Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 02/20/1973
NRHP Listing Date 08/14/1973
NRHP Reference Number 73002012
Brilliantly sited in Fauquier County’s beautiful Crooked Run Valley Rural Historic District, this distinctive Greek Revival villa was the home of Margaret Marshall, granddaughter of Chief Justice John Marshall. She received a portion of the family’s Oak Hill estate and had this house built ca. 1840. Tradition has it that she designed Ashleigh herself after obtaining ideas during a trip through the Deep South. The tradition is plausible as the design is not typical of Virginia and resembles the raised one-story antebellum dwellings of Alabama and Mississippi. The house was constructed by William S. Sutton, who erected many houses in the area. The property remained the home of Margaret Marshall and her husband John Thomas until 1860 when it was sold to a relative. It has since passed through several owners but has always been maintained as a prestigious estate.
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: June 3, 2021
