1843 Cabell Road • Wingina, Virginia

A Virginia historic home shaped by architecture, land, and quiet

Set high above the southern Nelson County countryside, Bon Aire has the composure of a house that has belonged to its landscape for more than two centuries. Its c.1812 Federal architecture remains unmistakable, yet the property has been thoughtfully renovated so that history is experienced as part of daily life, not as a distance from it.

The three-part Palladian form, Flemish-bond brickwork, tall windows, arched openings, original woodwork, and late-Federal mantels give Bon Aire architectural distinction. Around the house, 43 acres create privacy and breathing room. A separate renovated cottage and private terrace-level guest accommodation expand the possibilities for family, friends, longer stays, creative work, and a life divided comfortably between town and country.

Bon Aire

Circa 1812
Federal residence with Palladian form.

43 Acres
Elevated, private Nelson County setting.

Thoughtfully Renovated
Historic character with present-day comfort.

National Register
Listed for architectural and historical significance.

Bon Aire at a Glance

A historic Nelson County property with unusual depth

Offered At

$1,485,000

Land

43 Acres

Main Residence

3 Bedrooms | 2.5 Baths

Architecture

c.1812 Federal Residence

Separate Cottage

1,985 Sq. Ft. | Renovated

Historic Designation

National Register Listed

Private Retreat • Second Home • Creative Retreat

A country house for the life you have in mind

Bon Aire is historically important, but its appeal is not confined to history. The privacy of the land, the scale and light of the rooms, the separate cottage, guest accommodation, and fiber-optic internet make the property unusually adaptable to the way people choose to live now.

A Private Virginia Retreat

Forty-three acres and the luxury of being away

For a buyer seeking a private retreat in Virginia, Bon Aire offers a rare combination of seclusion, beauty, and substance. The house sits high within 43 acres of southern Nelson County countryside, surrounded by mature trees, open land, and long views. The quiet is not an amenity added to the property; it is part of the place itself—a setting made for stepping away from a faster life without giving up the comfort of a fully realized home.

A Virginia Second Home

A country house worth returning to

As a Virginia second home, Bon Aire has the depth to become more than a weekend escape. The thoughtfully renovated c.1812 residence, separate cottage, private guest accommodation, and 43-acre setting make longer stays comfortable and unhurried. There is room for family and friends, room to settle in, and the particular pleasure of returning through changing seasons to a house whose character deepens rather than wears thin.

For Writers & Artists

Light, quiet, and room to work

For a writer, artist, designer, or scholar, Bon Aire offers something increasingly difficult to find: uninterrupted space. High ceilings, quiet rooms, tall windows, natural light, and changing views across the Nelson County countryside create an atmosphere suited to concentration and creative work. Fiber-optic internet keeps the world within reach; the house and land make it possible to close the door on it when the work requires silence.

Bon Aire historic Federal home and Nelson County Virginia countryside

Federal Architecture • c.1812

Architecture that cannot be recreated

Bon Aire is composed as a three-part Palladian house: a two-story pedimented center block flanked by lower wings. Flemish-bond brickwork gives the exterior depth and precision, while the interiors retain arched openings, molded keystones, fluted pilasters, original woodwork, and late-Federal mantels.

These details are not decoration applied to suggest age. They are the surviving fabric of an early Virginia residence, and they give the rooms a proportion, texture, and quiet formality that new construction cannot imitate.

The deeper architectural history, Cabell family connection, Palladian context, and National Register record are explored on Bon Aire’s dedicated film and history page.

Thoughtfully Renovated

Historic character, with the work of living brought forward

Bon Aire has been renovated with a clear understanding of what should change and what should remain. The result is a historic Virginia home that retains the rooms, materials, and architectural presence that give it meaning, while offering the comfort and flexibility expected of a country property today.

The Main House

Old rooms, renewed for daily life

The renovated kitchen and primary suite bring ease to the house without competing with its historic rooms. Refinished floors, repaired plaster, updated baths, heating and cooling improvements, and carefully considered work throughout the residence allow the architecture to remain the first thing one notices.

Private Guest Accommodation

Independence within the house

The terrace level includes private guest accommodation with its own entrance, kitchenette, and bath. It creates a useful degree of independence for visiting family, extended stays, or quiet work, while allowing the principal rooms above to retain their privacy and rhythm.

The Separate Cottage

A second residence with a life of its own

The renovated 1,985-square-foot cottage offers its own kitchen, living spaces, bedrooms, covered porch, large brick fireplace, and woodstove. It is substantial enough for guests to settle in rather than simply visit, giving Bon Aire uncommon flexibility for family, friends, or independent living.

43 Acres • Southern Nelson County

The land gives the house its distance, its light, and its quiet

Bon Aire was placed high above the James River countryside, where the elevation opens the property to long views and changing light. Mature trees now conceal the river itself, but on certain mornings mist rises above the treetops and traces the water below.

That relationship between house and land is central to the property. The 43 acres provide privacy without making the residence feel removed from its surroundings. There is space to walk, to garden, to sit outside without hearing another household, and to watch the landscape change slowly through the day. For a historic country home, a Virginia retreat, or a second home with acreage, the land is not background. It is part of the reason Bon Aire feels complete.

Why Bon Aire

Rare is not a style. It is the combination that cannot be repeated.

A c.1812 Federal house with architectural integrity is rare. Forty-three private acres in Nelson County add another dimension. A separate renovated cottage, private guest accommodation, fiber-optic internet, and thoughtful improvements make the property more livable still. Bon Aire brings those qualities together in a house whose history remains visible rather than merely documented.

The architecture makes Bon Aire extraordinary. The land, privacy, cottage, guest spaces, and careful renovation make it possible to live here in many ways—as a primary residence, a Virginia second home, a private country retreat, or a place where creative work can have the quiet and room it deserves.

Explore Bon Aire & Related Historic Properties

See the house in greater depth

Explore the full Bon Aire film and architectural history, view the property brochure, or continue through Virginia Historic Estates to related searches for Nelson County historic homes, early nineteenth-century residences, and historic country estates with acreage.

Private Showings

Bon Aire is for sale.

Photographs can show the symmetry of the house and the breadth of the land. Bon Aire is understood more fully in person—through the approach, the scale of the rooms, the old brick and woodwork, the changing light, and the quiet that settles around the house.

Bridget Archer of McLean Faulconer Inc in Charlottesville Virginia

Bon Aire Listing Representation

Bridget Archer

McLean Faulconer, Inc.

For additional information about Bon Aire or to arrange a private showing, contact Bridget Archer at McLean Faulconer. Detailed property information, the digital brochure, and showing requirements are available for qualified buyers.

Updated  ·  Monday, October 19, 2026

All information on this website, including brochures, is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, prior sale, or withdrawal without notice. Buyers should independently verify all information. IDX listing data is provided and updated by a third party and may not reflect the most recent changes.