Lined by catalpa trees heavy each spring with showy bell-shaped flowers, the long driveway of an 800-acre estate in Buchanan, Virginia, reaches a restored Greek Revival mansion and into the presidential past.
President Calvin Coolidge was offered the use of Greyledge in 1928 as the Summer White House by then-owner Bertha P. Jamison, according to the archives of the Virginia Chronicle. The announcement, eagerly supported by the local chamber of commerce, made Page 2 news.
The article described the home as “commodious and furnished in rare pieces of furniture” and touted the property’s “good trout fishing.”
The spread set amid the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountain ranges made the shortlist, but the Coolidges opted that year for much more modest accommodations and selected Cedar Island Lodge in Wisconsin. Nevertheless, the 1842 home’s path to landmark status was laid. Due to its significance in architecture, industry and social history, the estate was listed in 2002 in the National Register of Historic Places.
Although the fresh-looking brick façade now appears different than in the grainy photo that accompanied the archived article, the restored structure looks much the same.
Broad steps lead up to the front porch and transom-topped front door, which opens to gleaming wood floors. Painted and stained wood floors carry throughout most of the house.
Fireplaces grace many spaces including the formal living room, library, media/family room and multiple bedrooms. Windows bring light into three sides of the sunroom.
The two-story main house and the gatehouse total 11 bedrooms, eight full bathrooms and two powder rooms within nearly 12,500 square feet. Two office buildings, a barn and a four-door garage are also on the site, which includes a stream full of mountain trout, pastures, meadows and hiking, ATV and equestrian trails. A 6-acre lake is stocked with koi, bass and catfish.
The property is singular in the local housing scene. “The market for these types of estates in the Buchanan area of Virginia is almost nonexistent. This is truly a rare, historic estate for the area and one of a kind,” say the offices of Mitchell Prime Properties. “There are no other estates in the area with comparable sales that would even match this one.”
The asking price for 1066 Greyledge Road is $6.25 million. John-Mark M. Mitchell, the CEO and founder of Mitchell Prime Properties, has the listing.