Farmer's Delight
Encyclopedia
Farmer's Delight was built in Loudoun County, Virginia
in 1791 by Colonel Joseph Flavius Lane. The Federal style
brick house incorporates elements of Georgian architecture
. The house is closely associated with American oilman and diplomat George C. McGhee
, who owned the property after 1948. The house is presently maintained by the McGhee Foundation and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
in 1792-1793, was a colonel in the U.S. Army during the Whiskey Rebellion
, and had been a member of the Continental Army
during the American Revolution
. Lane and his wife Katharine had eight children. The family operated their property as a plantation, using slave labor, and named it "Farmer's Delight." Although Lane died in 1803, the plantation stayed in the Lane family until 1856, when it was sold to the Leith family. At this time it was known as the Gregg Farm, after Lane descendant Emily Craig Gregg, who had inherited the property. The Leiths held the property until 1919, lending their name to the nearby community of Leithtown
, when the property was sold to Henry W. Frost, Jr., who renamed the farm "Frostfields," expanded the house and operated racing and hunting stables. In 1948 the house was bought by diplomat George C. McGhee
, who restored its original name and renovated the house, adding wings and gardens. McGhee obtained a set of stone columns for a trellised grape arbor from a Benedictine abbey at Samaron in France that were originally brought to the United States by William Randolph Hearst
to be used at the Hearst Castle
in San Simeon, California
. The house was the scene of receptions for foreign dignitaries and American politicians, including President Lyndon B. Johnson
.
in Williamsburg, Virginia
. It is one of the earliest examples of brick construction in Loudoun County.
The property includes fifteen buildings on about 90 acres (36.4 ha). Gardens cover 20 acres (8.1 ha). The McGhee Library is housed in a structure reputed to be the oldest on the property, built about 1750. The bank barn
-like structure was first used as a children's playroom, then converted to a library. A garage, built by the McGhees, houses an archive and research facility. Other structures include seven barns and agricultural buildings, two of which have been made into museums for McGhee's collections of artifacts from Africa, South America, the Middle East, southern Asia and the Pacific. A tenant house, built between 1880 and 1920, remains a residence for the farm supervisor. A small log cabin was relocated from its original location near The Plains
. A small stone chapel is a replica of a chapel that the McGhees had admired in Bonn
while McGhee was ambassador to West Germany.
McGee altered the grounds extensively to resemble an informal English garden, primarily using conifers, with 162 trees of 122 species. Four terraces were designed for the garden by Washington landscape architect Boris Timochenko, of which three were built. The garden includes a boxwood
maze.The front of the property is landscaped as an open, informal English park.
Farmer's Delight was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on June 2, 1973. The property is administered by the McGhee Foundation and is used for private and public events.
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
in 1791 by Colonel Joseph Flavius Lane. The Federal style
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
brick house incorporates elements of Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
. The house is closely associated with American oilman and diplomat George C. McGhee
George C. McGhee
George Crews McGhee was an oilman and a career diplomat in the United States foreign service.-Early life:McGhee was born on March 10, 1912 in Waco, Texas, the son of a Waco banker. He studied at the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a degree in geology in 1933...
, who owned the property after 1948. The house is presently maintained by the McGhee Foundation and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
Lane, a member of the Virginia General AssemblyVirginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
in 1792-1793, was a colonel in the U.S. Army during the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
, and had been a member of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Lane and his wife Katharine had eight children. The family operated their property as a plantation, using slave labor, and named it "Farmer's Delight." Although Lane died in 1803, the plantation stayed in the Lane family until 1856, when it was sold to the Leith family. At this time it was known as the Gregg Farm, after Lane descendant Emily Craig Gregg, who had inherited the property. The Leiths held the property until 1919, lending their name to the nearby community of Leithtown
Leithtown, Virginia
Leithtown is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia. Leithtown lies to the west of Goose Creek at the crossroads of Foxcroft, Pot House, and Mountville Roads. It is the home of The Foxcroft School and saw cavalry action in the Battle of Middleburg and Battle of Upperville in 1863....
, when the property was sold to Henry W. Frost, Jr., who renamed the farm "Frostfields," expanded the house and operated racing and hunting stables. In 1948 the house was bought by diplomat George C. McGhee
George C. McGhee
George Crews McGhee was an oilman and a career diplomat in the United States foreign service.-Early life:McGhee was born on March 10, 1912 in Waco, Texas, the son of a Waco banker. He studied at the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a degree in geology in 1933...
, who restored its original name and renovated the house, adding wings and gardens. McGhee obtained a set of stone columns for a trellised grape arbor from a Benedictine abbey at Samaron in France that were originally brought to the United States by William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
to be used at the Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to...
in San Simeon, California
San Simeon, California
San Simeon is a census-designated place on the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California. Its position along State Route 1 is approximately halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, each of those cities being roughly 230 mi away...
. The house was the scene of receptions for foreign dignitaries and American politicians, including President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
.
Description
The original house is about 23 feet (7 m) by 43 feet (13.1 m) in two stories with five bays, with two-story additions to the north of three bays and two bays to the south. Another large wing extends to the southwest, with an additional wing to the west beyond. The original brickwork and north wing are in Flemish bond, while other wings are American bond. The original plan is a center hall with a room to each side, with a steep, narrow stairway in the center hall. The house is claimed to closely resemble the George Wythe HouseWythe House
Wythe House was the Williamsburg, Virginia home of George Wythe, signer of the Declaration of Independence and father of American jurisprudence. It is located in what is now Colonial Williamsburg, on Palace Green, adjacent to Bruton Parish Church...
in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
. It is one of the earliest examples of brick construction in Loudoun County.
The property includes fifteen buildings on about 90 acres (36.4 ha). Gardens cover 20 acres (8.1 ha). The McGhee Library is housed in a structure reputed to be the oldest on the property, built about 1750. The bank barn
Bank barn
A bank barn or banked barn is a style of barn noted for its accessibility, at ground level, on two separate levels. Often built into the side of a hill, or bank, both the upper and the lower floors area could be accessed from ground level, one area at the top of the hill and the other at the bottom...
-like structure was first used as a children's playroom, then converted to a library. A garage, built by the McGhees, houses an archive and research facility. Other structures include seven barns and agricultural buildings, two of which have been made into museums for McGhee's collections of artifacts from Africa, South America, the Middle East, southern Asia and the Pacific. A tenant house, built between 1880 and 1920, remains a residence for the farm supervisor. A small log cabin was relocated from its original location near The Plains
The Plains, Virginia
The Plains is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 266 at the 2000 census. It is centered around Virginia Route 55 and Virginia Route 245...
. A small stone chapel is a replica of a chapel that the McGhees had admired in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
while McGhee was ambassador to West Germany.
McGee altered the grounds extensively to resemble an informal English garden, primarily using conifers, with 162 trees of 122 species. Four terraces were designed for the garden by Washington landscape architect Boris Timochenko, of which three were built. The garden includes a boxwood
Boxwood
Boxwood may refer to:*Buxus, a genus of about 70 species of shrubs and trees in the family Buxaceæ, which in North America is called "boxwood"*Buxus sempervirens, the most common species of Buxus, which is known as "boxwood" in United Kingdom...
maze.The front of the property is landscaped as an open, informal English park.
Farmer's Delight was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 2, 1973. The property is administered by the McGhee Foundation and is used for private and public events.