GEORGE WASHINGTON FAMILY HORSE FARM ESTATE 110 ac WV VA Historic! 45 mins to DC Dulles airport. Income 100K Start Price USD 2,800,000.00 Current Price USD 2,800,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 1 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, August 03, 2008 End Time Tuesday, September 02, 2008 Location Charles Town, West Virginia See more about 'GEORGE WASHINGTON FAMILY HORSE FARM ESTATE 110 ac WV VA' Description PLEASE CLICK ON OUR "ABOUT ME" PAGE FOR A LINK TO A VERY NICE VIRTUAL TOUR OF THIs EXTENSIVE HISTORIC PROPERTY.   The Blakeley Estate, originally a portion of the 500 acre tract, known as the "Bullskin" tract surveyed by George Washington in 1750, sits on 110 acres of gorgeous rolling farmland.    It is located 45 minutes west of Washington Dulles Airport, 5 minutes from Charles Town, WV, 10 minutes from historic Harpers Ferry, and 10 minutes from Berryville, VA. Commuter train service to Silver Spring and downtown DC is available from Harpers Ferry.  Of course, when Blakeley and several other Washington family estates in Jefferson County, WV were created, the county was still part of northern Virginia.    The 5 BR Blakeley Manor House was built in 1820, by John Augustine Washington, a nephew of our childless first President. Blakeley passed through the hands of George Washington's nephew, Bushrod Washington, who was a Supreme Court Justice and thence to John Augustine Washington II, who also owned Mount Vernon.  Unlike many Washington properties, it remained in the hands of the Washington family for a long time, until 1892. It was used as a Summer and wartime retreat by a variety of Washington kin, including Martha Washington who wrote fondly of it. Various owners have made changes over the years, but the original structure remains as the heart of the mansion. The 6000 square feet of Blakeley's Manor House features a gracious and large entrance foyer, several large formal rooms and a first floor master bedroom suite with exceptional built-in cabinetry. The kitchen has recently been expanded and improved by the addition of a two-story fieldstone chimney, the removal of most of the ceiling, and the addition of  skylights and a second story interior gallery overlooking the fireplace and central food preparation area. There are several enclosed porches on both floors and a wonderfully designed three story central stairway. There are 7 fireplaces.   There are 4 additional bedrooms, each of which is large and has its own special features. There is a nice inground pool with a pergola. The grounds feature some wonderful specimen trees including huge magnolias, redbuds, dogwoods, tulip poplars, and flowering shrubs.   The estate's many  outbuildings and dependencies include a 3 bedroom gatehouse with a three car garage, another two bedroom guest house, a  very nicely finished caretaker's or visitor's cottage and a two bedroom apartment within one of the 3 large barns. The estate has recently been a working horse operation, and there are more than 30 large, well-constructed stalls and over a mile of new, four board fence. One of the large barns has been partially converted to an auction gallery and workshop.   The vista commanded by Blakeley extends far across Huyett Road to its sister estate, Claymont, built at the same time, by yet another Washington nephew. The builders were brothers and deliberately built their grand homes so as to be visible to each other. Both Blakeley and Claymont are mentioned in various accounts of John Brown's raid on nearby Harpers Ferry.  A preservation easement restricts new construction, but recent rental income of various parts of the estate approaches $100,000. Blakeley would make a spectacular family compound, an exceptional meeting facility, a great B+B, or a superb working horse or general agricultural operation. But most importantly, to own Blakeley is to have a chance to own and preserve a part of US history.NB: There's a great virtual tour of this once-in-a-lifetime property at our website or available from our "about me" page. We have several other estate properties available from our website. offered exclusively by Carolyn Snyder, Broker, Snyder Bailey and Associates, 404 W. Burke St, Martinsburg, WV 25401 Place a Bid!