Tom Cruise

[War Admiral]

Gee, I really hope my neighbors don't talk about ME like that behind my back.

Incredibly judgmental, the lot of you.

[Angela Freda]

Gosh, you guys can be really mean. Maybe he is very nice. I'd rather that he buy the place than see it carved up into Mcmansions.

Uh, tell that to Brooke Shields!
He lost me at "I KNOW Psychiatry"

[Norsire]

QUOTE]the Scientologist as a campus retreat.[/QUOTE] I've wonder this too. Glimmerglass, do spill on Roy Ash? Wha't his deal?

[La Gringa]

They will probably have their Scientologist alien meetings out there, far enough away that they can wall around the house and keep the cameras out.

Do I hear another Neverland?? Is this another Michael Jackson in the making?

I truely think that Tom Cruise has gone off the deep end with stuff. He gives me the creeps. I used to be a big fan too... but now...no way.

I really hope that Katie Holmes wakes up before she is completely brainwashed by all of it. It's soooo wierd all of it.

Its really not for Middleburg or Upperville. It's more the type of thing for California, New York, maybe Florida... but why the beautiful Piedmont?
Strange indeed.

[BarnField]

It isn't unprecidented as Carter Hall near Winchester, re-designed by my favorite architect, went from the Lambert family ("Listerine" heirs) to being the world headquarters of The People-to-People Foundation, Inc., parent organization for Project Hope, acqured the massive equestrian property in 1977. Carter Hall is now headquarters of Project Hope's worldwide "health sciences education and training program" as well as a conference center.

Glimmerglass --- Historic Carter Hall in Millwood, VA is WELL preserved. Project HOPE is a great non-profit humanitarian organization that sends healthcare professionals to 3rd world coutries around the globe. Millwood is lucky to have them. Please don't draw any correlations between the type of organization that is Project HOPE and the loony bin that is Scientology.

[La Gringa]

Do you know him personally? I don't -other then seeing him at a football game and YES he is short, and boy, he has an amazing smile- I claim to know nothing about the man.
So what if he is gay? So what if his religious beliefs do not agree with yours? And, if you have any experience with mass media, they often get it wrong. Saying Suri is not real, Tom is gay, he is crazy-it sells People- if you want to read that, buy the ragmag. (yes, I buy it...its great en-ter-tain-ment! )
If that Land does not get turned into McMansions, great! Sure, hunting may not be allowed, but...McMansions would not allow that either, I would think. Seems as if gently turning his head (and checkbook) in the direction of Land Conservation might be a great thing. My guess is that he is looking to be in a quiet place, and that once the TC Frenzy dies down, if he is welcomed into the town, it might be a great thing for everyone.
Our local (okay, maybe not as big at Tom C, but still kinda big) has done wonders for the small town of Chelsea, MI. Not in a obvious way, but a quiet way...its very nice to have a dinner theatre in town, an arts center...all those things are additions to the area. I know that is a "nicer" area then MI, but there might be unseen benefits!

It's highly doubtful that the land around Middleburg or Upperville will get turned in to McMansions. There are conservation overlay districts in the zoning that protect these areas. The zoning is in the works to be downzoned to protect it as well. The areas to be concerned about are around Aldie, Purcellville, Leesburg (which is already built) etc.

The weathly landowners do have a lot of power in Western Loudoun and Fauquier counties... and I am glad.

I don't have a problem with someone famous buying the farm. I have a problem with this particular famous person/people. They are such a tabloid crowd now.... ugh. So classless. Yes this may be judgemental, but it's what I feel. Tom Cruise certainly hasn't done much to save face either, except a half hearted apology to Brooke Shields which I don't think she even accepted for real.

I just think the whole thing is wierd.

[gray17htb]

ooook, Tom can come here and be my neighbor if you guys don't want him. I would be more than happy to live next to a SLAMMIN horse farm and teach all of his kids how to ride. Heck, I'll teach Katie too so she doesn't feel left out.

[Glimmerglass]

Glimmerglass --- Historic Carter Hall in Millwood, VA is WELL preserved. Project HOPE is a great non-profit humanitarian organization that sends healthcare professionals to 3rd world coutries around the globe. Millwood is lucky to have them. Please don't draw any correlations between the type of organization that is Project HOPE and the loony bin that is Scientology.

Re-read my posting

I didn't equate the two organizations. Rather I was expressly pointing out it wasn't unprecidented that a grand equestrian estate in that region on a large swath of land became a campus for a non-for-profit used for training, education and conference housing.

In terms of preservation I clearly didn't comment on the condition of Carter Hall.

[BAC]

hahaha-- is he gay---didnt know that big teeth gay or not---

wish i had his money --------------

That has been a rumor as far back as the time of his first marriage, maybe even before, its been so long I can't remember. I wouldn't mind having that kind of money either.

[Aggie4Bar]

ooook, Tom can come here and be my neighbor if you guys don't want him. I would be more than happy to live next to a SLAMMIN horse farm and teach all of his kids how to ride. Heck, I'll teach Katie too so she doesn't feel left out.

You'd have to get them out into the sun first.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,...5a5620,00.html

[Glimmerglass]

Wish he (or some of his wealthy friends who enjoy hunting and fishing) would buy a big chunk of Rappahannock and put THAT into conservation easement.

Wish granted, of sorts:

Former listing of Sunnyside Farm - Rappanhannock Co. 422 acres at $7.5 million
Rappanhannock News Oct 5th "Conservationist buys Sunnyside Farm"

Nicholas' father, Anthony Lapham, is a member of the advisory board of the Krebser Fund for Rappahannock County Conservation (KFRCC).

A coalition of local organizations created the Krebser Fund to protect selected properties in Rappahannock County through the acquisition of properties and conservation easements.

[current owner/seller David Cole] had begun to lose interest in his Rappahannock County holdings after he moved to Maui, Hawaii and invested in the Maui Land and Pineapple CO. and became its CEO.

[goeslikestink]

just out of interest how come the land hes buying has a welsh name

[Everythingbutwings]

Llangollen and seminars

Llangollen has frequently been the site of agricultural seminars. They are held in the large square room at the rear of the horseshoe shaped hunter barn set into the hill behind and above the main residence. I somehow doubt that Cruise, who I assume will wish for privacy, will be amenable to opening up the grounds to a bunch of us in our diesel duallys and overalls.

It would be a shame that Llangollen might not continue to be part of the Loudoun Farm Color Tour. I wonder how they'll handle the influx of people who are invited annually next door to the Beastie Bazaar 3 day weekend at Ayrshire Farm. Many people drive out to Upperville for that and I would imagine the attraction of Tomkat living just up the road would cause curiousity seekers to go take a peek.

Last year, when Mr. Wings and I went and took my neighbor's boys, we drove on up to Llangollen so I could show them how beautiful it is. We drove up past the race barn to the point where the drive splits around to go up the hill. Drivers of vehicles passing us on the way out nodded and waved in a friendly manner. The residence had been empty for a while but I believe the race barn has been leased out to steeplechase trainers while the cattle operation continued.

Unsung Heroes Outside the Beltway: Learn How an Award-Winning Virginia Farm is Saving the Earth
Washington, D.C. (September 7, 2004) – It’s a story that’s seldom told inside the beltway, where little is understood about the agricultural world. But a short drive outside the city, there’s a well-kept secret that’s lasted for generations. The historic Llangollen Farms in Upperville, Virginia. This local Virginia farm is a premiere example of why farm families working the land have become the hands-on leaders and unsung heroes of today’s land conservation movement.
This media event is rare opportunity for members of the press to visit the award-winning farm and learn hands-on about innovative stewardship practices underway. This year, Llangollen Farms was a regional winner of 13th annual National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) Environmental Stewardship Award Program.
Grab your boots, and join us for day on the ranch.
What: Local Media Demo and Conservation Workshop
[SIZE=3]Farm manager, John Wilkins will be demonstrating the conservation practices[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]that have been implemented on the farm. Officials from the Natural Resources[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Conservation service and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association will officials[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]will also be available for interviews. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]Where: Llangollen Farms, 21515 Trappe Rd, Upperville, VA 20187
[SIZE=3]Llangollen Farms is about 50 miles west of D.C., just past Middleburg, VA.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
When: 8:30am – 3:00pm, Thursday, September 9th, 2004
BBQ Lunch Provided

Why: A unique opportunity behind-the-scenes at a local Virginia farm

From the VTA website "History"

Through the years not only the Commonwealth's commercial breeders, but great private breeders and racing owners had put it all on the line with their hearts and fortunes to make the Virginia Thoroughbred a force to be reckoned with in the world of racing - Paul Mellon of Rokeby Farms, Isabell Dodge Sloane, Admiral Cary T. Grayson, Whitney Stone of Morvan Stud, Theo Randolph, Thomas Mellon Evans of Buckland, Howell E. Jackson, "Liz" Whitney Tippett of Llangollen, Marion DuPont Scott of Montpelier, James and Alice Mills of Hickory Tree, Raymond Guest, Stephen C. Clark, and of course, the ever-persistent Christopher Chenery. The roll call of Virginia's great stakes horses is equally formidable - Sir Gaylord, Hill Prince, Bowl of Flowers, Cicada, First Landing, Sword Dancer, Mongo, Proud Delta, Chieftan, Tom Rolfe, Arts and Letters, Quadrangle, Fort Marcy, Key to the Kingdom, Java Gold, Winter's Tale, Kauai King, Riva Ridge, Pleasant Colony, and of course the immortal Secretariat.

From the Loudoun Farm Color Tour:

Llangollen Farms
Roy Ash, Owner; John Wilkins, Farm Manager
21515 Trappe Road, Upperville
540-974-7615
Llangollen Farms is the main farm of three that make up an
1800 acre beef cow operation. Llangollen has approximately
250 cows, half being registered Black Angus. The farm has
gained recognition for both superior cow herd performance and
award-winning water and soil conservation efforts. Llangollen
Farms received the region’s Environmental Stewardship Award
from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in 2004.
Tour Highlights:
See several top-of-the-line cows used to
produce embryos (donor cows) for implanting in surrogate
cows, and the calves born from this modern breeding
technique. Learn about our environmentally-friendly grazing
and conservation practices.
Directions: Open to the public only during Farm Color Tour. From Middleburg go west on Route 50 through Upperville. Turn right on Route 619 (Trappe Road). Go 2.2 miles to entrance on the left.

[Everythingbutwings]

Middleburg Life - Real Estate

http://www.sungazette.net/articles/2...ate/mb445y.txt

Lovely photo of the mansion and article with it's history.

[JSwan]

i don't know the specifics about how this place got its name.

but in virginia, a lot of place names; towns, farms, roads - are named after places in the UK. Indian names too - lots of them. but since a lot of folks who settled here were scotch, irish and welsh, and english they brought the names with them.

in sw virginia, there is even a bit of scottish accent in the southern drawel. "oot" instead of "out", for example.

is it tangiers island? i think were elizabethan english is still spoken.

my neighbors farm has a welsh name, too.

just out of interest how come the land hes buying has a welsh name

[Norsire]

Contract

The listing has now gone to "Contract" with a settlement date of TODAY! I think the agent put the data in wrong. So if it does settle today should know settled price on Monday. I can't wait to see what it settles for!!! The lucky buyer agent is Mary Ann Mc Gowan of Thomas and Talbot....would love to know who Tomkat found her as the agent!!! They are located in Leesburg and not Middleburg. I was thinking it would be a Middlbeburg agent. So if settlement is today, Tomkat must be in town.

""BTW - this property and manor house **is** in Loudoun County, not Fauquier. The manor house was built in 1830" This is correct!! It is in Loudoun County...it is in Upperville, but is on the Loudoun County side of Upperville.

[moonriverfarm]

gothedistance, THANK YOU for the so lovely photos and for sharing the ride with us. Absolutely stunningly GORGEOUS country, and the house ain't shabby either !

[Glimmerglass]

Sad to say -- if TC buys the place the first thing that will go up will be gates across the entrance to the mile long driveway, and centuries of free access will be shut off in a heartbeat. I ride the old mountain trails up behind the estate, and have ways of accessing those trails without going up the main entrance, However, to carriage drive, the main driveway is the only way in (technically -- don't ask for the other ways 'cuz I won't tell).

I would concur that likely will happen despite it being a no-no in hunt country etiquette. Keep in mind the very obvious: your access to the property is vastly different to most in so far as you know the caretakers, estate manager, etc. In most such cases, provided that staff isn't replaced with the sale (and why would they) then you should still have some degree of access when the homeowner is not there.

Lord knows in my lifetime I've established rapport with such gatekeepers to get on the grounds of many old estates, never open to the public, that are exceedingly high on the 'wow' factor.

With that said, irregardless if the buyer was Tom Cruise or an unknown heir to software company the reality is that in 2006 people don't often respect private property. They see an open gate and a grand house in the distance and think - well, why not just drive on up?

Homeowners can be gracious in allowing hunts on their lands, open homes to defined garden tours, and even grant neighbors the right to trespass legally. Again sadly if you don't put that gate up there are just too many people who will think its their right ("I'm not hurting anyone, I'm just looking") to drive on up and if they are told otherwise they get miffed.

As much as people may lament being now somehow denied the likelihood of driving up to Llangollen on any given day the reality is that on any given day you'd be denied that right to drive up to a Newstead Farm (Firestone) or Oak Spring (Mellon) estates, too, and both are owned by well respected and generous old-Virginia families. Regarding the estate being removed from things like the Hunt Country Stable Tour, I suspect that it would not be removed if the estate manager has any sense to speak for the community.

The last thing I'd advise any new buyer to the area is to change what has been the status quo ... like what happened at first with the neighboring Ayrshire Farm

[SidesaddleRider]

The lucky buyer agent is Mary Ann Mc Gowan of Thomas and Talbot....would love to know who Tomkat found her as the agent!!! They are located in Leesburg and not Middleburg. I was thinking it would be a Middlbeburg agent.

I just wanted to correct this. Thomas and Talbot *IS* a Middleburg real estate firm. They are located on the corner at the stop light in town, across from Marshall Bank and the Home Store, and right by Tirami Su.

[La Gringa]

I just wanted to correct this. Thomas and Talbot *IS* a Middleburg real estate firm. They are located on the corner at the stop light in town, across from Marshall Bank and the Home Store, and right by Tirami Su.

Yep, my cottage is listed with them. They are a good firm.