History of Aventine Hall

Aventine and its various owners and inhabitants have some incredible history, both locally and nationally. Digging up these artifacts to tell a comprehensive story has been quite the research project and is an ever-evolving process. Here's what we know for now (last updated Jan, 2022):

1800's

• Peter Bouck Borst, the second son of the New York Congressman Peter I Borst, is born in Middleburg, N.Y. in 1826.
• As the story goes, Peter B. designs Aventine when he was just 20 years old, around the time he was attending college and during America's Greek Revival era. He moves to Virginia shortly thereafter. 
• Although Borst was a lawyer (not an architect), the house is still in fantastic structural shape after over 170 years.
• Aventine was commissioned to build in 1848; it took two years to source the lumber and another two years to build the massive structure, with it being finalized in 1852.
• Aventine originally sat where the current day Mimslyn Inn is located (see pics in the Gallery section).  
• Aventine is built like a barn - its entire skeleton is held together with "pinned mortise and tenon joinery" - there were originally no nails or screws used. This unique architecture is exposed in the basement and the attic and will continue to be exposed after its current restoration.
• It's only a hunch, but given Aventine's incredible size, it's likely that the only construction methods to accommodate its massive requirements were that of a barn.
• Aventine's core structure is comprised of dimensional 12"x12" beams and 8"x8" posts. Its outer walls are over 12" thick - comprised of an outer 2"x4" stud, a 4" air gap, and an inner 2"x4" stud. The "air gap" leverages the laws of thermodynamics to prevent the coldness from the outer wall to "leach" into the inner walls and subsequent air temperature. This was modern and expensive 1800's era insulation and still works quite well today!
• Aventine has four chimneys (containing three flues each) and originally had 12 fireplaces. As such, every bedroom has its own fireplace with "the Parlor" having two. Very few houses, if any locally offered this level of comfort in the 1800's.
• Aventine is roughly 5,100 sq. ft. under roof - vastly more if you account for the portico or rear deck. While this might only be considered "large" by today's standards, this was quite the mansion by 1850's standards.
• Aventine has four bedrooms upstairs (2 per side), each of which would've measured roughly 17'x20', which is still large by today's standards. Current sizes are slightly smaller due to a shared "Jack and Jill" bath between each set of bedrooms.
• Almost all of the windows and doors in Aventine are original and were hand made using age-old wood-crafting techniques that didn't require glue or nails. 
• The windows on the main floor are over 8 feet tall, are 4 feet wide and actually open like modern, "double hung" windows. According to a local historian, the panes of glass in these windows would've been some of the largest pieces of glass available on earth in 1852.
• The ceilings on Aventine's main floor are over 11 feet tall, the doors are all solid mahogany, and the woodworking is so ornate that it's almost unfathomable that a human made it with their bare hands (pics in the Gallery section).
• Aventine's columns (both inside and out) are solid trees, sourced from local forests. This is remarkably unique, seeing as nearly all wood-based columns are "built like a barrel", being hollow inside.
• The town of Luray was seized multiple times during the Civil War. With Aventine being large, on a hill and far removed from the road, it was the perfect home to seize and use as a hospital. Previous owners of Aventine have handed down stories from their relatives of blood stains on the basement floor from the wounded soldiers being cared for.
• In addition to local legend, we have been told second-hand stories from Burner family ancestors that the home was haunted by civil war soldiers, who were frequently seen walking the stairs at night.
• Peter Borst died in the Rust House (a local restaurant) in 1882, his widow "Belle" lived in the home until sometime on or before 1901, at which time Jacob & Virginia Burner purchased Aventine. 

1900's:

• In 1901, Jacob & Virginia Burner bought Aventine for $2,401. It was published in the Page News & Courier that at the time of purchase it was in disrepair. The living Burner relatives corroborated this story.
• The Burners restore Aventine for the first time and live in it from 1901 to June of 1925, at which time the Mims brothers purchased the home in preparation for building the Mimslyn Inn. 
• Ancestors of Jacob Burner have kindly sent us some family photos - check them out in the gallery.
• There are a lot of missing details after the Mims purchase Aventine from the Burners and before Julian & Olive Price purchase it (from the Mims) and have moved to its current location. If you can help us fill in the gaps and clarify the bullets below, please drop us a line.
• Aventine had periods of vacancy; from 1925 to 1927 it was the official home of the Luray College. The Mims family owned Aventine during this time but had not yet begun building the Mimslyn.
• According to local rumor, it was also used as a military academy, but any actual source records have yet to confirm this.
• Sometime after 1927, the Mims family partially dismantled and moved Aventine back 350 feet in order to build the Mimslyn Inn (see pics in the Gallery section). 
• It's been said that he Mimslyn Inn looks so strikingly similar to Aventine because its design was intended to pay homage to the home that originally sat on "the eminence" for nearly 80 years.
• During construction of the Mimslynn, Aventine was used as a hotel. The Mimslynn Inn opens in 1931, but Aventine isn't sold to the Julian S. Price family until November of 1936.
• Julian was a prominent businessman in town and a bank President (which bank? Anyone know?). Some of the Price family descendants have been in touch with us and have been quite generous with their time in telling us Aventine's story.
• When the Price family purchased Aventine and had it moved, it was reportedly taken apart piece by piece and meticulously put back together where it stands today. While we have legitimate proof of some of this story, there are odd clues that seem to conflict with it. If you have pictures or any factual evidence that can help confirm or deny this, we'd love to hear from you - please drop us a line!
• At a bare minimum, Aventine's roof was removed, as you can still see the chalk numbering on the boards in the attic that the builders used to re-assemble it.
• During its move to Court St., it's very likely that Aventine was fitted with 1930's era electricity and plumbing and gained 4 bathrooms. We have no formal documentation of this, but it's nearly impossible that it would have had bathrooms originally incorporated in the 1852 design. This would be Aventine's second restoration.
• The Price family owned Aventine over 3 decades, from the 1930's to the late 1960's, raising an entire generation of grandchildren in the home (many of whom are still alive and with us today). Some of these grandchildren are still local to Luray and are now in their 80's and have very fond memories of the home.
• After the Price children had grown and moved out to start their own lives and families, Olive Price (Julian's wife) used Aventine as a guest house (something akin to a Bed & Breakfast). We've found historic postcards from collector advertising Aventine for this very purpose. (see pics in the Gallery section) 
• According to family stories, Olive absolutely loved the home and wished for one of her children or grandchildren to purchase it when she could no longer take care of it - while they wanted to fulfill her wishes, they were unable to and Aventine was sold again.
• Olive Price sold Aventine to her son Dudley in 1962 and Dudley held it for 5 years before selling it to the Gleason family in August of 1967. 
• Clara Grappo Gleason, an Italian immigrant who came to America in 1913, purchased Aventine from the Price family in August of 1967, and by now Aventine was in need of its third restoration. Some of these restored components are still in use today.

2000's:

• In June of 2020 we found an accounting ledger buried in the attic from a local boys camp that Julian Price must've worked for (or maybe volunteered?), with citations dating back as early as 1905.
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