George ’ s Mill Farm offers something for everyone , starting with its lovely stone house , which was built immediately after the Civil War by Samuel Wilhelm George , grandson of original settler John George . He arrived in what was then known as The German Settlement ( now Lovettsville ) in the 1750s . Although John ’ s origin is unknown , he is believed to have come from the Palatinate region of Germany by way of Pennsylvania , like many early settlers of this northernmost part of Loudoun . George descendants still have many historical artifacts including John ’ s land lease from Lord Fairfax and a petition to build a mill on Dutchman ’ s Creek in 1774 .
There are family stories and artifacts from every historical era at George ’ s Mill , but the Civil War was a particularly eventful time . Unlike many Loudoun families who experienced intrafamily fractures from the Civil War , Samuel Wilhelm George served as a vital mediator between cousins and neighbors who took up opposing causes . While Samuel Wilhelm likely voted against secession , he and his nephew Samuel Washington George — both recorded as Samuel W . George — may have taken opposite sides , and both their loyalties were called into question by a staunchly pro-union neighbor . Avoiding conflict became especially difficult when the 6th New York Cavalry encamped on the farm for two months in the winter of 1864-1865 . The famous Confederate Mosby ’ s Rangers mounted what became known as the George ’ s Schoolhouse Raid one wintry night , with a mixed result ; the cavalry eventually decamped .
While the farm has never left the family , it was often inherited by daughters , so the names have changed through the generations .
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