildings had paint that was faded or chipping-away. A rusting shooting gallery had been overtaken by plants, and you could see the sky through a large opening in the ceiling. There were quite a few buildings around, but it didn't ever look like they were regularly open.

I remember the yurts seemed so alien to me

Notably, I was drawn to the Crystal Pool. The Crystal Pool was an outdoor multi-swimming pool complex that could allow 3,000 guests to swim at once. After the amusement park closed, the pools were filled in and/or demolished. What remained was the monumental entry door and the remnants of the lower level of the diving pool. By the 90's, the diving pool had a forest growing out of it. Peering through the peep holes in the door, or looking down at the pool from the playground up the hill, it captured my imagination.

Crystal Pool Facade in 2008
(CC Image courtesy of Tina Saey, "Crystal pool" on Flickr)

Looking back, Glen Echo was the first location I ever realized had a past. Everything I had seen previous had been in good condition and open for business. I started questioning what had been there before, and what had happened to have it reach its present condition? Most importantly, the Crystal Pool had me thinking, could this and the other closed structures reopen? Later on, that trail of thinking would lead to: how would this place reopen?, aka adaptive reuse/preservation!

So, what did I think the Crystal Pool was/could be? I remember it best in winter, so leaves and underbrush weren't obscuring the space. It looked like the trees were supposed to be there, or maybe I liked how the trees looked (These memories are going on 20ish years, please bear with me). What I thought it was/could be was a private contemplative walk around a pond. It didn't seem that exciting. It didn't really make sense why guests would want to pay to do that, but who was I to judge?

Remnants of the Crystal Pool's diving pool in 2018. The
entrance is to the right of the picture. The trees have been
cut down since my visits in the 1990's.

Well, I grew a little older, and puppet shows weren't as exciting, so my parents stopped taking me to Glen Echo (Anything else Glen Echo offered could be found a little closer to home). From then until now, the park has gone through some terrific renovations to revitalize its buildings. Things have been painted in the last 20 years. Buildings have been faithfully restored or reconstructed. I would not have come up with the same questions I had had back then if I visited now.

Looking down the restored Arcade

The Crystal Pool's entry door has been restored to its former glory, and the forest in the diving pool has been cut down, with a tarp now covering up the foundation. Other than that, the site remains untouched and unused. It's odd, because it seems like it is the only site in Glen Echo that has not been re-purposed yet.

Crystal Pool Entry in 2018, restored

In 2017, architecture students from the University of Maryland proposed three master plan concepts to Glen Echo's board. Two of the plans suggested turning Crystal Pool into an outdoor amphitheater. I think that would be an excellent idea! The Bumper Car and Cuddle-Ups pavilions could serve in that capacity, but they lack the infrastructure and space required of most live theater/dance performances. Crystal Pool, a blank canvas past the doorway, would be a more ideal environment to have that happen in.

Bumper Car Pavilion

Glen Echo continues to exude its unique, magical charm. I look forward to see how it continues to evolve over the years. It's doing great things and is beloved by its community. I cannot wait until my next visit.

Glen Echo Park Entrance Sign & Chautauqua Tower
(It needs to get painted again)

SOURCES/FURTHER READING
Glen Echo on the Potomac TV Documentary
National Park Service - Glen Echo
Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture
The Historical Marker Database - Glen Echo Park’s Crystal Pool
The Historical Marker Database - The Glen Echo Park Yurts
Book - Glen Echo Park: A Story of Survival
A General History of Glen Echo Park (c. 1997)
Postcard From Past Glen Echo (pre-2000's renovation pictures)
“Fun is Where You Find It”: A New Plan for Glen Echo Park