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Survey of
Historic Sites and Buildings

	MOUNT AIRY Virginia
Location: 1 mile west of Warsaw, U.S. 360, Richmond County.

Ownership and Administration (1961). Private.

Significance. Mount Airy was built by Col. John Tayloe, 1758-62, as designed by the noted Virginia architect, John Ariss. Its significance rests chiefly on architectural distinction. Mount Airy is one of the few stone houses built in Virginia during the 18th century, and represents the first instance in the Colonies of the achievement of the ideal full Palladian villa, with dependent wings connected to the main house by quad rant passages.

Mount Airy, Va., is still owned by descendents of the builder, Col. John Tayloe. It is one of the very few 18th-century stone houses in Virginia, and is an ideal full Palladian villa. (National Park Service)

Present Appearance (1961). The dark-brown sandstone walls, laid in courses of random heights, are trimmed with light-colored sandstone. The entrance facade features a projecting pavilion of rusticated limestone with a crowning pediment. The south facade, facing the broad valley of the Rappahannock, is similar except that the three entrances are framed by round arches. The entire composition of the facade is copied from a design in James Gibbs' Book of Architecture. The interior was destroyed by fire in 1844, and the roof has been remodeled. Mount Airy is still owned by Tayloe descendants. It is not open to visitors. [75]