Farmer's Delight, human settlement in Virginia, United States of America
Farmer's Delight is a brick house built in 1791 with Federal and Georgian style features, measuring about 23 feet wide and 43 feet long. The two-story structure with five bays was later expanded with wings on the north, south, and west sides, and it retains original woodwork typical of early Federal design.
Built in 1791 by Colonel Joseph Flavius Lane, who served in the Continental Army and later in the Virginia General Assembly, the house became the foundation for this estate. The property changed hands through the Leith family and was later expanded by Henry J. Frost before diplomat George C. McGhee purchased it in 1948 and restored it to prominence.
The name comes from when the Lane family operated this as a working farm in the region. The buildings and gardens show how landowners in Virginia organized their homes, balancing family life with agricultural work and later intellectual pursuits.
The property is private and not open to the public, though some areas can be viewed from nearby roads. Visitors should respect the owners' privacy and stay off the grounds to enjoy the landscape from a distance.
McGhee brought stone columns from France that were originally intended for a German castle and incorporated them into the restored estate. The grounds were developed with more than 120 different tree species arranged in a private arboretum designed by landscape architect Boris Timchenko.
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