To Grandmother’s House We’ll Go at Chatham Vineyards
March 29, 2023Your grandmother’s house is waiting at Chatham Vineyards at Church Creek.
You’ll recognize the rocking chairs on the porch and the claw-foot soaking tub in the bathroom. You might wake to raking morning light spilling in from the oversized windows, but you don’t have to worry about car sounds or streetlights interrupting your slumber. You’ll find neither at The Holland Scott House, also known as The Farmhouse at Chatham Vineyards on Airbnb.
This is a place to enjoy the peace and the pace. A spot to stare at the stars rather than gaze into your phone. If you want to unplug and escape, you’ve found your place in this three-bedroom, two-bath restored farmhouse nestled between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
“It reminds me of my grandmother’s house,” said Jon Wehner, vintner at Chatham Vineyards along with his wife, Mills. “There is a large segment of the population this farmhouse appeals to. If you’re looking for a lot of nightlife, you’d probably prefer Virginia Beach. If you’re looking for some nightlife, try Cape Charles. But if you want to sit on the porch and look over hundreds of acres and see stars on a clear night that are as bright as you’ll ever see, you’ll be very comfortable here.”
It’s a house with a storied history dating back to 1920, when Holland Scott built the home for his wife, Sara, and their three children. Holland’s brother, Earnest, built and occupied another flanking farmhouse on the property, Chatham House, where Jon, Mills and their three children reside today. Jon’s parents, Joan and Harrison Wehner, bought the house in 1979.
“Both houses are kit homes — elegant, well-built examples of the American Foursquare farmhouse that I have an affinity for,” Mills says. “They don’t make houses like this anymore. My grandmother had a house in Ocean City, New Jersey, from the same era. This reminds me of her house.”
The Chatham House and the Farmhouse are not side by side at Chatham. In fact, they’re not even close together on the 300 acres of wooded property, gardens and vineyards. The Farmhouse, which has been rented out consistently since 2017, sits secluded in the northeast corner beyond the vineyards and barns, a short path leading to Church Creek. Mills favors the spectacular views that get even better at sunset. Chatham House is near the front entrance.
“Mostly I love the front porch of the Farmhouse to take advantage of the views,” Mills says. “It’s very quiet and dark on a sliver moon. With a full moon, it’s beautiful, almost like daylight. And the stars! You feel as if you could reach up and pick them out of the sky. There’s no light pollution. No noise pollution. It’s as close to natural as you can get.”
Along with Cape Charles, Wachapreague, Onancock and Chincoteague are easy drives for families staying a week. Stay close and the Shore offers plenty to do, from beaches to artisan shopping to fresh seafood restaurants. Chatham Vineyards is open every day for tastings, too. A handful of repeat families return to vacation to the Farmhouse every year.
The Scott family that originally owned it hasn’t been forgotten. Harriet Brockenbrough, Holland’s daughter, returns to the Farmhouse where she grew up every May for her birthday and again over Christmas. In her 90s today, Harriet cherishes memories of her father milking the cows multiple times a day, toting a pair of buckets each time into the kitchen full of warm milk.
From her written recollections: We had a cream separator on the screened back porch where whatever whole milk we did not need was separated into cream and skim milk. The skim milk went to the farm animals & my mother churned the sweet cream into beautiful pounds of butter, each with a wheat pattern from the wooden mold she used. Town neighbors frequently came to buy butter, eggs and frying chickens.
Holidays were special in the Farmhouse. She writes: Mother and Daddy called the three of us downstairs one night. As we descended the steps, there was a diminutive Santa Claus standing in the hall by the Christmas tree, dressed in a khaki coverall suit, which we didn’t find particularly strange. We were thrilled, but our parents were terrified since this was not long after the Lindbergh kidnapping. He did not gain entrance to the house until they realized from his speech that our Santa Claus was our neighbor, Mr. Upshur Kerr Henderson, somewhat out of character from his usual very quiet demeanor.”
And finally, Life was much simpler in those years. A man’s word was his bond and there were virtually no contracts written for commitments between men for services to be rendered. Lawyers’ work was mostly writing deeds or wills and prosecuting or defending the accused in court. Disagreements rarely required arbitration. Houses were never locked, and keys were left in vehicles whether at home or on trips to town.
“That house and everybody who stays there have happy vibes,” Mills says. “People love it.”
