Mount Ararat, Richmond, Former country house at Richmond Hill, England.
Mount Ararat was a country house on Richmond Hill built in the 1740s, situated on elevated ground with views across the Thames valley. The structure retained its Georgian architectural character throughout its long existence on this commanding hilltop location.
The house was built in the 1740s and initially housed Daniel Wray, a British Museum trustee, as its occupant. Field Marshal Thomas Grosvenor later made it his residence for an extended period, followed by Admiral Robert Stopford as its final private owner before demolition in 1897.
The house exemplified the grand domestic life of the Georgian era, when prominent figures sought out Richmond Hill as a mark of their social standing. It represented the lifestyle choices of Britain's educated and influential classes during that period.
The site sits on Richmond Hill in London and once held a commanding position overlooking the valley below. Today nothing remains of the original structure, though visitors interested in the location can find reference to it in the street names and historical plaques in the area.
The house was named after a biblical mountain despite sitting on a London hilltop, reflecting the Victorian fashion of giving estates classical or exotic names. This naming choice showed how wealthy owners of the period sought to elevate their properties with grander associations.
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