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.Roger Wilkins, author of Jefferson s Pillow, said The found-ing fathers led lives cushioned by slavery. Yet it is refreshingto see lives of America s early African-Americans interpretedin more candid ways than before at places like Gunston Hall,where a new exhibit opened in 2002 with reconstructed slavequarters and outbuildings.Museum interpreters here, and atthe museum homes of Monticello and Mount Vernon, aremoving away from shameful avoidance of slavery, to ac-knowledgement that it was African-American labor that builtthe vast plantations and wealth, making it possible for thefounding fathers to enjoy lives of thought, politics and travelthat enabled them to form a new nation.In 2002, the first memorial to a non-president was dedicatedon the National Mall in Washington DC.The larger-than-lifebronze statue of George Mason is surrounded by stone wallsinscribed with his portentous words.Appropriately, the me-morial has a re-created 18th-century historic garden, near thearea known as the Pansy Garden.Gunston Hall Plantation is open daily, 9:30am to 5pm (closedon Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year s day), with tourson the half-hour.Admission charged (10709 Gunston Road,Mason Neck, 800-811-6966 or 703-550-9220, http://Guns-tonHall.org).WarrentonAround TownA set of stocks greets visitors to Warrenton at the Old Jail Museum or Gaol as the sign outside reads.The 1808 jail has been restored tomore or less how it looked before the new and larger jail was builtnext door in 1823.In the Old Kitchen three layers of plaster were re-moved to expose a fabulous brick fireplace that was used to cook forthe prisoners.Inside the hearth it was found that whoever walled it uphad thrown in some treasures iron lamps, utensils and even cast iron127Northern Virginia Warrentonpots with blackened food still inside.The Old Jail is said to have a resi-dent ghost, an elderly man who died there while a prisoner.DocentLeona Keen says she s never seen him, but she has heard strangenoises.The museum tells the history of The Warren Green Hotel, which nowhouses school board and county offices.Before closing in 1960, theguest list read like a Who s Who of American history, including GeneralLafayette in 1825, presidents James Monroe, Andrew Jackson andTheodore Roosevelt.Here, General McClellan said goodbye to histroops after President Lincoln relieved him of his command, andHenry Clay announced his candidacy for president.Scandal sells, and it is an infamous guest who probably garnered themost attention.In order to get a quiet divorce in a small town, WallisWarfield set up temporary residency in the hotel in 1927.Originallyfrom Baltimore, she had friends in Fauquier County from her boardingschool days.In the year she lived here, she carried on a relationshipwith her next husband, Earnest Simpson.By the mid-1930s she wasseeing the Prince of Wales, and we all know where that led to the Kingof England abdicating his throne to marry an American divorcee.Shemay have been fickle in love, but Simpson kept her ties to Warrenton.The couple returned for a visit in 1941 as the Duke and Duchess ofWindsor.We were told old-school Warrentonians don t really like to flaunt suchnotoriety.They like things relatively quiet and conservative.When anIrish pub opened in 2001 on Main Street, it caused quite a flutter be-cause it was one of the first bars to open on Main Street since WorldWar II, when many lined the street.The movie theater was closeddown in 1971 when Marlon Brando s Last Tango In Paris shocked thecommunity.Several other pubs and bistros have opened as well, and the Old Townthat once rolled up its sidewalks at 5pm with all shops closed on Sun-days now brings in night and weekend crowds people who want tohave a drink and hear live music.Main Street is a happening and busyplace during the week, with businesspeople going to lunch, and law-yers and police officers coming to and from the courthouse.On theweekends diners and shoppers patronize the more than 50 antiquesshops, boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream parlors and artgalleries.It seems to be everything that an American Main Street should be.Yetthere s a nice dash just enough of the sophisticated and hip.The lo-cal newspaper has called it Little Georgetown. 128 DiningA walking tour of Warrenton s historic area starts at the Old Jail Mu-seum.Inside the jail are exhibits on the county s history and visitor in-formation.It is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm.Admission is free,but donations are welcome (corner of Main & Ashby streets, 540-347-5525).Jimmie s Market is a place that s been catering to the discriminatinglunch crowd and shopper since the 1970s.A store since 1939, thesmall, narrow shop at 22 Main Street has original tin ceilings and ispacked with all kinds of imported and gourmet groceries, 80 kinds ofbeer, local wines, deli items, even some antiques.At a counter you cansit and browse through the cookbooks for sale, or have a flavored cof-fee and a European pastry brought in from New York City.A small caféin the back seats about eight.The deli sandwiches use the finest ingre-dients, and you can purchase locally produced Black Angus beef ororganic meat from the freezer, including châteaubriand and veal sca-loppine from Summerfield Farms in nearby Culpeper ( 540-347-1942).DiningThere are several options for fine dining.The Depot Restaurant is lo-cated inside, you guessed it, an old train station, decorated with oldrailroad memorabilia and photographs.The fare is Mediterranean andAmerican.Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday (65 S.ThirdStreet, 540-347-1212).Fantastico-Ristorante Italiano & Innfeatures authentic northern Italian cuisine [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]