Here is yet another chance for those looking to invest in homes to buy a piece of history. A 78-acre historic estate listed as a Virginia Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places is up on the blocks.
Known as Ramsay, the house built in 1895 will be auctioned on Oct. 18 to the highest bidder. The property was originally listed for sale for $7.5 million.
According to the owner, Harry Lankenau, the reason for listing the property is because he feels Ramsay is currently underutilized.
"Now is the time for a new chapter for Ramsay as well as for our family. My wife Susan and I are essentially the only ones living on the property on a full-time basis," Lankenau said. "Ramsay is currently underutilized, for sure. For example, the cottage has a separate driveway entrance and would be perfect for overflow guests, higher end rentals, parents still capable of independent living or young adult children."
"The estate perches atop a prominent knoll and has a 180-degree breathtaking view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ramsay consists of a main house; a detached front gable garage," said a press release. "A Cape Cod-style guest cottage; a two-story farm house; a three-room studio; a workshop; a potting shed and a barn."
The main house is spread across 5,300 square feet and has four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms. The guest cottage is two storied and contains three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen, family room, a dining and living room and a private driveway.
"Ramsay presents so many options for its new owner. It could be used as a private estate, a meeting place for family and friends or for entrepreneurial pursuits such as a vineyard, historic country inn, destination wedding venue, corporate retreat or for livestock," Ross Stevens of Stevens and Stevens & Company, the listing agent, stated in a press release.
Ramsay was originally constructed by William H. Langhorne in 1895, with restorations and additions taking place in 1937, 1947 and 1955.