historic village you now see when you visit .
While Waterford ’ s preservation began with economic decline and neglect , it was not all accidental . In the 1930s the Chamberlin family began buying neglected properties to restore .
By the early 1940s , friends and residents recognized the importance of preserving Waterford and founded the Waterford Foundation in 1943 . Their aim was to “ restore as many buildings as possible ” and to “ recreate the said Town of Waterford as it existed in previous times with its varying crafts and activities .” Skilled artisans had plied their trades in Waterford for two hundred years . The importance of preserving those skills was recognized and the Waterford Fair was launched in 1944 to provide a venue for sharing traditional crafts and to raise funds for the preservation of the village . The Waterford Fair continues to this day on the first weekend in October , where juried artists from all over the country demonstrate their skills , teach them to new generations , and sell their wares .
Much of Waterford is protected today by the Foundation ’ s early and continuing efforts to encourage preservation of the many historic properties in the village by the use of easements . Some 70 easements now protect a variety of historic homes , barns , commercial structures , churches , farm land , and more . One of the more wellknown parcels under easement is the 140 acre Phillips Farm , purchased by the Foundation in 2003 and placed under easement in 2005 . The Foundation ’ s purchase of the Farm , enabled by widespread community support and extensive fundraising , prevented establishment of a housing development that would have destroyed the intact historic viewshed along the western side of the village . An interpretive trail now follows the banks of the Catoctin Creek with numbered signposts at significant points describing ( with the help of your iphone ) the history of the farm and village . It is open to the public during daylight hours .
Following decades of efforts by the Waterford Foundation and others , Waterford is now recognized as a significant historic resource at the County , state ,
Built by the African American community with help from their Quaker neighbors , the Second St . schoolhouse held classes for Blacks until 1957 . It also served as a place of worship until the John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1891 . It remained active until 1968 .
and national level . Waterford is a Loudoun County Historic and Cultural Conservation District , meaning that any changes an owner might want to make must first be reviewed by the county to ensure there is no loss or damage to a property ’ s fabric that might also damage the village ’ s historic significance . The Waterford Historic District was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 . In 1970 the United States Department of the Interior designated Waterford and 1420 surrounding acres as a National Historic Landmark--the highest designation for a heritage site in our nation .
In 1984 , the Waterford Foundation began the Second Street School living history program in the one-room schoolhouse on
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