London Public House and Gardens

This handsome brick Georgian-style mansion building, circa 1764, features an outstanding view of the South River. The uniquely-constructed house features a floor plan composed of four elevated corner rooms separated by a central hall and a transverse passage; central entrances on each elevation lead to the hall and passage. The house has been restored and furnished to its original function as the home and tavern of the local ferrykeeper; tours are offered of the interior, where rooms reflect a lifestyle typical of the period and the occupation of the owner.

Situated on 10 acres, the grounds include extensive year-round woodland gardens that are particularly outstanding during spring bloom; plantings feature an exhaustive collection of native, as well as more exotic, species. A mile-long walking tour of the gardens takes about 45 minutes and covers eight acres. The colonial London Town site is open Tuesday-Sunday, closed on holidays.