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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2000
Our View
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The recent vandalism of Montpelier, the circa
1745 mansion in Rappahannock County owned
by heirs of the Fletcher family, recalls the anguish felt over the destruction by arson of historic Beverley Mill at Thoroughfare Gap more than a year and a half ago.
The perpetrators of the fire that destroyed Beverley Mill have not been caught. We hope that efforts to bring those who trashed Montpelier will be more successful, and that justice will be done.
Perhaps then we can find out why anyone would lash out at historic treasures like an old mill and an unoccupied old house. The fact that in both cases it involved private property has no bearing on how we feel about the loss. We are all poorer.
The charred timbers were still smoldering when those who wished to save what was left of Beverley Mill sprang into action. A new organization, the “Turn the Mill Around Campaign,” was established, and soon the groundwork for preserving the remaining structure was put in place.
Now, with a foundation in possession of the land and remaining structure and with federal funding becoming available to stabilize the mill’s walls, it appears that what was not swept away by the flames will be preserved.
What’s more, under the leadership of Turn the Mill Around Campaign Executive Director Ellen Percy Miller, appreciation of what the mill represented and its place in history will not be forgotten. Indeed, it will be enhanced, with the property eventually opened for tours and the active participation of the students in history classes.
At this point, many Rappahannock folks are hurting from their loss, and want to see the perpetrators caught. But if what happened with Beverley Mill is any indication, the case won’t be solved overnight.
In the meantime, uniting behind a new effort to preserve what’s left at Montpelier might be worth considering. Right now, that’s all we’ve got.
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