James L. Townsend Sr. was a pioneer in the dairy industry in King William County, Virginia. His son, Guy O. Townsend, built Prestley Barn, which was a landmark on the Richmond-Tappahannock Highway for almost 90 years. A later addition at the end of World War II allowed sixty cows to be milked at one time. Prestley Farm Dairy was an active operation for more than 50 years, and at one time the Townsend family had five dairies in operation in King William County. The barn was restored in 2014 by Carroll Lee Walker and family with the consulting help of William Guy and Emilie Townsend.