Solitude is for sale in Palmyra, Virginia.

In 1745 the original property, which contained the land in the fork between Cunningham Creek and the Rivanna River belonged to Joseph Thompson, the first high sheriff of Albemarle. His son Roger inherited the property on his death. Roger was active in Revolutionary War politics and the British came looking for him during the war. Known as the Thompson House he hosted the historic Fluvanna Conference here in 1779; a meeting that was a prelude to the formation of the Methodist Church in the United States. After the Revolutionary War, the Thompsons moved west and the property was subsequently owned by: David Ross (1838- the deed for the first time mentions the name Solitude Plantation), Abram Shepherd, Jr., and Dr. Albert Gallatin Will of Chatham who bought the Solitude Plantation in 1859 when he set up a medical practice in Palmyra. The two-story mansion burned prior to the Civil War and the oldest part of the new house on the property was built over the original basement. His son Wallace and wife, Alice Bell Willis, remodeled the house to its current configuration. Solitude was also known as Falling Gardens because of the terraced gardens that were once present on the hill overlooking the river. During the Civil War the Solitude Mill on Cunningham Creek was also part of the property. During Sheridan’s James River Raid 300 men from the 1st Michigan of the First Brigade of Devin‘s Division under Lieutenant Colonel George Maxwell left Charlottesville for Palmyra on March 6, 1865, along a road that paralleled modern-day Route 53 to destroy mills in Fluvanna County and the covered bridge over the Rivanna River at Palmyra. After destroying the mill and bridge they moved on to the Solitude Mill. The women of the area begged the Federals not to destroy the mill since it was the only remaining functioning mill in the county and they would starve to death without it. Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell decided to leave the mill intact and headed to Scottsville to join the rest of Devin’s Division.

A comment about the location of this home from our editor-in-chief- Charlie the Westie. Charlie the Westie would like everyone to known that right down the hill from the house is the EW Thomas grocery store, which has the world’s best fried and rotisserie chicken in Virginia and you don’t have to get in a car or cross a street to get there from Solitude. It is so good that it sells out really fast. Charlie the Westie has not been paid for this statement and has no affiliation with EW Thomas but if you want to bring him one of their rotisserie chickens he will be more than happy to share it with you.