Ashford House

Here follows an excerpt from the "Old Houses" website archives:

Residence:
Dating back to the 1700’s the Ashford House was originally two chestnut log cabins. Later in the 1800’s John Ashford a captain in the Civil War joined the log homes together to build the stunning colonial home that stands today. Sitting on almost an acre, adjacent to state park land, the Ashford House has been totally renovated to accommodate today’s modern demands, while maintaining the beautiful historic features of the past. The house features a two-story grand foyer, exposed chestnut beams, original wide plank flooring, colonial crown molding, four working fire places with original brick hearths, large chef's kitchen with granite, adjacent screened-in porch overlooking beautifully landscaped back yard, four generous sized bedrooms, and multiple living areas. With over 3000+ square feet of sun-drenched living space, this home is ideal for family living. Simply stunning!

Features: 2 story foyer, remodeled eat-in kitchen with granite counters, slate floor, stainless appliances and center island. Kitchen opens to screened porch, family room with French doors to deck, 4 wood burning fireplaces, custom wood Plantation shutters, and Au Pair Suite with separate entrance.


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From Memories of Beautiful Burke Virginia, by Nan Netherton and Ruth Preston Rose, Burke Historical Society, Burke Virginia, published 1988:

History of the Ashford House:
The Ashford House dates itself to the original land patents and grants made by three different authorities of the colony of Virginia, the Proprietor of the Northern Neck, and the British crown- in the area of Burke (a historical town in Fairfax County), to grantees with English, Scottish, and Irish names in the 17th century. The largest grant ever to be given in what was to become Fairfax County was the Ravensworth plantation of 21,996 acres. It was made to William Fitzhugh more than half a century before Fairfax County’s first town, Alexandria was established in 1749. Following the Revolutionary War, many large landholdings were divided, sometimes among heirs, and/or sold.

The oldest part of the Ashford House, made of chestnut logs, was likely on the place in 1830, when William Henry Fitzhugh (great great grandson of the original William Fitzhugh) left it to his adopted daughter, Mary Caroline Goldsborough of Talbot County, Maryland, whom, at a very early period of her life, “I adopted in the spirit of the sincerest affection as my daughter”, Fitzhugh states in his will. In 1850, Mary sold twenty of the 1300 acres which had been left to her to William Ashford. Ashford was head of a road crew which worked to keep Fairfax roads clear. In March of 1866, he worked on the Guinea Road from Little River Turnpike to the Orange and Alexandria, before willing the land and two log cabins to captain John Ashford, when they were combined in creating the original house that stands today. The immaculately preserved corner timbering and other interior walls of U-notched construction and hand-hewn mortised log beams, as well as dressed stone foundation in the Old Ashford House on Guinea Road clearly demonstrate that the house is made of the two log houses joined together by a hallway. In 1878, when G.M. Hopkins prepared the first official map of the Burke area, the Ashford family had been added to the earlier names of the 13 original local grantees, including Fitzhugh, Washington, Lee, Harrison, and Fairfax. Points of interest include the Ashford schoolhouse near the home of William Ashford, which was used as a meeting place for the Episcopal congregation of the Church of the Good Shepherd.


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Here follows an excerpt from local author and historian Mary B. Lipsey's "This Old House: Annandale, Springfield, Burke & Beyond" presentation:

When looking at the Ashford house, notice that the chimneys are different because it was actually two cabins put together. They don't know exactly the purpose of each cabin, but they do know that it was two cabins. I know the person who lived there. She said the kitchen floor slanted. Mary Caroline Goldsborough sold twenty of the 1300 acres which had been left to her to William Ashford. Ashford was head of a road crew which worked to keep Fairfax roads clear. Sometimes the county needed people to put gravel out on the county roads and they weren't going to do it themselves.