John Tyler purchased this plantation one mile west in his native Charles City in 1842 while serving as tenth president of the United States, and made it his home from 1845 until his death in 1862. He lengthened the wooden 18th-century house to over 300 feet long, creating the longest frame house in America. Before becoming president, Tyler had served Virginia as congressman, governor, U.S. senator, and vice-president. He served as president of the Washington Peace Conference in February 1861, and both sides occupied Sherwood Forest during the Civil War. Sherwood Forest, a National Historic Landmark, remains the home of Tyler's descendants.
