Ayr Mount is a Federal style plantation house located east of Hillsborough, in Orange County, North Carolina, the United States of America.In 1799, William Kirkland (born in Ayr, Scotland) bought 500acre east of Hillsborough. Circa 1815, he had a home built for himself, his wife, Margaret, and their children. The brick dwelling consists of a two-story, three bay main block flanked by one-story, two bay wings. It features a one-story, full width front porch added about 1894.The Kirkland family lived at Ayr Mount for four generations, with the last Kirkland, Mrs. Samuel (Emily) Kirkland, residing at Ayr Mount until 1985.The property had gone through several owners prior to Kirkland's purchase of the property, the most well-known being William Few, Jr., whose father, William Few, Sr., had a house built on the property c. 1764.Today, Ayr Mount is a publicly accessible historic site located on 265acre. It is owned and operated by Classical American Homes Preservation Trust. The home has been furnished with Federal period antiques and decorative art, including some original Kirkland furnishings. Ayr Mount features guided house tours and the one-mile (1.6 km) hiking trail the "Poet's Walk."
