PAST MEETS PRESENT IN PALMYRA

“Safe in the hallowed quiet of the past “

James Russell Lowell

The past and present come together in the village of Palmyra, Fluvanna’s county seat.

It begins with a visit to Maggie’s house the headquarters of the Fluvanna Historical Society and where the first brushes with the past begin. One can almost feel the spirit of Maggie in the kitchen preparing meals to take to the prisoners next door.

For as one proceeds up the street they pass the Old Stone Jail. It was built in 1828 and for many years housed the scofflaws of Fluvanna. As one passes its solid stone walls they can almost swear that the ghosts of hundreds of prisoners are staring through the bars.

The next stop is the old court house. John Hartwell Cocke smiles from his picture on the wall. He was the prime mover in getting the courthouse built in 1830.

Afterwards we visit the Palmrya Methodist church. The original structure was built in the 1830’s on land donated by the village’s founder, Walker Timberlake. The current structure dates back to the 1890’s.

As one retraces their steps through the village they pass homes and buildings that survived the fire of 1930, which nearly ravaged the village. Palmyra had once been a thriving town. It’s proximity to the Rivanna River, the canal and ultimately the railroad had ensured its prosperity. After the fire and the decline of the railroad it began to slip into a quiet existence.

Next we pass the Confederate Park. In bygone Veterans Day celebrations Confederate veterans had rubbed elbows with the veterans of World War I – that war to end all wars. Now their ghosts mingle around the monument. Unfortunately, the ghosts of subsequent wars have joined them.

Finally, standing on a rise in front of the new courthouse one views the village square, the county offices and the new courthouse. Palmyra has awakened from its slumbers; it has risen from the ashes and is now a vibrant town again.

A gentle dusk is descending and warm light spills from the windows of Maggie’s house. The ghosts of Walker Timberlake, John Hartwell Cocke and Texas Jack smile down on what their little Palmyra has become.

Yes, the past meets the present in Palmyra.

                                      
Bill Jones -  Fluvanna County Historical Society