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We now have a date in place for this year’s Holiday Heritage Home Tour. The event, organized and ran by the Lunenburg County Historical Society, will be held at Woodland on Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Built by Dr. Sterling Neblett Jr. in 1854, Woodland was home to the prominent Neblett family in Lunenburg for several generations. The house is located at 5572 South Hill Road, aka State Route 138, the main road between Kenbridge and South Hill.

The home is owned by Bryan Isaacs and his wife, who will be available to extend their personal hospitality to visitors.

“It’s our pleasure to share this wonderful home that has such a rich history,” Bryan Isaacs said.

The tour will enable guests to see how a well-constructed antebellum home can meet the needs of 21st century residents.

After Woodland, tour goers will learn about Brickland. Many people in Lunenburg and vicinity are familiar with Brickland, which is located only a few miles from Woodland. Brickland was built in 1822 by Dr. Sterling Neblett Sr., the father of Dr. Neblett Jr., the original owner of Woodland.

The Neblett son’s home contains a number of sophisticated influences similar to what is found at Brickland, his father’s residence. Remodeled in 1968 by the Whitmore family to include a Mount Vernon style porch, Woodland still retains elegant examples of plaster and woodwork; much of the original structure was carefully preserved.

Visitors to Woodland can also explore the grounds where they will find the old cemetery, containing the graves of many members of the Neblett family. Handouts that will be distributed to guests on the tour also contain a great deal of historical information about the Neblett family and their times.

Those who have a copy of Antebellum Homes of Lunenburg, by Evelyn Ferguson Arvin, may want to refer to the chapter on Woodland (beginning on page 165) to get a sense of the history of the place, starting with “Old Woodland” (no longer standing) which was built on this same property in the 1700s by the grandfather of Dr. Sterling Neblett Jr.