HISTORY AND

MANSION TOUR INFORMATION

Oak Ridge is the largest private estate in Virginia regularly open to the public. Consisting of almost 5000 acres and over 50 outbuildings, the estate has been over 250 years in the making. William Cabell acquired the property and left it to his son-in-law, Mr. Robert Rives, a successful tobacco planter and international merchant. Mr. Rives constructed the earliest part of the house about 1802.

Robert Rives was strongly influenced by Thomas Jefferson, as can be seen in this office outbuilding. Rives and Jefferson were friends and in fact, Jefferson visited the property in 1817. Former Confederate Congressman William Porcher Miles followed the Rives' family as owner.

The mansion in Rives' era.

The Colonial Revival Mansion from the Ryan era consists of 50 rooms on four floors.

Thomas Fortune Ryan was born in Lovingston, Virginia, and orphaned by the age of nine. He went on to become one of the ten richest men in the United States. In 1901 he returned to Nelson County, purchased Oak Ridge, and began building his own private Piedmont kingdom.

The interior of the mansion is being restored to it's original grandeur. Restoration work and research is expected to continue well into the 21st century. Visitors can already experience the stately architecture and beautiful furnishings which were once the Ryan dream.

The tower was an all purpose storage building, including clubs for Ryan's nine-hole golf course.

Mr. Ryan even built his own railroad and telegraph station! This was also used as the estate post office until 1943.

TOUR INFORMATION:

Don't miss touring the mansion. It's definitely a