Piedmont Crossroads: The Path to Preservation

A sudden, unexpected announcement in December that a new, high voltage transmission line was about to be strung across Western Loudoun County sent residents of the region spinning. If approved by the state, the lines would end forever protected rural areas of the county, damage heritage sites and parks, destroy tourism, and run out of town commercial farms, wineries and breweries. Opposition force...

Scenic. Historic. Essential to Loudoun’s Identity. The county’s rural roads are under threat. Hear about their history, their critical importance and what’s being done to save them now. This is Chapter 6 of Piedmont Crossroads: The Pathway to Preservation.

The importance of conservation easements to the preservation of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area cannot be overstated. Without them, our green space, historic sites, and unrivaled vistas would be overrun and boxed in by suburban development. The fifth episode of Piedmont Crossroads – The Path to Preservation tells us why the area is worth saving, the significance of the easement solution, and h...

Data Centers are everywhere in Northern Virginia and more are coming. In 2018, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a data center complex directly on Goose Creek, a state designated scenic river, despite enormous opposition from preservations, environmentalists and voters. In December of 2022, the Prince William Supervisors abruptly eliminated their “Rural Crescent”, a sacred p...

The historic village of Philomont sits astride Snickersville Turnpike in Western Loudoun County. It has a remarkable history, from its initial settlement in the early 19th century through the Civil War and up to its identity as a well-preserved village today. Learn more about this historic village, and some of the preservation challenges that it faces now, including the threat to the village’s his...

Carter Hall is an historic home in Clarke County, Virginia, in the lower Shenandoah Valley, built by Nathaniel Burwell in 1792. Over the centuries the property has hosted a number of historical figures, including Revolutionary War hero Daniel Morgan, Virginia Governor and U.S. Secretary of State Edmund Randolph, and Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. Carter Hall is a landmark in Clarke County,...

In our inaugural episode of Piedmont Crossroads, we take an in-depth look at the properties known as the Aldie Assemblage. These important parcels are home to the 1820 Aldie Tavern and are integral to the historic fabric of the village of Aldie, one of the most preserved turnpike towns in Northern Virginia. The Aldie Assemblage also stands at the gateway to western Loudoun and it could be ruined b...