The current mill was built in 1818 on , or near , the site of previous mill structures . It quickly became the “ heart ” of Waterford as the growing agricultural community became dependent on it to prepare their grain for market .
Waterford : Standing the test of time
By margaret good
The village of Waterford was founded in 1733 by Quakers in search of fertile farmland . Finding a water source nearby was critical for powering the mill needed to process their crops for market . They found both in Waterford .
Amos and Mary Janney led this small group from Bucks County , Pennsylvania . As other Quakers soon followed , a Meeting House was needed , and a log one was built in 1741 on Amos ’ s land . Amos ’ s son Mahlon added a cemetery and a school house to the site in 1755 .
Amos died in 1747 , leaving his estate to Mahlon . In 1760 , Mahlon built a grain and saw mill on the site where the current brick mill you see today still stands . As most of the new residents were farmers , the mill flourished . The settlement came to be known as “ Janney ’ s Mill ” as it expanded , and roads became necessary to get the grain to market . Those roads allowed access to the community for other vendors and their products to support what was becoming a thriving community . Building lots were laid out along present-day Main Street and dwellings and shops followed . By 1790 , the village name changed to Waterford .
More lots were developed further along Main Street ( up the “ Big Hill ”) and along Second and High Streets . More Quakers arrived along with Scotch-Irish Presbyterians , German Lutherans , and others . They brought their many skills and crafts with them , promoting a busy commercial center in Waterford serving rural Loudoun . By 1762 , there were African American residents . By 1830 , a quarter of Waterford ’ s free households were headed by Blacks with several owning their own homes .
Waterford ’ s fortunes turned during the Civil War and , in fact , it never recovered . The large Quaker population was loyal to the Union and pacifist . Consequently , they were harassed by the Confederates , and some residents fled . This harassment led Samuel Means to organize a Union cavalry unit — in secessionist Virginia — known as the Loudoun Rangers . As a Union sympathizing village in Confederate territory , Waterford was caught in the middle , and even the Union troops took a toll on the village and its residents . After the war , prosperity did not return . The new railroad ( built in 1870 ) bypassed Waterford , making access to large urban markets difficult . The local cottage industries could not compete with the cheaper goods from large manufacturers , and Waterford struggled .
A blessing in disguise , this struggle resulted in the preservation of the village as you see it today . No one could afford to modernize , leaving the original fabric intact and resulting in the
12 wander I fall • winter 2021