Nearly 10,000-square-foot home under construction in Windsor Farms

Calycanthus site 1

Foundations are taking shape for a 9,500-square-foot house set to rise in Windsor Farms. (Jonathan Spiers photos)

A not-so-common sight is turning heads along a stretch of Cary Street Road: a new home under construction in Windsor Farms.

The nearly century-old, largely built-out West End neighborhood is better known for its assortment of colonial-style homes that have stood mostly unchanged for decades. But one of those houses has given way to a brand-new replacement that’s set to be roughly twice its size.

The construction site at Coventry and Calycanthus roads, near Cary Street’s crossroads with Old Locke and East Lock lanes, is laying the foundation for what’s planned to be a 9,500-square-foot home with four bedrooms, an enclosed central courtyard and an accessory garden house, according to plans filed with the city.

The documents identify the property owner as Ned Valentine, an executive with downtown investment bank Harris Williams & Co. Property records show he purchased the 1-acre corner lot at 1 Calycanthus Road through an LLC in 2020 for $1.32 million, before demolishing the previous home that was there to make way for this one.

The previous house, a 4,700-square-foot Georgian built in 1955 and designed by noted architect Clarence Huff Jr., totaled four bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms. It was owned by Nancy Stratford, who inherited it from her parents, Thomas and Jane Stratford, when Thomas died in 2014.

Calycanthus old house

The house is replacing this 4,700-square-foot Georgian that was recently demolished. (CVRMLS photo)

The house was listed in 2020 with Long & Foster’s Anne Hall with an asking price of $1.28 million, real estate records show. It went under contract within two weeks and closed a month later, with Valentine represented by Katherine Hill and Ernie Dettbarn with Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate.

The city had assessed the property that year at $1.03 million. Post-demolition, it’s slated to be assessed next year at $431,000.

Reached Friday, Valentine declined to comment on the project.

Calycanthus left

A rendering of a side of the house. (City documents)

Plans show a two-story house enclosing what’s described as a central courtyard between the main house and a covered porch and garage. A building permit put the total contract value at $2.64 million.

The permit lists Mako Builders and Ilex Construction, out of Charlottesville, as involved in the project. The plans were drawn up by Carter Skinner Residential Design, an architecture firm in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A special-use request to allow the detached garden house and a new driveway entrance received City Council approval in recent weeks. The request included a “no opposition” letter from the Westhampton Citizens Association and an endorsement from the Windsor Farms Association’s Architectural Review Committee. Balzer & Associates handled the application to the city.

While an uncommon sight, new home construction has been seen in Windsor Farms along the same corridor in recent years. In 2019, Edward Winks Jr., president of Winks Snowa Architects, and Mary Winks built a new house on a vacant lot at 4109 Cary Street Road, next door to an existing house they previously owned and sold for $1.25 million.

Calycanthus site 1

Foundations are taking shape for a 9,500-square-foot house set to rise in Windsor Farms. (Jonathan Spiers photos)

A not-so-common sight is turning heads along a stretch of Cary Street Road: a new home under construction in Windsor Farms.

The nearly century-old, largely built-out West End neighborhood is better known for its assortment of colonial-style homes that have stood mostly unchanged for decades. But one of those houses has given way to a brand-new replacement that’s set to be roughly twice its size.

The construction site at Coventry and Calycanthus roads, near Cary Street’s crossroads with Old Locke and East Lock lanes, is laying the foundation for what’s planned to be a 9,500-square-foot home with four bedrooms, an enclosed central courtyard and an accessory garden house, according to plans filed with the city.

The documents identify the property owner as Ned Valentine, an executive with downtown investment bank Harris Williams & Co. Property records show he purchased the 1-acre corner lot at 1 Calycanthus Road through an LLC in 2020 for $1.32 million, before demolishing the previous home that was there to make way for this one.

The previous house, a 4,700-square-foot Georgian built in 1955 and designed by noted architect Clarence Huff Jr., totaled four bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms. It was owned by Nancy Stratford, who inherited it from her parents, Thomas and Jane Stratford, when Thomas died in 2014.

Calycanthus old house

The house is replacing this 4,700-square-foot Georgian that was recently demolished. (CVRMLS photo)

The house was listed in 2020 with Long & Foster’s Anne Hall with an asking price of $1.28 million, real estate records show. It went under contract within two weeks and closed a month later, with Valentine represented by Katherine Hill and Ernie Dettbarn with Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate.

The city had assessed the property that year at $1.03 million. Post-demolition, it’s slated to be assessed next year at $431,000.

Reached Friday, Valentine declined to comment on the project.

Calycanthus left

A rendering of a side of the house. (City documents)

Plans show a two-story house enclosing what’s described as a central courtyard between the main house and a covered porch and garage. A building permit put the total contract value at $2.64 million.

The permit lists Mako Builders and Ilex Construction, out of Charlottesville, as involved in the project. The plans were drawn up by Carter Skinner Residential Design, an architecture firm in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A special-use request to allow the detached garden house and a new driveway entrance received City Council approval in recent weeks. The request included a “no opposition” letter from the Westhampton Citizens Association and an endorsement from the Windsor Farms Association’s Architectural Review Committee. Balzer & Associates handled the application to the city.

While an uncommon sight, new home construction has been seen in Windsor Farms along the same corridor in recent years. In 2019, Edward Winks Jr., president of Winks Snowa Architects, and Mary Winks built a new house on a vacant lot at 4109 Cary Street Road, next door to an existing house they previously owned and sold for $1.25 million.

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Marta Thomas
Marta Thomas
2 years ago

Totally obnoxious to need a house that big. Someone is insecure

Jim Jacobs
Jim Jacobs
2 years ago
Reply to  Marta Thomas

Someone is envious.

Bruce D Anderson
Bruce D Anderson
2 years ago

Maybe it’s the start of a trend. Seven figure teardowns of stuffy old mothball mansions in Windsor Farms to make room for super energy efficient, tech-friendly 21st century homes. Sounds like a great idea to me.

Alan Johnson
Alan Johnson
2 years ago

The houses in the background of the photo look puny.

Ed Christina
Ed Christina
2 years ago

Teardowns have gotten much more popular, just look at the 800 and 900 blocks of Pepper Ave, about two miles from this site.

Kelly Ludwig
Kelly Ludwig
2 years ago

Mako and Ilex? Interesting