A historic 1762 Virginia farmhouse that spent its first 184 years in Sussex County before being taken apart and moved timber by timber has a prospective buyer at $3.799 million (£2.86 million). According to property records and estate reports from Realtor.com, the five-bedroom home is located at 4509 Carlby Lane in Alexandria, along the Potomac River. The land was once part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. The property is currently listed as contingent after being marketed by estate agents Andrea Courduvelis and Diane G. Murphy of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Known as Carlby, the 2,992-square-foot home is a rare example of historic preservation and has remained with the same family for three generations.
Moved piece by piece
The house was originally built in 1762 in Sussex County, Virginia, where it was known as the Mitchell House. It stayed in its original rural location until 1946, when Carl W. Porter, a retired United States Navy captain and former Fairfax County director of public works, bought the property. Wanting to protect the historic structure, Porter led a major relocation project. Workers carefully took the house apart timber by timber and labelled each piece before transporting the materials north to a 2.18-acre waterfront property in Alexandria. Co-listing agent Andrea Courduvelis told Realtor.com about the detailed work carried out by the family patriarch. “Carl Porter bought the house where it was in Sussex County, took it apart piece by piece, labeled each piece and put it back together on the property it sits on today,” Courduvelis said. “The property has stayed within the family for three generations.” Porter and his wife, Beatrice, named the rebuilt home Carlby after completing the project.
Historical links and original features
The home has important historical connections beyond its link to land associated with George Washington. A 1976 study by historian Barbara Spann for the Fairfax County History Commission identified Carlby as the boyhood home of General Winfield Scott. Scott was a major military figure who served in the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. Inside, the house still has many of its original 18th-century features. These include wide-plank pine floors, 12-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, original wood paneling painted in traditional period colors and several working fireplaces. The dining room has a custom chandelier designed by Porter himself. It was based on an original light fixture at Gunston Hall, the historic home of Virginia founding father George Mason.Courduvelis said the design of the house also reflects the way people lived during the colonial period. “What is now considered the rear entrance was originally the home’s primary entrance, as visitors commonly arrived by water or horseback,” Courduvelis told Realtor.com. “From today’s front door, you can see straight through the house to the Potomac River. This is a design that was characteristic of the time period, but is unique today.” The only major interior change came in the 1990s, when the second generation of the Porter family renovated the kitchen. According to the listing agents, the kitchen is still the only part of the main house that differs significantly from the original 1762 design.
Waterfront grounds and private features
The 2.18-acre property has 151 feet of direct frontage on the Potomac River, along with a private pier. Other structures on the grounds include a historic smokehouse, an outbuilding shed and a detached two-car garage. Courduvelis said the property’s privacy and setting have been major attractions for potential buyers during viewings. “Many have commented on how it feels like you are stepping back in time the moment you turn into the private driveway,” Courduvelis told Realtor.com. “The expansive waterfront views are extraordinary and create an incredible sense of peace and tranquility.” She also said the combination of original 18th-century materials and the riverfront location makes the property very different from modern homes in Fairfax County. “Together, these elements give Carlby a warmth, authenticity, and sense of history that simply cannot be re-created in a newly built home,” Courduvelis said. The pending sale would be the first time Carlby has left the Porter family since the house was moved to Alexandria 80 years ago.
