08/21/2026
Who was Peck Heflin? If you've admired one of Fredericksburg's distinctive early 20th-century homes, chances are you've seen his work. This year's Candlelight Tour honors his craftsmanship and lasting mark on our city.
Elmer Grimsley "Peck" Heflin was born here in 1877, left school at 15 to work as a carpenter, and was a full building contractor by 18. Over the next half-century he built much of the Fredericksburg we still walk through today: the Colonial Theatre, the Princess Anne Hotel, Lafayette Elementary (now the Fredericksburg Branch of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library), Monroe Hall at the University of Mary Washington, and the Stratford Hotel, later the General Washington Inn.
He taught himself architecture through a correspondence course, which let him design as well as build. He also owned the Kenmore estate for a time, and when a group of determined local women formed the Kenmore Association to save it, Heflin backed the effort himself. He sold them the property in 1925 for $30,000 and cut $2,000 from his own price to help make the purchase possible, securing one of Fredericksburg's most important landmarks for the public.
Today, we recognize him as a man ahead of his time.
Follow along all season as we explore his story and the buildings he left behind!
🕯️ Volunteers are welcome at every level. Tickets go on sale November 1. Learn more at https://hffi.org/events/candlelight-tour/
