Waterford and Potomac Riverfront Properties Saved from Development
STERLING, Va. (May 1st, 2023)—JK Land Holdings (JKLH) has finished the process for protecting the 400-acre Oakland Farm in Waterford, Virginia that it purchased in 2021 from the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. The farm now in conservation easement will be sold in four parcels to buyers interested in preserving the land as well as restoring the historic “castle” on the property that was built in the 1700s.
“Conserving this amazing property is a win for the environment and future generations who will be able to enjoy its natural beauty. Now that the land is safe, we are dividing the property into four pieces and selling them. In keeping with our commitment to helping preserve Virginia’s natural habitats, ecosystems, and history, these conserved parcels—in perpetuity—can only be farmed, left in their natural state, and/or have a single home built on them,” explained Chuck Kuhn, owner, JK Land Holdings. “For the manor home, we hope to find a buyer interested in preserving its rich history.”
Oakland Farm was built in 1759 by Joseph McGeath and was host to the earliest recorded Catholic mass in Loudoun. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted Oakland the distinction of “Bicentennial Farm” – an honor given to a select number of American farms owned by the same family for 200 years or more since the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Buying the farm upheld the wishes of the Brown family, direct descendants of McGeath, to preserve the land and its history. The surviving Brown family members—four sisters—lived on the farm until their passing in the mid-2000s. The land was then left to the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. On the property is a historic manor home that resembles a castle.
In addition to the Oakland Farm, another JKLH property—a 56-acre Potomac riverfront property—also finished the easement process with Old Dominion Land Conservancy, nonprofit dedicated to working with landowners to conserve water and land. Conservation easements are a strategy for protecting land, water, plants and animals as well as preserving cultural and historic sites. They are a private legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that permanently protects land and its conservation values and remains with the property regardless of whether the land gets sold.
Owned by Chuck and Stacy Kuhn, JKLH has already conserved more than 22,000 acres—land greater than the size of Manhattan–including 128-acre Loudoun riverfront property that was donated to NOVA Parks; 135-acre Westpark golf course in Leesburg that is being transformed into a park; 87-acre JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary; 150-acres in Purcellville used to start the JK Community Farm, a charitable effort that alleviates hunger by growing chemical-free crops and livestock and donating them to local foodbanks; and 42 acres in St. Louis, one of Loudoun’s first African American townships, to protect it from development.
The Kuhns and their companies have won numerous awards, including being recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a Top Corporate Philanthropist and the Old Dominion Land Conservancy for their conservation efforts.
About JK Land Holdings
JK Land Holdings, LLC seeks land acquisitions that can be sold, leased, developed, placed into conservation easement, or utilized by sister companies JK Moving Services and CapRelo. Over the past decade, JKLH has redeployed more than 22,000 acres of its purchases into conservation easement, ensuring vulnerable vistas and habitats are preserved and protected for future generations. www.JKLandHoldings.net
