wexford

Jackie Kennedy’s style and grace epitomizes Loudoun County’s horse country and its capital, Middleburg. In the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy and his family used Middleburg as a retreat from the pressures of the presidency.

In 1960, the Kennedys leased a 400-acre 19th-century farm, Glen-Ora, to relax, foxhunt, and socialize with friends. Later, they built their own weekend country retreat in 1963, “Wexford” in Middleburg (Atoka) on 39 acres bought for $26,000 through the Kennedy's friends the Fouts (who had purchased the land for the Kennedy's from Hubert Phipps). The Kennedys sadly only spent two weekends there as a family prior to Nov. 22. Home movies of JFK feeding a horse at Wexford show a human side of the President and his family.

This is the only house designed from scratch by the President and Jackie. Jackie got some free decorating advice for Wexford from one of her White House decorators - Boudin. It is also the only known retreat used by two Presidents outside of Camp David. President Reagan leased Wexford from its current owners during the Fall 1980 Presidential election. He met with advisors and rehearsed for his debates with President Carter at Wexford (photos below).

Jackie was not originally a big fan of Camp David. But after JFK did some modifications for she and Caroline to ride there, she grew to like it - telling the White House Usher - JB West, that she would have probably not persuaded JFK to build Wexford if she knew how much she liked the retreat named after Eisenhower's grandson.

The house was done by the spring of 1963 and the Kennedy's rented it out since they were not moving out of Glen Ora til fall. It was rented from June to September to A. Dana Hodgons, a DC financial broker, for reportedly $1,000 a month. Their first visit (Jackie and the President) to Wexford would not be until Oct. 25. They visited again on Nov. 10.

Jackie riding at Wexford (Photo by Cecil Stoughton)

Jackie treasured "normal" time with her children, John Jr. and Caroline, here, reading bedtime stories, shopping, and teaching them to ride their ponies. JFK, also a regular visitor, flew in by helicopter to attend Sunday mass at the Middleburg Community Center. He even held rare press conferences in the Jeb Stuart Room at the Red Fox Inn.

Preoccupied with the growing pressures of issues related to Vietnam and the upcoming election year, JFK's first weekend at Wexford did not go so well. An excited Jackie was upset that her husband complained about the lack of closet space and having to give up his personal bedroom if they had several house guests at the new home. His second visit, just before the assassination went smoother and the relaxed couple hosted their friends Ben and Toni Bradlee (home movies of this weekend exist.) That weekend John Jr. finally got the "salute" he had been practicing just right for Jackie. We know two weeks later his rehearsals would sadly pay off.

It was at Wexford that Jackie made the final decision to go to Dallas and to begin the 1964 campaign.

After the assassination, Wexford was sold by Jackie in 1964 to a Q.N. Wong for $225,000. with the provision that no publicity about the house would be permitted for 10 years. It was sold by the Wong's in 1971 for $314,000 to Dr. George Tanham. They sold the estate to William Clements, a member of the Nixon administration and then later elected governor of Texas. (how ironic).

In the 1990s, Jackie Kennedy Onassis often returned to spend fox hunting weekends in the countryside filled with happy memories from her time as First Lady. She stayed at the Red Fox Inn's McConnell House, not far from Wexford. Later she rented a small cottage. Today, her hunting "pinks" are on display at Morven Park's Museum of Hounds and Hunting, and can be viewed by the public.

The public pavilion and garden next to "The Pink Box" Information Center in Middleburg are dedicated to Jackie in honor of the contributions she made to the town during her residence there.

Again, it is important to note that The Reagan's stayed at Wexford during the fall 1980 Presidential campaign, and Reagan rehearsed for his debates against President Carter here. The Reagan's friends -- the Warners (Senator John Warner and his wife Elizabeth Taylor) -- owned a farm that adjoined Wexford. The owner of Wexford at the time, Gov. Clements of Texas, was a big backer of Reagan.

The house is still there and is located off of Hatchers Mill Road (Marshall, VA).