The young James Dearing is remembered not only as the man who almost inherited Avoca, but also as a brave soldier of the American Civil War. Born in 1840, Dearing was the son of James Griffin Dearing and Mary Anna Lynch. His uncle, Charles Henry Lynch was childless, and set James as the inheritor…

The years of the Civil War in America are undoubtedly remembered as some of the most violent and tragic times to ever touch our young nation. The Civil War is America’s bloodiest conflict to the present day, with a whopping 620,000 causalities. The weight of such a war is not soon forgotten in the minds…

Today’s post will focus on a letter recently found in Avoca’s archives. This letter pictured above was addressed to Charles Henry Lynch, and was written by James Dearing in June of 1861. This letter comes from the very beginning of the Civil War, at a time when Virginia had only been seceded from the Union…

Avoca is just one of many historic homes in Virginia, but it might be surprising to learn that the Fauntleroy family has ties to historic homes all throughout the state of Virginia. One of these homes is located in the Saluda Historic District of Middlesex County. Known as Oakenham, this historic home is the oldest house in…