Middleburg's next resident: JD Vance
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The rolling hills of Middleburg. Photo: Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Vice President JD Vance is eyeing a grand farmhouse in Middleburg as a getaway from Washington, sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: With three kids and one more on the way, the Vances would have more space to unwind in a private enclave.
- Between vineyards and equestrian estates, it's a slice of countryside far removed from the hardscrabble upbringing Vance described in "Hillbilly Elegy."
The big picture: About an hour's drive from D.C., abutting the upscale Salamander Resort, the 496-acre Virginia property includes a large stone house.
What we're hearing: The town was awash in gossip this week, but it's uncertain if the family has already signed a lease, and for how long. Locals have spotted black SUVs and a Marine helicopter landing on the property, and over the July Fourth weekend, a neighbor saw the FAA post a no-fly drone zone on the site.
- Secret Service has talked with Middleburg police to coordinate security for the Veep, a source told Axios, under the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.
- A Secret Service spokesperson said the department provides "comprehensive protection" for the vice president "anywhere in the world," but doesn't "confirm or comment on personal residences," referring questions to Vance's office, which declined to comment.
Zoom in: Known as Wolver Hill Farm, the property sold for $8.5 million in 2021 to the Kuhn family, which owns JK Moving Services. The company contracts for presidential transitions, per Loudoun Now, and helped the Vances move into the VP's residence.
- The Sterling-based company operates internationally but is also a longtime government contractor. JK Moving Services has won $27.5 million in government contracts since fiscal year 2008, according to publicly available data.
- The lucrative business made its founder Chuck Kuhn a massive landowner in Loudoun County. In buying Wolver Hill, Kuhn vowed to preserve its "natural beauty and historic heritage," winning local praise. Requests to reach Kuhn through JK Moving haven't been returned since Wednesday.
- Middleburg is about 20 miles from Dulles, where Vance boarded Air Force 2 on Wednesday for a Milwaukee trip.
Zoom out: This isn't the only time the couple made a splash in local real estate.
- The Vances sold their home in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood last year for $1.9 million after the former Ohio senator became vice president.
- Their time in the liberal neighborhood was marked with yarn bombings, local frustration when the Secret Service closed off the block and a neighboring park, and protective barricades near the property being covered with pro-Kamala Harris chalk graffiti.
NBC News reported on Thursday evening about the family's interest in a Middleburg residence.
Context: Vance joins a history of Washington pols trekking to the Virginia Piedmont.
- While in the White House, John and Jackie Kennedy built an estate outside Middleburg.
What we're watching: The Vances mostly kept to themselves when they lived in Del Ray, despite its packed calendar of neighborhood events, local residents told Axios.
- So even though Middleburg has much of the same close-knit, community-focused vibe, locals wonder if they'll see the Vances out for town happenings.