The cool winds of year’s end often bring seasonal pleasures – the soft glow of winter lights, warm smells of baked treats, a general sense of cheer and content. But for the Barbour family of Orange County, Virginia, the holiday season of 1884 was anything but merry.

Patriarch James Barbour and his family spent decades in a palatial brick manor surrounded by 6,000 acres of land and designed by a close friend – none other than Thomas Jefferson himself. Barbour died in 1842, and while the property remained in the family, a devastating fire on Christmas Day two years later brought the home to ruin. Despite the scorched residence, the property nevertheless stayed in Barbour hands across sixty years and five generations. In 1977, the estate was purchased by Gianni Zonin, who transformed the rolling expanse into a vineyard.

James Barbour led a lifelong career of public service, notably as U.S. Senator, Secretary of War and Governor of Virginia during the wartime years of 1812-1814. Before his governorship, he was a lawyer and deputy sheriff for Orange County. He later served on the grand jury for the infamous treason indictment of Aaron Burr in 1807. The community surrounding his onetime home bears his name. Barbour could have easily had a cameo in the Broadway smash hit Hamilton, but it’s a shame that Lin-Manuel Miranda left him out.

Early depictions of the Barboursville mansion bore a likeness to Jefferson’s home, Monticello, but the dome that was supposed to cap Barbour’s residence was not built, and this omission obscured much of the noticeable resemblance. Still, the house reflects what was the Jeffersonian ideal, with its architectural sophistication and agricultural surroundings. 

The home featured eight rooms and a uniquely octagonal sitting room. The bones of the structure paint a hauntingly aesthetic picture of the estate it once was. However, the property holds a darkness common to many 19^th century landed estates. The plantation did indeed have servants and slaves prior to the Civil War, but the only note on the matter from the Historic American Landscapes Survey states that “this subject deserves further attention.” I concur.

Jefferson had a certain distaste for buildings constructed out of wood, finding them to lack the necessary longevity, and instead preferred brick. “When buildings are of durable materials, every new edifice is a permanent acquisition,” he noted, “adding to its value as well as to its ornament.” I found myself musing on what his sentiments would have been had he lived to see the demise of the home several decades after its completion.

The ruins continue to rest on the property of one of Virginia’s oldest wineries, Barboursville Vineyards. They are open to visit during the vineyard’s hours of operation, which can be found here. There is plenty of signage to guide your way. I would like to extend a special thank you to Olivia Whicheloe, a wonderful employee of the winery, for the personal tour of the vineyard and the ruins. The drive is beautiful, and if you chose to venture this journey be sure to reserve a table for dinner at the Barboursville Vineyard.