Fourth-year College student Meghan Fleming was in need of some playing cards. But searching through a drawer in her college house, she didn't find a deck -- she found Confederate money.
"You never know what you're going to find," Fleming said.
This is not an uncommon occurrence for the five fourth-year women that live in the Garth House off Garth Road, located about 15 minutes from Grounds off Ivy Road.
In the parlor of the white frame house sit bookshelves with musty-smelling masterpieces, a turquoise-painted player piano and paintings of majestic horses. Beyond wall decorations, the house is full of history, including a copy of Robert E. Lee's farewell address at Appomattox. This clearly is not your typical college residence.
The Garth House sits nestled amid foothills overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains, which this time of year appear more like a patchwork of brilliant fall colors.
"We've seen leaves change before, but it's nothing like this," said Allison Hudson, fourth-year College student and Garth House resident.
But the Garth House didn't always house college students basking in autumn beauty.
According to the current owner, Sarah Johnson Garth, the house was built in the late 1700s by Thomas Garth, who now is buried with his wife in the backyard.
In 1941, the current owner and her late husband James Woods Garth III moved into the house shortly after their marriage. At that time the Garth property extended some 200 acres.
"My husband ran the farm and took care of the horses" Garth said. "There was also wheat and corn."
The Garth House now rests on 25 acres of property including 50 more acres owned by other members of the family. This is all quite small compared to the amount of land the Garths once owned, which included Birdwood, built by James Garth's great-grandfather and lost after the Civil War.
The property that Oakencroft Winery now rests also was once Garth property.
Since the early 1990s, Sarah Garth has lived in what used to be the kitchen. It was converted into a guest cottage in 1965, and sits beside the main house. Garth and her husband began renting to students in the Judge Advocate General's School, the training program for army lawyers located at the Law School. But six years ago began renting to full-time University students as well.
"At first I said there was no way the house could handle six girls," Sarah said, "but then I realized it would be fine. After all, there were eight of us living there once."
Yet the decorations in the Garth House have not changed since the Garth's move to the guest cottage. Rather, tenants live immersed in the family's rich history. Deer heads from James Garth's hunting expeditions hang on the walls, while black-and-white family portraits from the 1800s line the staircase.
The den is covered with Garth family memorabilia, including school pictures of small children, framed photos of James Garth in a military uniform and the Garths' 1941 wedding announcement.
Freedom to decorate their rented home is a sacrifice these five women are willing to make. The five have had their eye on the home since their second year, when they unofficially claimed the house as their fourth-year residence.
According to the women, the pros of living in the Garth House outweigh the cons. But the drawbacks can be substantial, including the planning involved in living far from classes.
"It's only really a pain if you forget something," Hudson said.
Fourth-year College student Shannon Murphy agreed, admitting that she must be more intentional about things. For example, it can be difficult to see friends that live around Grounds because the Garth House is not really on the way to anywhere else.
In addition, no substitute exists for travel -- a car is a must. This led the girls to buy parking spaces at Westminster Church so that they have a place for their cars when attending classes.
Although having classes far from home might seem like a hassle to some, the Garth House tenants appreciate their distance from Grounds, especially the peace and solitude the locale provides.
"It's an entirely different pace of life," Murphy said.
After spending the past three years living near Grounds, the five women agree the change is a welcome one.
"It's such a nice break after living on Rugby Road, next to fraternities," Hudson said.
The distance also could impede upon social outings. Yet, while the girls admit the extra effort it takes to hang out with old friends, they say that going out never is a problem, especially since the girls take turns as the designated driver.
"It's fun," Hudson said. "We all just cram into the car."
Plus, being in such a novel house attracts friends -- often the girls don't even have to leave the Garth House. Because the house is so large, with four bedrooms upstairs along with a dining room, a parlor, a den and a kitchen, there is plenty of space for visitors.
Since moving into the Garth House, the women even have hosted formal dinner parties. Guests come to eat off china at James Garth's grandmother's dining room table and sit on chairs once used by the U.S. Senate.
The trampoline in the backyard, which the girls all chipped in to buy, attracts friends as well, as does the basketball court and acres of land for walking or spotting the abundant wildlife, including rabbits and deer.
"Mrs. Garth loves us to have people over," Murphy said. "She is really easy to get along with and just loves people in general."
Fourth-year College student Mary Andrews Liles agrees, adding that having Mrs. Garth as a landlady is far superior to the alternative of CBS Rentals or Woodard Properties.
"She's hands-on but hands-off too," Liles said. "If there's a problem, she's on top of it."
But country living does have its drawbacks.
"Rodents," Fleming said. "We killed 10 mice in a week."
"But that was only because the girls before us never put out traps," Murphy added.
Being in an isolated environment also has helped the Garth House residents see a different side of Charlottesville, one not so dominated by University life. Besides stumbling upon a nearby country store, the girls mingle with other community members, procuring house-sitting and babysitting jobs.
"We have more of an appreciation for where we are," Hudson said. "Living here makes us love Charlottesville even more."
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | 22 hours agoWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | 2 days agoWhat the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
