Waterford Virginia USA (written in the 1990s)
Forty minutes from Washington D.C.’s Dulles Airport you arrive in a time warp. Leaving a small town called Leesburg you travel along a windy lane tarmac having been laid only in recent years. As you come round the corner you are presented with aging clapboard houses interspersed with a few fairly substantial red brick homes. The gardens are colourful with green lawns and in the spring the Dogwoods are magnificent.
Waterford, Loudoun County in North West Virginia is a tranquil historic and fascinating place to visit. Founded around 1733 by Amos Janney, a Quaker from Pennsylvania it grew until it was the second largest town in Loudoun County before the Civil War. Many of the buildings being used today were built before 1840. The small community had several names over the years finally taking the name of Waterford from the home in Ireland of Thomas Moore who came to live there after emigrating in around 1800. In April, 1970, the Secretary of the Interior determined that the Waterford Historic District possessed national significance and he designated the Waterford Historic District a National Historic Landmark. The main reason is that the area is virtually unchanged since the eighteenth century rural mill town. The farmland surrounding the village, sited along the South Fork of the Catoctin Creek, gave rise to mills. As the mills thrived, the village evolved around them, and supporting trades emerged.
Today there is a very busy Foundation (Waterford Foundation) which is located in the centre and all the local residents work tirelessly to maintain the original buildings and way of life. The volunteer spirit is very strong and together they run many interesting events such as Civil War days, weekend walking tours and a concert series. But the most exciting is the Waterford Homes Tour and Craft Fair held every year at the beginning of October.
If unlike me you are not lucky enough to have friends living in the area there are a few small guest houses and further out of town there are many hotels. I have been fortunate to visit many times but I think one of my favourites is for the fair. People travel from miles around and the whole area is buzzing with excitement. There are very strict rules on who can exhibit, only handmade and of American origin which comes under the guise of a juried fair. All exhibitors have to apply several months ahead with photographs, samples and explanations before they are allowed to set up a stall. The fast food is also authentic with so many choices of regional cuisine it’s a problem to decide on what to have for lunch. Along with the food and stalls selling all kinds of things there is the Homes Tour. A certain number of historic homes are opened to the public and you can wander round, there is always someone there to answer questions, this can be fascinating as any new building is almost impossible, if you can get permission within the conservation area the regulations are so stringent it is very difficult to satisfy the planners. Amongst the fair there is usually a camp run by re-enactors of the Civil War which is played out in the fields on the edge of the village. Helping over the three days is very rewarding and I enjoyed my times there very much.
There other interesting places to visit close by, there is the winery along one of the many unmade up roads and not too far away is Middleburg home of the rich and famous County set. There a few select shops and some very nice places to eat. The theme for the area is horses, hunting and racing so if this is not of interest a few miles up the road is Oatlands an historic Stately home where during most of the 20th century it served as the country estate of Mr. and Mrs. William Corcoran Eustis, affluent Washingtonians with strong ties to the American political arena. where you can take afternoon Tea or stroll around the grounds. Nestling in the rolling countryside from Leesburg towards Waterford is Morven Park set in about a thousand acres, was home to Thomas Swann, a governor of Maryland in the 19th century, and the last home of Virginia’s reform Governor Westmoreland Davis, and the estate was opened to the public in 1967. It houses a carriage museum and a museum dedicated to hounds and hunting. They hold many equestrian events here as it is home to an International Equestrian Centre.
For those who have other interests the countryside is very easy on the eye and it’s a very central place to be based as it is not too far from Washington D.C. and the many famous shopping malls.