From Williamsburg to the White House (Part I)
String of renovations inspired by historic buildings transforms a 1981 Fairfax Station Colonial.
Pat Howard, a former assistant to the White House social secretary under presidents Nixon and Ford, has a penchant for the past. “I’ve always loved beautiful old homes,” said Pat, who is now retired. “I used to go to the Southwest Virginia Museum in my hometown [Big Stone Gap] and be fascinated by the wood and the beauty there, especially the staircase.” In 1981, Pat and her husband, Jack, decided to build a new home in the Canterberry Estates subdivision of Fairfax Station. They chose their 2-acre lot and watched as its trees were felled. They chose a four-bedroom Colonial from among the builder’s available models, and made some limited allowed changes. But they knew that to get the house they wanted — one with the “beautiful old house” …
