To spot Fair Mount, look straight ahead for a stately, bright white house with tall black shutters, a symmetrical front, and a front porch held up by classic columns-it stands proudly behind a spacious lawn, framed by old trees and sturdy brick chimneys.
Now, let your imagination travel back more than two centuries. The year is 1809, just after the thunder of the American Revolution has quieted and the streets of Winchester echo with the ambitions of new Americans. Here stands Fair Mount, built by Lewis Barnett for Joseph Tidball, who was a merchant with quite a nose for opportunity-and, I imagine, a great sense for a good location! You’d see elegant carriages rolling up this path, guests in their finest, and servants bustling about the stuccoed stone walls. Its Late Georgian style gives it a sense of dignity, like it's wearing a perfectly pressed old-fashioned suit, but take a closer look and the delicate Federal details peek out, adding a touch of flair.
But Fair Mount wasn’t done reinventing itself-oh no! In 1929, while everyone else was dancing the Charleston, this house got a makeover, dressed up in Colonial Revival style, with formal gardens for showing off and a brand-new garage (horses, meet automobiles!). Today, Fair Mount is part of the Winchester Historic District and proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places. If these walls could talk, you’d probably hear tales of formal dances, lively debates, and maybe a ghostly echo or two wondering where the carriages have gone. Welcome to a true Winchester treasure!
