Kluge farm sold, will remain as is

A private partnership has purchased Lone Oak, one of the Albemarle County farms given to U.Va. by John W. Kluge.

The $3.35 million sale includes four houses and three barns on the 1,392-acre working farm located just west of Scottsville and north of the James River. The new owners plan to continue to farm the property and intend to implement conservation easements.

The purchase follows by four weeks the $5.3 million sale of five Kluge farms to rock musician Dave Matthews, who also intends to preserve the agricultural and forest land on his farms.

Kluge gave the U.Va. Foundation his 7,378-acre Albemarle County holdings in May 2001. The gift, valued at more than $45 million, included historic Morven Farm, 10 working farms and more than two dozen houses and modernized farm buildings.

Kluge’s desire is for the University to develop the core of his property — the 749-acre historic Morven Farm — for educational purposes, and to sell remaining properties to build an endowment to support the property.

Earlier this month, the University launched a long-term planning initiative to determine how best to use Morven Farm to further the University’s academic mission.