>>Coming up, Matt and his team
help a couple downsize their
sprawling ancestral home
filled with hundreds
of family heirlooms.
>>Six generations of
stuff in the house.
Nobody threw anything out.
>>There he is.
>>And along the way,
learn the truth about the
property's troubling history.
>>The reality is we're on land.
People from the
Civil War lived here.
There were slaves
on this property.
>>I sort of wanna make sure
that my children aren't
burdened with it.
>>I'm Matt Paxton.
Let's do it, man.
My team of specialists,
Jaime, Mike, and Avi,
help me help people
downsize their homes
and settle estates.
As the largest population
of baby boomers
in American history
transition towards retirement.
they and their families
face the overwhelming task
of emptying their homes to move.
We help them sift
through a lifetime
of possessions, heirlooms,
and collectibles.
>>Oh, my gosh.
>>She's gonna love that.
>>To help them find the
missing family treasures
that mean the most to them.
>>Oh, my goodness!
>>Jackie Robinson.
And along the way,
they'll discover
that the most important
museum in the world
may be in their
family's basement.
>>Oh!
>>I've never seen that.
That is cool looking.
>>From attics to cellars,
closets to cupboards,
we uncover the memories
they want to preserve.
This is living history.
This is what we're here to find.
And discover the
compelling, personal,
and often historical
stories spanning generations
that are their family's legacy.
>>[Female Announcer]
Support for Legacy List
comes from MakeSpace.
MakeSpace picks up, stores and
return your items on demand.
Available for home or business.
MakeSpace provides
professional movers,
plus bins, blankets and a
digital photo inventory.
You can find us
at makespace.com.
And by ensure long-term care
where we believe aging at
home near friends and family
is ever more possible
for more people.
Learn more at insureltc.com.
AARP Virginia offering
family caregiving support
with prepare to care and
down sizing and decluttering
on
line workshops designed
to help organize and
assess family needs
Find the complete online
workshop schedule
At AARP.org/virtual VA
The Ruth Camp Campbell
Foundation
(bright upbeat music)
>>I'm on my way to
Leesburg, Virginia
to meet Libby Devlin.
She and her husband, Nick, own
the Historic Rockland Farms.
It's a massive property.
They're thinking about
selling the home,
but before they do that,
they've got to downsize
a lot of items.
The hardest part about
downsizing is getting started
and that's why they
brought our team in.
We're gonna go
through the house,
help them declutter
a little bit,
and hopefully find some
really awesome treasures
along the way.
>>Hey!
>>Libby!
Good to meet you!
>>You made it!
>>All right, we
can't hug anymore,
so I'm gonna do the elbows.
This is amazing.
>>It's been in my family
for over 200 years.
>>200 years.
>>And if you look
all the way up there,
you can see my great-great-great
grandfather's initials
who built the house in 1822.
>>I heard it was big. I
didn't realize how big it is.
How far does it go?
>>600 acres,
and it goes all the way
to the Potomac River.
We have about a mile of
frontage on the Potomac River.
Six generations of
stuff in the house.
Nobody threw anything out.
>>So every generation
kept everything.
And now, who's here?
Who lives here?
>>- [Libby] Just
me and my husband.
And I guess it's kind of come
down to us to figure it out.
>>Let's do it.
I'm a little slow,
I broke my foot,
so bear with me on the steps.
>>How did you do that?
>>I fell off of the street.
>>How do you fall off a street?
>>That's a very good question.
[Matt] This is amazing.
[Matt] Gorgeous
paintings on the steps.
>>Goes three stories up
and another large
basement underneath.
>>Who is this?
>>- [Libby] This is Ollie.
He would like to
be in everybody's
>>life.
>>center of attention.
>>Okay. Well, hello, Ollie.
[Matt] All right,
this is incredible.
Talk to me. What do you
know about this clock?
I see a lot of clocks.
>>- [Libby] I don't know.
It's a grandfather clock.
>>Correct.
>>I don't really know
anything about it.
>>All right.
>>This is special, but
what you really need to see
are these windows.
This is really special to me.
So this is George
Rust's signature.
>>Well, I'm seeing
a lot of signatures.
Walk me through this.
>>So whenever we have
a family wedding here,
the wedding party all signs
with a diamond tip
pen in the window.
So this is my and my
husband's wedding.
And this is...
[Libby] Let me see. This
is my sister up here.
My parents are over down there.
And my brother.
>>I have never seen
this. This is so cool.
This is a real legacy.
>>It really is, yeah.
>>Oh, my gosh.
>>Okay, so this is the
formal living room.
>>Very formal.
>>And this is a portrait
of General George Rust.
That's my great-great-great
grandfather.
>>Great-great-great grandfather.
>>I got it. Yeah.
This is his wife,
Maria Marlow Claggett.
She had an unfortunate death.
The women back then
wore very big skirts
and the houses were
heated by big fireplaces.
And it was quite a common
thing I've been told,
is that she actually
caught fire,
her dress caught fire, and died.
>>Wow.
>>So yeah, that
was a sad ending.
>>Holy cow. Okay.
And now she lives on
forever in your formal room.
>>And then I wanted
to show you this.
He was head of the
artillery for Harper's Ferry
and this is his gun.
>>This is incredible,
and it is insanely heavy.
>>I know. How did
they ever shoot?
>>Gosh, you could do
workouts with this thing.
>>You could. You totally could.
I don't know how
they could shoot
with any accuracy with it.
The weight of those things.
>>I mean, this is really
heavy just to hold it up.
Golly day.
>>And then I have
to show you this.
>>Yeah. This is really
nice folk art, obviously.
>>Yeah. It's cloggers.
>>Wow.
>>And some guy put it
together with old carburetors,
and it's just a
really fun piece.
>>Well, it's a
spectacular piece.
It's Appalachian folk art.
I'm in love with this.
>>It's great, isn't it?
[Libby] Okay, so
here's the dining room.
>>Wow.
Who's this?
>>This is Ida Lee Rust.
So she has quite
a story about her.
She was the second wife
of Armistead Thomson Mason Rust.
When he married Ida Lee,
they had 11 children,
plus the three from
the first wife.
Then Armistead died, and
it was after the Civil War,
the place was in debt,
and Ida Lee somehow managed
to pull it out of debt
and keep it in the
family by herself.
>>So the amazing property
that we're standing on
would not exist
without this woman?
So you have a special place?
>>She's kind of my idol.
>>I love it.
This looks like Mozart's
high school yearbook.
What's going on here?
>>This is the Lee line.
And that's Richard Henry Lee.
I don't know how many
great grandfather
and signer of the
Declaration of Independence.
>>Okay, so someone
in your family
signed the Declaration
of Independence?
>>Correct.
>>It's awesome and it's a
heavy obligation as well.
>>Yeah.
>>There's a lot.
>>There's a lot here.
>>Going on.
>>There's a lot here.
>>One of the concerns I
had about this property
is there's an obvious
negative history here.
Libby and her family
immediately acknowledged it,
and they said look, we
are concerned about this
and we know we need to
do more and learn more
to understand the things that
happened on this property.
[Matt] Where's your husband?
>>Oh, he's probably
fiddling with something
outside in the gardens.
>>All right, cool.
Well, let's go meet him and
we'll see what we can do.
[Matt] Wow. Look at this place.
Holy cow.
It's huge.
>>It is. Lots of gardens.
>>I can see why they
call it Rockland.
>>Nick is out here
somewhere, I think.
>>There he is right there.
>>Hey!
>>Hey, Nick!
>>There he is.
>>Hi!
>>Look who I have.
>>How are you?
>>Good to meet you, man.
>>You too.
>>This is incredible.
>>Thank you.
>>I learned a lot about
your family inside.
Maybe we can sit over there
and go over the Legacy List?
>>That'd be great.
>>All right, cool.
>>Let's do it.
>>Let's do it.
>>Ollie, you first.
>>Waiting for her daddy.
[Matt] Most people that
call me are about to move,
they're ready to downsize,
and we're not there
yet with you guys.
Where are you at mentally?
>>Good question.
>>I just feel like we're
getting to the point
where we need to transition
to the next chapter
because we're not
getting any younger
and I don't wanna die here.
I want a simpler life.
>>Yeah, I need a break.
This is just a ton of work.
>>It weighs on you every day.
I can see you're
tearing up already.
>>I love the place.
I've grown up loving it,
but at the same time,
it sort of is an
all-consuming project
being a steward
of this property.
Sometimes you wanna
do your own thing.
It's hard.
>>How do you let go
of those glass windows
that has 200 years of marriage?
>>With my and my
husband's name in it.
Something I've been really
trying to work through.
>>Okay.
If you include Libby's kids,
you have eight
generations of people
that she feels like
she's letting down.
[Matt] It's Legacy List time.
And what a Legacy List
is is real simple.
It's just a few items
that mean something
to you and your family.
And a lot of times, you
know where they are,
or you know about
where they are,
and then sometimes
you just wanna learn
more information about it.
And we're here to help
you with all of those.
I'm gonna start with you.
>>Okay.
Because weddings are such
a big part of Rockland,
so many family members
have gotten married here.
You saw the windows.
My great grandmother
had a wedding dress,
it was up in the attic,
and I know that
during my wedding,
it was displayed on a mannequin,
and I just don't know
what's happened to it.
I think it might
be up in the attic.
It would be really
meaningful to find that.
>>All right, Ollie. You good?
>>Ollie, you're done?
>>All right, Ollie's done.
>>Ah, thank you.
>>Ollie doesn't
wanna move either.
I mean, that's the problem.
All right.
Nick, what's your first item?
>>A little while back,
the Potomac River was very
low, it was a drought,
and I had a kayak out there,
and I spied a millstone.
Since you have a crew here,
maybe we can drag
it out of the river.
>>A millstone. Is it
this big, we thinking?
>>It's not this big.
>>How long have you
wanted to get this?
>>Well, I've seen
this down there
for a good four years now
and I never dreamed
that I'd be able to,
but it's something
I'd love to do.
>>Okay.
>>Do you have any scuba divers?
>>Sure. We'll find some stuff.
>>Okay.
>>I mean, we always say
we'll help you find anything.
>>Yeah. I took
your word on that.
>>You might test me on this one.
All right.
What's next?
>>About 25 years ago when
my grandfather was alive,
my grandfather
called up my brother
and they had this idea of
putting together a time capsule.
My brother designed
the time capsule
and my grandfather pretty much
decided what would go in it,
the historical things
that would go in it.
And so I'd love to-
>>That's really cool.
>>If we could figure out
how to crack it open.
>>Okay.
Gosh, you guys are pushing me.
So we got a millstone,
I got to go diving in a creek,
and we're gonna open
up a time capsule.
I love it.
Nick, what you got?
[Nick] Okay well, there's some
really good art in the place.
>>Yes, there is.
>>There's Audubons
and then there's a
John Beard painting.
>>Is that Audubon
on the stairwell,
is that original?
>>I'm pretty sure
it is. Yeah, yeah.
And then we think we
might have an Inness.
>>That was right-
>>On the staircase.
We know that there were a
number of real Inness' here,
so we thought perhaps
this might be one.
>>So I have a guy on my
team that'll come in,
and he's one of the top
experts in the country on art.
He'll know immediately.
>>Yeah, please.
>>That'd be great.
>>All right, Libby,
you got any other ones?
>>I know that Ida Lee,
who's kind of one of my heroes
for managing to keep
this place in the family,
she always had a diary
and wrote in her diary,
and I would love
to find that diary
to see what wisdom is in there.
>>When I started hearing
about the diary of Ida Lee,
I realized Libby
wants to be the hero,
she wants to save this place,
and that's when the story
kinda came out for me.
>>None of my ancestors
ever figured out what
was gonna be,
how it was gonna end up,
and I sort of wanna make sure
that my children aren't
burdened with it.
>>So you bring up
a good point here.
The reality is we're on land,
people from the
Civil War lived here,
there were slaves
on this property,
and yet this is a
very modern property
that's changing as well.
I drove up and there's a
Black Lives Matter sign.
So there's a lot going on here.
>>My daughters,
they put up the Black
Lives Matter sign,
and my daughters
are very determined.
They get it.
It does, it weighs on me,
definitely, and the family.
>>And it probably
weighs on them.
>>On the one hand, if I had
to let go of this place,
it would be really literally
heart-wrenching for me,
but at the same time, it
would be very freeing for me.
>>The little house
and one acre of land
next to a trout stream.
>>Libby absolutely
lives in a museum.
It's very difficult to get
away from this obligation
when you live inside it 24/7.
I'm excited to see what we find.
I just wanna really thank you
for letting us into your home,
and letting us discuss things
that are not always
easy to discuss,
because sometimes
saving a family legacy,
sometimes we wanna hide
some of this stuff, right,
and you've really allowed us
to just talk about everything.
So thank you.
>>We need to address it.
Thank you for helping us out.
>>Okay. Then let's
go get started.
>>Great.
>>Oh, hey, Jaime.
>>Hey, guys.
How's it going?
>>Good, good.
>>What's up, everybody?
>>Hey there.
>>What's up, Matt?
>>Do you have
something to tell us?
>>Yeah. I broke my foot.
I was walking down the
street, a flat street,
and I literally fell off
the road and broke my foot.
>>That takes skill.
>>Only you.
>>I know- I'll be a
little slower than normal,
so I'll need your help.
This place is called Rockland.
It has a cool name.
It's been in this family
since it was built.
200 years.
So this is pre-Civil War.
So for you, lots of old
military history, lots of guns.
>>Excited for that.
>>Basement's awesome for
you. Just tons to pick at.
I mean tons.
And lots of old vintage clothes.
They used to host weddings here.
>>Oh, cool.
>>There's something I've
never seen done at weddings
in this house
that you're gonna love.
>>I'm excited.
>>This place is awesome.
But here's the challenge
with this family.
Normally our clients, they
know what they're doing,
and these people are stuck.
They need a kick in the butt.
>>The good news is we
don't have that sentimental
attachment and we can
help them figure out ways
to get these into new homes.
>>There are some very
complicated stories
on this land as well.
So we're gonna be talking about
some real heavy issues here
and trying to get
them to let go.
>>I'm just excited to see
a little bit more of the
property and also to
see inside the house.
I'm sure it's like a museum.
>>All right, let's go.
>>Are you sure
you're up for that?
>>Yes, I can do it.
There's an active farm here.
They've got lots of cattle.
Yeah. I mean,
they've got it all.
Every time I walk the
property, I see something new.
It really is an
incredible property.
>>I always love looking
through old vintage clothing
A lot of my clients
get stuck when it comes
to going through clothing,
either their own clothing
or clothing that
they've held on to
from previous generations.
You keep a lot of it over time,
it does end up taking
up a lot of space,
so it's a great place
to start decluttering.
Libby had a lot of
stuff in the attic,
and so I had a good feeling
that the wedding dress
might be up there
because the rest of the
house was pretty pristine.
>>Look, here's a hint.
[Libby] See these shoes?
>>Oh, my gosh.
Cool.
Yeah, let's grab these things
and take them downstairs
where it's a little bit
cooler and look through them.
>>Can you get all that?
Get that door out of the way.
All right.
>>With Libby, she
had a lot of pieces
that she had held on to, or
had been passed down from her
from previous generations,
and so that gave her hesitation
in wanting to go through
them and get rid of them.
[Jaime] Look how tiny these are.
>>I know.
>>They're size 34.
>>34?
>>I mean, these wouldn't
have been children's shoes.
>>Well, one thing
I was wondering,
could these have been the shoes
that my great-grandmother
wore with her wedding?
>>Maybe.
>>Because she was
a very small woman.
>>Okay.
This looks like a modern
day romper, if you will,
where it's like the top and
the bottom all put together.
So it's made by Spalding, so
maybe it was for some type-
>>1917.
>>I mean, when you find
things like this in your
attic, are you inclined
to want to hang on to them
because you know that they
were part of your family?
Where are you in the process
of being able to let things go?
>>Oh, that's hard
because obviously that's
some vintage thing,
but I would never use it.
>>Right.
We don't need to hang on to
that. You can let this go.
This looks like-
>>Long underwear?
>>Yeah, long underwear,
like pajamas.
Yep.
They're like the long underwear.
>>Long johns.
>>Long johns.
>>Out of Pittsburgh.
>>So it was one of the Rusts
because it was Pittsburgh.
>>Okay.
Once we started talking about
it and going through it,
I found that the decisions
were coming easier to her
and she was really
ready to let go.
So I'm gonna guess
you'll be okay
parting with these as well?
>>Yeah, definitely.
>>How about your husband?
He won't want them?
>>I don't think he'd want
his butt hanging out there.
>>So it looks like we
found some cool stuff
that did belong to your family,
but it's not your
great-grandmother's
wedding dress,
which is really what
you're hoping to find.
So I'm gonna run back upstairs.
>>Okay.
>>And if I find anything,
I'll bring it down.
I have a really good feeling
that it's up there.
>>I hope you find it.
>>Yes. So wish me luck.
>>Okay. Good luck.
>>All right.
I really felt the importance
of finding her
grandmother's wedding dress
because the history of
Rockland is intertwined
with all of these
family weddings.
So I really felt the
pressure to find this dress.
>>All right, there's
something I wanna show you
over here in the corner.
>>What's that?
>>Check it out.
I always like to
have Avi with me
when I'm looking at
guns and artillery.
What do you think that is?
>>This is a musket, sir.
>>A musket.
>>Yeah, a single-shot musket.
>>Someone might call
us The Two Musketeers.
>>When you have to
work a gun like this,
a muzzleload, which
is loaded in front,
you have to pull out
the ram right here,
and flip it over after
you put the powder in,
the mini ball.
>>What I'm realizing
is the old saying,
the white of their eyes.
You gotta be that
close to shoot 'em.
>>And that's the big reason
why that was even stated
because if they
weren't that close
the likelihood of you
hitting it is lower.
>>So you're doing
this at the same time
that dude right over
there is doing it.
>>Running at you.
>>That's crazy.
>>Then you have to cock.
I know people say
you're a little
half-cocked sometimes,
that's where the
terminology came from.
>>That's half-cocked?
>>Being half-cocked.
Because many soldiers,
if not trained well,
would try to fire this gun
in a half-cocked position,
and it wouldn't fire.
>>Interesting. So that's
where the term came from.
>>That's where the
term comes from.
18 years old, you're
running face-to-face
with another man across from him
trying to load
this gun and fire.
Crazy.
Hard to imagine.
>>I can't even get my
son to mow the lawn.
Can't imagine a
kid doing all this.
>>Sending them into battle.
>>A lot of the families
that we work with,
guns become a romantic
part of their history,
and Rockland is no different.
I mean, there was
apparently a famous duel,
actually right across the
river from this property,
where a good family friend
was actually killed,
and they actually got the
property back into the family
because of this duel.
>>Dueling dates back
to the Middle Ages
when knights would
resolve their differences
by engaging in mortal combat.
These days, if you get into a
public argument with someone,
you settle the
affair on Twitter,
but it wasn't that long
ago that matters of honor
were settled with
three simple words.
Pistols at dawn.
The first published code of
dueling appeared in Ireland
and established
a series of rules
that noblemen could follow
when settling matters of honor.
During the 17th and
early 18th centuries,
swords were the
weapons of choice,
but by the late 18th century,
duels were more commonly
fought using pistols.
Once a challenge was issued,
it was difficult to turn down
unless you wanted to
be marked as a coward
for the rest of your life.
A proper duel was a dignified
affair and had strict rules.
Participants would
meet at a chosen spot,
usually accompanied by a second,
who would ensure the
rules were followed.
The men would face
their opponents
at an agreed upon distance
with loaded pistols in hand.
Each party would fire one shot.
If neither was hit, and
the challenger satisfied,
the duel would be declared over
with both men's
honor still intact.
Dueling was popular in
the Americas as well,
especially in the South.
Andrew Jackson, our
seventh president,
fought dozens of duels,
with some estimates
as high as 100.
But the most famous
American duel
was fought on July 11th, 1804,
between Alexander
Hamilton and Aaron Burr,
two men who were
long-time rivals.
Many believe Hamilton never
planned to aim at Burr
hoping instead to fire
a shot into the air
and resolve the
matter peacefully,
but Burr wasn't as merciful
and shot Hamilton
in the stomach.
The former secretary of treasury
and inspiration for one of
Broadway's biggest musicals
died the next day.
Duels continued, even among
U.S. congressmen for decades.
It was only after the country
endured four years of violence
brought on by the Civil War
that the practice of
dueling met its match.
>>Matt is telling
us where we're all
gonna be picking and working,
and, of course, I
get the basement,
but this wasn't any
ordinary basement.
[Mike] So what
happened here, Nick?
>>This was the catchall room.
Just, I guess,
throwing stuff in here.
>>As I understand
it, this is the room
that we are going to
help you with declutter.
I know you guys have struggled
with this room for awhile.
What has been the biggest
challenge for you?
>>I know there's
treasures in here.
Maybe you can help me with that.
>>Libby had mentioned
that seven generations
had passed through this house,
so I was pretty certain
we were gonna find things
that dated back
hundreds of years,
and sure enough, we did.
[Mike] General George Rust.
>>Oh, is that General
George Rust's razor?
>>Pretty important
name to your family.
>>It's a big name.
How about this painting?
How do I get to it?
>>This is what we see
in attics and basements.
Stuff gets tossed in
here, and piled on top of.
>>Take a look.
>>Yeah, let's see
what we got here.
>>This is where we
used to hang the hams.
Right here.
>>Why don't I go ahead and
dust this off real quick?
See what we're
working with here.
>>There he is.
>>I'll tell you what,
this is pretty cool.
>>Yeah.
Is it a print? What is it?
>>It's a print.
I'm just trying to see if
there's any kind of signature
or a printer's mark on it,
but I don't see anything,
but it's beautiful.
>>It is beautiful.
I wanna hang this.
>>Yeah. Let's get it
out of the basement
and get it to where
people can see it.
>>I think so.
>>At this point, Nick, I'm
gonna get my guys in here
and we're gonna get started.
>>Let's go for it.
>>All right.
>>I've worked on
and off with Avi
for over 20 years now.
We were friends in high school.
And people think that he just
is a cleaner and an expert.
People don't realize that Avi
is also an ordained minister,
he is a community leader,
and he does a lot with civil
rights work in our town.
I wanted him to really tell
me what his opinions were
of the entire story
of the property,
not just the positive
stuff in the house.
So Avi, this was a working farm,
for, gosh, almost 180 years.
And obviously the
people that did the work
were enslaved people,
and this is where they lived.
>>A lot of emotions.
>>Yeah, like what?
>>Just realizing that
people who look like me,
through families,
through pain, through suffering,
I'm thankful.
I'm thankful and really
grateful for what they did,
that they endured that,
and I'm able to
stand here today,
talking with you as a
black man, because of them.
There are people still
suffering because of this.
>>Yes. Absolutely.
>>And so we can't
just let it go.
We have to talk about it. We
have to have this dialogue.
>>So Libby really wants
to know more about this.
She wants to do more.
She doesn't know what we can do.
I'd like for you to
sit down with her.
Would you be willing to sit
with her and kinda help her?
>>I would love to.
The great thing about
our work is the stories
we learn about these families
and just having the opportunity
to bring our own
perspective to it.
So I'm really happy to
hear that Libby's open
to have that conversation,
understanding that
it's a burden for her,
and I wanna be there to
help talk her through it.
>>We find history in
people's attics and in their
homes and this is history.
>>Yeah.
>>It's not comfortable,
but it's history,
and what I've learned from
you is we gotta talk about it.
>>We gotta talk about it.
>>Most of my clients
have held on to
either their wedding dress or
their mother's wedding dress.
It's very sentimental.
It reminds them of
a very happy time.
They hope that they'll
be able to pass it down
to the next generation.
That's what makes it harder
to part with wedding dresses
and why we find them being
held on to so frequently.
I felt really relieved that
I found the wedding dress
because I knew how
important it was for Libby.
The style that it was,
the two piece style,
is somewhat trendy these days,
so it was really, really
cool to see something
from so long ago that
is really relevant
and kind of current
right now to the trend.
>>No garment is
scrutinized, stressed over,
and envied more than
the dress a bride wears
on her wedding day.
It's the centerpiece
of an age old ritual
with a history as colorful
as a bridesmaid's bouquet.
Public marriages date back
more than 4,000 years.
Back then, wedding
dresses were a way
for a family to show
off its social status.
Weddings were less about
the bride making a
fashion statement
and more about the
joining of two families,
often strategic unions
arranged by the parents.
In Ancient Rome, marriages
were an important social event,
celebrated with large
parties and feasts.
Wedding dresses varied
from culture to culture.
In Spain, brides
wear black dresses
to show their
devotion until death.
Hindu ceremonies call
for bright saris,
often red with gold embroidery,
symbolizing commitment,
spirituality, and fertility.
The bride might also apply
a dash of red Kakuma
powder for good luck.
As trade routes between
Europe and the East opened up,
a variety of new fabrics
became available.
So when did brides
start wearing white?
It was none other than
Queen Victoria herself,
who in 1840 kicked
off the tradition
of wearing white on
your wedding day.
The practice quickly
flourished amongst brides
in high society, and
the tradition was born.
The white wedding dress
trend really took root
with middle-class brides
after World War II.
The reason?
Advanced laundry techniques
ensured white
dresses stayed white.
Wedding dresses today,
like weddings themselves,
come in all shapes and sizes.
They've evolved from being
a symbol of a family status
to an expression of the bride's
individuality and style.
>>You mind if we take a look
in some of these other cabinets?
>>Let me show you.
>>This may be uranium glass.
If it is true uranium glass,
it has uranium to give
it the green color.
What do we have here?
>>I think this is
what Libby and I used
to cut our wedding cake with.
>>Whoa, whoa, whoa,
you're telling me
at your wedding
in front of however
many people were there,
you pulled this out to
cut the wedding cake?
>>I did because my
wife told me to.
>>Was she holding the sword
when she ordered you to do that?
>>I think we were
holding it together.
>>That's amazing.
Whether it's by conversation
or through your items,
I'm really getting a better
picture for just who you are.
>>We like to have a
little bit of fun,
make people laugh.
>>I think you underplay
it a little bit.
>>I can keep something
like that around.
We'll do it for our
50th anniversary.
>>Yeah. It's fun
showing you around.
>>Yeah, it's been great.
I'm just amazed, I
continue to be amazed
at how it just keeps
going on and on and on.
>>It does. It does.
>>I will say every step of
the way has been beautiful.
What I love about what we do
is, of course,
helping them downsize
with the physical
stuff is always great,
but also helping them
work through the clutter
that's keeping them
from moving forward
that's not just the stuff.
I feel like it's also
part of who we are.
So having a chance
to sit with Libby
and talk through some of that
clutter, I consider a gift.
When did you realize what was
happening here at Rockland
in terms of having
enslaved labor?
>>Not 'till like maybe
I was a teenager.
When I used to come and
visit my grandparents here,
we would stay in
what they referred
to as the quarters.
And of course, as a little girl,
I didn't know why it
was named the quarters.
And then we've always since
called it the quarters,
and I don't even know
if that's proper,
that's really right to
be calling it that still.
>>How did that make
you feel, though?
How did you feel
when you realized
that there were
enslaved people here?
>>I guess a little ashamed
not knowing what to do
with that knowledge.
It's sort of embarrassing.
But it's part of this place.
I don't think a lot
was said about it
when I was growing up
when I'd come visit here.
>>Sure.
>>I don't think a
lot was acknowledged
about how horrible that was.
>>Right.
>>It was just sort
of glazed over.
But knowing that there were
people treated differently
than the other people
that lived here,
and they were all living
in the same place,
it's hurtful.
It's not my values.
>>I love what you said
about acknowledgement.
I think we're all in a
space of acknowledgement.
And you're wondering
where and how,
but you're starting right now.
>>Right.
>>It takes difficult
conversations like this
to move us forward collectively.
>>My wheels are turning.
I think it's the result
of this show, actually,
talking to Matt, talking to you.
Maybe someday there can be
conversations here at Rockland
with a diverse group of
people to educate each other.
>>I love the fact
that you're open
to bringing people together.
>>Absolutely.
>>In a space that was
so divisive, right?
I think that's the
true way to heal.
We have to address the pain,
to know it's there, to
know the wound does exist,
but begin to heal by
having these conversations,
and not just conversations,
but building relationships.
>>Connections, yeah.
>>That we build connection.
That we find likeness
in each other.
>>And we can learn
from each other.
>>I love that.
What I understand about where
we are today in this country
is there's a lot of brokenness.
I run to that stuff.
Those are the places I wanna be
because that's where you
can make a difference.
>>Libby was right.
There was a time
capsule in the attic.
This is basically
Marine grade PVC pipe,
so it's gonna date it.
It's not that old.
>>Yeah, it couldn't be that old.
>>I mean, this is not a
Civil War time capsule,
but who knows what's in it?
>>I'll tell you with this
family, you never know.
>>Yeah. Let me get
this thing open.
I'm gonna let you
help me out with this.
I'm gonna loosen it up first.
All right. You got it.
>>I appreciate it.
>>You need help?
>>There we go.
>>All right, holy cow.
>>Okay. Okay.
>>Look at this.
What their grandfather
did is really cool.
He took a lot of time putting
all these things together.
1969. First man to
walk on the moon.
I hope the next generation
will appreciate all the work
that he went to.
To take the time to do all this.
>>Oh!
>>The very last Sears catalog.
>>Man.
>>Now this is really cool
'cause a lot of times I find
the original Sears catalogs,
your houses were built.
You'd buy a kit from
the Sears catalog.
>>My whole Christmas came
out of the Sears catalog.
>>Oh, that's cool.
It can slide. I know
exactly what that is.
>>That the casing?
>>These are cool.
Every good engineer
would have one.
Now I know nothing
about this family,
but man, the time capsule is
making us know some stuff.
>>This an education. This
is definitely an education.
National Geographic.
1993 was a significant year.
>>This was just the year
they decided to do it.
Everything would've
come out of this.
>>You just see a whole
family's entire history
unfold right before your eyes.
What that means to
us means something
so totally different
to the family.
>>It makes me wanna go
make one for my kids,
for their kids.
>>I was thinking about that too.
>>This is really cool.
[Matt] There's so much nice
furniture and paintings
in this house, I've
got to bring Lex in.
Even though they're
not selling this stuff,
I still wanna know
what it's worth,
but, most importantly, I
just need Lex to look at it
so I know everything
that's here.
Lex.
>>Hey, man. How are you, dude?
>>I'm well.
>>Good to see you.
>>This place is amazing
>>It's amazing, isn't it?
Rockland. It's incredible.
This house is filled with
lots of cool furniture,
lots of old books.
Every floor has a library.
>>That's pretty amazing.
>>All right, I feel
like we always start
>>with a clock.
>>It's a beautiful form.
It's a great clock.
>>Is it George Fix?
>>George Fix was a Reading,
Pennsylvania clockmaker.
>>Nothing in this house
is for sale really,
but if it was for sale,
what would something
like this go for?
>>Well, it's great
size, great proportions,
great surface, known maker.
Probably conservatively
in the 15,000,
maybe on a good day
pushing into 20.
But it's a great piece.
Now when I walked
in the door, though,
I saw something right away.
>>You did?
>>I did.
And from a distance,
I could tell
what it related to artist-wise.
>>Is it over there?
>>It is.
>>Alright.
That's actually
why I called you.
>>Okay, cool.
>>Let's go check it out.
The family was very
curious about an Inness.
It was hanging up
on the stairwell.
And it's actually the first
thing that Lex looked at.
When he walked in
the front door,
I could see him peering at it.
>>Right away, it
has the earmarks
of an artist named George Inness
who was one of
the more important
19th century landscape
artists of the latter half.
>>And there were five
or six in this house.
>>Really?
>>At one time.
>>Okay.
>>So the family is curious.
>>Right.
>>Is this an Inness?
>>Okay.
The paintings of this
particular period,
which would be called
American Tonalism,
was influenced by the
European Barbizon.
They tend to be
very loosely painted
in comparison to the
Hudson River School,
which is where he started out.
So tighter.
>>Well, that's what
I was wondering.
So these aren't detailed.
>>They're not, and
they're not meant to be.
It's supposed to be more
of an atmospheric picture.
>>Stunning.
And I love the rainbow.
>>Did you see if it was signed?
>>I don't see the signature.
It's possible it's
buried under here.
>>Sure, and that does happen.
>>Let's see what kind of
markings are over here.
What do you see on the back?
>>Well, that's an
early backboard.
What would probably be wise
is if we could get
permission from the owners
to maybe take it
out of the frame
and we might reveal
a signature that...
It does look like
it has slid down.
>>I'm really curious if
there's a signature there.
We would need to go
into a temperature
controlled environment
to take it off of the frame
to get 100% verification,
but every part of this
painting added up for Lex.
He's pretty confident
it's an Inness.
What would something
like this go for,
if it's an Inness?
>>If it's an Inness,
and if it's unsigned,
probably in this market,
20 to 30, between that range.
>>What if it's signed?
>>If it's signed, it could
push a little harder.
>>I dig this. I know
it is a library chair.
What do you know about
something like this?
>>Okay, so this is a
metamorphic library chair.
So what you would do
with something like this,
it'll have a latch, there we go,
and you bring it forward.
And so you would have not
only a chair in your library,
but steps to climb
up to the books
that you couldn't reach.
>>That's super cool.
We've got three more floors.
>>I'll take a walk and see
what the rest looks like.
>>One of the items
on the Legacy List
is actually for Nick.
Pulling a millstone
out of the river.
I didn't know how
that was gonna work,
but I was really interested
to see how it would play out.
>>So what's the best
way for me to get...
I see it looks
like a pretty high.
>>It's pretty high. Yeah.
You go down to the river
and there's a kayak there,
and then you're gonna
have to go upstream a bit
and then come up the limestone.
>>So it's two lefts?
Kinda like Mount Everest.
It's just two lefts.
This is not something I
was expecting, but why not?
It's kind of an
adventure and let's go
and see if we can
find this millstone.
Look at this. Gorgeous.
I feel like Jacques Cousteau
pulling through the Amazon
looking for a stone table.
>>What's this chain for?
>>Well, I got the
millstone hooked up.
>>You did?
>>Yeah. Spent all day
yesterday hooking it up.
>>This is super cool.
>>Normally Matt is the
one messing with us.
I think we're gonna use this
as an opportunity
to mess with him.
>>Okay.
>>There's Ollie.
>>Hey, Matt!
>>What's up, dudes?
>>How's it going, Matt?
>>It's a harrowing
adventure, man.
>>I think you're almost there.
>>What do you think,
Nick? Is that too far?
>>Back up, back up.
>>Are you guys sure
it's over here?
>>Yeah, absolutely.
You let us worry about
spotting it, okay?
>>I'm on the shore
here. I don't see it.
>>No, no.
>>You went too far. Go back.
>>I kind of feel like
maybe you guys know
where this thing is.
>>Hey, Matt, I think
it's right there.
>>I think I'm right at it.
>>Yeah. That's where.
>>That's where we're trying to
get you to go the whole time.
>>You see that vine, or
that rope, I guess it is?
>>Yeah.
>>That's tied to it.
>>That's tied to it!
I feel like Mike might've had
some fun with me on this one.
So what do you
want me to do here?
Just get out of the way and
let you guys pull it up?
>>I guess.
>>That would be great.
>>Fernando, let's go.
Mike,
he may not hear me,
so I'll talk to you
and then you talk to him.
>>Okay. Got it.
>>Okay! We got it all hooked up.
We're ready to go, okay?
>>Let's do it. Here we go.
[Nick] There it is.
>>It's a beauty.
>>It's like a shark coming
out of the water, man.
>>Yeah, I think this tractor
just blows through everything.
>>Yeah.
Just went right past that rock.
>>What does that
next rock look like?
>>Oh, it's gonna
pull it right off.
There it is.
It's gorgeous. I can
see why you want it.
>>Yeah.
>>Beautiful.
>>Keep it going!
>>Alright.
That's awesome.
>>I think my job is done.
>>Hey, man, we got it!
>>We did it!
>>True leader knows when
to lead and when to follow.
>>What does this
moment mean for you?
>>It's quite
gratifying. I love it.
It's been down there for
five years about, I think.
Seeing it, it's taunted
me, and we did it.
>>This will be one that we
talk about for a long time.
>>Okay, good.
>>I think Libby wanted
to find this diary.
I think Libby was looking for
any type of words of wisdom.
Ida Lee essentially
saved the farm,
and that's what Libby is
wondering if she should do now.
Are you having any
luck over there?
>>I wish I was.
In a house that large,
it's like finding a
needle in a haystack.
>>Ooh.
>>This house keeps
going and going.
>>It does. There's a
room for every occasion.
I mean, there's so
many places that things
could be stowed away and hidden
and just forgotten about.
There's nooks and crannies.
There's drawers everywhere.
>>Treasure hunt.
>>Look at all these portraits.
I wonder how long they had to
sit to be painted like that?
They had to hold that
facial expression.
>>Yeah.
>>Ah, the portrait painting.
For hundreds of years,
no self-respecting
member of society
would ever think of
not having a painting
of a dead relative hanging
somewhere in their house.
The more important the relative,
the more prominent
the placement.
The practice of
immortalizing oneself
dates back to Ancient Egypt.
Rulers were commonly
depicted on stone or clay
in a highly stylized way
that rarely looked
anything like them.
The Greeks and Romans
honored their dead
with lifelike busts
made out of stone.
It wasn't until the Middle Ages
that portraits
began to take hold.
Rich donors would pay artists
to paint their likenesses,
usually in frescoes or on
paneled blocks of wood.
Portrait painting flourished
during the Renaissance.
And it wasn't just nobility.
Everyone was getting
in on the act,
including a shy acquaintance
of Leonardo da Vinci
by the name of Lisa.
Da Vinci reportedly worked
on his masterpiece for years,
which might explain
the expression on
his subject's face.
By the 18th century,
anyone who was anyone had
their portrait painted,
from members of the Royal
Family, to military leaders,
and titans of business.
Portraits were
realistic and well lit
and usually depicted the subject
wearing the latest
fashion of the day.
Portraits were and still are
a symbol of power
and immortality.
Every president since
George Washington
has had their portrait painted,
not without controversy.
When Teddy Roosevelt's family
said his looked
like a mewing cat,
he had the painting destroyed
and commissioned a new artist.
Herbert Hoover's
portrait was completed
23 years after he left office.
John Kennedy's after
he was assassinated.
But thanks to the power
of portrait painting,
immortality is just
a brush stroke away.
>>All right, Lex,
why are we back here?
>>We are back here,
as you suggested,
for me to walk around and
look closer at everything.
I wanted to know the
origins where it comes from,
and most of the time
when we are doing
attributions of region,
we're basing it on the woods.
Not woods like the
mahogany or walnut
that are used on the exterior,
but what's on the interiors,
called the secondary woods.
And initially I took a
look at these drawers
and I looked at the woods,
and I was vacillating
between a couple of woods,
and it turns out it's cypress,
which means North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia.
Kind of exciting.
Furniture of this type
of the southern states
is fairly rare.
So I took the piece
apart even more,
and on the top of
this secretary part,
it says Isaac Coleman made
and sold August 25th of 1809.
>>This is 210 years old?
>>Yeah. 210 years old.
Between the intricate inlay
and the marquetry shell,
there's some burl inlay.
It's a great piece of
North Carolina furniture.
>>So obviously they're not
gonna sell the furniture,
but if they were trying to sell
it, what would this go for?
>>So I talked to
some colleagues,
and, conservatively, I think
a 30 to $50,000 estimate
would be appropriate.
If it went to auction,
it could do very well.
>>We've given Libby
and Nick a headstart.
We got the attic cleaned out.
We got some of the
basement cleaned out.
Finally, we're gonna
get to sit down
and go through the Legacy List.
[Matt] Normally we're here
to clean the house out,
and we didn't do that this week.
So the last couple of days,
we did declutter some
rooms in the attic
and we cleaned out some of
the rooms in the basement.
>>That's great,
yeah. Get me started.
>>A little bit.
You physically carry this
weight on you on a daily basis.
>>Yeah.
>>It's so obvious.
>>Yeah.
It's kind of like...
Well, we always joke that
we don't own Rockland,
Rockland owns us.
>>And it does. I've seen that.
>>Just all encompassing.
>>Nick is able to
enjoy this place.
>>True. I do.
>>Nick could have fun
in a cardboard box.
I've learned that.
>>That's true.
>>But I feel the weight for you.
And the hardest part
about downsizing,
to me, it's the fear.
If I stay, what do I miss?
If I go, what do I miss?
We're gonna go through
the Legacy List,
and my hopes is that we
can just plant that seed
and help you kinda figure out
where you're gonna go next.
So the first item on the Legacy
List was the wedding dress.
>>Right.
Whoa. Whoa.
>>I find wedding
dresses every day.
>>Really?
>>And almost everybody.
But this one's a little special
because of how big a
deal weddings have been
on this property.
>>Absolutely. Yeah.
>>I love that.
>>Yeah, I do too.
This is my great grandmother's
on my father's mother's side.
So her favorite flower
was the black-eyed Susan
and these embroidered
flowers are,
I think it's supposed to
represent the black-eyed Susan.
>>Well, it's gorgeous.
>>Look at the Victorian
neck line. Wow.
>>How does it make you feel?
There's no wrong answer.
>>Special.
It's like a thing that I've
been wondering where it was
and it's so great
to have it back.
Now I wanna display it.
>>This next item was
really cool for me.
It is absolutely an
awesome time capsule.
A time capsule's supposed
give you a look back in time.
It wasn't the
1800s. It was 1993.
Avi and I both actually
graduated from high
school in 1993,
so we got to go through
this time capsule.
Man.
There were VHS tapes.
>>Oh, yeah. Interesting.
>>There were lots
of different things.
The thing I loved the most
was the Sears catalog.
By the way,
intricately detailed.
Everything is labeled.
Everything is wrapped in saran
wrap or protective plastic.
There's even a catalog of
every item that is in here.
Although, it's not that
long ago, a lot has changed.
>>Yeah.
>>If the goal was to set
out with his grandson
to do a project that gave
us a glimpse back in time,
they absolutely achieved it.
>>That's great. That's amazing.
>>When I came to visit,
the first time I
walked in this house,
first thing I saw
was that beautiful
painting on the stairwell.
Possibly Inness.
>>Right.
>>I had to bring in
one of my top experts.
Lex came in.
He was drawn so
quickly to that Inness.
He's like, I know what that is.
>>Really?
>>Yeah?
>>He knew. He said
it's gotta be.
And it wasn't, by the way,
I thought the rainbow
would be the reason.
>>Yeah.
>>It's not. It's the
specific brush strokes.
>>Oh, interesting. Wow.
>>He said that's an Inness
and it's probably not signed.
He said the typical brush
strokes that are on that
was later in his career.
He was a very prolific painter.
So by the end, he
stopped signing them.
>>Oh, okay.
>>He would like to
get it off the frame,
but we were at about 99%
that that's an Inness.
>>Wow.
>>And it's a really,
really nice painting.
>>I almost didn't
wanna show it to you
because I was afraid
you were gonna say
it's not an Inness.
>>He said he'd be
shocked if it wasn't.
>>Really? That's
exciting for me.
>>Wow.
>>He's one of my favorites.
>>Yeah. You love the
Hudson River painters.
>>Well, yeah.
>>But that's a beautiful piece,
and I think that's came
from the ancestors, correct?
>>Yes, yes.
Yes, absolutely.
That was here.
>>It's always been here.
[Nick] It was up in the attic.
>>You knew it was in the attic.
So beautiful piece.
As much grief as I've given
you for this being a museum,
it kinda is.
>>Yeah.
>>You got stuff that needs to be
in museums in this house,
which is really, really awesome.
[Matt] I wanna go to my
last Legacy List item,
which is, I think, your
hero, Ida Lee Rust.
>>Yes.
>>She's kind of the
hero of this property.
>>Yeah.
>>She saved it.
>>She did. She got
it out of debt.
>>She did as a
single mom, right?
>>Single mom. Yeah.
She educated all 14 children.
>>All right, here is a picture
that we found of Ida Lee.
>>Wow.
Wow.
>>And then here is a picture
of Ida with her family,
with all of her kids.
>>Oh, yeah.
And that's all the kids?
>>That's a lot of the kids.
>>Or at least some of them
>>It's a full batch.
>>We gotta frame these.
I mean, that's great.
>>I loved your
connection to Ida.
You're kind of in the
Ida Lee situation,
not as bad as death and a war,
but are you gonna
save the place or not?
>>Well, that's what I
keep praying to all my
ancestors her is a big one of
them, saying help me out here.
>>I get why we're
looking for words
of wisdom from Ida Lee.
>>Yeah.
>>Okay.
[Matt] I wasn't able to
find those words of wisdom,
but I was able to find
some words of wisdom.
Here is a letter from a cousin
on the Lee side of your family.
I want you to read this
sentence right here for me.
>>I do not like to
take the responsibility
of urging an immediate
sale of Rockland,
and yet I do not see
what else can be done.
The estate is getting
deeper and deeper in debt.
Now the interest,
taxes, and insurance
takes all the place can make,
so there's nothing
left for the family
but to borrow more
money to live on.
This cannot go on
very long, you know.
>>What's the date on that?
>>1889.
December, 1889.
>>So 1889, someone is
really having the same
discussion that you're
having right now.
I covered up the
date on this letter
because I wanted Libby
to see that the ancestors
that she admires so much
had the exact same struggles
that she has today.
It's not Ida Lee's words.
That's well after Ida Lee.
>>Yeah.
>>But this is a
hard thing to do.
This burden you're carrying,
it's not just yours.
It's been going on a long time.
I think this place is
amazing and it's changed me
in the few short
days I was here.
>>Maybe with my girls here,
I thought, well,
maybe there's ways
that we could have Rockland
be some type of place
for discussion with
different people
and educate and
eliminate divisiveness.
>>You are downsizing,
you're still
at the beginning of it,
which is absolutely
the hardest part.
Deciding what to do and
deciding where to go.
Sometimes people decide to stay.
I mean, you could still
have a long happy life here,
but you need help to do it.
>>Absolutely.
>>And if that's the
choice that was made
in your downsizing
process, then awesome.
And you might also
decide in two years,
you know what, we're leaving.
And that's okay too.
Well, we hope we
helped a little bit.
>>You did.
>>And when you do wanna
clean out the rest of the
room, give us a call.
I got a lot of friends
that can help you.
We'll do episode
five of season five.
>>[Female Announcer]
Support for Legacy List
comes from MakeSpace.
MakeSpace picks up, stores and
return your items on demand.
Available for home or business.
MakeSpace provides
professional movers,
plus bins, blankets and a
digital photo inventory.
You can find us
at makespace.com.
And by ensure long-term care
where we believe aging at
home near friends and family
is ever more possible
for more people.
Learn more at insureltc.com.
AARP Virginia offering
family caregiving support
with prepare to care and
down sizing and decluttering
on
line workshops designed
to help organize and
assess family needs
Find the complete online
workshop schedule
At AARP.org/virtual VA
The Ruth Camp Campbell
Foundation
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>>Visit my MyLegacyList.com
to learn more about this show
and the tips,
tools, and resources
to help you or a loved one
with big life transitions
like this one.
That's www.MyLegacyList.com.
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