Frascati (Somerset, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Frascati is an early 19th-century Federal-style
plantation
near Somerset
in Orange County
, Virginia
. Frascati was the residence of Philip Pendleton Barbour
, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
and statesman
.
, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
and statesman
. Barbour's father, Thomas Barbour
arrived in Orange County
as a young man from Culpeper County
. In 1806, Thomas Barbour and his wife, Mary, sold their home tract of 885 acres (3.6 km²) to their son, Philip. Barbour entered into his "Articles of Agreement" with master builder John M. Perry on 7 November 1821. Barbour was familiar with Perry's capabilities through his work at the University of Virginia
and was attracted to Somerset, the home of his neighbor, Thomas Macon. Like Somerset, Frascati was influenced by the more conventional, central hall Federal house style. This conventional format contrasted with the tastes of Barbour's brother, Senator James Barbour
of Barboursville
. Barboursville was designed by Thomas Jefferson
in 1822 and displayed Jefferson's mixing of French and Palladian forms similar to that at Monticello
.
Frascati was Barbour's home until his death in 1841. Barbour's wife sold the estate in 1848 to Captain James Magruder, another local builder who had worked under Jefferson on the University of Virginia. Frascati was then long the home of Mrs. William H. Lyne, followed by Mr. A. D. Irving, a distant relation to Washington Irving
. The residence is presently owned by the Barrow family, who have preserved its farm setting.
Frascati was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register
on 16 September 1980 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on 28 June 1982.
's best-documented 19th-century dwellings. The original building contract is preserved in the collections of the Virginia Historical Society
and called for "exterior walls of the whole house to be faced with rubber stretchers well burned..." with the brickwork also "to be equal to any...at the University of Virginia
." It was designed by John M. Perry of nearby Albemarle County
, Virginia. Perry was one of the master builders employed by Thomas Jefferson
both at Monticello
and the University of Virginia
. Frascati's Tuscan
portico
and classical detailing are Jeffersonian architectural characteristics.
The 57' x 39' structure is executed in very even Flemish-bond brick with tooled penciled joints. Frascati's shallow hipped roof
covers the two-story, double-pile residence. Frascati's main entrance has paneled double doors set within a frame containing a large semicircular transom
and complementing sidelights all encircled with elaborately patterned wooden tracery
. The frame consists of symmetrical architrave
s with paneled corner blocks. The main entrance is sheltered by a tetrastyle, pediment
ed Tuscan
portico
on a brick podium
. Frascati's Tuscan portico has stucco
ed columns, a full entablature
, and a pediment with a semicircular lunette
in the tympanum
.
Fenestration throughout Frascati consists of six-over-six sash windows set in wooden architraves and flanked by original louver
ed shutter
s. Paired interior-end chimney
s are located on Frascati's north and south elevations. A later semi-exterior chimney is found on the home's rear elevation. The roof is covered with standing-seam sheet metal
.
Frascati's central hall plan and interior are discussed at some length in the original specifications:
The parlor exhibits plaster
work ceiling
medallions and entablature
s, the latter copied from a design in Asher Benjamin
's American Builder's Companion (1806). Surviving on the Frascati estate grounds are the original kitchen outbuilding and remnants of the extensive original gardens.
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
near Somerset
Somerset, Virginia
Somerset is an unincorporated community in Orange County, Virginia, United States. It is located at 38°12'27N 78°13'6W with an altitude of 121 metres ....
in Orange County
Orange County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,881 people, 10,150 households, and 7,470 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 11,354 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Frascati was the residence of Philip Pendleton Barbour
Philip Pendleton Barbour
Philip Pendleton Barbour was a U.S. Congressman from Virginia and an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was also the brother of Virginia governor and U.S. Secretary of War James Barbour as well as the first cousin of John S. Barbour and first cousin, once removed of John S...
, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
and statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
.
History
Frascati was built between 1821 and 1823 for Philip Pendleton BarbourPhilip Pendleton Barbour
Philip Pendleton Barbour was a U.S. Congressman from Virginia and an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was also the brother of Virginia governor and U.S. Secretary of War James Barbour as well as the first cousin of John S. Barbour and first cousin, once removed of John S...
, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
and statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
. Barbour's father, Thomas Barbour
Thomas Barbour (Virginia)
Thomas Barbour was a prominent landowner and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. Barbour was the father of James Barbour and Philip Pendleton Barbour Thomas Barbour (1735 – May 16, 1825) was a prominent landowner and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. Barbour was the father of...
arrived in Orange County
Orange County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,881 people, 10,150 households, and 7,470 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 11,354 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
as a young man from Culpeper County
Culpeper County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,262 people, 12,141 households, and 9,045 families residing in the county. The population density was 90 people per square mile . There were 12,871 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
. In 1806, Thomas Barbour and his wife, Mary, sold their home tract of 885 acres (3.6 km²) to their son, Philip. Barbour entered into his "Articles of Agreement" with master builder John M. Perry on 7 November 1821. Barbour was familiar with Perry's capabilities through his work at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and was attracted to Somerset, the home of his neighbor, Thomas Macon. Like Somerset, Frascati was influenced by the more conventional, central hall Federal house style. This conventional format contrasted with the tastes of Barbour's brother, Senator James Barbour
James Barbour
James Barbour was an American lawyer, amember and speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, the 18th Governor of Virginia, the first Governor to reside in the current Virginia Governor's Mansion, a U.S. Senator from 1814–1825, and the United States Secretary of War from 1825-1828.Barbour was a...
of Barboursville
Barboursville (James Barbour)
Barboursville is the ruin of the estate of former U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of War, and Virginia Governor James Barbour, located in Barboursville, Virginia, on the grounds of Barboursville Vineyards. The house was designed by Barbour's friend and political ally, Thomas Jefferson...
. Barboursville was designed by Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
in 1822 and displayed Jefferson's mixing of French and Palladian forms similar to that at Monticello
Monticello
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
.
Frascati was Barbour's home until his death in 1841. Barbour's wife sold the estate in 1848 to Captain James Magruder, another local builder who had worked under Jefferson on the University of Virginia. Frascati was then long the home of Mrs. William H. Lyne, followed by Mr. A. D. Irving, a distant relation to Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
. The residence is presently owned by the Barrow family, who have preserved its farm setting.
Frascati was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register
Virginia Landmarks Register
The Virginia Landmarks Register is a list of historic properties in the state of Virginia. The state's official list of important historic sites, it was created in 1966. The Register serves the same purpose as the National Register of Historic Places...
on 16 September 1980 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on 28 June 1982.
Architecture
Frascati is one of the PiedmontPiedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
's best-documented 19th-century dwellings. The original building contract is preserved in the collections of the Virginia Historical Society
Virginia Historical Society
The Virginia Historical Society , founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical and Philosophical Society and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a major repository, research, and teaching center for Virginia history...
and called for "exterior walls of the whole house to be faced with rubber stretchers well burned..." with the brickwork also "to be equal to any...at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
." It was designed by John M. Perry of nearby Albemarle County
Albemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...
, Virginia. Perry was one of the master builders employed by Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
both at Monticello
Monticello
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
and the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. Frascati's Tuscan
Tuscan order
Among canon of classical orders of classical architecture, the Tuscan order's place is due to the influence of the Italian Sebastiano Serlio, who meticulously described the five orders including a "Tuscan order", "the solidest and least ornate", in his fourth book of Regole generalii di...
portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
and classical detailing are Jeffersonian architectural characteristics.
The 57' x 39' structure is executed in very even Flemish-bond brick with tooled penciled joints. Frascati's shallow hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
covers the two-story, double-pile residence. Frascati's main entrance has paneled double doors set within a frame containing a large semicircular transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
and complementing sidelights all encircled with elaborately patterned wooden tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. The frame consists of symmetrical architrave
Architrave
An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
s with paneled corner blocks. The main entrance is sheltered by a tetrastyle, pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
ed Tuscan
Tuscan order
Among canon of classical orders of classical architecture, the Tuscan order's place is due to the influence of the Italian Sebastiano Serlio, who meticulously described the five orders including a "Tuscan order", "the solidest and least ornate", in his fourth book of Regole generalii di...
portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
on a brick podium
Podium
A podium is a platform that is used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek πόδι In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podia can also be used to raise people, for instance the conductor of an orchestra stands on a podium as do many...
. Frascati's Tuscan portico has stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ed columns, a full entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
, and a pediment with a semicircular lunette
Lunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
in the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
.
Fenestration throughout Frascati consists of six-over-six sash windows set in wooden architraves and flanked by original louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed shutter
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
s. Paired interior-end chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s are located on Frascati's north and south elevations. A later semi-exterior chimney is found on the home's rear elevation. The roof is covered with standing-seam sheet metal
Sheet metal
Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material...
.
Frascati's central hall plan and interior are discussed at some length in the original specifications:
The house to have a passage through the middle of it ten feet wide in the clear; and to have a cross partition wall so as to divide the floors of each story into four rooms besides the passage; both the passage walls and cross walls to go from the foundation to the top to be of brick and of the same thickness in the several stories as in the outer walls; the whole house bapement story and all, to be well plaistered with a due preportion of plaister of Paris ... The drawing room and passage each to have a handsome cornice of plaister, and each a handsome center ornament of plaister in the ceiling; the general style of all the wood work to be like Thomas Macon's dwelling house...there are to be two staircases one private from the dining room and chamber, with a closet under it; the other an elegant ornamental one out of the passage...
The parlor exhibits plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
work ceiling
Ceiling
A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limit of a room. It is generally not a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the floor or roof structure above....
medallions and entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
s, the latter copied from a design in Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin was an American architect and author whose work transitioned between Federal style architecture and the later Greek Revival. His seven handbooks on design deeply influenced the look of cities and towns throughout New England until the Civil War...
's American Builder's Companion (1806). Surviving on the Frascati estate grounds are the original kitchen outbuilding and remnants of the extensive original gardens.