Finding home in the Village of Aldie
Aldie Photos : Graham Campbell
I sometimes sing this song about going home again . It ’ s a sad song . It captures that feeling of disconnection , of loss and longing , when the place that built you up no longer has a place for you . It ’ s a story a lot of people live , saying goodbye without a path forward . And until I found Aldie , I was worried it would be my story , too .
The village of Aldie sits along a major highway , one which , if you let it , will force you to make a choice . Head west , and Route 50 meanders through Ashby ’ s Gap to Winchester . To the north , the scenic and winding Snickersville Turnpike brings you to the equally beautiful village of Bluemont . And east , the road leads to the suburbs , to Dulles International Airport , and eventually , to Washington . Choose your own adventure , or , like me , choose to stay .
By Katie Johnson
Sit a while and have a think by the Aldie Dam , or explore Virginia ’ s industrial past at the Aldie Mill . Stop and say a quick hello to Milo and Racer , the village ’ s two resident donkeys . Taste some wine at the Aldie Peddler – made famous , as friendly proprietor Wally will most assuredly tell you , in Southern Living . Enjoy a slice of pie , homemade with love and joy by Kay and her team at Little Apply Pastry Shop . Soon enough , you ’ ll even be able to dine on some farm-to-table Italian fare at the upcoming restaurant , Rubano ’ s . Bill at the Aldie Garage will chat with you about all things classic cars , and if you catch Tucker out by the Little River Inn , he ’ ll regale you with tales of Aldie ’ s old days , a history many in the village feel a keen connection to .
To put it simply , there ’ s no place on Earth quite like the village of Aldie . And how lucky we are for that .
Little has changed about Aldie ’ s landscape in the more than 200 years since its founding , and driving into the village from Gilberts Corner feels a little like stepping back in time . You won ’ t find a stop light here , but you will see many historic structures , with some dating back as early as the eighteenth century . Charles Fenton Mercer ’ s mill still grinds today , once the largest of its kind in the county , and the only known gristmill in Virginia powered by twin overshot water wheels . From up on the hill , Mercer ’ s grand house — a private residence — paints a stately picture , and an old stone bridge carries drivers across the Little River . First a mill village , and fifty
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