Preservation & Land Use

The Foudation protects and preserves the rural landscape within and adjacent to the Waterford National Historic Landmark, as well as the historic character of Waterford’s architecture. This mission has become increasingly important as growth and development of the County races forward. Efforts to safeguard threatened and significant sites in and around Waterford still require the sustained diligence and vigilance of the Foundation: its members, its neighbors, and its friends.

Conservation Development

Several properties that the Foundation has acquired and eased in recent years, including the 25-acre Hutchison Farm and the 68-acre Carr Farm, have been purchased, as anticipated, by owners who value the historic farm properties and who desire to establish agricultural uses or simply preserve the open space. These farms have been “redeveloped” as horse farms, wineries, or simply carefully managed to preserve the historic vistas surrounding the village of Waterford.

Preserving the Phillips Farm

Cleamup and planting along Catoctin Creek on the Phillips Farm.

While much of the agricultural land around the village of Waterford has been eased and resold, the Foundation was able, with the assistance of countless committed individuals and organizations, to retain ownership of the 144-acre Phillips Farm, adjacent on the west side of the village. Work on development of a strategy plan for stewardship of the farm is nearly complete. The opportunities on the Phillips Farm to further our understanding of this region’s agrarian past are numerous and fascinating. Protection of the site’s natural resources is a key goal, and support of agricultural use of the farm is a requirement of the easement. In collaboration with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, a demonstration project on the South Fork of the Catoctin Creek has been designed and will be under way in spring 2008. The project consists of planting in the riparian buffer and an effort to control exotic species on site. The Loudoun Beekeepers Association will also use the farm for establishing hives for use in their Master Beekeeping program.

Uniting County, State and Federal Historic District Designations

The Foundation continues to move forward with its effort to expand the size of the County’s Historic Conservation and Cultural District. A number of private individuals have volunteered to join with the Foundation in a zoning application that would place their property, and Foundation properties presently outside the historic district, into the zoning district.

The Foundation is also preparing for a County effort to update the guidelines for all of Loudoun’s historic districts. We want to share with the County our ideas and concerns, especially with regard to the uniqueness that we believe embodies the Village of Waterford and the National Historic Landmark. As we face more and more effort to expand small historic homes into much larger homes with modern conveniences, we need to be aware of the potentially significant impact this may have on undermining the efficacy of the historic district and landmark that embody our community.