Oakleigh Farm, Off of West Rio Road, Charlottesville, Charlottesville, Virginia

This documentation was completed for a class at the University of Virginia & subsequently donated to the HABS collection.
Significance: Oakleigh Farm, established in 1897, is located off of West Rio Road just outside of Charlottesville. The entire farm, including the pastures, spans 8.8 acres. Within this large property, approximately two acres have been developed into a complex of residential and utilitarian farm buildings. The two central acres are surrounded by expansive sloped pastures which are separated from the built complex by a system of fences. Inside the pasture boundaries, the farm complex is an ordered collection of multi-functional buildings set in an informal, yet aesthetic vegetative landscape. The series of buildings includes a dairy, well house, fallout shelter, chicken coop, auxiliary building, tenant residence, feed storage/outhouse, and barn. The main house and the outbuildings are schematically united across the site via their parallel positional relationship. The buildings are also united on the site by their similar roofs and exterior color palette of white and green. Originally built by Mr. William Nuttycombe, the Oakleigh Farm remained in the Nuttycombe family until the death of Louise Coles Nuttycombe in 2002. Over the course of the century since its initial construction in 1897, Oakleigh has seen multiple alterations to the organization of the built farm complex as well as significant modifications to individual buildings. Five central phases of construction and modifications have been determined for the farm. The first, or original phase, in 1897 was centered on the development of the main house and several essential outbuildings. The second phase generally encompasses the years 1900 through about 1920, in which time the main house was renovated and several new outbuildings were constructed. 1933 marks the third phase of development on the site, in which the addition of in-house plumbing shaped the main house and the distribution of uses elsewhere on the site. The fourth phase, from 1947 through the 1950s, was a period of both significant building addition as at Oakleigh and the re-evaluation of uses within existing outbuildings. The 1970s and 1980s represent the fifth and final stage in the evolution of the site, with one new building and multiple cosmetic changes to existing structures. Overall, Oakleigh functioned as a small family farm which changed in form and use depending on family needs and demands of the times. In 2002, Louise Cole Nuttycombe's children sold the property to Jack and Jeff Wray, who intend to develop it into a townhouse complex in the near future.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N957
Survey number: HABS VA-1379
Building/structure dates: 1897 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1900- ca. 1920 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1933 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1947- before 1960 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1970- before 1990 Subsequent Work