Clover Forest, is a historic mansion, and former plantation house built starting in 1761 and located in Goochland, Virginia.

The mansion lies in a large bend of the James River, and is an authentically restored in a Federal-style with portions of the architecture dating to Pre-American Revolutionary Period.

The location of the property is part of what has been called the "Golden Horseshoe", with former plantation houses creating a horseshoe-shape from east to west, including Blythewood, Orapax, Bolling Hall, Pocahontas, Dungeness 1931, Rock Castle, Deer Lodge, Mannsville, Bolling Island, Snowden, Clover Forest, Howard's Neck, Harrison's Elk Hill, and Jefferson's Elk Hill.

In 1714, the land on which Clover Forest stands was initially included within 2,000 acres (810 ha) patented by Charles Fleming, extending along the upper James River from what were developed as Rock Castle to Elk Island farms.

[2] This territory was eventually divided and developed as the neighboring estates of Rock Castle, Snowden, and Howard’s Neck, and the site of Elk Island.

In 1739/1740 Lieutenant Governor William Gooch authorized the sale of 2,590 acres (1,050 ha) for £13 to John Woodson, Gentleman.

[3][4] On 7 August 1761, the Reverend William Douglas and his wife (née Nicholas) successfully patented 1,134 acres (459 ha) for £4 10/-.

Douglas and his wife may have occupied the house at Clover Forest as their residence, or used the farm to provide produce.

They are credited with building what is today the oldest section of the house (the lower part of the west wing).

As the only legally authorized clergyman of the established church, Douglas compiled (nearly) all births, marriages, and deaths during the period from about 1750 to 1797.

Like other speculators, Cocke bought some of the lands in Kentucky and Ohio that had been granted in lieu of pay to Revolutionary war veterans.

Thirteen days later he was promoted to second lieutenant, and the regiment soon headed north to join General George Washington at Valley Forge.

The 1st, 3rd and 4th eventually merged and fought together in one unit of four troops under the command of Colonel William Washington (cousin of the General), and officially named the 1st Legionary Corps on 1 January 1781.

[12] For his six years of military service, Pemberton was awarded 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) in Kentucky on the waters of the North Forke.

[13] In 1792 (exact records have not survived) Captain Thomas Pemberton and his wife Dice acquired the property that they named Clover Forest.

In 1795 they sold the 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of Kentucky bounty lands which Pemberton had been awarded for his service in the Continental Army to Bowler Cocke.

On one the seal of the United States commemorates Pemberton's service The eagle's head is turned to the olive branch.

[17] The mediation was not successful, and the conflict reached the Virginia Supreme Court, long after Pemberton's passing.

13 May 1803-d. Clover Forest 9 Dec 1848), eldest son of Captain Thomas Pemberton, married Mary Louisa Gilliam on 7 February 1829.

In 1882, Parrish bought an additional 790.5 acres (319.9 ha) of Howard's Neck, which bordered on Clover Forest, to enlarge his holding.

[19][21][22] Two brothers Boggs, hailing from West Virginia with family money from coal and oil, bought the adjoining properties of Clover Forest and Snowden.

Richard S. and Louise Holson, as she was known, were a couple from Chicago who purchased Clover Forest to use both as a vacation home and as a working farm; it was run as a business, Independence Operations, Inc.

[23] The Holsons brought many furnishings from Chicago, such as the kitchen cabinets and an old gas crystal chandelier that still hangs in the dining room.

Farm manager, Bud Engel, also from Illinois, was entrusted with both the large modern cattle and hog operation and physical upgrades to Clover Forest.

Floyd Dewey Gottwald Sr. was the Chairman of Ethyl Corporation of Richmond when he bought Clover Forest and the nearby properties of Snowden from Fred and Virginia Fleischman.

Joe Scales was hired to conduct engineering of the dam; it was the largest private lake project in Goochland.