(From the Northern Virginia Daily dated Monday 5 November 1979)
(Some photos accompanied this article but the copies were too light to display here.)

The Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission has announced "Erin," located at the intersection of U.S. 340 and U.S. 522, in Warren County, has been added to the Virginia Landmarks Register. Dating from 1848, the structure is considered to be a sophisticated example of a three-part Greek Revival country home. Dominated by an Ionic portico, the house was erected for David Funsten, a local lawyer and politician. It presently is owned by Mr. and Mrs. William C. Trenary of Front Royal.

Warren's Erin has been added to the Virginia Landmarks Register. The Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission made the announcement this fall.

Built in the 1840s, Erin is a sophisticated example of a three-part Greek Revival country house, and is dominated by an Ionic portico. David Funsten, Princeton graduate, politician, and lawyer built Erin circa 1845 and erected his law office in the yard (at left of main house in photo.)

The walls of the house are filled with brick, and during construction high interior niches, in the Greek style, were incorporated (interior photo at right on either side of the fireplace by extending the walls on both sides of the stone chimneys (visible in main photo.)

In the downstairs woodwork, there are five different designs, another upstairs, and still another motif in the outside office. Most Windows, ranging in nine different sizes, retain their original glass, and the thick pine floors have stood the test of 140 or more years.

The master bedroom on the first floor south is just off the entrance hall (pictured here with its graceful circular stairs.) On the bedroom door the unusual knocker is engraved "Guernesey, England," with the coat of arms of William the Conqueror, ancestor of Mrs. Funsten.

Other rooms on the first floor are the drawing room north (here pictured) dominated with ten and a half foot ceilings, elaborate carved woodwork, the twin niches, and the dining room east behind the entrance hall. Three bedrooms of varying ceiling heights are on the second floor.

The story and a half single room building in back of Erin was built 100 years earlier, and was probably used as a home when Funsten built the main house. After the family moved into Erin this became the kitchen. Still standing also are the log meat house and the granary, both constructed in mid 18th century.

David Funsten's father, Oliver, immigrated from Ireland to White Post in the latter part of the 18th century. David was the ninth child born to Oliver Funsten and Margaret McKay, daughter of Andrew McKay (grandson of Robert McKay, first settler in the Valley with Joist Hight in 1731.)

Jesse Hitter McKay bought Erin in 1856 from his cousin, David Funsten who had moved to Alexandria in 1852. Merchant McKay, who had lived in Front Royal, ran a general store at Nineveh in conjunction with the post office.

Erin went out of the McKay family in 1896 when it was bought by Frank Weaver. The current owners, William C. and Francis Blackwell Trenary, bought the place from the Weaver estate in 1937.

The Landmarks Commission made other new additions to the register in the area including Ben Venue in Rappahannock and Carlheim in Loudoun.

Mount Zion, the only other home so honored in Warren, was listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1965 and nominated to the National Register of Historic places the same year.

When Joist Hite arrived in Virginia, he was accompanied by Robert McKay.
Col. David Funsten was a law graduate of Princeton.
His father settled White Post in 1799 and was from Ireland.
David married Margaret McKay, youngest daughter of Andrew McKay who was the grandson of Robert McKay. Robert built the McKay house in Cedarville in 1732.
(Actually it was Robert Mackay Jr., Andrew McKay's father, who built the McKay Home. Also, it was Oliver Robert Funsten who married Margaret McKay. David is their son.)