A Brief History of Roslyn
Before Roslyn, the land was a gathering place for generations of Cherokee, Monacan, and Powhatan peoples. Situated in an advantageous location which fostered trade along the waterways, the people thrived. During the colonial and early republic eras the land became subdivided into several parcels.
In the 1920s, Annie Rose Walker, a Richmond resident, began assembling her estate. She purchased five of the parcels of land that were part of a larger farm owned by T. P. Davie, known as the Davie Farm.
When Walker died in 1934, she willed her rural estate, Roslyn, to be held in trust in perpetuity for the benefit of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and for all other religious and charitable purposes. Since then, Roslyn has existed as a retreat and conference center available to a host of religious, charitable, and nonprofit organizations.
From 1934 until the early 1970s, Roslyn was a quiet, rural meeting place where clergy, lay persons, and other guests would assemble for retreat, rest and reflection. Powers Hall, the main registration building, is original to the Davie farm, as is a portion of Tucker Hall.
Annie Rose Walker
Pre-form found during construction of dining hall in 2000
In the 1970s, the Diocese and the Roslyn Trustees began the Center’s transformation into the conference and retreat center we enjoy today. Through incremental development and expansion, Roslyn has become one of the leading retreat and conference centers on the East Coast. Recently, Roslyn has opened itself to the use of the facility by for-profit and commercial organizations in order to supplement and sustain its core mission.
During the construction of the dining hall in 2000, workers surfaced a quartzite pre-form spearhead which an archeologist has dated to around 11,000 years old.
As a year-round, full service retreat and conference center available for personal, organizational, family, or other retreats, Roslyn continues to be a gathering place for all.
We hope to see you soon!
Powers Hall and Bishop’s Chapel
Staff, Trustees and Managers
Missy Kiene Jimenez
Reservations/ Guest Services MANAGER
(804) 288-6045 ext. 109
melissakj@roslyncenter.org
Kass Lawrence
executive director
(804) 288-6045 ext. 107
kassl@roslyncenter.org
Memorial Trustees of the Virginia Diocesan Center at Roslyn
Officers:
The Rt. Rev. E. Mark Stevenson, Chair
Mr. Patrick Getlein, Vice-Chair
Mr. Julian M. Bivins, Jr., Treasurer
Members:
Ms. Valerie L. Burke
Dr. David H. Charlton
The Very Rev. Randolph M. Hollerith
Ms. Elizabeth Cabell Jennings
Dr. Lauranett Lorraine Lee
Legal Counsel:
Mrs. Helen Kemp, Esq.
Roslyn Managers Corporation
Mr. Patrick Getlein, President of Roslyn Managers Corporation
Members:
Mr. Julian M. Bivins, Jr.
Mr. Ali Faruk
Ms. Betsy Jutras
Mr. Ed Keithly
Ms. Tammy Rostov
The Rev. Lynne Washington
