Aspen Grove Plantation House

Here follows an excerpt from the 1970 Fairfax County Master Inventory of Historic Sites which contains entries from the Historic American Buildings Survey Inventory:

Aspen Grove:
Aspen Grove, once surrounded by aspen and locust trees, is situated within the northwestern portion of the old Ravensworth tract which was originally owned by the Fitzhugh family. The land on which the house is located was later acquired by the Ratcliffe family. Richard Ratcliffe, who in 1799 gave the land for the Fairfax County Courthouse, left the property to his son Robert who, in 1836, sold approximately 600 acres of his inheritance to John Powell. The property changed hands several more times, and in 1855 it was sold to William Sagar of Steuben County, New York, in whose family it remained until 1920. The date of construction of the house is unknown, but it was considered very old when the Sagars acquired it. The Sagars, prominent Fairfax citizens, gave the land for the first Fairfax Elementary School, and also donated a strip of land for the road now named Sager (sic.) Avenue.

The house was built of rubble (broken, untrimmed stone) with brick quoined corners, brick chimneys, and hipped roof without dormers, topped by a cupola. The house suffered much damage during its Civil War occupation by troops of both Union and Confederate Armies and many repairs were made in the postwar years. During the 1890's the house was stuccoed over but lines were drawn in the stucco to give the effect of stone. Small porches were added on both the north and east sides of the house. On the north porch, the original roofing can still be seen.

Following the purchase of the house by William S. Earle in 1920, many changes were made. The name was changed to Montague Farms and the aspen trees were removed. The Earles added rooms, made the fireplace openings smaller, and rerouted the stairway and the central chimney.

Gladys Stoneburner, the owner of the house during the 1950's, changed the front entrance of the house from the north to the east side and added a white-columned portico to the new front. The gardens and plantings are extensive, and a springhouse still provides excellent clear water. Outbuildings include guest houses, a bachelor's cottage, and a barn. The house is popularly supposed to be haunted, and for this reason was once the subject of an N.B.C. television news feature.