Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/13/1988
NRHP Listing Date 11/02/1989
DHR's Virginia Board of Historic Resources easement
NRHP Reference Number 89001914
Named for the Quaker family who established the Clarke County farm in the 18th century, Farnley was developed into a prosperous plantation by the Hay family. William Hay, an attorney born in Scotland, and later a resident of Williamsburg and Richmond, purchased the property in 1808. He built a plain brick house which still stands, around 1815. James Hay, his son, married into the locally prominent Burwell family and built Farnley’s principal residence, a grand late-Federal mansion, begun ca. 1832. Dominating the surrounding pastoral landscape, the stuccoed dwelling is distinguished by its stately outline, bold interior woodwork, and an unusual wrap-around veranda on the rear. Attached to the house is a series of service structures. On a knoll nearby is a rare two-story stone slave quarters. One of the county’s numerous historic estates, Farnley is now a noted pony farm. The property contributes to the Greenway Rural Historic District.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: April 21, 2021
