Belmead Restoration Celebration

FrancisEmma Inc., the nonprofit established to oversee the protection and development of the 2,265-acre property, endeavors to restore the site not only in appearance, but to its mission of service, Tucker said.

Belmead was home to St. Francis de Sales, a girls’ school whose primary mission was to educate black girls and St. Emma Military Academy, which served black boys.

During the more than 80-year history of the schools, roughly 15,000 students were educated on the Belmead grounds, Tucker said.

With its rich spiritual and academic history, as well as its physical beauty, FrancisEmma is endeavoring to use words such as "hope and faith and grandeur and joy," when talking about Belmead, he said.

To that end, a $7-million capital improvement campaign is underway, with the first phase being the completion of the restoration of the roof at Belmead Mansion.

FrancisEmma is determined to reach that goal, Tucker added, and not dip into its savings for funding or depend on the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament of Bensalem, Pa., the owners of the property, for financial assistance.

"We intend to make it happen," Tucker said. "We need your blessing."

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., attended Saturday’s event as a special guest. A devout Catholic, he and his wife, Anne Holton, have been attending St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Richmond for 30 years, Kaine said.

"I am thrilled to be here," Kaine told those in attendance. "I’m here because of the past, but I’m here mostly because of the future."

Since Belmead is in a conservation easement, it will be preserved for future generations, Kaine said.

"The world is charged with the grandeur of God,’" Kaine said, referring to a line in a poem by Victorian poet and Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins.

In order to help FrancisEmma meet its goal and to restore Belmead to a place of grandeur, Kaine said that supporters of the endeavor need to "put our loaves in the basket."

Jorge Olazabal, an employee of Virginia Masonry Restoration who worked on the roof restoration, said he marveled at those who built the original roof and chimneys.

"The people who were building this, they were very gifted because they did not have any tools," he said, adding that he has state-of-the-art tools at his disposal.

Sister Maureen Carroll, executive director of FrancisEmma, said the second phase of the restoration process will be improvements to the outside of the mansion, which are estimated to cost about $500,000.

The $7 million capital improvement campaign also includes funding to maintain Belmead’s infrastructure, such as roads and other elements of the property, she added.

"Long after we’re gone we’re hoping people will be coming up the hill praising God," she said.

Following Saturday’s celebration, Sister Maureen said she was appreciative that so many elected officials were in attendance as well as the response from the

local community.

"I think it’s wonderful," she said. "It’s absolutely wonderful."

For more information about FrancisEmma Inc. and Belmead, call (804) 598-8938 or visit www.francisemma.org.