The stone and timber-frame barn , built just after the Civil War , houses not only the farm ’ s herd of dairy goats and Molly ’ s cheese-making operation , but also space for dancing and playing music during their popular barn dances , usually held intermittently from March to November .
Today , Fran Wire , the widow of Samuel George ’ s great-grandson Bob Wire , is the matriarch and the oldest of four generations who currently live on the farm . Fran ’ s three daughters ably assist their mother , who has been operating a bed-and-breakfast in the stone farmhouse since 1999 and still enjoys greeting guests and serving them wonderful country breakfasts with eggs and sausage produced on the farm by Sam Kroiz ( triple-great grandson of Samuel ) and his wife Molly , who are raising yet another generation in the delightful persons of Mabel and Doolin Kroiz , 5 and 2 . All those related folks , as well as Sam ’ s sister Beth and her family , live in various houses that dot the landscape — a most unusual arrangement in the 21st century .
The stone and timber-frame barn , built just after the Civil War , houses not only the farm ’ s herd of dairy goats and Molly ’ s cheese-making operation , but also space for dancing and playing music during their popular barn dances , usually held intermittently from March to November . Sam plays a mean fiddle in a local band called the Short Hill Mountain Boys , and several friends contribute to the performances with guitar , banjo , mandolin and other instruments . B & B guests are welcome to join in alongside the loyal locals .
Approval of such behavior was not universal in earlier days when dances were held in the old mill . Eugene Scheel , a noted local mapmaker and historian , noted in a 1975 “ Guide to Loudoun ” that “ when dances were held at George ’ s Mill , the nearby Mt . Olivet congregation prayed the dance floor would be washed away in high water .”
Between March and December , Sam and Molly rotationally graze and milk their 42 goats and spend many hours making cheese , caramel , gelato and soaps . Their onsite farm store is housed in a tiny building , where a sign above the door proclaims the population of George ’ s Mill , currently 17 . The store operates on a 24-7 schedule through an honor system , featuring not only their own products , which also include eggs , goat meat , and pork , but also those of nearby farms that produce veggies , beef , and flour , as well as crafts from local artisans , such as cutting boards , carved utensils and knitted farm animals .
Overnight guests are encouraged to visit the farm pond and explore miles of trails through fields and forest . It ’ s also a pleasant walk — or a quiet 10K run , out and back — on unpaved George ’ s Mill Road from the B & B to the road ’ s dead end near the Potomac River .
The greatest gift to visitors is George ’ s Mill Farm ’ s proof that multi-generational family farming is alive and well in this corner of rural Loudoun , with a blend of traditional and modern approaches that bring delight to visitors from cities , suburbs and small towns all over the world .
34 wander I fall • winter 2020