While we are more likely to visit homes built after the Civil War, our last two visits have been to earlier homes from the Georgian / Federal period. But our lack of attention to Ayr Mount, so close to our home in the piedmont of Virginia, is more due to the difficulty in finding house museums to tour.
Ayr Mount was completed in 1815 in Hillsborough, North Carolina. William Kirkland named the house in honor of his birthplace, Ayr, Scotland.
Due to its Federal style, Ayr Mount looks simple and austere on the outside. It is one of the first homes built of brick in the piedmont.
Conversely, the interior is quite grand. It has elaborate woodwork and plasterwork with a ceiling height of 14 feet on the main floor. One particular style of cornice caught my eye because I had never seen it before.
While a few of the furnishings belonged to the Kirkland family, most are period pieces from the collection of Richard Jenrette. Ayr Mount was first intended to be a retirement home for Jenrette, a Raleigh native. But with the acquisition and restoration of other fine homes, he has established a preservation trust to open them to the public. We can’t wait to visit others.
Ayr Mount was completed in 1815 in Hillsborough, North Carolina. William Kirkland named the house in honor of his birthplace, Ayr, Scotland.
Due to its Federal style, Ayr Mount looks simple and austere on the outside. It is one of the first homes built of brick in the piedmont.
Conversely, the interior is quite grand. It has elaborate woodwork and plasterwork with a ceiling height of 14 feet on the main floor. One particular style of cornice caught my eye because I had never seen it before.
While a few of the furnishings belonged to the Kirkland family, most are period pieces from the collection of Richard Jenrette. Ayr Mount was first intended to be a retirement home for Jenrette, a Raleigh native. But with the acquisition and restoration of other fine homes, he has established a preservation trust to open them to the public. We can’t wait to visit others.
No comments:
Post a Comment