Dedicated to Mattye "Peggy" Proffitt
In the fall of 1979, Victor Sorrell met Mattye "Peggy" Proffitt.
Mattye "Peggy" Proffitt
Peggy was a retired home economics teacher who was enrolled in a senior citizen adult education woodworking class at Randolph Community High School in the Glen Allen area of Henrico County, Virginia. Victor was then a supervisor of industrial arts for the Virginia Department of Education. Victor was also Peggy's instructor for the evening woodworking class. Peggy and Victor became close friends through the class. Peggy's father-in-law was Claude Proffitt of Shores, Virginia. Claude was close friends with the Tutwiler family of Seven Islands, Virginia. The last permanent resident of Seven Islands, Leona C. Tutwiler Moore, was a good friend of Claude. It was in fact Claude Proffitt who discovered Leona in her home after she had passed away in November 1954. After Claude's passing, Claude's son, "Red" Proffitt, inherited 30 acres of island land in the James River near Shores, Virginia. When Red passed away, he left this land to his wife, Peggy Proffitt.
In the fall of 1980 Peggy took Victor Sorrell to Shores and showed him her island land at Shores, Virginia. Victor visited the property many times during the early to mid-1980s. Victor fell in love with the islands and in 1987 he purchased Peggy's 30 acres. 26 of the acres are located on the main island known as "Big Island" and 4 acres on a smaller island, which is now named "Andy Island." Victor and his son Andy remained close to Peggy until her passing in May 2000. Victor was a pallbearer at Peggy's funeral. This website is dedicated to our dear friend, Peggy Proffitt who will never be forgotten.
Victor was smitten with his admiration for the islands and eventually gained permission to hunt, fish, and camp on the adjoining island land from the other owners. In 1995 Victor and his friend/partner James Stacia purchased the lower end of Big Island/Seven Islands from Douglas Branch. This parcel was 115.5 acres and adjoined Victor's land to the east. In 1996 Victor purchased an additional 2-acre island, now known as "Bradley Island" for unpaid back taxes.
In 1994 Victor Sorrell, then Assistant Principal at Hermitage Technical Center in Henrico County, Virginia got to know an auto mechanics student named Chris McMillan. Chris is the son of Jimmy McMillan (owner of Bugg's Field, a 38 acres tract adjacent to Rockfish Run at Seven Islands). Through Chris, Victor was introduced to Charles McMillan, the primary owner of Seven Islands at Rockfish Run. For the next several years, Victor became friends with Charles McMillan and was granted permission to use his access road down to the James River in return for maintaining the road. The road had not been maintained for many years and was in poor shape. Many hours were spent bringing it back into passable shape. Eventually Mr. McMillan granted hunting rights to Victor as well as access to Seven Islands. Victor became quite fond of the Seven Islands area and became the caretaker of the Charles "Mac" McMillian's land until his passing in 1999. In 2000 Victor was contacted by the heirs of Mac McMillan and his brother Joe McMillan to buy the property. They sold 11/12's of the land in April 2000 to Victor Sorrell, James Stacia, and Frank Renee. A fourth partner, Tim Stinson retained 1/12 ownership through inheritance. He is Mr. McMillian's stepson.
C. Victor Sorrell At Seven Islands
The property contained 24 acres of islands in the Seven Islands chain and 78.3 acres on the Fluvanna County mainland. The largest island of some 20 acres was renamed Sorrell Island. It is directly south of the confluence of Rockfish Run and the James River. Rockfish Run is a stream that runs south to the James River through the center of our property. Brickyard Branch is our eastern property boundary.
The four partners entered into a conservation easement with Fluvanna County, agreeing never to exploit or develop the land. In fact, our adjoining riverfront neighbors also joined the easement, which ensures that the land will stay a pristine wilderness indefinitely.
Victor and his son Andy spend every available weekend and vacation time working on restoring the Tutwiler homeplace located at Seven Islands. It is the love for this historic property that has inspired this web site. Peggy would be proud.
