HR 2051

Commending Agecroft Hall.
WHEREAS, Agecroft Hall, a historic Tudor manor house located in Richmond, commemorates its 100th anniversary in the Commonwealth in 2026; and
WHEREAS, originally built in Lancashire, England, in the 16th century, Agecroft was purchased four centuries later by Thomas C. Williams, Jr., and his wife, Elizabeth, who had the house dismantled, crated, and shipped to Richmond, where it arrived in the spring of 1926; and
WHEREAS, T.C. Williams, Jr., adaptively rebuilt Agecroft to be his home and the centerpiece of the Windsor Farms neighborhood he was developing at the time, intending the house to be “a museum for the benefit of the people of Richmond” after his and his wife's death; and
WHEREAS, following the intent of the Williams' will, Agecroft and its 23 acres opened to the public in July 1969 as a museum showcasing life in a Tudor manor house, with English-inspired gardens designed by renowned landscape architect Charles Gillette in partnership with Elizabeth Williams Morton; and
WHEREAS, Agecroft was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register on July 18, 1978, and to the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1978; and
WHEREAS, Agecroft welcomes more than a thousand school children each year, who learn about life in Tudor England, Shakespeare, and local flora and fauna; and
WHEREAS, in addition to a variety of tours for the house and its gardens, Agecroft offers educational programming for adults and families that ranges from lectures and demonstrations of Renaissance music and dancing to performances of Shakespeare's works and hands-on craft workshops; and
WHEREAS, Agecroft is a community gathering place that offers popular free public events, including celebrations for Shakespeare's birthday, yuletides, and concerts by the Richmond Concert Band; and
WHEREAS, for many years, the Agecroft Association has been a faithful steward of the house, its collection of Tudor portraits and decorative arts, and its gardens, which draw nature lovers, history enthusiasts, and admirers of the arts from across the Commonwealth and beyond; and
WHEREAS, Agecroft has translated the Tudor value of self-sufficiency into the 21st century by becoming the first cultural institution in the Commonwealth to use net-zero electricity by relying on solar energy; and
WHEREAS, on the front lawn of Agecroft stands a majestic winged elm, which is approximately 200 years old and notably the second largest winged elm in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, since opening its doors as a museum, more than a million people have visited Agecroft to enjoy its beauty and learn from its history; and
WHEREAS, for a century, Agecroft has contributed to the cultural life of Central Virginia, and it has indeed become “a source of pleasure and instruction” as Thomas C. Williams, Jr., envisioned; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Agecroft Hall hereby be commended on the occasion of its 100th anniversary in the Commonwealth; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Agecroft Association as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the history and significance of Agecroft Hall.