Huntland, an estate covering about 400 acres in Loudoun County, was once devoted primarily to foxhunting, a sport that reinvigorated the economy of the region in the early-20th century. The property was purchased in the early-20th century by wealthy New Yorker Joseph B. Thomas. He converted and enlarged a stately brick country dwelling dating to 1830 into a Colonial Revival-style masterpiece. He also enhanced the grounds with gates, walls, and terraced gardens that are reminiscent of English manor estates and designed Huntland’s state-of-the-art kennels and horse stables. By the mid-20th-century, when it was owned by two wealthy Texans, Huntland became a retreat for notable Washington dignitaries, including then-Senator—and later U.S. President—Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1962, Huntland was also the site of secret international negotiations that resulted in a treaty between Indonesia, the Netherlands and the United Nations centering on the future of New Guinea. The Huntland property also includes a springhouse, smokehouse, and a guest cottage, all constructed around 1834; and early-20th-century resources that include secondary dwellings, a dairy barn with attached silos and a corncrib, a milking parlor, five sheds, a garage, a pump house, and a cistern.
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
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia