My Virginia

                                  Above: The Farmhouse in 2014  I lived in this house from 1995-1998 as a teenager Me on the Farm in 1997  UPDATE: I have retracted information regarding a certain situation with the previous owners of this dwelling, Mr. Hottel.  As far as the original date of the house, it is unknown, but I believe it to be 1904, because it was verified by a descendant of the original builder. If there ever was a place that would be the perfect setting for a movie, this would be it. I spent most of my teen aged years on this old farmhouse located near the small village of Philomont, Virginia, just 7 miles north of Middleburg. You'll notice that I keep a picture of this farmhouse on the title of this blog. That's because it holds a very special memory  to me. The farmhouse was built in 1904 by a Mr Luck , as a wedding present for his wife. The sprawling Victorian farmhouse included 5 bedrooms (with servants quarters)

My grandfather was born William James Gilman, III, on January 20th, 1914 in Richmond, Virginia- to William James Gilman Jr, and Blanche Taylor (King) Gilman.  He had a younger sister named Alice. They called him "Billy" for short. Its interesting that there is a Country singer with the same name today . My grandfather was a very independent sort. He wanted to be an actor, or a writer, or a politician, or all three! As he went through college (Richmond Polytechnic Institute- now commonly known as "VCU"), he discovered writing is what he wanted to do. He never quite finished school there.  He once said to a close friend: "Why waste time on some four green acres? That is all college is to me". Despite his talent for writing, he also had a penchant for gambling. It  all started when he was a young teenager, and a man told him to bet on a horse race . The horse he bet on won. That started his gambling problem. When he was a young man of twenty-three,