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#1, Nettie and Stella's Letterbox LbNA #17348 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Vinson Family Letter
Plant date:Aug 12, 2005
Location:
City:Petersburg
County:Petersburg city
State:Virginia
Boxes:1
Found by: Lord Rounders
Last found:Jul 8, 2008
Status:FFFFaFaaa
Last edited:Dec 30, 2015
Hand Carved Stamp
Difficulty: Almost a drive-by as you can see the letterbox from the grassy area once you know where to look. However, young children will need close supervision.

This lb is located at the visitors’ center for Old Blandford Cemetery on South Crater Road. If you are unfamiliar with this location, it would be wise to begin with a visit to the Petersburg Visitors’ Center to obtain maps of local historic sites. While you are in the area take the tour of the Old Blandford Church and the cemetery...Nettie and Stella were best friends that died of a disease a couple of months apart from each other. Their epitaph reads: “They lived united and united they died. Happy these children whom death did not divide; spotless and holy and gentle and bright. They passed from this earth the angels of light.”

Directions:From the parking lot at the Visitors’ Center at Old Blandford Cemetery. Go to the edge of the nearest woods close to an old picnic table with benches. Look into the woods and locate an old drainage spillway constructed of rock and cement.

More challenging route (children will need close supervision): Carefully climb down onto the flat lower lever and take the path to the right. Go to the double-trunked tree which leans to the East. The letterbox is tucked into the base of that tree in a brown plastic bag for camouflage.

Easier Route (but still need to be quite careful): From the upper level, look at the spillway below without descending. Turn to the east (your right) and walk 5 – 6 adult steps. You will spot the double-trunked tree on your left. The letterbox is tucked into the base of that tree in a brown plastic bag for camouflage.

Suggestions: To avoid drawing attention to your going down into the woods, it might be advisable for only one person to extract the letterbox while others remain at the table. Utilize the picnic table for stamping but be discreet as staff and visitors will be going in and out of the Visitors’ Center. One thought would be to time your tour late in the day and extract the letterbox after 5:00 PM when others will not likely be present.