Shirley Plantation

Shirley Plantation is a historic tobacco plantation and estate on the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, with origins in the early 17th century and a surviving Georgian Great House dating from about 1738.

The main attraction is the 1738 Georgian Great House, with period rooms and formal interiors arranged for guided visits. The estate also offers riverfront views along the James River and visible historic landscape elements including gardens, outbuildings, and a family cemetery.

The plantation traces its origins to the early colonial period and grew as a working plantation on the James River through the 18th and 19th centuries. The current Great House was completed around 1738; the property has remained in the same extended family for multiple generations and retains historic agricultural lands and buildings.

Located on the south bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, the plantation lies east of Richmond and is roughly 17 miles (about 27 km) from downtown Richmond.

• Tours: Public guided tours of the Great House are offered seasonally; check the plantation's official site for current visiting hours and tour times.
• Continuity of ownership: The property traces its roots to the early colonial period and has remained in the same extended family for many generations, making it one of the oldest continuously owned plantations in the United States.

What to See #

• Great House: Built about 1738, a Georgian brick Great House that serves as the plantation's historic core and is the main focus of guided tours.
• James River frontage: Sits directly on the James River with historic river frontage that shaped the plantation's economy and transportation.
• Family cemetery and outbuildings: Contains family burial grounds and a range of historic outbuildings that illustrate plantation-era domestic and agricultural life.