Westover Plantation

William Byrd II's Westover plantation can be seen from the banks of the James River in this modern photograph. One of the finest Georgian mansions still standing in the United States, the brick structure features symmetrical proportions, a steeply-pitched roof, and an elaborate stone doorway. Byrd replaced the original wooden structure with this elegant manor house; it was completed in 1735. Byrd died there on August 26, 1744, and was buried in the garden.