The Historic Llangollen Estate Hits the Market

Peter Leonard-Morgan
Jul 21, 2022
3 min read

From time to time, a truly iconic property, full of history and aura comes to the market, and our Llangollen estate is a case in point.

Llangollen, begun in 1795 and expanded upon over two centuries

Located just outside the quaint village of Upperville, Virginia, Llangollen sits on 1,100 acres of beautiful countryside, in conservation easement, and dates to 1795 when the original patent house was built, in order to abide by the terms of the formal prescription of the lease to the first grantee which required that a dwelling be constructed.

Llangollen through the Years

Upperville was the scene of an American Civil War battle which preceded Gettysburg, and the fields surrounding Llangollen saw plenty of action. Locally infamous John Singleton Mosby, romantically referred to as the Gray Ghost, is purported to have spent time at Llangollen, meeting in the downstairs pub seen below.

The pub at Llangollen beneath the 1830 manor house

The thousands of acres on and around Llangollen were originally surveyed by a young man by the name of George Washington, better known forever as the founding father and first President of the United States of America.

Guests at the property during the nineteenth century included the Marquis De Lafayette who made it his base on the east coast during his grand tour of the United States, as well as our third President, and drafter of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, whose Monticello has been studied by the present owners of Llangollen in order to properly decorate this fabulous house.

The Civil War years and the reconstruction period immediately thereafter were not kind to southern estates like Llangollen, which had previously relied on the abhorrent practice of using the enslaved to farm the land and produce its crops. Decades passed before subsequent stewards took ownership, and began its slow rehabilitation. But it was not until 1930, when John Hay 'Jock' Whitney, publisher of the New York Herald Tribune, President of the Museum of Modern Art and, later, US Ambassador to the United Kingdom purchased Llangollen as a wedding present for his fiancée, Elizabeth Altemus, and restored and significantly expanded the beautiful property, creating a new southern wing off the manor house, and building the impressive and quite unique horseshoe barn pictured below.

The unique horseshoe barn at Llangollen, constructed between 1930 and 1940

Whitney and his wife divorced after ten years of marriage, during which time they developed a formidable racehorse breeding operation, and introduced polo to the property, a sport which Jock excelled at, and which remains to this day, by way of a world class facility with three polo fields and an arena.

Liz Whitney remained at Llangollen until her death in 1988, marrying several more times and in 1989 the property was acquired by businessman and former Nixon Whitehouse official, Roy L. Ash, who founded Litton Industries and was the 21st Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and his wife Lila. The Ash's took on the huge task of restoring Llangollen to its original glory and extending the house on both ends, creating a modern kitchen off the original patent house to the north and the library/guest room wing to the south.

The original patent house, dating to 1795, now enveloped by the 1830's manor house on one side and the modern kitchen, seen below, on the other.

This large and well equipped kitchen was added by Roy and Lila Ash around 1990, and further improved by its current owners, the Brennan family.

Llangollen is ready now for its next 'custodians', and represents an exciting opportunity to own a rare piece of history and real estate, just an hour from Washington Dulles International Airport, and DC just beyond.

From left to right, Ellie Wood Keith; Alben Barkley; a lady; Bing Crosby; Liz Tippett (formerly Whitney & Altemus) at the Llangollen Piedmont Hunt Racecourse (1930) - courtesy the Pink Box, Middleburg

Spectators gather at the Piedmont Hunt racecourse at Llangollen for a race in the 1920's - courtesy Nancy Lee

Early image of Llangollen - courtesy Library of Congress

Whether you are considering buying or selling in Western Loudoun, Great Falls, Middleburg, or beyond — or simply wish to stay informed about this remarkable market — I would be delighted to hear from you. Reach me directly at (443) 254-5530, or use the Contact Form on my website. My approach is straightforward: clients come first, always.