Castle Hill, an Albemarle County Landmark

Castle Hill - Main House

The main house of Castle Hill is a masterpiece of Georgian design and construction

Visitors to the area marvel at Castle Hill, one of Albemarle County’s proudest historic properties. Located east of Charlottesville in the Keswick Hunt area of Albemarle County, Castle Hill is home to some of Virginia’s most majestic views of the Southwest Mountains.

A 600 acre Charlottesville farm and plantation located near Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Castle Hill was originally built in 1764, with a federal-style addition added onto the house in 1824. Over the years, the house has been witness to our nation’s history in the making.

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Quality of Construction in Historic Homes

Many of the materials and designs used in the historic homes of Charlottesville and Albermarle County are desirable features.  While some would add significant costs if specified in a new home today, many of these architectural features were incorporated as part of the process, or resulted from their availability due the locality, or even were the result of a growing movement in New World architecture.

Facade First

The classic homes of Virginia’s past have a charm and resonance with their heritage.  The home of America’s first and perhaps most famous architect, Thomas Jefferson, is a prime example of Palladianism.  Named for his friend, Andrea Palladio, the style reflects designs imported from Rome as she existed at the time of the Renaissance.

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James Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highland

Adjacent to Jefferson’s Monticello lies Ash Lawn-Highland, the estate of America’s fifth president, James Monroe. Though debt forced Monroe to sell the home he named “Highland,” it is now owned and operated by his and Jefferson’s alma mater, the College of William and Mary.

Ash Lawn-Highland stands proudly as an example of one of the finest Virginia historic homes around.

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Montpelier: A Fine Example of an Historic Virginia Home

Part of the legacy left behind by the “Father of the Constition” America’s fourth president James Madison is his contribution to Virginia’s historic homes, Montpelier. Located outside of Orange, Virginia, Montpelier is just forty short minutes from Charlottesville. The tobacco plantation and chattel estate encompasses 2,650 acres of central Virginia real estate at its finest.

Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and bequeathed to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1983, Montpelier has been flawlessly restored to return it to its condition during the time it housed James and Dolly Madison. Today, Montpelier is open for tours year-round for architecture and history enthusiasts alike.

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Jefferson’s Monticello, A Charlottesville Treasure

Monticello, designed by America’s third president Thomas Jefferson, is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville. Once the image printed on the reverse of the two-dollar bill, the pristine Charlottesville historic home is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Though Jefferson’s other masterpieces included the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, Monticello is one of his proudest legacies, and it was from his home’s perch that he watched the building of his “Academical Village,” the University of Virginia.

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Why Own an Historic Home?

Today’s buyer looking for homes in Charlottesville is truly a complicated creature. On one hand, they may be a romantic, searching for a home that calls out to a beloved past.

Possibly they find themselves just touched by the aura and the beauty of the plantation. Maybe they are a savvy investor seeking to protect capital or maximize a return on investment.

And some will be seeking a sense of community attachment and enhancement, along with the tax advantages of investment that restoring a beloved piece of history affords.

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Historic Charlottesville Virginia

The town of Charlottesville, Virginia, is the state’s most scenic haven of high culture and intellectual importance. It is set amidst the gently rolling fertile countryside of Albemarle County at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Consistently ranked first, or in the top, of America’s most highly rated communities in which to live and retire; the propensity of this small town to understate it’s intrinsic value, has long been one of it’s most appealing attributes.

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Glenmore, Charlottesville’s Premier Golf Community

Glenmore is a hop, skip, and a jump away from nearby Keswick Hall and offers families a wide selection of large homes in a secluded, gated community. Located just minutes east of Charlottesville, Glenmore VA Real Estate is now on the radar of discerning Virginia home buyers for several excellent reasons:

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Keswick, Luxury Lives in Charlottesville, VA

One of Charlottesville’s best kept secrets lies in the rolling hills of Keswick just outside of town. While many residents occupy large farms and equestrian properties on this side of town, there are two gated communities that attract people who are looking for grandiose, private homes for sale in the Keswick area on smaller, two-to-three acre lots:

  • The Estates at Keswick Hall
  • Glenmore Golf Community

A great number of Keswick residents own or already live in small estate properties and enjoy a country club lifestyle in Glenmore.

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Ednam, Ednam Forest, and Ednam Village

Another elite haven among Charlottesville real estate options and, in particular, Ivy real estate, is the Ednam neighborhood in Charlottesville.

Situated directly across the street from Farmington Country Club and next door to the Boar’s Head Inn and Spa, Ednam real estate selections include three distinct neighborhoods accommodating a variety of lifestyles:

  • Ednam Condominiums, which include Worthington Village and Chamberlain Village, are some of the finest Charlottesville Condominiums available
  • Ednam Village, which includes smaller brick attached and detached homes
  • Ednam Forest, which includes larger homes on private, wooded lots
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