Wexford, also known as Kennedy Retreat at Rattlesnake Ridge, is a 167-acre (0.67 km²) ranch amid the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...

unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, an i ...

, Virginia, located 4 miles (6 km) northwest from Middleburg (about 50 miles (80 km) from

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

). The property was acquired, designed, and named by

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...

in 1962 as a weekend retreat during John F. Kennedy's

presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...

. Its namesake is the

ancestral home An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...

of the

Kennedy family The Kennedy family is an American political family that has long been prominent in American politics, public service, entertainment, and business. In 1884, 35 years after the family's arrival from Ireland, Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy be ...

. Following their visit to Wexford (Ireland) in June 1963,

Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...

gifted 3-year old

John F. Kennedy Jr. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999), often referred to as John-John or JFK Jr., was an American lawyer, journalist, and magazine publisher. He was a son of the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kenn ...

a pony, which was stabled at Wexford (ranch). It is the only home John and Jacqueline built together during their marriage, and was the last place they vacationed before his

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

in November 1963. John Jr. practiced his father's iconic final salute at Wexford.

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

leased Wexford from

William Clements William Perry Clements Jr. (April 13, 1917 – May 29, 2011) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who served two non-consecutive terms as the governor of Texas between 1979 and 1991. His terms bookended the sole ...

for his residence and headquarters during the 1980 Presidential Campaign. It is the only private retreat used by more than one President of the United States (many presidents have used the state-owned

Camp David Camp David is the country retreat for the president of the United States of America. It is located in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about north-northwe ...

History

Following victory in the 1960 Presidential Campaign, John and Jacqueline Kennedy began looking for a weekend retreat to "get their children out of the governmental atmosphere". Jacqueline favored the Atoka, Virginia area because of the proximity to D.C. (25 minutes by helicopter and 1 hour by automobile) and her familitary from childhood through

equestrianism Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, Driving (horse), driving, and Equestrian vaulting, vaulting ...

and staying with her

stepfather A stepfather or stepdad is a non-biological male parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepfather-in-law is a stepfather of one's spouse. Children from his spouse's previous unions are known as his stepchildren. Culture Though less com ...

at Merrywood. Atoka is also approximately 40 miles from the Kennedy's first marital home, Hickory Hill. From February 1961–63, the Kennedy's leased Glen Ora, a 400-acre ranch in Atoka, from Gladys Byfield Tartiere. Jacqueline, Caroline, and John Jr. sheltered there during the

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...

. Gladys turned down the Kennedy's offer to acquire Glena Ora in the spring of 1962. Shortly after, they acquired 39 acres approximately 5 miles northeast at the base of Rattlesnake Mountain from Hubert Phipps for $26,000 ($222,000 as of 2020). Throughout 1962, Jackie worked with local architect Keith Williams to design a single-story, 4-bedroom, 2-staffroom, 5,050 squarefoot house. It was equipped with a bomb shelter and communication facility. Construction was completed in the spring of 1963 totalling $110,000 ($930,000 as of 2020). While Jackie regularly visited throughout construction, John's first trip was May 25. He visited again on October 25, and finally on November 2; the last location their family vacationed. One year after John's

, Jackie sold Wexford to Quing Non Wong on November 25, 1964 for $225,000 ($1,878,000 as of 2020). In 1971, Quing sold Wexford to Dr. George Tanham for $314,000 ($2,006,000 as of 2020). In 1975, George sold Wexford to

who added a pool and tennis court. It was listed in 2013 for $10,999,000, reduced to $5,959,000 in 2016, and finally sold in 2017 to Thomas S. Price for $2,850,000.

References

{{Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Ranches in the United States Kennedy family residences Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

History

See also

References