262 Rokeby Road

Along the gravel stretch of Rokeby Road, across the bridge at Gap Run, Brookside Farm unfolds as it has for nearly two centuriesa timeless property in the heart of Piedmont Hunt Country. Its historic 1840s residence, outbuildings, and approximately 100 acres belong to a landscape that feels not arranged, but inheritedshaped over generations and remarkably intact. Hayfields rise toward long views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, streams flow beneath mature trees, and the house and outbuildings rest naturally within the countryside. At the heart of the property stands the stately yet unpretentious 1840s residence, built of stone and stuccoed brick. It has been thoughtfully updated over the years while retaining its historic character. Originally two separate structuresa main house and stone cook housethe two were joined in the 1960s by a fieldstone kitchen. A broad screened porch provides entry into the kitchens breakfast area. From there, one step rises into the old cook house, now an informal den, while an original swinging service door leads into the spacious dining room with a fireplace. Beyond the dining room, the back hall serves as the homes informal crossroads. Stairs lead to the rooms above and the basement below. A main door provides additional entry from outside, while another opens onto a rear terrace beside the brook. Two steps descend into the library, a favorite gathering place, with its fireplace and floor-to-ceiling bookcases framing the entrance to the front hall. The original formal entrance, framed by sidelights and a transom, opens onto a stone landing flanked by mature boxwood and lawn. A broad doorway leads into the generously proportioned living room, with tall windows, original woodwork, and a fireplace. From the front hall, the staircase rises gracefully to the second floor, with its walnut handrail and turned balusters. At the top of the front staircase, the spacious primary bedroom, one of three with fireplaces, overlooks the grounds through tall windows. It allows ample room for both sleeping and sitting. The upper hall leads past two full bathrooms to another bedroom overlooking the brook. At the top of the back staircase are a sitting room and an adjoining bedroom, currently used as an office. This bedroom, as well as the hall landing, gives access to a large second-story screened sleeping porch. Built directly above the porch below, with exposed rafters and wood floors, it remains a wonderfully intact expression of an earlier way of summer living. Behind the house, a footbridge crosses the brook to the swimming pool. Across the gravel drive, beneath old persimmon, dogwood, and cherry trees, the carriage house remains part of the working fabric of the farm. Three large bays provide storage, while a fourth serves as a run-in shed for the adjoining paddock. An expansive hayloft above offers further possibilities. Approaching the barn, the history of Hollands Mill becomes tangible. Its foundation incorporates surviving stonework from the former woolen factory, destroyed by fire in 1864. Built into the hillside, the barns immense hayloft remains accessible at grade through large double doors. West of the barn, behind the silo and partly concealed by vines, stands a largely intact, imposing dry-laid stone structure. It remains a remarkable surviving feature thought to have served the mills operations. The approximately 100 acres surrounding the historic house and outbuildings rise and fall through hayfields, pasture, wooded slopes, and winding streams. A hayfield near the house climbs alongside Gap Run, offering views over its wide bends below, while pastures above the barn look unimpeded toward the Blue Ridge Mountains. The land is protected under a conservation easement.