We’re just a little over two months into the year, and it already seems like 2026 is going to be hot when it comes to real estate. At the end of February, Upperville’s Ayrshire Farm sold for $19.8 million, marking the second highest home sale in Northern Virginia this year.
Originally built in 1912, the estate at 21846 Trappe Rd. was previously owned by Sandy Lerner, the co-founder of Cisco Systems. The Ayrshire Farm manor house includes 11 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. Daniel Heider and Laura Farrell of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty represented the seller. The home sold on February 27 for the full asking price.
The 17,000-square-foot manor house is a sight to behold in today’s age — and it was in the early 20th century, too. The home is full of innovations for its time, including 4-foot-thick walls and a steel-reinforced structure.
After purchasing the home for $7 million in 1996, according to the Wall Street Journal, Lerner put in “tens of millions of dollars” restoring the estate back to its prime. When the home was first built, it also had electricity, indoor plumbing, and central heating. A 2001 restoration added central air, a high-end security system, and rewiring and re-plumbing throughout the home.
Aside from its architectural prowess, Ayrshire Farm was also the first property in Virginia to achieve both Certified Humane and USDA Certified Organic status. The home was also featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s Topaz, which was released in 1969, according to the Washington Business Journal.
Though the sale includes 571 acres of land, that’s only a portion of the 800-acre property. Lerner decided to hold on to nearly 200 acres and a small cabin, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Just down the road, the Llangollen property at 21515 Trappe Rd. is currently the highest home sale of the year. Built in 1795, this colonial revival–style house sits on 1,100 acres. The property includes a nine-bedroom home, a polo facility, eight tenant cottages, seven barns, and eight ponds.
Alexandria also saw its highest sales price in the city’s history this year when Clarens Estate at 318 N. Quaker Ln. sold for $7.5 million in January.
Feature image courtesy HEIDER Real Estate & Niblock Studios
