Villa DeSales, built in 1877-1878, is a large five-by-three bay, three-story frame High Victorian Gothic

Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

 dwelling with a two-story south service wing, located at Aquasco

Aquasco, Maryland

Aquasco is an unincorporated area in southeastern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located near Eagle Harbor and Charles County. It was home to the Aquasco Speedway....

, Prince George's County

Prince George's County, Maryland

Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The historic home is significant for its architectural character which includes a complex of six 19th century outbuildings. This architectural style is an unusual one in Southern Maryland

Southern Maryland

Southern Maryland in popular usage is composed of the state's southernmost counties on the "Western Shore" of the Chesapeake Bay. This region includes all of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties and sometimes the southern portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties.- History...

, an area heavily agricultural historically. The large size of the house, the decorative slate roof, amount and variety of cornice and gable

Gable

A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...

 trusses, brackets, and pendants; and the well preserved interior with original Gothic Revival-style lighting fixtures and parlor and bedroom furnishings make the house exceptional. In the rear yard are seven domestic and agricultural outbuildings in good condition. The stable is the only High Victorian Gothic barn or stable in Prince George's County.

Villa DeSales was built for George Forbes (1844-1931) and his wife, Fanny Bowling Forbes (1853-1929), near her family home in Aquasco. The Bowling and Forbes families were large landowners in southern Prince George's and neighboring Charles County, Maryland

Charles County, Maryland

Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....

 during the 19th century.

Villa DeSales 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...

in 1988.

External links

• Villa DeSales, Prince George's County, Inventory No.: PG:87B-13, including photo in 1974, at Maryland Historical Trust website
• http://www.alpacanation.com/farmsandbreeders/03_viewfarm.asp?name=16322 Villa de Alpacas Farm at Historic Villa de Sales website
• M-NCPPC Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County); Villa de Sales, entry 87B-036-13, p. 193