Woodville Plantation to get in the ‘spirit’ of things with whiskey party
The Whiskey Rebellion played such a large role in the life of John Neville that its only natural that whiskey-themed events have made the docket of public gathering held at his family’s home at Woodville Plantation in Collier Township.
The circa 1775 domicile, what Bob Eckle, president of the Neville House Association, calls the oldest habitable house in Southwestern Pennsylvania, is planning yet another spirited affair. The public is invited to “Whiskey with Woodville and Liberty Pole Spirits,” a distillery located in nearby Washington.
The evening, scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 25, is an understandably 21 and older event. Not only will Liberty Pole offer samples of their whiskeys, but they will also design three cocktails meant to match the hearty hors d’oeuvres made by the Woodville staff.
While the cocktail and hors d’oeuvres menu hasn’t yet been finalized, Ellen Hough, co-owner of Liberty Pole with her husband, Jim, is leaning toward a lemon/basil flavored cocktail but is certain Liberty Pole bartenders will be serving Martha Washington’s Cherry Bounce at the chocolate dessert station.
“A colonial-era cocktail, the Bounce is made by soaking sour cherries and Demerara sugar in rye whiskey for three months to create a drink that tastes like cherry pie,” Hough said.
At Woodville, patrons can meander around stopping at the food stations, sipping their cocktails – 3 ounces as opposed to standard 6-ounce beverages will be served – and listen to the bartenders explain what they’re drinking while a Woodville volunteer talks abut the house and its history.
“While we’ll be sampling our whiskey, which may not be something everyone wants to do, we will also be serving cocktails, something everyone should like,” Hough said.
During the evening, guides will take patrons on a tour of the house. One highlight of the evening is a scripted portrayal of a 20-minute debate between an 18th century farmer and a Whiskey Rebellion tax collector presented by costumed actors.
“The debate will contrast the way the landed gentry lived as opposed to the farmers and the ‘middlin’ class, who were wealthy but still worked for a living,” Hough said.
Born in Winchester, Va., John Neville traveled much and spent little time in his home in Woodville, which was occupied for a much longer time by his son Pressley. During the Revolutionary War, Neville was captured in Charleston, S.C., and spent two years in prison but was later released with the cessation of hostilities.
As a member of the landed gentry, Neville owned 1,400 acres at Woodville, most of present day Neville Island and a total of 10,000 acres in Western Pennsylvania, Virginia and the area around Cincinnati. In 1780, he also registered between 21 and 23 slaves.
A federal tax inspector with tax collectors under his supervision, Neville provoked the ire of the whiskey rebels who burned down his second home at Bower Hill Plantation during a skirmish on July 16 and 17 in 1794. The Whiskey Rebellion ended in November 1794 when federal troops arrived after a march from Philadelphia.
According to Eckle, there is no record as to when Neville left his position of federal tax inspector, though he said he could have remained in that office until the tax was repealed in 1800. Neville died in Pittsburgh in 1803 and is buried in Allegheny Cemetery.
Tickets for the “Whiskey with Woodville and Liberty Pole Spirits” are $40 with advance registration; $45 at the door. Admission includes the hors d’oeuvres, the whiskey tasting, cocktails, the debate presentation, entertainment by musician Brad Bendis, and a commemorative Woodville Whiskey Glass.
There is free parking at the location. To register, visit www.woodvilleplantation.org or call 412-221-0348.