In May 2001, the University of Virginia Foundation received an extraordinary gift of real estate from longtime University benefactor John W. Kluge. The 7,379-acre gift, valued in excess of $45 million, more than doubles the University's land holdings. Located in southeastern Albemarle County, the properties comprise eleven farms and estates,including historic Morven Farm.

Mr. Kluge's remarkable gift provides a unique opportunity to extend Thomas Jefferson's vision for public education beyond the Grounds. Morven Farm offers an ideal environment for the development of a new kind of Academical Village where gifted students, eminent scholars, visiting dignitaries, master artists, and renowned scientists could live and work together and share ideas in a community designed to advance thinking, learning, and scholarship.

The gift not only offers the potential to transform areas of excellence into international centers of preeminence, but it also creates an opportunity to strengthen programs demonstrating great promise. Additionally, it will enable the University to enhance public outreach initiatives and bolster relations with the community it serves.

Mr. Kluge's gift included eleven farms and estates. (View Table of Properties) Collectively, the properties are referred to as Morven Farms. Several of the properties, including Church Hill, Spring Hill, Seven Pines, Oakwood, Maple Hill, Viewmont, and Lone Oak, are working farms. Maxwell is a wooded property that does not contain any structures. Morven Farm, which has over thirty-five buildings on the property, represents the largest portion of the gift. Like Morven, Ellerslie and Ernscliff are classified as estates. Each has a large manor home, and their land is primarily used for agricultural purposes.

The properties given by Mr. Kluge are in southeastern Albemarle County and extend from the Ash Lawn-Highland area to just outside of Scottsville. The properties, which are not all contiguous, encompass approximately 11.5 square miles, an area larger than the city of Charlottesville. Regional Context Map (133 k) (opens PDF file)

The land conveyed to the University of Virginia Foundation by Mr. Kluge is divided into a core segment and a non-core segment. The 749-acre core property is on a portion of Morven Farm. The core will be held by the Foundation in perpetuity and will be used to support the University of Virginia's educational programs.

The remaining portions of the gift comprise the non-core properties. Under the terms of the gift, the Foundation may sell these properties and use the net proceeds to fund an endowment to support the core and its educational programs and to underwrite property maintenance and management.

On February 25, 2002, the properties known as Spring Hill, Church Hill, Maple Hill, Oakwood, and Seven Pines were sold. Since then, Loan Oak, Maxwell, Ellerslie, Viewmont and Ernscliff have been sold. The Foundation will work with the University to determine which of the remaining non-core properties may be sold.

The properties are not available for public use.

Mr. Kluge granted the Foundation permission to construct additional buildings and make other related improvements to support the University's academic programs. The Foundation may also modify existing structures as necessary to support the University's educational needs. As stipulated in the gift agreement, the appearance of the core property and its improvements must be consistent with a traditional Albemarle County farm estate.

In 1972, Morven was selected for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. The designation encompasses some 640 acres of the farm and includes the Main House, the Claim House, the Old Kitchen, and the Executive Office. An inventory and evaluation of the property conducted by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources would be necessary to determine if other buildings should also be designated historic landmarks. Although Morven's historic landmark status carries no restrictions on how the property is maintained, the honorary distinction could be revoked should significant changes be made to the land or its historic buildings.