Fredericksburg Parent

8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength - One Year Stronger 8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength - One Year Stronger In 1987, Maria McDonnell purchased a 50-acre pre-Civil War-built farm on Catharpin Road in Spotsylvania which she would name Revatone Farm. The farm, named after her and her daughter, Eva, would be where she'd bring her horses, donkeys, sheep and other animals. Renovation started with the property's old dairy barn, which was constructed nearly a century ago in the 1930s. "She basically gutted it, and then added on to it," says Eva McDonnell. Maria kept a lot of the original wood to maintain its origi- nal aesthetic. Once completed, four years later, the struc- ture earned an award from the county. For the next 30 years, Maria would work to improve the property. In 2016, she died of cancer, leaving the property to daughter Eva, who moved into the farmhouse with her daughter, Eva Gizella. "She put her blood sweat and tears into this place, and when she passed away, I was left with it," says Eva. "I used to live just a mile up the road from her, and we would do a lot of things together. We were best friends." Struck with a sense of purpose and a desire to honor her mother's memory through the farm, Eva decided to open Revatone Farm up as an events venue where people all around could experience the joy of the farm her mother loved. "I wanted to turn it into something great," she says. Events held at Revatone Farm have included baby show- ers, bridal showers, birthdays, weddings, proms and Christmas parties. "I had a huge holiday craft fair, where there were 101 vendors here," Eva says. "That was surreal. I had over 1,000 people here throughout the day. That was great exposure." But almost didn't happen. Revatone Farm Revatone Farm WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES A hidden gem that was nearly a COVID casualty

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