Ever wonder what the old Stone Clubhouse used to be? Well the main part of the plantation was built in the 1790’s for Dr. Wilson Cary Seldon, with the Overseer’s House, known to us as the clubhouse, being added before the turn of the century. On June 17th, 1856 at 12 o’clock the plantation, 1,720 acres and the overseer’s house were put up for sale. The 1855 wheat harvest had sold for $10,600 and the corn crop yielded 8,850 bushels. Four hundred acres were timberland and the rest agricultural. The property being described as “A large dwelling house with a location of unsurpassed beauty and all the necessary out-buildings of brick, a good Two-Story Stone Overseer’s House and comfortable brick quarters for at least 50 servants, one of stone and one of wood, a brick carriage house and stabling for 40 horses”. I’m glad I didn’t have to cut the grass.

Exeter was one of the largest complexes of plantation buildings in the area. The main house being an amalgam of Federal-derived forms and motifs, with several roof types blending into a seven part plan. The stone house was much simpler. A two story red sandstone/fieldstone building that has had several additions over the years. Outbuildings in the back, the front porch, a side porch where the patio now stands, and several sheds were added over the years

While obviously the estate was well established during the Civil War, I have not been able to find any particular information regarding Exeter during that time. With it’s close proximity to Ball’s Bluff and other battle grounds nearby, it must have been involved heavily as is had a good supply of food, horses and grazing fields.

The property passed through the hands of many illustrious persons. Eleanor Selden married John Augustine Washington in 1842 who sold it on to General George Rust, at public auction. Last known resident sale was in 1967 before it was sold to developers. It suffered a devastating fire in 1980 rendering it uninhabitable, it was finally deconstructed and rebuilt in 1990 into the building we know today. Our plan is to improve the porch and repaint the trim in addition to landscaping.