Historic house, ‘happy home’
At Montpelier, the historic F.T. Valley residence of Sarah and James Wildasin, hosts for Belle Meade School’s upcoming fundraiser Saturday (May 12), guests will have a unique opportunity to view a careful, caring restoration of a treasured historic house (shown here is the view from the porch, which features railings that owner Sarah Wildasin carefully reproduced, of the Blue Ridge mountains and some of Montpelier’s horses in background).
“This is a happy home, a very happy home,” Wildasin declares, noting that three generations of her family are enjoying life fully at Montpelier, the evidence supplied by the dogs underfoot and the young folk grooming and riding horses nearby.
The transformation of a Rappahannock gem in the aftermath of a tragic vandalism episode was begun five years ago by Sophie and Roger Scruton, from whom the Wildasins purchased Montpelier in 2010. But it’s clear that Sarah Wildasin, in the time since, has been busy attending to the details of a long “to do” list. Old wood floors and walls are cleaned and polished; walls re-plastered and repaired and paints applied in historically accurate colors; baths, closets and kitchen fixed or updated. All the fireplaces operate now with marble facades scrounged from salvage and antique dealers, as well as matches found for missing door knobs, sink fittings and chandeliers.
Saturday’s guests will gain a rare glimpse of a superb and ongoing restoration of a privately owned historic house that is lived in and enjoyed as a home – one, which in days gone by, frequently hosted George Washington, his horse, Buckskin, stabled then in what is now a state-of-the-art equestrian barn.
The dinner is 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday (May 12) at Montpelier (26 Montpelier La., Sperryville) and features music by Dontez Inferno and a Belle Meade Farm menu by chef Sylvie Rowand with local wines. Visit bellemeadeschool.org or call 540-987-8970 for details or to purchase tickets.