Aldie Mill and Aldie Dam ( below ).
years later , the site of a cavalry battle between Union and Confederate forces that would inspire Herman Melville ’ s poem “ The Scout Toward Aldie ,” Aldie has always held a unique and special place in Virginia ’ s history .
Memories here are long , and residents speak fondly of Mr . Partlow and his store , of beloved teachers and staff through the years at Aldie Elementary , of previous postmasters , community gatherings past , and of Aldie ’ s fall festival . And while these memories are valuable and precious , I think we can look just as happily to Aldie ’ s future . In recent years , a number of older properties in the village have been restored , new businesses have opened , and new faces have become neighbors and friends . A proposal from Piedmont Environmental Council seeks to restore the Aldie Assemblage , a collection of historic properties on the village ’ s east end , and to put those properties back into use . The steeple bell at Aldie United Methodist Church is ringing again after falling silent for more than a year during the height of the pandemic .
And Aldie ’ s community organizations are thriving , with the Aldie Horticultural Society celebrating its 100th anniversary this year .
Yes , I suppose it would be easy to drive right through this little village , but it would also be a mistake . Few places in this country offer more history , more community , and more heart in such a small space than the village of Aldie , and I would be remiss to not encourage you to experience it for yourself . I suspect you ’ ll fall in love with its charm , just like my husband and I did when we first visited in 2009 . We ’ d moved to the Northern Virginia suburbs from Abingdon , where I grew up . After we left the southwest Virginia mountains , living in a townhome outside Fairfax and surrounded by buildings and concrete and noise , I felt like I might never feel totally at home again . Then we found Al-
34 wander I spring • summer 2023