Warrenton, Virginia

Ashland is beautifully arranged with the entrance to the manor home from a horseshoe drive on Holtclaw Road. The main entrance is connected to a private lane accessing the dependencies as well as a separate farm entrance from Rt. 211, which provides good access for farm equipment and horse trailers to the 12 stall horseshoe barn, separate 7 stall barn, indoor riding arena, 3 bedroom farm manager’s cottage, 1 bedroom guest cottage, smoke house and machine shed. The beautiful pastures are divided by four board fencing into numerous paddocks with run in sheds.

Ashland is a remarkable property with outstanding views located in the gently rolling hills of prime Warrenton Horse Country. Currently being offered with 81 acres of land, more land is available.

Ashland began as a land grant issued by Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood in 1724 to the Holtzclaw family where it remained for the next 200 years. The elaborate Georgian Revival Manor Home was built in sections with the earliest dating to 1725, most of the main residence was completed by 1889. Located in prime Warrenton Hunt Territory, major renovations came to the home from 1929-1934 under the design of architect William Lawrence Bottomley for then owners, Amory and Dolly Carhart of Tuxedo Park, New York. Bottomley was commissioned to turn the home into a hunting lodge. Serving as Master of the Warrenton Hunt for nearly 20 years, Mr. Carhart’s focus was on making Ashland a premier horse farm.

It is much of William Bottomley’s design that exists today and it is that time frame that one feels a part of when walking through this fine estate. The two story front section of the home provides the most formal of the living spaces. The cozy front hall offers the heart pine stairs to the second level; to the left, a brick floored reception room (13’ x 13’) for riding attire, straight ahead is the formal dining room (19’ x 15’) and to the right is the hunt room (31’ x 13’) with wonderful murals depicting hunt scenes, hand painted during Bottomley’s time. From the Hunt room one can retire to the den (17’ x 14’) and imagine brandy being sipped and rich stories recounting the day being told. This is thought to be the earliest section of this home and offers painted stone walls, deep set windows, fireplace and exposed beams. The kitchen wing offers good working space, a separate prep area and butler’s pantry. The kitchen (16’ x 11’) then leads to the breakfast room (14’ x 13’) and out to the mudroom and attached 3 car garage.

The second level of the main section offers two en suite bedrooms, the first (15’ x 14’) with sitting room (15’ x 9’) and the second (13’ x 13’). This section also has two smaller bedrooms (14’ x 10’) and (10’ x 8’) each with a sink and sharing a bath. These rooms can be accessed from the main hall or the back stairs from the kitchen. The third level is floored, provides 2 large cedar closets and has a high ceiling.

During the early 1930’s the charming two story east wing of the home was constructed. The wonderful floor to ceiling windows and glass doors open to the southern terraced garden rooms. This section of the home offers a mud room, laundry room, gathering room (22’ x 17’) w/fpl and wet bar and a sunroom (19’ x 16’) with an elevated round fireplace. The second level consists of two bedroom suites connected by a beautifully trimmed hall of closets. The eastern most bedroom (15’ x 14’) with tray ceiling also has the largest of the baths with an intricate gold molded ceiling. The second bedroom (13’ x 13’) with private bath overlooks the courtyard. This wing is connected to the main section of the home by a sun porch opening into two bedrooms, each with heart pine floors, fireplace and sharing an interior bath. It is thought that these two rooms were also constructed in the 1700s.