Kentmere - A Famous Stallion's Former Home is For Sale in Virginia

Clark County, Virginia is one of my favorite places in the Virginia Hunt Country.  It's just far enough west to be non-commutable to Washington, DC and there is little development, at least for now.

A very interesting farm is up for sale in Boyce, Virginia which is on the western side of the county, called Kentmere.

The farm had a famous horse, a stallion, imported from France in 1931. Teddy was “one of the most important stallions of the twentieth century and a truly international star. . . . Three of his offspring — Sir Gallahad III, Bull Dog and La Troienne — changed the face of American breeding altogether. (from a recent article in The Washington Post).  Teddy sired 65 stakes winners plus the fourth dam of Secretariat. Kenneth Gilpin and F. Wallis Armstrong bought the French horse and shipped him to America, where he spent the end of his life at Kentmere, the Clarke County domain of the Gilpin family. Many say that he is buried somewhere on the grounds.
 
Henry Gilpin, Kenneth’s father, bought Kentmere in 1896 and the Gilpin family owned the farm until Ellen Carroll acquired it from the family 20 years ago. After a fire destroyed the main residence, Carroll converted what had been the carriage house and stallion barn into a charming home.
 
Carroll repurposed many items from the stable, including the barn doors from Teddy’s stalls. Wooden blocks that covered an aisle in the barn now form a cobbled floor in the foyer. The weather vane atop the turret adds a touch of whimsy.

(Washington Post Photo)

Here is the information from the listing which you can find here.

It is said that in the mid 1700s, George Washington planted the seeds that have grown into majestic stands of White Oak trees dotting the central section of Clarke County. Kentmereis set on 51.82 acres, in a glen of these specimen hardwoods. A rare and spectacular offering, this premiere equestrian estate is where "Teddy", one of American horse racing's most famed Thoroughbred stallions stood from 1931-1936 and sired 65 stakes winners plus the fourth dam of Secretariat. The property is located in the Northern Shenandoah Valley on the west side of the Blue Ridge and within the prestigious Blue Ridge Hunt territory. Notably, it is across the road from Saratoga Farm, constructed in 1779 by Hessian soldiers for the revolutionary war hero Daniel Morgan. Every day, country life at Kentmere unfolds with a legacy of horsemanship and the love of family and friends.Arriving through majestic wrought iron gates at the primary entrance, the main dwelling lies ahead down a meandering lane and through a mature oak park. The home was built in the 1890s as the property's Carriage House and Stallion Barn. In 2011, the building was thoughtfully redesigned into the estate's primary residence with a commitment to weave the past and present into one full-scope high-end renovation. Historic preservation was key as was a commitment to integrating modern "green" elements.