A group of Ford Model A automobiles gather during late summer of 2020 , at the
Philomont General Store .
Photo : Drew Bishop
Philomont
Beloved heart of western Loudoun
Atop an unassuming plateau , along historic Snickersville Turnpike , the village of Philomont stands at the geographic center of western Loudoun . Philomont is defined by arresting landscapes , captivating history , and a devoted community . To frame the place , is to understand the road which has long cultivated a village . To recognize its early significance is to unearth western Loudoun ’ s profound agricultural contributions , as the effective “ breadbasket ” and “ milk pail ” nourishing the Capital of the early republic . To explore further , is to embark on a unique transit through our nation ’ s history , illustrating change , sacrifice , and perseverance .
The ribbon of road stretching northwesterly , from the western
by drew bishop
edge of the village of Aldie to the village of Bluemont , was centuries ago a footpath of the Sioux , Algonkian , Powhatan , Iroquois , Susquehannock and Piscataway tribes . Early European settlers later utilized the same path in early colonial Virginia . While working as a surveyor for Lord Fairfax in 1748 , a sixteen-year-old George Washington noted traveling the route in his personal diary .
In 1785 , the Virginia General Assembly authorized a network of toll roads branching westward from Alexandria , primarily to encourage agricultural production and increase efficient movement of commerce . These early toll roads are purported to be the first with recorded operation in American history . Snickersville Turnpike ( VA734 ) was an integral part of this network and was officially chartered as the “ Snicker ’ s Gap Turnpike Company ” in 1810 . No longer operated as a toll road ( since 1915 ), the fifteen-mile Snickersville Turnpike is widely regarded as one of the most picturesque and well-preserved , roads in the northern Virginia Piedmont — bearing distinction as a Virginia Scenic Byway , and listed with the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places .
At the time of its charter , the turnpike crossed Beaverdam Creek upon a wood bridge and ascended northward , roughly one half-mile ,
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