A classic home saved

Kudos to a British company for saving Hayfield Manor

Date published: 4/4/2007

FOUR HUNDRED YEARS after Jamestown, the British are still investing in America--and its history. Case in point: Aggregate Industries of Caroline County and the restoration of Hayfield Manor.

When Aggregate, a British company, bought the land just off U.S. 17 south in 1997, the 1760 manor house had fallen into disrepair. The company wanted the 497-acre property for a sand- and gravel-mining operation--Aggregate is the seventh-largest producer of construction materials in the United States. But when the manor house was put on the list of Most Endangered Sites by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, company Vice President Don De-lano was moved to try to save it. With blessings from corporate, the rescue mission began.

Two years and $500,000 later, Hayfield Manor has been restored. Rodents and insects have been evicted. Damage from vandalism has been repaired. The floors have been refinished, the walls painted, and modern heating and cooling systems added. After a grand re-opening last week, Hayfield once again gives testimony to the area's Colonial roots, when transportation by water on the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers determined where estates would be sited, and the Union Jack flew freely.

Many companies would have seen Hayfield Manor as just a useless old falling-down house. Vacant for over 30 years, not visible from Route 17, it would have been easy to ignore it while stripping the land around it for its minerals. But Aggregate took the high road, displaying respect for history and the importance of preserving Virginia's old buildings. For that, the company deserves a tip of the hat and a hearty "Huzzah!"

Date published: 4/4/2007