History of Kane Manor Farm

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The land that now comprises Kane Manor Farm was originally part of a larger body of farmland owned by the Robinson family of nearby Liberty, Virginia. Like much of Fauquier County, early land ownership is difficult to trace with precision due to the destruction of county records in a courthouse fire in Warrenton in 1906. Deeds, wills, and tax records that might otherwise clarify early transfers were lost, leaving gaps that must be filled through secondary sources and family history. What can be determined is that sometime prior to 1876, Davenport Thomas Kane (1816–1871) and his wife, Eliza Jane Kerns Kane (1824–1893), acquired several hundred acres situated between what are now Green Road and Balls Mill Road, placing the property firmly within the county’s long agricultural tradition. 

Davenport and Eliza Kane established their homestead on a prominent knoll overlooking the surrounding farmland, a practical and intentional choice that offered drainage, visibility, and protection from flooding. The location served as the center of family life and agricultural activity during the mid nineteenth century. Over time, as farming practices evolved, the site was adapted to meet changing needs, and today it is occupied by a machine shed that continues the property’s working character. Davenport Kane died of pneumonia in 1871, and his passing marked the end of the original Kane homestead period. His estate was divided among his many children, setting in motion the gradual subdivision of the original tract. 

One of Davenport’s sons, Alexander Davenport Kane, inherited approximately seventy-two acres from his father’s estate. In 1876, Alexander constructed the farmhouse that still stands at 10195 Green Road, a solid and enduring structure that would anchor the farm for generations to come. With his wife, Margaret Susan Heflin Kane, he worked the land and built a livelihood rooted in mixed agriculture typical of the period. The couple raised three children on the property: Robert Louis Kane, Eppa Davenport Kane, and Helen Margaret Kane (remarried later as Helen K. Tolbert). Their three children would leave the farm in the 1910s to pursue successful careers in real estate within the booming D.C. suburb, Alexandria, via the later formations of Snyder-Kane-Boothe Corp., Washington & Kane Realtors, and R. L. Kane, Inc. (from left to right: Alexander D. Kane, Helen K. Tolbert, Margaret H. Kane)

Alexander Kane died in 1922, bringing another period of transition to the farm. Margaret Kane remained on the property for a short time following his death, continuing operations during an era when many small farms faced increasing economic pressure. In the 1930s, she relocated to Alexandria to be closer to her children and to assist in raising her grandson, Scott C. Humphrey. Although the farmhouse ceased to be her primary residence, the land itself remained in family hands and continued to be worked by Joseph and Ruth Strickler, preserving the continuity of ownership and use.  (from left to right: Helen K. Tolbert, Margaret H. Kane, Eppa D. Kane, and R. L. Kane)

Despite being raised in Alexandria, Scott Humphrey maintained a strong connection to the farm from an early age. During his school summer vacations, he traveled by train from Alexandria to Fauquier County, spending weeks at a time immersed in farm life. He worked alongside Mr. Strickler, assisting with planting, harvesting, livestock care, and general maintenance. These summers with Mr. Strickler provided more than labor; they instilled an understanding of the rhythms of farming and a respect for the land that would shape his decisions decades later. 

 After graduating from college and serving in the United States Army, Scott Humphrey established his professional life in Alexandria. Even so, he remained closely involved with the farm and its future. In the 1960s, he purchased the interests of his mother and uncles, reuniting ownership of the original seventy-two-acre farmstead under a single steward. This consolidation ensured the preservation of the property as a working farm rather than allowing it to be fragmented or sold off during a period of increasing suburban pressure in Northern Virginia. 

In 1972, Scott introduced registered Hereford cattle to the farm, marking a shift toward a focused and intentional livestock operation. What began as a modest herd grew steadily as he invested time, resources, and careful management into improving both the land and the cattle. Over the following decades, Scott worked to reacquire nearly all of the parcels that had once been part of his great grandfather’s estate, restoring the historic footprint of the farm with the exception of a single one-acre lot. 

Beyond reclaiming family land, Scott expanded the farm through the purchase of adjoining properties from the Miller, Long, Connelly, Washington, Porter, and Cubbage families. These acquisitions were guided by a desire to protect open farmland and maintain the rural character of the surrounding area. Each addition strengthened the viability of the farm as a large, contiguous operation and reflected a long-term commitment to stewardship rather than short-term development. 

Today, Kane Manor Farm encompasses approximately 850 acres and operates a commercial cow-calf business centered on Polled Herefords. The herd consists of roughly 175 cows and replacement heifers, supported by registered Black Angus and Hereford bulls. Crossbreeding produces the Black Baldy, valued for its durability and efficiency. For more than forty-one years, daily livestock and farming operations have been overseen by Ron Staples, a lifelong Fauquier County resident. After weaning, calves are grown out at Twin Mountain Farm in northeastern West Virginia before sale or reintegration into the herd. In recognition of more than a century of continuous family ownership and operation, Kane Manor Farm has been designated a Virginia Century Farm by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.