Donald-built house from 1780s!

After a lot, and I mean a lot, of driving around and asking questions, and being attacked by farm dogs and almost giving up, but I haven't come all this way to give up, I managed to find Fancy Farm, which is just behind Kelso Mill on the road north of Bedford - funnily enough just south of Forbes Mill Road. This house is quite something.

 So how am I claiming it as a Donald house? Well, it was built by Andrew Donald in the 1780s. Who he? He was the son of William Donald of Greenock, who was the son of Robert Donald of Greenock - who was the son of James Donald of Lyleston - our direct ancestor. So basically he and Alexander Donald and of course Thomas Banana Fingers Donald  had the same great grandfather, so second cousins I suppose? That how that works? Their fathers were first cousins, so it must be. They were all part of the endless Donald connection and all part of Loyalist claims after the Revolutionary War. Coming a lot closer now that I have seen his house.

Now to you and I it may look just like a big brick house, and as the owners were not in, I can't tell you what it looks like inside, even though you will find my nose print on one of those windows (of course you will not, I would not be so rude), so instead I will quote from Fancy Farm's registration in the US National Register of Historic places - it's our Shirley plantation and it sounds fantastic!:

Fancy Farm stands as one of the finest late Georgian houses in Virginia. The architectural interest of Fancy Farm is enhanced by the fact that a house of its quality should have been built in what was almost frontier territory. It can be said that the house's elegant drawing room vies as one of the most beautiful and sophisticated rooms of its period in the Commonwealth. 

Andrew Donald's father William Donald of Greenock - trade partner of William Hamilton - died in 1783 so Andrew built Fancy Farm with his inheritance  -

The house, erected in the 1780's, was hardly the typical pioneer farmhouse of its time and place, but an elegant expression of a man with taste and refinement. Apparently because the place stood in such contrast to the rest of the area, its owner was moved to give it its unusual name. 

Taste and refinement - it's in the blood you know. Here I am awaiting a ruling - as there is a Fancy Farm area of Greenock, so I want to know which came first. I think he may have named it after Greenock - you can take the man out of Greenock, but you can't take Greenock out of the man etc.

The gracefully proportioned two-story, five bay brick dwelling is a competent essay in Late-Georgian architecture. The comparatively small-size bricks of its walls are laid in Flemish bond on all four walls both above and below the water table - any fool can see that ... during restoration a porch was removed to reveal a very handsome original doorway. This doorway features a pediment with open tympanum supported on Ionic pilasters - it was actually very beautiful as I hammered away on the door. The detail was fantastic.

And here's where it is really annoying as I didn't get inside:

The original interior woodwork of Fancy Farm is one of the chief glories of the house. In the drawing room a full entablature supported on fluted Ionic pilasters set on bases extends around all four walls. The projecting chimneypiece has an Adamesque mantel with carved urns and an overmantel flanked by scrolled volutes. 


One of the most curious features of the house is the arrangement of the stairway. One enters the stair hall from the exterior at ground level and then proceeds either up or down only a half story (US spelling, sorry) to reach the first floor or the basement levels. Because of the location of the wall between the northeast room and the stair hall the short run to the first floor is over ten feed wide. The stair from the first to the second floor is a "flying" on invisibly supported stair vaguely similar in scheme to the famous stair in Shirley Plantation. The second floor, like the first, retains nearly all of its original woodwork. 

So most annoying I didn't get inside. Basically he is doing everything with the interior that Jefferson did at Poplar Forst - but miles before him. One farmer's wife who I had managed to get directions to Fancy Farm gave me the name of the owners, so I should be able to chase up from that. Virginians do love their dogs - but hers was really very yappy. I really would love to see inside, sound fantastic - like a Heriot Row town house, but in the middle of nowhere America. If anyone is very keen - they can read the complete survey of Fancy Farm here. 
I dined in Bedford afterwards - here's the main street. And that's your lot to be honest. Would love to know what Andrew would have done of an evening? I didn't have time to go and find him - he must be in the local cemetery - but with luck there will be a subsequent trip if the owners let us - and if not, I think we should drive down anyway! I left a note for them explaining who I was, but haven't heard yet - but white pages has given me their phone number and his business name and number - so he can't really escape me! He is a V - so Colin we will need you to come and tell him what you are. Seem to be so many James Donalds around, I think I can claim to be a XXV - but maybe they have to be in a row?