SantaRosaHoney

Santa Rosa plantation dates to the 17th century, though the plantation house in its current form dates to only 1840. Santa Rosa has been home to bees and excellent honey since before the American Revolution. For example, the will of Captain James Gee (1694-1760) filed at Prince George County Courthouse on February 16, 1760 lists among the Captain’s possessions “7 bees and hives.” During the Civil War Santa Rosa plantation was very close to the siege line surrounding Petersburg but the house itself was not burnt down because the Federals used the house as a headquarters and a field hospital…the heart pine floorboards on the 3d floor are covered with many large blood stains from the wounded soldiers. In 1864 the Union headquarters and hospital at Santa Rosa were overrun by Confederate cavalry on their way to rustle 5,000 Federal cattle that were corralled at Coggins point, cattle that were meant to feed the Union Army but instead were driven back to Petersburg by the rebels and ended up feeding the Confederate Army, prolonging the siege of Petersburg until 1865.