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Elizabeth McFadden

2025 Annual Meeting Recap

May 2, 2025 by Elizabeth McFadden

The 2025 Waterford Foundation Annual Meeting, held on April 10th at the Old School Auditorium in Waterford, Virginia, began with a presentation by Historic Preservation Director Abigail Zurfluh. She discussed the semi quincentennial celebrations planned in Loudoun County and the VA250.

President’s Report:

President Sue Manch thanked members, donors, and volunteers for their support in addressing challenges in 2024, particularly regarding a canceled power line project that threatened conservation easements. The Foundation is dedicated to protecting these easements and enhancing legislative support. Progress on the five-year strategic plan includes the Second Street School program, diverse tours (Garden and Black History), and preservation efforts such as a grant for the John Wesley Community Church renovation.

Executive Director’s Remarks:

Executive Director Stephanie Thompson highlighted successful fundraising efforts like the Give Choose campaign and the Waterford Fair’s 80th anniversary, which saw significant participation. Educational outreach was strengthened through the Craft School and Second Street School programs.

2024 Annual report

Awards and Recognitions

Eagle Scout Recognition: Nicholas Babu for designing chair carts.

Special Recognition

  • Andres Torres of Dominion Energy received special recognition for his crucial role in addressing an electrical service upgrade challenge for the Waterford Fair.
  • The Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance was honored for its successful advocacy against new power lines in Rural Loudoun.
  • Waterford Fair Libations Team and Wheatland Spring was celebrated for their role in enhancing the 80th Waterford Fair by creating a popular new beer and expanding beverage locations.

Community Partner Award: Lovettsville-Waterford Ruritans for exceptional support during the Waterford Fair.

Volunteer of the Year: Debbie Zungoli for extensive support of educational events.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Ed Lehmann and Edith Crockett for longstanding dedication to the Waterford community and the Foundation.

Board Elections

The business meeting included the approval of the previous year’s minutes, the Treasurer’s report by Dave Hunt, and recognition of departing board members Dave Hunt and Anna Rathmann. The meeting concluded with the report from the General Nominating Committee, announcing eight openings on the Board of Directors and the nomination of new board members.

Meet our 2025-2026 Board of directors

Filed Under: News Tagged With: meeting, news

Volunteer Spotlight

March 2, 2025 by Elizabeth McFadden

Filed Under: Volunteer

8th Annual Historic Waterford Trail Run Recap

May 3, 2024 by Elizabeth McFadden

On April 20th 382 runners and walkers descended on Main street to take part in the 8th annual Historic Waterford Trail Run. Our 5K & 10K courses weave through the village and its’ open spaces as well as the surrounding farms and neighborhoods giving participants the ultimate tour of Waterford and its’ historic and natural beauty.  

We are so thankful for all of the volunteers that made this event possible.  The Trail Run committee works year-round to put together this amazing fundraising event for the Foundation.  Thank you to Heidi Bickart, our Trail Run Chair and her amazing team of more than 50 volunteers! 

Thank you to the 26 amazing sponsors that contributed to this fundraising event. Thank you to our 2024 sponsors for their support of the preservation and education work of the Waterford Foundation! Find the complete list of sponsors here: https://www.waterfordfoundation.org/event/8th-annual-historic-waterford-trail-run/

Mark your calendars for next year’s Trail Run – taking place on May 10th, 2025! 

Photo by Jennifer Jule Studios

Filed Under: Development, News Tagged With: 2024, news

2023 Annual Awardees

May 2, 2024 by Elizabeth McFadden

Eagle Scout Recognition

The awards portion of the evening kicked off with our Eagle Scout Recognition of Jonathan Jovene for his Second Street School fence work.  Jonathan cleared the brush and re-installed fence posts in the schoolyard and make the fence sound again! Thank you, Jonathan! 

Strategic Partners

We were so pleased to see the Mill re-stabilization project come to a successful and on-time completion at the end of July last year. The Mill has never looked better, and we are looking forward to expanded use of the building in the days to come. The construction phase of this project was the culmination of over 10 years of work to secure funding, to study the building and produce a historic structure report, and to plan and execute a restoration project that would stabilize the building for the future. Our 2023 special recognition award(s) recognizes the members of the team who worked to make this treasured building safe for many years to come.  Loudoun County Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure has managed the project from the beginning and through the design and construction phases. Glave and Holmes Architects served as project architects through the design and construction phases. As contractor, Carpenter Beach Construction managed the carpenters, masons, and other tradespeople who worked to stabilize and rehabilitate the historic structure. Finally, Arbor Ridge Builders reproduced the massive timber-framed Hurst frame, the most significant structural artifact of the circa 1818 mill. Thank you to everyone involved in this huge and important project! 

Community Partners

We would not be the great organization we are today without some great community partners.  An important part of preserving the Landmark is conserving the bountiful open spaces that help tell Waterford’s agricultural and industrial story. The connection between the historic and natural fabrics of Waterford can easily be seen out on the Schooley Mill Meadow.

Balls Run, a tributary of Catoctin Creek runs through the property. As erosion has happened naturally along the bank, the need for a riparian buffer was made clear. Thanks to our Community Partners of 2023 – the Loudoun County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Piedmont Environmental Council – 600 trees were planted on both sides of the Catoctin to make up the new riparian buffer at no cost. Now the creek bank will be protected for many years to come. We thank you for your important contribution to our preservation and conservation mission, and look forward to seeing your important work continue in Loudoun County.

Volunteer of the Year

Everyone should have someone to call when you’re in a pinch right before a big event. Say, for example, that you are days away from your biggest educational outreach event and fundraiser, and you find out that the only toilet in a critical building is out of order. Or that the pilot program of your brand new field trip is two days away in November and the heat goes out in a critical building. Who would you call? We’re so grateful that we have Jeff Bean’s number, who has helped us solve so many problems in the past year and beyond. When we discovered that the Mill toilet was not working properly within a few days of the start of the Fair, he understood the urgency of the issue and pulled out all the stops to make sure the toilet was fixed in time for the event. And then just a month later, the heaters at the Second Street School continued to cause problems days before the first group of the Reconstruction program came out. Jeff once again pulled out all the stops, staying until the early hours in the morning to make sure that the seventh graders coming had a comfortable environment to learn in. We can’t thank you enough for all that you have done to keep the Foundation running smoothly Jeff. 

Lifetime Achievement

The Lifetime Achievement Award was established to recognize outstanding contributions to the work of the Waterford Foundation.  This year, we are honoring a man whose dedication and hard work have been the backbone of our Fair’s ticket booth operations for over two decades and who was a major contributor to the Old School restoration project. Hans Hommels, has been the invisible hand ensuring thousands of fairgoers are greeted with a smile, despite the challenges that arise before they even step foot into Waterford. For 25 years, Hans has orchestrated the complex ballet of ticket booth operations, a task that might seem straightforward to the uninitiated but is, in reality, is a huge undertaking. Managing up to four booths, coordinating shifts that stretch from the early morning till the close of day, and training dozens of volunteers each year, Hans has created the first impression of the Fair for countless attendees. After co-chairing with John DeCourcy from 1997 to 2014, Hans took over as chair for 7 more years, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the Fair and to Waterford. This incredible tenure of service, came to a close in 2022, marking the end of an era. But that’s not all…

In 2007 the Foundation recruited Hans for a job that no one else could have done. Many of us remember watching the fire that destroyed our auditorium and damaged the Old School on that dreadful day in January 2007. The fire was a devastating blow to the Foundation and to the community.  However, from the beginning the determination to restore the classroom building and rebuild the auditorium was strong. Hans agreed to lead the rebuilding effort by chairing the Old School Steering Committee, a group that included Susan Sutter, Walter Music, and Kathleen Hughes. With Hans’s commitment to the village and his years of experience in construction management, he was the ideal candidate for the job. Hans thrives on challenges, and there were many challenges during the five years of the reconstruction project. The committee involved the community in the process. Hans visited village residents to ask for their views and participated in a series of public meetings.  Then Hans and his team interviewed 12 architectural firms. That search led to the hiring of Quinn Evans, a firm with vast experience with historic buildings, as the project architects for both the classroom building and the auditorium. After Loudoun County approvals had been secured, reconstruction of the classroom building began with Corbett Construction in March of 2008. Hans was a constant presence on the site, working with the builder, checking progress daily, and solving problems as they arose, while always insisting on high quality work. Meanwhile Hans and his team members worked with Quinn Evans to create a design for the auditorium that would complement the historic architecture. The design was finalized after more input from the community and approvals from both the Historic District Review Committee and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which holds an easement on the building.  During this time Hans and his team sent out Requests for Proposals to ten construction firms.  After meeting with the firms that submitted the top five bids, the team recommended Scott Long. Construction began on the auditorium in the summer of 2011.  Again, Hans was on site at the auditorium almost every day, with pages of plans under his arm, checking work as it was installed—carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC. Amazingly, the project came in under budget, a rare achievement. None of this would have happened without the hundreds of hours of pro bono work Hans donated to the Foundation as our in-house Project Manager.  Without his dedication, the Foundation would not have a beautifully restored Old School and a spectacular new auditorium. Please look around you to see his contribution. 

Hans, your legacy is not just in the smooth operation of ticket sales or the countless hours you’ve dedicated to the Old School. It’s in the community you’ve helped build, the volunteers you’ve inspired, and the countless fairgoers and Old School event attendees whose experiences you’ve enhanced. On behalf of everyone here, and all those who have had the privilege of working with you or being welcomed by you, we say thank you. 

Thank you to Susan Sutter & Bonnie Getty for these kind words.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for such a great evening. We are looking forward to seeing you at all of the fun events coming up in 2024! 

Filed Under: News, Uncategorized, Volunteer Tagged With: 2024, meeting, news

2024 Waterford Foundation Board Updates

May 2, 2024 by Elizabeth McFadden

Our Board is made up of some extraordinary people.  Unfortunately, we only get our members for a short time before they must rotate off for a while.  Ann Goode returned to the Waterford Foundation Board in 2018, bringing her wealth of experience and expertise in planning and land use issues. Having previously served on the Board as well as a member of the Waterford Foundation staff, her deep institutional knowledge has been an asset to the Foundation for the past six years. Ann has been a strong supporter of the formation and subsequent reorganization of the Preservation Committee, serving as chair of the Committee as well as its Open Lands Subcommittee while also serving as Vice President of the Board. Ann’s expertise and steadfast leadership has enabled the Foundation to make great strides in advancing its preservation mission. We will miss her voice on the Board, but we look forward to her continued active involvement on the Preservation Committee. Thank you, Annie!

We are excited to welcome 3 new Board members this year.  Nancy Iarossi, Susan Hill & Carl Scheider were voted onto the Board at the annual meeting.  Each of them brings important experience in various fields that will greatly contribute to our Board and mission. 

Finally, the Board appointed the Executive committee to serve this year! Susan Manch will continue as President, Chris Wood has taken over as Vice President, Chris Doxey has taken over as Treasurer and Sharyn Franck is serving as our Secretary! 

Learn more about all of our great Board members here: https://www.waterfordfoundation.org/meet-the-board/

Filed Under: News, Uncategorized Tagged With: 2024, news

2024 Annual Meeting Recap (FY2023)

May 1, 2024 by Elizabeth McFadden

We gathered at the Waterford Old School on Tuesday, April 16th for our Annual meeting. It was a wonderful celebration of 2023’s successes, the 40th anniversary of the Second Street School Living History Program, and our esteemed awardees. We shared an interesting presentation on easements and the meeting was finished with new board member voting and executive committee appointments.  

2023 Annual Awardees:

Eagle Scout Recognition

The awards portion of the evening kicked off with our Eagle Scout Recognition of Jonathan Jovene for his Second Street School fence work.  Jonathan cleared the brush and re-installed fence posts in the schoolyard and make the fence sound again! Thank you, Jonathan! 

Strategic Partners

We were so pleased to see the Mill re-stabilization project come to a successful and on-time completion at the end of July last year. The Mill has never looked better, and we are looking forward to expanded use of the building in the days to come. The construction phase of this project was the culmination of over 10 years of work to secure funding, to study the building and produce a historic structure report, and to plan and execute a restoration project that would stabilize the building for the future. Our 2023 special recognition award(s) recognizes the members of the team who worked to make this treasured building safe for many years to come.  Loudoun County Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure has managed the project from the beginning and through the design and construction phases. Glave and Holmes Architects served as project architects through the design and construction phases. As contractor, Carpenter Beach Construction managed the carpenters, masons, and other tradespeople who worked to stabilize and rehabilitate the historic structure. Finally, Arbor Ridge Builders reproduced the massive timber-framed Hurst frame, the most significant structural artifact of the circa 1818 mill. Thank you to everyone involved in this huge and important project! 

Community Partners

We would not be the great organization we are today without some great community partners.  An important part of preserving the Landmark is conserving the bountiful open spaces that help tell Waterford’s agricultural and industrial story. The connection between the historic and natural fabrics of Waterford can easily be seen out on the Schooley Mill Meadow.

Balls Run, a tributary of Catoctin Creek runs through the property. As erosion has happened naturally along the bank, the need for a riparian buffer was made clear. Thanks to our Community Partners of 2023 – the Loudoun County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Piedmont Environmental Council – 600 trees were planted on both sides of the Catoctin to make up the new riparian buffer at no cost. Now the creek bank will be protected for many years to come. We thank you for your important contribution to our preservation and conservation mission, and look forward to seeing your important work continue in Loudoun County.

Volunteer of the Year

Everyone should have someone to call when you’re in a pinch right before a big event. Say, for example, that you are days away from your biggest educational outreach event and fundraiser, and you find out that the only toilet in a critical building is out of order. Or that the pilot program of your brand new field trip is two days away in November and the heat goes out in a critical building. Who would you call? We’re so grateful that we have Jeff Bean’s number, who has helped us solve so many problems in the past year and beyond. When we discovered that the Mill toilet was not working properly within a few days of the start of the Fair, he understood the urgency of the issue and pulled out all the stops to make sure the toilet was fixed in time for the event. And then just a month later, the heaters at the Second Street School continued to cause problems days before the first group of the Reconstruction program came out. Jeff once again pulled out all the stops, staying until the early hours in the morning to make sure that the seventh graders coming had a comfortable environment to learn in. We can’t thank you enough for all that you have done to keep the Foundation running smoothly Jeff. 

Lifetime Achievement

The Lifetime Achievement Award was established to recognize outstanding contributions to the work of the Waterford Foundation.  This year, we are honoring a man whose dedication and hard work have been the backbone of our Fair’s ticket booth operations for over two decades and who was a major contributor to the Old School restoration project. Hans Hommels, has been the invisible hand ensuring thousands of fairgoers are greeted with a smile, despite the challenges that arise before they even step foot into Waterford. For 25 years, Hans has orchestrated the complex ballet of ticket booth operations, a task that might seem straightforward to the uninitiated but is, in reality, is a huge undertaking. Managing up to four booths, coordinating shifts that stretch from the early morning till the close of day, and training dozens of volunteers each year, Hans has created the first impression of the Fair for countless attendees. After co-chairing with John DeCourcy from 1997 to 2014, Hans took over as chair for 7 more years, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the Fair and to Waterford. This incredible tenure of service, came to a close in 2022, marking the end of an era. But that’s not all…

In 2007 the Foundation recruited Hans for a job that no one else could have done. Many of us remember watching the fire that destroyed our auditorium and damaged the Old School on that dreadful day in January 2007. The fire was a devastating blow to the Foundation and to the community.  However, from the beginning the determination to restore the classroom building and rebuild the auditorium was strong. Hans agreed to lead the rebuilding effort by chairing the Old School Steering Committee, a group that included Susan Sutter, Walter Music, and Kathleen Hughes. With Hans’s commitment to the village and his years of experience in construction management, he was the ideal candidate for the job. Hans thrives on challenges, and there were many challenges during the five years of the reconstruction project. The committee involved the community in the process. Hans visited village residents to ask for their views and participated in a series of public meetings.  Then Hans and his team interviewed 12 architectural firms. That search led to the hiring of Quinn Evans, a firm with vast experience with historic buildings, as the project architects for both the classroom building and the auditorium. After Loudoun County approvals had been secured, reconstruction of the classroom building began with Corbett Construction in March of 2008. Hans was a constant presence on the site, working with the builder, checking progress daily, and solving problems as they arose, while always insisting on high quality work. Meanwhile Hans and his team members worked with Quinn Evans to create a design for the auditorium that would complement the historic architecture. The design was finalized after more input from the community and approvals from both the Historic District Review Committee and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which holds an easement on the building.  During this time Hans and his team sent out Requests for Proposals to ten construction firms.  After meeting with the firms that submitted the top five bids, the team recommended Scott Long. Construction began on the auditorium in the summer of 2011.  Again, Hans was on site at the auditorium almost every day, with pages of plans under his arm, checking work as it was installed—carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC. Amazingly, the project came in under budget, a rare achievement. None of this would have happened without the hundreds of hours of pro bono work Hans donated to the Foundation as our in-house Project Manager.  Without his dedication, the Foundation would not have a beautifully restored Old School and a spectacular new auditorium. Please look around you to see his contribution. 

Hans, your legacy is not just in the smooth operation of ticket sales or the countless hours you’ve dedicated to the Old School. It’s in the community you’ve helped build, the volunteers you’ve inspired, and the countless fairgoers and Old School event attendees whose experiences you’ve enhanced. On behalf of everyone here, and all those who have had the privilege of working with you or being welcomed by you, we say thank you. 

Thank you to Susan Sutter & Bonnie Getty for these kind words.

Board Member Vote / Executive Committee Appointment 

Our Board is made up of some extraordinary people.  Unfortunately, we only get our members for a short time before they must rotate off for a while.  Ann Goode returned to the Waterford Foundation Board in 2018, bringing her wealth of experience and expertise in planning and land use issues. Having previously served on the Board as well as a member of the Waterford Foundation staff, her deep institutional knowledge has been an asset to the Foundation for the past six years. Ann has been a strong supporter of the formation and subsequent reorganization of the Preservation Committee, serving as chair of the Committee as well as its Open Lands Subcommittee while also serving as Vice President of the Board. Ann’s expertise and steadfast leadership has enabled the Foundation to make great strides in advancing its preservation mission. We will miss her voice on the Board, but we look forward to her continued active involvement on the Preservation Committee. Thank you, Annie!

We are excited to welcome 3 new Board members this year.  Nancy Iarossi, Susan Hill & Carl Scheider were voted onto the Board at the annual meeting.  Each of them brings important experience in various fields that will greatly contribute to our Board and mission.  Learn more about them and all of our great Board members here https://www.waterfordfoundation.org/meet-the-board/

Finally, the Board appointed the Executive committee to serve this year! Susan Manch will continue as President, Chris Wood has taken over as Vice President, Chris Doxey has taken over as Treasurer and Sharyn Franck is serving as our Secretary! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for such a great evening. We are looking forward to seeing you at all of the fun events coming up in 2024! 

Please find the 2023 Annual Report here: https://www.waterfordfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-Annual-Report-web.pdf

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 2024, meeting, news

A General History of Waterford, VA

April 7, 2023 by Elizabeth McFadden

General History of Waterford, VA

By Debbie Robison

Waterford is a special place. Much of the historic village reflects the various time periods in which it was built, from a mill race dug in the 18th-century colonial period, to log homes, craftsman shops, and dry goods stores constructed at the start of a new nation, to new businesses begun in the Victorian era, and onward to buildings restored in the 20th-century colonial-revival period. In Waterford, it feels like history.

The story of Waterford can be told hand-in-hand with the story of America. The impact of religious revivals, manufacturing innovations, slavery, economic depressions, and laws that governed free Black people all touched this village. The individual histories of each home, shop, barn, and outbuilding, as well as the people who lived here, are all part of a larger story. And that is, in part, what makes Waterford so special.

Waterford Mill, early 20th Century

The village was founded ca. 1784 by Joseph Janney, a Quaker businessman formerly from Pennsylvania, who offered lots for sale and lease near a water-powered grist mill and sawmill.[i] The land where the village was built was originally settled by Quakers, members of the Society of Friends, when John Mead purchased 703 acres in 1733.[ii] This was during the time of the Great Awakening, a religious revival in the 1730s and 1740s that led to an increase in religious conviction. Other Quakers soon followed Mead and settled in the area where they found religious tolerance as well as fertile, well-watered soil. They farmed tobacco, raised families, and established a Quaker meeting.[iii] During colonial rule, tobacco was shipped to Great Britain, who regulated and restricted trade. Once the flour trade opened to the British West Indies, grist mills were established along streams throughout the area, including the mill built by Mahlon Janney on Kittocton (now Catoctin) Creek ca. 1762.[iv]

The village began with a dry goods store, saddlery, cabinet shop, tannery, and blacksmith shop.[v] The store did not prosper since farmers and millers, who were store patrons, struggled to find international buyers for their goods after the Revolutionary War. This was because, at the start of the new nation, America was only a confederation of states without a federal constitution to provide collective bargaining power for international trade agreements. Despite this hurdle, the other businesses succeeded, with young apprentices providing much of the labor while learning valuable skills.[vi] In time, former apprentices and employees of these first manufacturing enterprises started their own businesses and purchased lots, along with others, in the expanding village.[vii]

The American Revolution heightened the ideals of religious liberty and freedom, which sparked the Virginia General Assembly to enact a law in 1782 allowing any person to emancipate his slaves.[viii] During this Second Great Awakening, a number of local Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists freed their slaves, joining the Quakers who had disavowed slavery prior to the war.[ix] Free Black people settled in the area, possibly attracted by job opportunities and a willingness of the Quaker population to assist them, establish store accounts, and sell them lots.[x] Some of the non-Quaker proprietors, particularly the tavern keepers, had enslaved Black people work in their establishments.[xi]

Pre-Civil War education in Waterford varied depending on if you were a White person, free Black person, or an enslaved person. Early on, some free Black children learned to read and write as part of their apprentice agreement.[xii] In 1819, Virginia outlawed allowing enslaved people to meet at schools to learn to read and write, and then made educating free Black people illegal in 1831 in response to increased abolitionism in the north.[xiii] The Quakers in town were devoted to education and had built a schoolhouse in 1805 on the meeting house grounds.[xiv] In 1818, Virginia created a literary fund to pay for the education of poor students.[xv] The fund helped pay for teachers in Waterford as early as 1818 when William Adams of Waterford was teaching.[xvi] In 1822, three Waterford residents were paid for teaching: Jacob Mendenhall, who operated an academy in Waterford, Robert Braden, Jr., and Ann Ball.[xvii]

1800 Petition for Town Signatures

In 1801, the village officially became a town with the ability to lay off land into lots and streets. [xviii] This enabled the town to expand beyond the existing Main Street up, what in the early days was called, Federal Hill.[xix] The town continued to grow and fill with tradesmen, tavern keepers, and craftsmen who made furniture, hats, shoes, saddles, and clothing. The building trade was so busy that a second water-powered sawmill was built off Balls Run to churn out even more lumber for the housing boom.[xx] Most of the new houses were constructed of brick, likely made at the brick manufactory that was established in a meadow by the mill race.[xxi]

The pace of building slowed to a crawl after Thomas Jefferson enacted the Embargo of 1807 that prevented merchant ships from trading in foreign ports. This resulted in an economic depression and the financial ruin of the Waterford grist mill, which relied on foreign trade.[xxii] Building in town resurged once the embargo was lifted in 1809.[xxiii]

Spurred by new innovations in America’s first Industrial Revolution, a woolen factory was established at the south end of town.[xxiv] This corner of Waterford would come to be a manufacturing hub where blacksmiths, carriage makers, wheelwrights, and machinists worked at their anvils. Down the street, the nearby sawmill operation added machinery for a plaster mill and clover mill to foster increased local agricultural yields.[xxv]

After the War of 1812, the town greatly expanded around new streets and alleys laid out in a grid pattern during America’s 1815-1819 economic speculative boom. To support the growth, a bank was established briefly in Waterford before the state required it to close.[xxvi]  Brick dwellings were constructed in the “New Addition,” the grist mill was replaced with a larger three-story brick mill, and a commodious three-story brick house with a lower-level store was built in the center of town – – right before everything came to a halt with the 1819 banking panic and years-long depression. The proprietors of the Waterford Mill and the large stone tavern were forced to sell their businesses to meet their financial obligations.[xxvii] The long economic recovery, recession, and depression that followed stalled most growth in the town, though industrial manufacturing of agricultural implements continued to evolve.[xxviii]

A period of American business expansion from 1844-1856 included the establishment of a fire insurance company and construction of a few more houses and the Baptist Church edifice in Waterford.[xxix] A fraternal benevolent association, Evergreen Lodge No 51 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized in 1847. They purchased a three-story brick house on Main Street where they held meetings and transacted business.[xxx]

But soon the Civil War commenced. Men from Waterford and other strongly Unionist areas of north Loudoun formed the Independent Loudoun Virginia Rangers, a federal cavalry company under the leadership of local miller Samuel C. Means.[xxxi] At least one free Black man from Waterford joined the 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, while a few more served in other Union units, sometimes informally.  A handful of White residents voted for secession, though, and several fought for the Confederacy.[xxxii] The town was beset by raids, including a bloody skirmish at the Baptist Church, and intermittent occupation by Confederate troops.[xxxiii] Post-war reconstruction benefited the Black population when they constructed a school for their children, aided by the federal Freedman’s Bureau and a Philadelphia Quaker society.[xxxiv]

Little growth followed until, bit-by-bit, Waterford started to shake off its stagnant economy.  In 1867, passenger railroad service from Alexandria arrived at nearby Clarke’s Gap station, and two years later, a daily stage line ran between Waterford and the depot.[xxxv] This benefited Waterford homeowners who earned additional funds by boarding urban-area residents in the summer months.[xxxvi]  In 1875, the town of Waterford was reincorporated and a map of the town was created that advertised businesses, including a number of women-owned establishments.[xxxvii] The new charter allowed the town to collect a town tax, make public improvements, and have use of the county jail.[xxxviii]

By the time industries fueled America’s business expansion from 1879-1893, Waterford carpenters were already quite busy. New types of specialty stores, such as grocery stores, drug stores, and tin shops opened; several in new buildings. And several Victorian-style homes were constructed on available town lots to house the shopkeepers and clerks.[xxxix]

This period of growth coincided with the Third Great Awakening. Increases in church attendance resulted in the return of a Presbyterian congregation to Waterford and construction of a Methodist church edifice for White congregants on the hill and for Black congregants near the mill.[xl] The temperance movement, which sought to limit and then ban the consumption of alcoholic beverages, found new life in Waterford. Advocates met in the Temperance Hall above the Chair Factory.[xli] Other community activities at the time included attendance at literary society meetings held in local homes.[xlii]

FJ Beans operated his store in the Waterford Market

Waterford saw remarkable changes during the Second Industrial Revolution. In 1884 you could place a telephone call at Dr. Connell’s store in Waterford to Clarke’s Gap after lines were run between the two places.[xliii] Or you could receive electric therapy treatment from Dr. Connell with the use of his Electric Battery apparatus.[xliv] Mr. J. F. Dodd improved the Waterford Mill by putting in machinery for making roller process flour.[xlv] And in 1914, E. H. Beans, Waterford’s enterprising liveryman, acquired an automobile.[xlvi] The type of employment available in Waterford also changed. By 1910, there were no longer any Waterford craftsmen making chairs, furniture, saddles, or shoes, which by then were made in urban factories. However, there was a stenographer, electrician, and a “phone girl” working in the Central office.[xlvii]

The Industrial Revolution led to an increase in the pace of urbanization. The population of cities swelled as employment opportunities in factories and department stores rapidly grew. Farmers began converting fields into dairy farms to supply milk to local creameries that made butter for the burgeoning Washington, D. C. market. Kingsley Creamery built a creamery on the Waterford town lot in 1885, but its’ duration was short lived.[xlviii] Local creameries were made obsolete by new inventions that allowed city factories to obtain cream directly from farmers.[xlix] Local water-powered grist mills were also declining. Engineering advances in mill technology enabled large flour factories to be built on more substantial and reliable waterways.[l]

In consequence of urbanization and changes in manufacturing, both White and Black residents of Waterford moved to cities, notably Washington D.C.[li] When they left, many of the older structures on Main Street were purchased by Black families, greatly increasing home ownership for Waterford’s Black residents.[lii]

During the Great Depression, buildings were purchased by wealthy preservationists who wanted to revive Waterford into a “Little Williamsburg.”[liii] Colonial-revival fever struck Waterford. Buildings were stabilized, altered, and “restored” with hand-hewn beams and colonial-style door hardware. The Waterford Foundation, an early preservation organization, was formed in 1943 to encourage interest in restoring the town to an earlier period.[liv] Fundraising fairs featured early crafts made by local artisans and home tours. The village and tour buildings were provided with histories, often with dates erring on the side of the colonial period, never mind that Waterford was founded after the American Revolutionary War.[lv]

In time, White families began moving to Waterford in search of post-World War II housing, while the Black population dwindled as the younger generation sought opportunities elsewhere.[lvi]

The national historic preservation movement took hold after the enactment of the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966 that established funding and guidelines for preservation programs.[lvii] Waterford was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. A number of Waterford’s historic structures were placed under easements with the state in the 1970s to ensure appropriate preservation treatment.[lviii]

The Waterford Foundation continues its work to preserve historic properties owned by the Foundation and to further the understanding of the history of the village in support of its education mission.


[i] Thomas Hague to Joseph Janney, Loudoun County Deed Book O:9, Lease and Release, May 1, 1781; also U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, Pennsylvania, Montgomery, Abington Monthly Meeting, Men’s Minutes, 1756-1765, as viewed at ancestry.com, also Deed from Joseph Janney to Richard Richardson, Loudoun County Deed Book P:338, June 12, 1785; also, Deed from Joseph Janney to Joseph Pierpoint, Loudoun County Deed Book P:340, June 12, 1785; also Deed from Joseph Janney, Merchant of the county of Fairfax, to Thomas Moore Junr of Loudoun County, Loudoun County Deed Book O:158, August 17, 1784. Alexandria was then part of Fairfax County.

[ii] Deed from Catesby Cocke to John Mead, Prince William County Deed Book B:186, November 20, 1733, as viewed at https://www4.pwcva.gov/Web/user/disclaimer

[iii] Deed from John Mead to Amos Janney, Prince William County Deed Book Index C:400; also Deed from John Mead to Francis Hague, Fairfax County Deed Book A1:282, March 19, 1743.

[iv] Deed from Francis Hague to Mahlon Janney, Loudoun County Deed Book C:367, June 14, 1762, mentions mill features; Joseph Janney and Mahlon Janney were second cousins.

[v] Index of Indentures & Bound out Children Papers, Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Historic Records, as viewed at Indentures.pdf (loudoun.gov)

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Levi James was apprenticed to Asa Moore to learn the trade of saddler in 1791. He purchased a lot on main street, Loudoun County Deed Book 2W:34, 1810; Henry Burkett, who lived with Thomas Moore Jr for three years, paid ground rent on a lot, and two people (Jesse James and Daniel Lovett) who had been apprentices of the Moore family live with him, Loudoun County Deed Book U:266; see also Index of Indentures & Bound out Children Papers, Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Historic Records, as viewed at Indentures.pdf (loudoun.gov)

[viii] “An at to authorize the manumission of slaves,” Henings Statutes, Volume XI, Chapter XXI, May 1782, p. 39-40, as viewed at https://vagenweb.org/hening/vol11-02.htm

[ix] Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Source material: Swarthmore, Quaker Meeting Records. Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1758. Examples of others who emancipated their enslaved people include Reverend Amos Thompson (Presbyterian), William Osburn (Baptist, Buried at Ketoctin Baptist Church Cemetery), John Littlejohn (Traveling Methodist preacher, Leesburg), Charles Binns (Methodist)

[x] John Williams Store Ledger 1805-1808, microfilm from Duke University, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia.

[xi] Federal Census of 1810, as viewed on ancestry.com

[xii] Nathaniel Minor Indenture, 1802, Bound Out Children and Indenture Papers, Catalog number I1801-0016-1384, Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Historic Records; Samuel Minor Indenture, 1802, Bound Out Children and Indenture Papers, Catalog number I1801-0017-1385, Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Historic Records; Peter Manley Indenture, 1799, Bound Out Children and Indenture Papers, Catalog number I1799-0037-1318, Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Historic Records, as viewed at https://lfportal.loudoun.gov/LFPortalInternet/0/edoc/326239/Indentures.pdf

[xiii] An act reducing into one, the several acts concerning Slaves, Free Negroes and Mulattoes (1819), Virginia Revised Code of the Laws of Virginia, Vol 1, Thomas Ritchie, publisher, Richmond Virginia, p. 424, as viewed at https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Revised_Code_of_the_Laws_of_Virginia/VVhRAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=virginia+revised+code+1819&printsec=frontcover ; Also, An Act to amend the act concerning slaves, free negroes, and mulattoes (1831), Acts Passed at the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Chapter XXXIX, p. 107, as viewed at https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/lu9QAQAAMAAJ?gbpv=1&bsq=Free%20Negroes

[xiv] Quaker Meeting Minutes, Fairfax Monthly Meeting, March 23, 1805, as viewed on ancestry.com

[xv]An Act appropriating part of the revenue of the Literary Fund, and for other purposes, Acts Passed at the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Feb. 21, 1818, Thomas Ritchie, publisher, Richmond, p. 14, as viewed at https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/kMo_AQAAMAAJ?gbpv=1&bsq=Literary%20fund

[xvi] Loudoun County Schools 1789-1910, School Commissioners and Treasurer Bonds, Box 1 of 2, Misc. Papers-Schools, School Commissioners, 1818-1819, Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Historic Records, Leesburg, Virginia.

[xvii] Loudoun County Schools 1789-1910, School Commissioners and Treasurer Bonds, Box 1 of 2, folders Schools 1820-1829, Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court Historic Records, Leesburg, Virginia; Also, “Obituary. Noah Haines Swayne,” New York Tribune, June 10, 1884, p. 2, which notes that ex-Justice of the US Supreme Court Noah Swayne was sent to the academy of Jacob Mendenhall at Waterford, Virginia.

[xviii] “An Act to establish several towns,” The Statutes at Large of Virginia, January 8, 1801, as viewed at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112104867314&view=1up&seq=276

[xix] James Russell, “Houses for Sale,” Washingtonian, April 10, 1810, as viewed on geneologybank.com.

[xx] Mahlon Janney writ of adquoddamnum for dam for grist mill, Loudoun County Order Book W:241, July 11, 1803; Mahlon Janney Jr inherited the sawmill from his uncle, Mahlon Janney, Loudoun County Will Book K:119, June 8, 1812.

[xxi] Mahlon Janney deed to Edward Dorsey, Loudoun County Deed Book 2D:327, September 22, 1803; Nathaniel Manning deed to John B Stephens (mentions brick yard of James Russell), Loudoun County Deed Book 2U:32, May 13, 1816.

[xxii] Loudoun County Land Tax ledger 1807, 1809, microfilm, “Land Tax Records,” Reel 170 (1800-1815), Library of Virginia, Richmond.; Also, “A Merchant Mill for Sale,” The Washingtonian, April 2, 1811, p. 4.

[xxiii] Loudoun County Land Tax Ledger, 1810, microfilm, “Land Tax Records,” Reel 170 (1800-1815), Library of Virginia, Richmond.

[xxiv] Young men bound out to James Moore & Co (Woollen Manufactory), see Loudoun County Minute books of 1813 paged 6:235, 6:285, 6:344, and 7:105; see also James Moore & Co, “Domestic Cloths,” Daily National Intelligencer, October 15, 1814; Also, Loudoun County Will Book P:126, December 12, 1812.

[xxv] Noble S. Braden, “Clover Mill,” Genius of Liberty, July 18, 1829.

[xxvi] “Petition for charter for the encouragement of Agriculture and Domestic Manufactures,” Legislative Petitions, November 10, 1815, Library of Virginia. (Bank went into operation 10 Jun 1815.); Act required unchartered banks to close, Revised Code of the Laws of Virginia p 115, February 24, 1816.

[xxvii] Waterford Mill transferred to trustees for creditors of Braden, Morgan and Co., Loudoun County Land Tax Ledger, 1826, microfilm, “Land Tax Records,” Reel 172 (1824-1831A), Library of Virginia, Richmond.; “Sale under Deed of Trust,” Genius of Liberty, July 20, 1819.

[xxviii] James M. Steer, “Manufactory of Agricultural Implements.,” Genius of Liberty, Vol. 21, No. 42, October 21, 1837; William Addams, “New improved Wheat Fan.,” Genius of Liberty, March 18, 1817, p. 3.

[xxix] Loudoun County Land Tax, 1855, microfilm, “Land Tax Records,” Reel 487 (1853-1856), Library of Virginia, Richmond. John B. Dutton was assessed tax on one lot with a building value of $500 with a notation of “Buildings added.”; Also, Deed from Samuel C Means to Robert Thomas, Loudoun County Deed Book 5T:388, January, 26 1861; Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Loudoun County, “The Act of Incorporation, Constitution and By-laws of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Loudoun County, Va, W. Wooddy & Son, 1849.

[xxx] Evergreen Lodge No 5 William S Wood et. al. v. John Hough et. al. Loudoun County Chancery Case M1005, index number 1860-011, as viewed at https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=107-1860-011

[xxxi] Briscoe Goodhart, Independent Loudoun Virginia Rangers, U. S. Vol. Cav. (Scouts) 1862-1865., Press of McGill & Wallace, 1896, as viewed on Google Books.

[xxxii] Soldiers and Sailors Database, National Park Service, as viewed at https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm; James Lewis grave marker, located in Waterford, Virginia, identifies his unit; Also, Albert O Brown grave marker, located in Waterford, has a military marker indicating Confederate States Army (CSA), Virginia 35th BN.

[xxxiii] John W. Geary, “Report of Col. John W. Geary, Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry, including operations of his command to May 6, 1862,” The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I-Vol V. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, p. 528, as viewed at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730194&view=1up&seq=3&q1=waterford ; Chas P Stone, Correspondence to Maj. S. Williams, 28 Aug 1861, The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I-Vol V. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, p. 582; Skirmish at Waterford, 27 Aug 1862, The War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Operations in N. VA, W. VA. And MD, Chap XXIV, p. 242 as viewed at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077728222&view=1up&seq=3&q1=waterford

[xxxiv] Letter from Smith to Col S. P. Lee, Freedmen’s Bureau Letters, M1048, Roll 5 p.219 #367, May 8, 1867; Letter O.S.B. Wall to Col. S. P. Lee, Freedmen’s Bureau Letters, Supt of Education, M1913, 45, 908, December 17, 1868, as viewed on Familysearch.com

[xxxv] Annual Report of the Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire Railroad, 1867. Courtesy Paul McCray; Also, Brown, Albert O., “Daily Stage Line From Waterford to Clark’s Gap Depot,” The Washingtonian, June 4, 1869, Leesburg, VA, Waterford Foundation archives.

[xxxvi] “Waterford Waifs.,” The Loudoun Telephone, November 15, 1889, p. 3, microfilm, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA

[xxxvii] Map, Waterford, Loudoun County, Virginia, from Surveys by James S. Oden, 1875, Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Loudoun County Records, 1849-1954. Accession 41374. Business records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

[xxxviii] Acts and Joint Resolutions Passed by the General Assembly of the State of Virginia, at the Session of 1874-5. Richmond, R. F. Walker, Supt Public Printing, 1875, as viewed on Google books at https://www.google.com/books/edition/Acts_and_Joint_Resolutions_Passed_by_the/uhQSAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=1875+waterford+incorporation+virginia+general+assembly&pg=PA141&printsec=frontcover

[xxxix] Loudoun County Land Tax, 1888, microfilm, “Land Tax Records,” Reel 854 (1888), Library of Virginia, Richmond, A. M. Hough building value, 1900 Federal Census lists A M Hough as a Dry Goods Salesman; “Oscar James has purchased the old cabinet shop of Lewis Hough and is building a dwelling house,” The Loudoun Telephone, May 17, 1889. Deed from L. Kate Rickard to F. J. Beans, Loudoun County Deed Book 6Z:254, May 17, 1887.

[xl] “A New Church Edifice,” The Loudoun Telephone, August 18, 1882 (Presbyterian Church); “Letters from Loudoun,” Alexandria Gazette, March 8, 1884 (Methodist church on hill); Deed from Mary Jane Hough to James Lewis and other trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Loudoun County Deed Book 7B:14, July 3, 1888 (Methodist church by mill)

[xli] Map, Waterford, Loudoun County, Virginia, from Surveys by James S. Oden, 1875, Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Loudoun County Records, 1849-1954. Accession 41374. Business records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

[xlii] The Loudoun Telephone, January 16, 1885, p. 3., microfilm, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA. The Literary Society in good order.

[xliii] “Telephone in Waterford,” The Loudoun Telephone, August 22, 1884, microfilm, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA

[xliv] “U. S. Examining Surgeon, Dr. G. E. Connell. Chronic Diseases and Troubles Peculiar to Women a Specialty,” The Loudoun Telephone, October 1, 1886; The Loudoun Telephone, March 2, 1883, microfilm, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia.

[xlv] The Loudoun Telephone, July 3, 1885, p. 3, microfilm, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia.

[xlvi] “Waterford Waifs,” Loudoun Mirror, June 26, 1914, p. 4, microfilm, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia.

[xlvii] 1910 Federal Census, as viewed on Ancestry.com

[xlviii] “Waterford Flashes,” The Loudoun Telephone, July 31, 1885, p. 3.; The Loudoun Telephone, March 9, 1888, p. 3.

[xlix] “The Cost of Milk has been Increased: Consolidations,” Mathews Journal, Volume 4, Number 12, February 28, 1907, as viewed at https://virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=MJ19070228.1.1&e=——-en-20–1–txt-txIN——–

[l] “Old Grist Mills,” Page Courier, Vol 43, Number 52, March 31 1910, as viewed at https://virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=PCO19100331.1.1&srpos=1&e=——191-en-20–1–txt-txIN-%22old+grist+mills%22——-# ; Also, J. F. Dodd accepted a position with the Laurel (Md.) Roller Mill Co., to take charge and manage the large, handsome mill which they are building at that place. The Loudoun Telephone, October 11, 1889, microfilm, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia.

[li] “Waterford Waifs.,” The Loudoun Telephone, January 3, 1890, p. 3; “Waterford Waifs,” Loudoun Mirror, September 26, 1913, p.8; Also, S.A. Gover, “Store Room For Rent in Waterford,” The Loudoun Telephone, September 5, 1890, p. 3, microfilm, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia; Also, Loudoun County Deed Book 9D:467, March 12, 1918, A. E. Johnson, formerly A. E. Love, sold lot on main street when living in Washington D. C.

[lii] Deed to John Lee and Thomas Lee, Loudoun County Deed Book 7I:420, September 24, 1894; Deed to Alfonzo Palmer, Loudoun County Deed Book 8F:191, October 8, 1906; Deed to Philip P. Curtis, Loudoun County Deed Book 7T:330.

[liii] Solange Strong, “Waterford Wakens,” The Magazine Antiques, October 1949, p.280.

[liv] Waterford Foundation, Inc. Waterford (Allen B. McDaniel, pres.): to recreate the town of Waterford as it existed in previous times. The Commonwealth: The Magazine of Virginia, Volume 11, Virginia State Chamber of Commerce, 1944, p. 29.; Also, Waterford Foundation’s Twenty-Third Annual Homes Tour and Crafts Exhibit, 1966, p. 2.

[lv] Waterford Foundation Inc., Exhibit of the work of the artists and craftsmen of Loudoun County, Virginia, 1946.

[lvi] Often, the heirs of long-time Black residents sold the lots, for example: Loudoun County Deed Book 417:80, September 10, 1962; Loudoun Deed Book 1448:20, May 31, 1966; Loudoun Deed Book 350:533, November 7, 1955.

[lvii] U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “Federal Historic Preservation Laws,” Washington, D.C. 1993 p. 6.

[lviii] Loudoun Deed Book 624:573, July 31, 1975; Loudoun County Deed Book 630:663, October 31, 1975; Loudoun County Deed Book 631:586, December 3, 1975.

Filed Under: Black History, history, Home-page, News, quaker, Waterford History

The 1875 Waterford Town Map: Taking a Tour of Women’s Businesses

March 2, 2023 by Elizabeth McFadden

The 1875 Waterford Town Map: Taking a Tour of Women’s Businesses

By Debbie Robison

Hanging on a wall at the Waterford Foundation offices is an artist’s interpretation of an old map of Waterford. The original map, upon which this is based, has been around for 148 years. Now at the Library of Virginia, the map was preserved all these years by the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Loudoun County (now Loudoun Mutual Insurance Company) at their Waterford offices.

Surveyor James Oden created the map in 1875 for the Waterford Town Council when the town was incorporated after the Civil War. The map was required by the Virginia General Assembly to distinctly show the boundaries and the public streets and alleys with their width.[1]

The map offers a fascinating snapshot in time. Each lot, carefully laid out along Waterford’s streets, is identified with its size and owner’s name. Yet the most interesting information can be found on the sides of the map. Here you will see hand-drawn business cards advertising a variety of businesses where Victorian-era men and women could purchase goods and services. Many of the cards publicize businesses operated by women, which gives a rare opportunity to explore where in town the female proprietors conducted their trade.

So, in honor of Women’s History Month, lets follow the map to their shops.

Stop 1: The Divine Sisters, Carpet Weavers

We begin on Bond Street where spinster sisters Frances and Rachel Divine manufactured and sold carpets.

DIVINE SISTERS, Carpet Weavers, Work done in handsome & Durable Style, Bond St.

The carpets were woven on a loom, possibly out of carpet wool that could be dyed a variety of colors. Frances had raised twins, Joseph and Mary – both 33 years old at the time the map was created, as an unwed mother.[2] The carpet weaving business, which was conducted in their home, provided a much-needed income for the sisters.

Stop 2: Sallie Radcliffe’s Fancy Store

Heading down past the tan yard to Main Street, it isn’t long before you arrive at Sallie Radcliffe’s Fancy Store where a wide variety of goods could be purchased.

Sallie Radcliffe, Fancy Store, Main St.

A Fancy Store carried fancy articles like beaded purses, dress trimmings, hosiery, corsets, laces, sun umbrellas, specialty papers for making paper flowers, hoop skirts, collars, ribbons, and occasionally writing desks, assorted China articles, and toys.[3]

Sallie, a single Quaker woman, lived with her widowed mother, Ann Ratcliffe, in the house where she operated the store. In addition to operating the store, Sallie was also a milliner.[4]

Stop 3: Catherine Leggett’s Confectionary Store

After shopping at Radcliffe’s, a visitor might walk a few doors up Main Street to stop in at the widow Catherine Leggett’s confectionary store for a sweet. Fruits, candies, and nuts were typically sold in confectionary shops.

Catharine Leggett, Confectionary, Candy, Cherries, Figs, Sweetmeats of all kinds, Main St.

Catherine Leggett (nee Rinker), who went by Kitty, purchased the house in 1860 from William Russell, who acted as guardian of the children she had with her first husband, Joseph Wright.[5] Her second husband, cabinet maker Samuel Leggett, died earlier that year.

Stop 4: Amelia Rinker, Tailoress, and Stop 5: Sallie Graham, Tailoress

If a small town could have a garment district, then it would have been found on Waterford’s Main Street near The Loudoun Hotel (40170 Main Street, formerly Talbott’s Tavern) where a cluster of seamstresses and tailoresses offered their services.

After leaving Kitty Leggett’s confectionary store, you soon arrive two businesses for tailoresses, one run by Kitty’s sister, Amelia Rinker, and the other by Kitty’s daughter, Sallie Graham. Amelia Rinker [Stop 4] lived to the west of Amelia Sappington, a seamstress, and Sallie Graham [Stop 5] lived on the other side.[6]

Amelia Rinker, Tailoress, Main St

Sallie Graham, Tailoress

 

 

 

 

 

 

A tailoress sewed custom fitted garments, typically for men. In addition to sewing jackets, vests, and trousers, a tailoress may have also sewn shirts with detachable collars and neckties.

Stop 6: Sallie Orrison, Milliner and Dressmaker

The exact location of the shop that Sallie Orrison rented on Main Street is unknown, but it might have been near the tavern.[7]

Her card advertised her as a milliner (a trade that typically fashioned and sold hats and caps for women and girls), yet she promotes dressmaking:  Dresses Cut & Made In the most fashionable style.

Sallie Orrison, Milliner, Dresses Cut & Made in the most fashionable style, Main St.

Before her marriage to Townsend Orrison in 1872, Sallie was living with her family and working as a milliner.[8] In 1875, Townsend Orrison, who was financially embarrassed and unable to pay his debts, declared his intention of taking the benefit of the Homestead Act, passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 1870 to protect a debtors personal property.  Among the personal property he listed in his homestead exemption was all the stock of goods such as ribbons bonnets &c & other articles used in the millenary business now on hand in the store carried on by my wife in the Town of Waterford valued at $200.[9]

Stop 7: Ella Mount, Private School Principal

Possible Location of Ella Mount’s Private School

Continuing down Main Street and then up Second Street takes you to the area where Ella Mount was the principal of a private school. The exact location of her school is unknown.

Private School, Ella Mount, principal – Second St.

Ella Mount was the daughter of William T. Mount and granddaughter of John Mount, both Waterford furniture and chair makers. In 1870 John and William Mount were in a rented house on Main Street.[10] Ella’s residence is unknown. John and William Mount had a 1 ½-story cabinet-maker’s shop on Second Street.[11] It’s possible, though not confirmed, that Ella held her private school in the upper story of the shop.

Stop 8: Sallie Divine, Dressmaker

On the far side of the village was the only other garment maker whose business card is on the map. Sallie Divine advertised her dressmaking services on High Street.

Sallie Divine, Dressmaker, Dresses fitted to give satisfaction, High St.

Sallie wed Joseph T Divine, son of Frances Divine the carpet weaver, in 1870.[12] They purchased the house on Hight Street the year the map was created.[13]

Women’s dress fashions in 1875, the year the map was drawn, sported rows of ruffles, drapes and/or pleats. Sallie may have kept up-to-date on the current styles of dress by subscribing to a dressmaking periodical, such as the popular Godey’s Ladies Book, published in Philadelphia, of Demorest’s Illustrated Monthly, a New York publication. Demorest also offered seasonal dressmaking instruction guides with a catalog of patterns available for purchase. Sallie may have also sewn undergarments and lingerie.

The following lithograph shows the latest fashion in 1875, the year the map was created.

 


[1] Acts and Joint Resolutions Passed by the General Assembly of the State of Virginia, at the Session of 1874-5. Richmond, R. F. Walker, Supt Public Printing, 1875, as viewed on Google books at https://www.google.com/books/edition/Acts_and_Joint_Resolutions_Passed_by_the/uhQSAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=1875+waterford+incorporation+virginia+general+assembly&pg=PA141&printsec=frontcover

[2] Joseph Tuinto Divine Death Certificate, Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014, as viewed on Ancestry.com; Mary Alvernon Trunnell Death Certificate, Washington, D.C., U.S., Select Birth and Christenings, 1830-1955, as viewed on Ancestry.com

[3] C. C. Berry, “Dealer in Fancy Goods & Notions of Every Description,” Alexandria Gazette, 29 May 1875, p.1; H. Baader, “Selling Out at Below Cost,” Alexandria Gazette, 14 May 1870, p. 1;

[4] 1870 Federal Census for Sallie Radcliffe, as viewed on Ancestry.com; U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, Fairfax Monthly Meeting, Minutes 1843-1932, image 30 of 36, as viewed on Ancestry.com

[5] Deed from William Russell to Catherine Leggett, Loudoun County Deed Book 5T:255, August 10, 1860; Joseph H Wright Probate Account, Loudoun County Will Book 2I:415.

[6] Amelia Sappington v. Charles Sappington, Chancery Case 1872-068, image 30 of 75, Library of Virginia.

[7] In 1880 federal census Sallie Orrison is listed immediately before C. W. Divine

[8] 1870 Federal Census, Loudoun, Northern Division, Taylorstown Post Office, as viewed on Ancestry.com

[9] Townsend Orrison Homestead Exemption, Loudoun County Deed Book 6H:223, December 1, 1875.

[10] 1870 Federal Census

[11] John Mount’s Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Loudoun County application #570, January 25, 1868, Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Loudoun County Records, 1849-1954. Accession 41374. Business records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

[12] 1870 Federal Census for Joseph and Sallie Divine

[13] Loudoun County Deed Book 6G:469, February 1, 1875.

Filed Under: history, Home-page, News, Uncategorized

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