SUFFOLK, Va. — I recently visited Riddick's Folly and got a tour of the historic home with Curator & Director Edward L. King and the President of the Board of Directors Fred Taylor.
"You step out of this house, and you look around at that time period — there's nothing like it and the neighbors are in shock," says Taylor.
Built in 1837 after Suffolk’s second major fire, the Mills Riddick house was built in a style and size that was unique, to say the least.
"You didn't find many Greek Revival buildings in this area. And it's four floors, 21 rooms and 16 fireplaces, 8,000 square feet," King says. "The neighbors made fun of it."
Getting the name Riddick’s Folly… “an often extravagant picturesque building erected to suit a fanciful taste.” Taylor tells me it was "Something that he was basically mocked and ridiculed for a number of years. Which now, we just love to consider it sort of an iconic part of Suffolk's history."
This home is not just for lovers of architecture, but also for Civil War history buffs. Union troops took over the Riddick’s home in 1862 as the headquarters for Major General John Peck.
"We only have about 10 pieces of original furniture because you had to figure, during the war, the Union soldiers took 85 to 90% of what was in the building," says King.
"I guarantee if you come here once, you're going to come back. You're going to bring your friends, your family, because there's going to be a piece of history that everyone can appreciate." says Taylor.
Riddick's Folly is located on Main Street in Suffolk. For more information, click here.
