its length; 301 feet (91 m). It is also noted for its long, skinny ballroom, a "hyphen" Tyler had added to the house to accommodate the style of dancing popular then - what is today called "line dancing" but was then the "Virginia reel." The house has been in the Tyler family since it was purchased in 1842. The house is currently owned by Harrison Ruffin Tyler, President Tyler's grandson, and the son of Lyon Gardiner Tyler; he and his wife, Frances Payne Bouknight Tyler, restored the home and grounds based on information gathered from over 47,000 letters describing the decor, furnishings, and landscape. It is open to the public for tours by appointment. The grounds are open daily for self-guided tours from 9am-5pm excepting Thanksgiving and Christmas days. Cemetery A pet cemetery is located on the property, where Tyler family pets were and still are buried, most notably, John Tyler's horse, The General. See also List of residences of presidents of the United States List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia National Register of Historic Places listings in Charles City County, Virginia References External links Sherwood Forest webpage "Life Portrait of John Tyler", from C-SPAN's American Presidents: Life Portraits, broadcast from Sherwood Forest Plantation, May 17, 1999 Sherwood Forest, State Route 5 vicinity, Charles City, Charles City, VA: 30 photos, 2 color transparencies, 3 data pages, and 3 photo caption pages at Historic American Buildings Survey Sherwood Forest, Necessary, State Route 5 vicinity, Charles City, Charles City, VA: 2 photos and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Buildings Survey Sherwood Forest, Dairy, State Route 5 vicinity, Charles City, Charles City, VA: 2 photos and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Buildings Survey Sherwood Forest, Smokehouse, State Route 5 vicinity, Charles City, Charles City, VA: 2 photos and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Buildings Survey Sherwood Forest, Wine House, State Route 5 vicinity, Charles City, Charles City, VA: 1 photo and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Buildings Survey Historic American Buildings Survey in Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Museums in Charles City County, Virginia James River plantations Presidential homes in the United States National Historic Landmarks in Virginia John Tyler Historic house museums in Virginia Harrison family of Virginia Presidential museums in Virginia Georgian architecture in Virginia Houses in Charles City County, Virginia National Register of Historic Places