Belmead on the James

Written by Ann Huffstetler, photo by Tim Hanger

Belmead on the James combines captivating history, cultural insight, beautiful architecture and breathtaking natural beauty. The Osher hiking group had the pleasure of touring the former plantation’s mansion in November, learning the varied history of the property, and then hiking through its forest, alongside its wetlands, near its streams and past its historic buildings.

Located in Powhatan County on 2,265 acres of rolling land, the Gothic-style Belmead mansion was built during the late 1840‘s and early 1850’s by Philip St. George Cocke, a prosperous agricultural businessman and one of Virginia’s largest slave owners. There is an historic cemetery dating from the 1850’s where many of Cocke’s slaves were buried. This is one of four cemeteries on the property. This period of the land’s history is referred to as “the time of enslavement,” according to property manager Sr. Jean Ryan. 

“The time of empowerment,” the second phase of its history, was appropriately based on education and learning. It began when Belmead was purchased by Colonel Edward and Louise Drexel Morrell in 1893. They established St. Emma Agricultural and Industrial School, a school for black male youths. The school was established in 1895, relatively soon after the Civil War and on land where people had been enslaved. The students studied agriculture and were taught as many trades as possible to help them secure employment during a difficult time of our country’s history. Eventually the school changed its name to St. Emma Military Academy and by the 1970’s, when the school closed, the young men received not only a high school degree along with a trade, but also a military degree. The school maintained high standards to increase their graduates’ chances of employment upon graduation.

Also during this period, a school for young black women was established on land just east of Belmead under the direction of Mother Katharine Drexel, foundress of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and the sister of Louise Morrell. Called St. Francis de Sales, it offered students the opportunity to become certified teachers in addition to providing standard academics. 

The third and current historical period is called “the time of environment” and is guided by five Catholic nuns from the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, an order that has been connected to the site for more than 100 years. The sisters “created a new direction for unity and community for all life,” according to their brochure, by establishing FrancisEmma, Inc., in 2005. This nonprofit organization “firmly believes in respecting the rights inherent in all life systems through preservation, enhancement and sustainability of the beauty and diversity of the land in Powhatan” (Sister’s Comprehensive Plan 2004).

James River Master Naturalists, a program of educated and certified volunteers dedicated to the management of natural resources, hold their membership meetings and have established their office at the mansion. The Master Naturalists and FrancisEmma share similar views of mission and have both benefitted from this arrangement. Osher member and certified master naturalist Bill Pawelski, along with master naturalists Sr. Jean Ryan and Dan Jones, were on hand to guide and educate the Osher hikers in November. In addition to helping FrancisEmma with a bioblitz (a thorough inventory of flora and fauna in a given geographical area) last May, the group maintains and is expanding Belmead’s hiking trails. This has required additional help from Eagle Scouts who have built bridges and are in the process of putting up a dozen placards displaying notable quotes from naturalists.

“The more people know about nature, the more they love it and will want to take care of it,” Bill Pawelski said. “Belmead is fortunate to have 1,000 of its acreage protected under a conservation easement on the western part of the property. These acres will never be developed.”

As for the distant future of FrancisEmma, Sr. Jean Ryan and her fellow sisters dream not only of maintaining harmony within their beautiful natural surroundings, but of bringing back an educational purpose to one of the historical buildings. A school for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) would be a dream come true for them.

For more information on St. Francis/St. Emma, or to arrange a visit to this designated Virginia Historical Landmark, please contact FrancisEmma.org, DiscoverBelmead.org, or call (804) 598-8938.

And as Henry David Thoreau was quoted on one of the naturalists’ placards, remember: “In wilderness is the preservation of the world.”