Former Oliver farmhouse on Gallows Road on the market again
The old Oliver farmhouse, at 4011 Gallows Road, Annandale, is back on the market. The asking price is $1.249 million. When it was last put up for sale, in the winter of 2012, it was priced at $1.65 million.
The wood frame house has had several additions since it was built in 1932. It has four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a half bathroom, a large front porch, an upstairs porch, and backyard deck.
It’s on a 1.54-acre lot zoned R-3, which means the buyer could tear it down and build four new houses. If the new owners want to live there, they could still build two houses on the property, said realtor Mary Hurlbut of Weichert Realtors.
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| The interior has been restored. |
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| A large modern kitchen is visible from several nearby rooms. |
The house is not just a relic of old Annandale, it’s also got some history attached to it. According to the website, “A Look Back at Braddock District,” the house played a key role in the legendary “Annandale cattle drive.” The house was built by Robert Stringfellow Oliver, a former streetcar driver in Washington, D.C., had lived on a farm in Shirlington. When that area got too populated for him, he bought 89 acres in the more rural Annandale community in 1926 with the idea of relocating his dairy farm there.
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| One of two bars in the house. |
On Christmas Eve, 1931, Oliver, his wife Charlene and their seven children drove 24 head of cattle from Shirlington to their new farm in Annandale. The Braddock history website says “the cattle drive and move were so well planned that Mrs. Oliver was
able to entertain as usual on the very next day, Christmas.” In addition to dairy cows, the Olivers also raised pigs, chickens, and horses and had a vegetable garden.
The former Oliver farmhouse is all that’s left of the old farm. The rest of the property is now part of the Broyhill Crest neighborhood.
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| The dining room. |
The current owners of the house at 2011 Gallows Road, Ed and Carla Hubacher, hope to downsize. Their five children are grown up, and they plan to move to a smaller house in Old Town, Alexandria.
Although the Gallows Road house is on a main road, it’s mostly hidden behind some large trees.
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| There’s a large deck in back. |
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| The Oliver farm from the Braddock history website [photo provided by Gladys Oliver McElwee]. |
3 responses to “Former Oliver farmhouse on Gallows Road on the market again”
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Nearby neighbors already wondering what will happen when this house/property sells and to whom? Would think neighborhood assn. would keep a watch for any redevelopment plans. Thanks for letting others know of this and look forward to further updates.
Great story!! Great pics!!
My grandfather built this house when my mom was little! I also had the opportunity to live there for a yr when I was nine with my mom and siblings. My cousins horse was kept there and that was pure joy for me. I have so many great memories of this house growing up and from 30 some cousins, Aunts and uncles gathering every Christmas. I just lost my mom Gladys Oliver, and seeing these pictures are so special to me. The Oliver dairy farm is loving classic!