Country Zest and Style Fall 2020 Edition

FALL 2020

HOORAY FOR

HISTORY Laura Kelsey: president of the Fauquier Historical Society Dulany Morison: chairman Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Pam Jones: Oatlands: chairman of the board

INSIDE:

COLIN MCGHEE ON THATCH NEW COWBOY ANDREW LOONEY

PRSRT MKTG U.S. PoStaGe

ALICE DUGGAN OF PIEDMONT CHILD CARE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 82 WoodStoCK, Va

RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER

Personalities, Celebrations and Sporting Pursuits

110 E. Washington St. | P.O. Box 1380 | Middleburg, VA 20118 | 540.687.5588 | sheridanmacmahon.com

FIDELIO

CATESBY FARM

AQUINNAH

DEERFIELD

THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGInIA

RECTORTOWN, VIRGINIA

UPPERVILLE, VIRGInIA

Prime Fauquier County location minutes from Middleburg | Unbelievable finishes throughout | Antique floors and mantels, vaulted ceilings | 6 BR, 5 full BA, 2 half BA | 6 FP, gourmet kitchen | Improvements include office/studio, stone cottage with office, spa, guest house, pool and lighted tennis court | Landscaped grounds with stream, waterfalls, boxwood and special plantings | 61 acres

Gracious Georgian Manor home, 11,000 sf, built in 1930 | Updated and suitable for large scale entertaining | 7 BR, 7 1/2 BA, 7 FP | High ceilings, formal gardens & private setting | Belmont style stable w/30 stalls and 2 apartments | 4 BR guest house/entertainment complex, 4-car garage w/office | 4 restored tenant houses, skeet range, pool & tennis court | 167.59 acres mostly open & rolling with bold mountain views and large spring-fed pond | Also available with 241 acres for $8,500,000

Prime Fauquier County location | Residence circa 1850 has been completely updated | 8 BR, 8 1/2 BA, 6 FP | Mountain views | Gourmet kitchen with gas range, subzero fridge | Master suite with balcony | Indoor heated pool, attached gym, par terre garden, greenhouse, tennis courts | Separate building office or guest house | new 8 stall center aisle barn with office and tack room | Riding ring, new fencing, 200 degree mountain views with unbelievable sunsets

181 acres | Brick manor house c. 1844 | 4 bedrooms, lovely kitchen, multiple porches, pine floors, 7 fireplaces, original mantels, large windows, detailed millwork | c. 1810 log cabin/pool house, guest house with theater, 2 tenant houses, 5-bay garage and workshop | Sizable pond | Additional 40 acres with equestrian facility available

$8,750,000

$6,500,000

$4,850,000

Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905

Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905

Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905

CREST HILL

PHEASANT’S EYE

WALNUTDALE LANE

$4,500,000 Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930

MAYAPPLE FARM

HUME, VIRGInIA

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGInIA

THE PLAINS, VIRGInIA

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGInIA

Experience unparalleled privacy on this exceptional Fauquier property along the Rappahannock River | 203 immaculately maintained acres w/approximately 1 mile river frontage | 1 acre stocked pond | Elegant stone & clapboard house | 5 BR, 4 full & 3 half baths, gourmet kitchen, spacious great room | Gunnite pool w/stunning views of Blue Ridge Mountains | Old Dominion Hunt | 5 stall Jim-Fletcher built barn | Residence set back 1/2 mile from road | VOF easement

Solid stone home c. 1790 expanded to 5 BR | First floor master suite and large family room additions | 9 FP, antique floors and millwork | Extensive outdoor living spaces, large pool and terrace, multiple outbuildings | 2 car barns used to garage 20+ cars | Accommodates large scale entertaining

Stunning new stone home on 13 acres | Fine materials & thoughtful design built by Promotory Construction | Gorgeous wood floors, high ceilings, beautiful kitchen & family room | French doors from almost every room open to large terrace overlooking large pond & views of the Blue Ridge Mountains | First floor master suite has vaulted beamed ceilings & a luxurious dressing room

Original portion of house built in 1790 in Preston City, CT | House was dismantled and rebuilt at current site | Detail of work is museum quality | Log wing moved to site from Western Virginia circa 1830 | 4 BR, 4 full BA, 2 half BA, 9 FP & detached 2-car garage | Historic stone bank barn and log shed moved from Leesburg, VA | Private, minutes from town | Frontage on Goose Creek | 37.65 acres

$3,200,000

$3,200,000

Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930

Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905

OLD ALDIE RECTORY

RECTOR CROSSING

$3,600,000

$3,200,000 Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930

alix coolidge 703.609.1724

HILLCREST

4 CHINN LANE

UPPERVILLE, VIRGInIA

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGInIA

ALDIE, VIRGInIA

DELAPLAnE, VIRGInIA

Spectacular hilltop setting, bold mountain views and Paris valley views | Home updated in 2017 | 4 BRs, 4 BA, 3 FP, gourmet kitchen, vaulted ceilings, skylights, lovely gardens, walkways and terrace | Improvements include in ground pool with spa | 2 stall barn with tack room, room for horses, spring fed pond | 13.37 acres next to parkland surrounded by large estates

Impressive and elegant home | Main level master suite opens to large blue stone terrace and garden with exceptional privacy | Gorgeous finishes through out the home | Large library off master bedroom can easily serve as a home office | Stunning living room opens to the dining room and a wall of windows and french doors with ample natural light and thoughtfully designed | 2 wood burning fireplaces, new roof, new siding and updated kitchen and baths, lots of storage | Absolutely turn key | 2 car garage and greenhouse

Historic home circa 1803, in village of Aldie | Originally a parsonage, part of land surveyed

by George Washington | Four bedrooms, two full and one half bath, six fireplaces and old wood floors | Front and rear porches, garden, in-ground pool, hot tub, entertainment area, gazebo, walkways and patios | Large studio or office | Conservation easement | B & B potential

$995,000

Absolutely turn key charming cottage in Rectortown on 7.6 acres | Completely restored cottage with open kitchen - living room | Upstairs bedroom has massive walk in closet and room for guest or office in the loft area | Lovely setting and wonderful wrap around porch | Must love trains because Southern Railroad is in your back yard | Land is all open and about 500’ of creek frontage

Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905 Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930

Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930

$1,425,000 Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905

$1,295,000 Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930

$559,000

LEATHER BRITCHES

F

By Vicky Moon

or those who may think that the Upperville gardens at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, founded by the late garden Goddess Bunny Mellon, are all roses, topiaries and boxwood parterres, think again.

Consider the four bountiful acres of the 700acre estate of the Bio-cultural Conservation Farm (BCCF). This is where Farm Manager Christine Harris and seven others work to nurture heirloom fruit and vegetables of the Appalachian and Piedmont region of Virginia. They grow them as plants and save the seeds. (Some may remember a year ago when we published a story on the Candy Roaster Squash and made a pie.)

The Phaseolus vulgaris at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Bio-cultural Conservation Farm date to the late 1700s and are known by the common name of ‘Lazy Wife’ Greasy Bean because the women harvesting the beans could easily grab a handful.

The hardscape on this portion of Oak Spring includes a walled garden, fenced fields for annual vegetables and perennial foods along with cold frames (think strawberries) and greenhouses, some dating to 1939. A pack house, seed processing room, event space and forest plots (for native medicinal woodland botanicals) are in the works. The goal of the BCCF is both production and also to share information on heirloom seeds, some of which date to circa 1780.

The BCCF provides food for the on-site programs such as the artist in residence and other guests. But their major focus, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic, is to help supply local food banks. So far this year, they’ve donated 9,000 of an expected 15,000 pounds of food to Fauquier County Community Food Bank, Seven Loaves, Community Cooks in Warrenton and the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry.

LEATHER BRITCHES 2 pounds of beans (greasy beans, string beans, waxy beans, etc.)

Darning needle Kite thread Wash and trim the stem end of the bean. Making sure you do not pierce the actual bean, pierce your threaded needle through the string bean and tie it around to secure it. After you’ve knotted the first bean, thread the rest of the beans until your strand is about arm’s length. Tie off the last bean as you did the first, making sure you have enough thread at the end to hang your strand up. Repeat until all the beans have been threaded. Hang in a dry place, over a fire on your back porch is preferable, until fully dried out. Depending on air flow, this will take two to four weeks.

COOKING LEATHER BRITCHES 4 cups dried leather britches 2 oz salt pork* -AND/ OR1 ham hock* Salt and Pepper

* Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

DEL WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties DEL WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* MARY WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* * Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

DEL WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties MARY WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.*

MARY P.T., O.C.S.* 204 WILSON, E. FEDERAL ST.

* Board Certified Orthopedic ClinicalST. Specialist 204 E. FEDERAL American BoardP.O. of Physical Therapy BOX 893 Specialties

MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118

204 E. FEDERAL ST. P.O. BOX 893 WILSON, DEL MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118 www.middleburg-pt.com

540-687-6565

P.O. BOX 893 MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118

* Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties

204 E. FEDERAL ST. 540-687-6565 P.O. BOX 893

MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118 www.middleburg-pt.com P.T.,540-687-6565 O.C.S.*

www.middleburg-pt.com

MARY WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.*

540-687-6565 MIDDLEBURG COMMON GROUNDS * Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist www.middleburg-pt.com American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties

204 E. FEDERAL ST. P.O. BOX 893 MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118

540-687-6565

www.middleburg-pt.com

DELDEL WILSON, P.T.,P.T., O.C.S.* WILSON, O.C.S.* MARY WILSON, P.T.,P.T., O.C.S.* MARY WILSON, O.C.S.*

DEL MAR

* Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist * Board C * Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

American BoardBoard of Physical Therapy Specialties American of Physical Therapy Specialties American

1. Cover the beans with plenty of water, let sit overnight to rehydrate.

2. Add the salt pork and/or ham hock to the beans and bring to a boil, then down to a simmer.

3. Slowly simmer the beans until they are soft and tender. This will take 2-3 hours. Top off with water as needed so your beans are not exposed.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Make sure you serve the cooking liquid (the potlikker) with your beans. *If you’d like to make this recipe vegetarian, leave out the pork and ham. It will still be delicious.

Recipe adapted by Saskia Poulos from traditional Appalachian recipes.

DEL WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* MARY WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.*

204204 E. FEDERAL ST. ST. E. FEDERAL P.O.P.O. BOXBOX 893893 MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118 MIDDLEBURG, VA 20118

MID

Breakfast & Lunch Coffee, Tea, www.middleburg-pt.com Served All Day Beer & Wine www.middleburg-pt.com

ww

540-687-6565 540-687-6565

2

5

114 W. Washington Street • Middleburg, VA • 540.687.7065 Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

3

of NOTE

ZES ST T & Sty t lel

Country

e

BE ON THE LOOKOUT through this issue of

ZEST & Style for the hummingbird.

ZES ST TStytlel & Country

Personalities, Celebrations and Sporting Pursuits © 2020 Country ZEST & Style, LLC. Published six times a year

Distributed and mailed throughout the Virginia countryside and in Washington and at key Sporting Pursuits and Celebrations

e

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 798 Middleburg, Virginia 20118

Contributing Photographers: Crowell Hadden, Sarah Huntington, Doug Gehlsen, Douglas Lees, Karen Monroe and Tiffany Dillon Keen

PHONE: 410-570-8447 Editor: Leonard Shapiro, badgerlen@aol. com Wine Editor: Peter Leonard-Morgan Food Editor: Daniela Anderson Art Director Meredith Hancock Hancock Media @mhancockmedia

Contributing Writers: Anita Sherman, Carina Elgin, Caroline Fout, Childs Burden, Emma Boyce, Jimmy Hatcher, Jimmy Wofford, Jodi Nash, John Sherman, John Toler, Justin Haefner, Kevin Ramundo, Leslie VanSant, Linda Roberts, Louisa Woodville, M.J. McAteer, Mara Seaforest, Melissa Phipps, Mike du Pont, Sean Clancy, Sebastian Langenberg, Sophie Scheps Langenberg, Tom Northrup, Tom Wiseman

For advertising inquiries, contact: Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447

ON THE COVER Photographer Doug Gehlsen tells us about our cover photo: “It was a little different in that during the shut down we changed the layout of our studio and moved the backdrop to an adjacent wall. The move provides more room for the placement of lighting and light stands as well as extending the distance we can now photograph our subject. Lastly, the new arrangement provides a larger lounge area where our off-camera guests can view the photo shoot. To evenly light our three photo subjects, we switched the beauty dish with a larger 3x4 softbox on the Paul C Buff Einstein strobe. The fill and backdrop lights remained the same with the Profoto B1 with a and B2.” Doug’s wife, Karen Monroe, served as stylist and consultant. As always, we have great appreciation for this photographic dynamic duo. And, many thanks to Rodrick Rigden of English Country Classics in Middleburg. Laura Kelsey is wearing an olive tweed jacket with fuchsia windowpane and a David Watson silk scarf. Dulany Morison has a two- button linen, silk and wool Prince of Wales tweed jacket with a light over-check. Both jackets are handmade in England using tweed woven in Scotland. And, Pam Doug Gehlsen Owens’ blends right in with her wardrobe, as well. of Middleburg Photo

/ Country Zest and Style

/ @countryzestandstyle

/ @countryzestand1

www.countryzestandstyle.com 4

ZE

Country

Country

He appears in two ads and the first two readers to find him (one each) will receive a gift from THE RED TRUCK Rural Bakery, with locations in Warrenton and Marshall.

Send your reply to badgerlen@aol.com.

HISTORY: A PIECE OF CAKE

W

hen we called our friend Brian Noyes, founder and owner of The Red Truck, to ask if we could offer a copy of his celebrated cookbook for our hummingbird promotion, he immediately said yes. Better yet, he generously sweetened the prize with one of his scrumptious Shenandoah Apple cakes for our two winners.

Noyes was a colleague at The Washington Post, a brilliant art director who once re-designed the paper’s Sunday magazine. He’s also a world-class baker, a man whose fabulous creations have been consumed by Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and a huge local clientele. And very soon, Country ZEST Hummingbird hunters.

And now back to our latest edition.

Don’t know much about history? And particularly local history? Our cover subjects can help fix that. They lead three important groups devoted to educating young and old on our area’s storied past. Dulany Morison, chair of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association, Pam Jones, chair of Oatlands, and Laura Kelsey, president of the Fauquier Historical Society, all are profiled, and there’s plenty more local history, as well.

Long-time Fauquier journalist John Toler has a fascinating story on a famous 1800s resort built around a natural sulphur spring near Warrenton. It’s long gone, but definitely not forgotten, with an historical marker recently installed at its original site.

Childs Burden, one of the area’s most respected historians and a regular ZEST contributor, offers a piece on the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe and their original leader, Alexander Spotswood. In 1710 he was appointed lieutenant governor and in 1716, led an expedition to uncharted areas of Virginia.

We’ve got Part Two of Joe Austin’s story on his Warrenton uncle who commanded a ship involved in major action in the Pacific during World War II. And long-time area resident Jimmy Hatcher recalls the fox-chasing exploits of another wartime hero, General George Patton, who frequently went tally ho as he charged through fields all around.

We also offer a variety of stories from the here and now—features on a local young man embarking on a new career as a Nebraska cattleman/cowboy; a second generation master plumber whose Middleburg-based company has also branched out in the field of home water care; a Fauquier County psychiatrist spearheading the renovation of an abandoned Catholic Church in Warrenton that once served as a Civil War hospital for Union and Confederate casualties.

There’s lots more to savor, the better to add a little ZEST to your leisurely reading.

Leonard Shapiro Editor Badgerlen@aol.com

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

FALL INTO THE HUNT COUNTRY LIFESTYLE

Fall is a magical time in Hunt Country. We get to enjoy the vast open spaces, breathe in the crisp autumn air and watch the leaves change right before our eyes. It’s a time when we give thanks for the beauty and majesty of nature.

When you live in Hunt Country, you are opening yourself up to a uniquely peaceful and healthy way of life. If you’re interested in seeing one of our properties, contact Thomas & Talbot today. We’re here to show you the Hunt Country way of life with social distancing in mind.

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A UNISON ON THE RIGHT

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local family has worked with the Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) in conjunction with The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association (VPHAA) to permanently protect their historic property in Unison. It will be preserved as open space in perpetuity, forever honoring those who fought and died here during the Civil War. The 32-acre property is located entirely within the 8,000-acre Unison Battlefield Historic District. The battle that took place there in 1862 played a critical role in the nation’s history.

Join us for our 2nd Annual

Holiday Open House www.greersconservation.com

November 8 & 9, 2014 37627 Allder School Road 10am-4pm

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“Just thinking about the Battle of Unison, we can visualize the artillery bombardment that went directly over our property,” said the property owner, who wishes to remain anonymous.

As it turns out, the interest of VPHAA in protecting our historic landscape prompted the current owners to contact LTV. “We have always intended to protect the integrity of the property in our lifetime,” the property owner said. “We purchased our contingent 11 acres from the original landowner who owned much of the Unison area, to prevent any more houses fronting the road and, of course, protecting the open space views. ” They investigated placing the property into easement well over ten years ago with LTV. This past fall, the owners learned about VHPAA and their Bondi Family Land Conservation and Battlefield Preservation Fund, with its focus on preserving properties within the Unison Battlefield Study Area.

And so, with the generous assistance of the Bondi Fund, and additional funding from LTV’s Deborah Whittier Fitts Battlefield Stewardship Fund, the landowners were ready to move forward with the easement.

37627 Allder School Road Purcellville, VA 20132 Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020 540.338.6607 greersant@aol.com Regular hours are by

EASEMENT

SIDE OF HISTORY

The natural resources of the property are also of value and include staterecognized “prime farmland” soils, a pond and a perennial stream with protected forested buffers. The easement also prevents any future division of the property, forever.

“This is a wonderful accomplishment for conservation and historic preservation, and part of a larger and very successful effort by various members of the Unison community to protect the village and its surrounding farms,” said Ashton Cole, LTV’s Director of Conservation and Stewardship.

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Since the owners were aware they would never develop the property, it was not a big leap for them to confirm that sentiment.

“We moved here when you could gas up at the Phillips 66 tank at the Unison Store, buy a sandwich, milk, eggs and other staples, and fortunately, the rural nature of the village remains to this day, the owner said.

“Putting the property into conservation easement was just the right thing to do for the property and the area. When you look at the map of conservation easements in Loudoun County, you find that there is a strong trend towards preservation. We are proud to now be a part of that trend.”

The Land Trust of Virginia is a nonprofit organization that partners with private landowners who voluntarily protect and preserve properties with significant historic, scenic, or ecological value. With the addition of this easement, LTV now holds 200 easements protecting a total of 22,878 acres in 18 counties in Virginia.

The mission of The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association is to educate and advocate for the preservation of the extraordinary historic landscape and culture of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area for future generations.

Sat., October 10, 2020 Post Time 7:00 pm West Virginia Breeders Classics, Ltd. P.O. Box 1251 | Charles Town, WV 25414 www.wvbc.com | 304-725-0709 Carol Holden, President | Theresa Bitner, Exec. Sec. | Sam Huff, Chairman Emeritus

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

7

Amazing Grace in Restoring Historic Church

By Anita L. Sherman

W

orth restoring. Worth preserving. Worth remembering.

Dr. Francis ‘Bud’ Andres stepped gingerly onto the floor of what once was St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Warrenton at 79 E. Lee Street.

The building was erected in 1861 due to Ann America Semmes Payne, who arrived in Warrenton 13 years earlier as a new bride and a staunch Catholic. Lamenting the lack of a Catholic place of worship, she set into motion an ambitious plan to build a church in the summer of 1860. By the following year, St. John’s was erected because of her fundraising efforts.

The parish didn’t have long to gather. The Civil War had both Union and Confederate casualties needing assistance after the battles of Bull Run. The Town of Warrenton changed hands some 60 times during the war and the church served as a hospital for hundreds.

Photo by Anita Sherman

Dr. Francis “Bud” Andres

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“This is part of the original floor,” said Andres, pointing to a small preserved section. He smiled recalling a group of Boy Scouts who were invited to visit. “I asked them if they knew about DNA,” said Andres. “I told them there had been plenty here with blood-soaked floors that were eventually removed.”

Nearly a century after the church was built, the St. John’s parish needed more space. In 1963, a new church was built on the former grounds of the Stuyvesant School. Since that time, the original church and its former rectory and parish hall have been used for many purposes.

Under new ownership since September 2019, there are plans to restore all three buildings.

A psychiatrist for more than 40 years and a Fauquier resident, Andres is president of Guadalupe, Inc., a nonprofit corporation with a seven-person board. Its restoration mission: renovate the three buildings and use them in altruistic ways.

They currently have several goals.

It will be reinvented with a new identity as a pilgrimage chapel known as “The Guadalupe Chapel of Divine Mercy.” Dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, revered by Catholics as the patroness of the Americas, it will be a place of devotion and liturgical events.

A more recent development in Catholic practice is devotion to the Divine Mercy based on the writings of Sister Maria Faustina Kawolska, a Polish nun who died in 1938, and who believed that she was an

instrument for Christ’s mercy.

She had a painting commissioned representing an image of Christ that had appeared to her. That image of Divine Mercy will grace the five-foot circular window above the altar. Below the window will be a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to the right a statue of St. Joseph and to the left one of St. Pope John Paul II, who fully supported the spiritual diary of Sister Kawolska in the 1960s, calling her “the greatest apostle of Divine Mercy in our time.”

Andres also is keen on preserving its history, particularly as a Civil War hospital.

“The building will be open to the public,” said Andres, “dedicated to the memory of those who died during the Civil War…both Union and Confederate…we need to remember.”

Another historical person of interest is Father William Corby, who served as chaplain of the 88th New York Infantry, part of the Union Irish Brigade.

Known as the “Fighting Chaplain,” Corby was given permission to address the troops prior to the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. He pronounced a general absolution of sins for those who were truly repentant, Catholic and non-Catholic. He believed his ministry represented every soldier.

Corby visited St. John’s after Gettysburg, meeting with the Semmes family. After the war, he became president of Notre Dame University in 1865 at age 33 and served a second term in 1877. He is also heralded as the second founder of Notre Dame when

it was nearly destroyed by a fire in 1879. Undaunted by the disaster, Corby raised funds to rebuild and classes resumed the following year.

Former owner and Warrenton interior designer Barry Dixon had previously done renovations to the rectory, which houses several light-filled offices.

Andres, who plans to retire at the end of the year, sees many possibilities for this space.

“I’d like to see a sort of free clinic here where I could continue seeing patients,” he said. “I have two psychologist friends who are interested as well.”

Caring for the needy is part of Andres’s vision.

Looking in at the parish hall, now a large vacant building that includes a stage and a large upper floor, Andres speculated that living quarters for unwed mothers or other displaced persons could be part of that plan.

Andres and the board are working on a capital campaign fundraising effort.

“A million people could all donate a dollar,” he mused, adding that current estimates for the church renovation come in at a million collars.

“We’ve owned the buildings for a year,” he said.

“The timing is right…It’s time to get the ball rolling.

We’re on the right path…It’s in the hands of the Lord…It will happen.”

For more information, visit www.guadalupechapel. org or, to reach Dr. Andres, call 540-222-4050 or go to fdandresmd@gmail.com.

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Vineyard VIEW

Middleburg’s Colony Cocktails Offers a Unique Blend

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8393 West Main | Marshall, VA 20115 | 540 364-5402

Huntcountrykitchens.com Fine Custom Cabinetry & More

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By Peter Leonard-Morgan

iddleburg is renowned as the nation’s foxchasing capital, for its beautiful horse farms and as an idyllic country getaway. And now it has added another signature asset in the form of Colony Cocktails.

The brainchild of Middleburg residents Jessica and Philip Miller (Philip also is the town’s vice mayor), the Photos by nascent Colony Cocktails brand brings a whole new Peter Leonard-Morgan beverage segment to select stores, restaurants and bars in Colony Cocktails’ “The Tangier” Virginia, formulated around wine rather than spirits.

The Millers have long been traditional cocktail enthusiasts, and saw an opportunity to develop a business around that enjoyment. They’ve created recipes, designed a brand and introduced a different option to wine and cocktail aficionados everywhere.

The spark was none other than the “Soixante Quinze,” or 75 Cocktail, a French delight consisting of Champagne, lemon juice and syrup (and a dash of gin), which Jessica and Philip enjoy making.

The couple also recognized that making individual wine cocktails at home can be tedious—particularly after a long day at work—not to mention wasteful. Cracking open a bottle of good Champagne in order to use just a few ounces for a couple of cocktails, while seeing the remainder go flat, is simply unacceptable. So why not simplify the process, and offer delicious cocktails in cans.

Jessica and Philip also saw that in a strict alcohol control state like Virginia, a winebased, cocktail-in-a-can would provide greater distribution opportunities than liquorPhilip and Jessica Miller with their three Colony Cocktails wine based variants, allowing them to market through grocery stores, gourmet markets and based blends in Middleburg wine shops.

During 2016, with the ready-made beverage in a can category in its infancy, together with 20-plus years of brand marketing expertise, Jessica set about designing an attractive brand identity around an initial series of cocktail recipes, and brought in a design firm to help develop their logo and visuals.

They tested out various mixtures on friends at home, before the coronavirus pandemic put an end to such social get-togethers, resulting in three distinct cocktails. They’re infused with various herbs and spices for different tastes, from a fruity to a spicy, and finally more of a bitter, Negroni-esque concoction.

They view their cocktails as natural complements to cheese and charcuterie gatherings, tailgate parties and no end of social get togethers, once coronavirus is fully in the rearview mirror.

Their journey has had its hurdles. Developing a business in the alcoholic beverage arena is, as Jessica said, “not for the weak of heart…Some of the rules and regulations haven’t been rewritten since the end of prohibition, so navigating that can be a frustrating experience.”

During their first formula production, the U.S. government decided to shut down, including the very agency which oversees alcohol production and sales.

This resulted in long backlogs for all beverage businesses needing approvals, with correspondingly lengthy production delays.

Jessica and Philip partnered with a specialist company with the experience needed to make their recipes scalable to production volumes, while maneuvering through all the required legal hoops. They are now licensed to distribute at the wholesale level to retailers, restaurants and bars in Virginia, with plans for organic expansion farther afield.

Locally, Colony Cocktails selections are available at retailers across Hunt Country as well as in Reston and Alexandria, with more to come.

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

Hawken Hits Her Stride with Most Recent Book of Poetry “The Spinal Sequence” in 2013, “Sequel” in 2019 and two full collections, “The Luck of Being” in 2008 and “White Bird” in 2017.

“Stride for stride with hounds in sight, the pack: a many-throated single creature, a white-flecked oval, singing beast.”

I

Her poetry delves deeply into the human psyche, touching a nerve, bringing a tear, often catching the reader by surprise, and demanding a second read to be fully appreciated. In her verse, Hawken writes of what she knows best, the loss of her husband, her son’s struggle after becoming paralyzed, and a lifetime appreciating the outdoors and changing cycles of nature that surround her Clarke County home.

By Linda Roberts

n tune with nature, Wendell Hawken walks her farm daily, regardless of the weather, with her two dogs, Gus and Sprite, both Labradorpoodle crosses. She knows where the deer jump out, how to spot a low-flying hawk, and where the scourge of all farmers, the hated thistles, grow.

Making a mental note of the coordinates of newly found thistles, Hawken will come back later, clippers in hand, to render them useless from spreading seeds across her fields. She is a good steward of the land.

The deer that leap from her dogs’ free-ranging runs over the farm, the dreaded thistles, the land and skies are all subject to being explored in Hawken’s poetry, composed on her laptop in her light-filled dining room.

Recently off the presses, her “Stride for Stride: A Country Life” collection of verse brings the reader in touch with horses and hounds and the fall season, a favorite time of the year for many who follow the age-old pursuit of mounted fox chasing.

“The huntsman pulls his copper horn from between the buttons of his pink coat blows a full-lung note that tapers to a tremble: the day’s third fox gone to ground.

Wendell Hawken is the pen name of Wendy Clatterbuck and the real name of her father.

In this latest release of her poetry, Hawken knows her subject well, having devoted over 40 years to a rural lifestyle, horses and riding, hounds and fox chasing. Her verse is interwoven through those decades spotlighting memories of days well lived in the hunt field and the camaraderie with friends who shared her pleasure.

“May you gift yourself a life with horses and with hounds.

And may your children’s children ride.”

“Stride for Stride” follows Hawken’s publication of three chapbooks, “Mother Tongue” in 2001,

A native of Washington, D.C., Hawken graduated from Vassar College, achieving her MFA from Warren Wilson College’s Program for Writers 39 years after leaving Vassar with her BA degree. (Wendell Hawken, by the way, is her pen name and the name of her father.

Friends know her as Wendy Clatterbuck.)

Her award-winning poetry has been consistently recognized for its quality and Hawken was honored by the Library of Virginia at its annual literary awards gala in 2018.

With “Stride for Stride: A Country Life” Hawken continues to follow a pattern of writing stellar verse that enchants the reader.

She is once again hitting her stride with this volume.

Excerpts are from “Stride for Stride: A Country Life.” To obtain a copy contact whawken@hughes.net.

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Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

11

At Home on the Range

I

By Leonard Shapiro

t’s a long way from tiny Unison, Virginia to a sprawling cattle ranch in the northwest corner of Nebraska.

And it’s also a long way from that ranch to anywhere, including a 65-mile drive just to get to the nearest town.

Still, Andrew Looney, a 21-yearold native of the Middleburg area, is truly at home on the range far from his own Virginia roots. He started this summer as an intern in cowboy boots on the 50,000-acre Rocking J Ranch, owned by one of the nation’s premier cattlemen, Jerry Adamson.

Andrew Looney, a Middleburg native and Hill School graduate, during a recent trip home.

Photo by Vicky Moon

After two months of working with cows, bulls, calves and the horse he rides, Looney was offered a full-time job. He described it as the opportunity of a lifetime and exactly what he’s always dreamed of doing, all the way back to his days at Middleburg’s Hill School.

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Bob Vantrease, a family friend who lives in Upperville, is a retired cattleman who has known Adamson for years and helped arrange Andrew’s internship at Rocking J. Andrew started on June 1, and worked mostly under the watchful eye of Jerry’s son, Todd, who eventually offered him the job.

“It was supposed to be for the summer, to see if I liked it out there,” Andrew said. “After about a month, I was talking with Todd about school. Todd said if I could finish my degree on line and I’d like to stay, we could work it out.”

Andrew must complete 24 credits to graduate, and he should be able to finish by next summer.

Vantrease said he’s delighted Andrew quickly adapted to this new way of life.

“He’s a great kid,” Vantrease said. “I’ve known the Adamsons for more than 50 years, and he’s in great hands. He’s going to the largest cattle county in the U.S. They’ve got 165,000 cows and only 6,500 people. They love him. And he’s having the time of his life.”

Andrew is living in a bunkhouse, making good friends, and chows down with a young couple also working on the ranch. Rocking J also provided him a highlyskilled horse to make herding cows from the saddle a piece of (beef) cake.

Andrew also was all in for one of the ranch’s most important tasks— branding and vaccinating calves required by Nebraska law. One day this past summer, starting at 6 a.m., 900 calves were branded.

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Todd Adamson, a fourth generation rancher, is his immediate supervisor and “He almost makes it like a science classroom every day,” Andrew said. “He enjoys making the cattle better. He wants to keep the cows relaxed and calm.”

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Andrew and a young Rocking J pal already have started talking about someday starting their own cattle business. That’s a long way down the road, much farther than the 65 miles he has to drive to Valentine, Nebraska, the closest town.

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“When I first came out here, I was a little nervous,” Andrew said. “I didn’t know anybody. But these are just some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and that makes it easy to move across the country. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

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The son of Greg and Mary Looney, Andrew grew up riding horses, including time in the hunt field. He’s worked with cows at Whitestone Farm in Aldie while he was attending Middleburg Andrew Looney (in pink shirt) is now Academy and during summer breaks a full time cowboy. from Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where he was in the agriculture business program.

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

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Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

13

Glass Ceiling Hasn’t Stopped Local Trainer

SUSAN

COONEY

S

By Linda Roberts

usan Cooney rolls up leg wraps while we talk in her farm office, two large Labradors sprawled at her feet. Photographs of horses posed in the winner’s circle with her name listed as trainer line the walls and bridles and halters with brass nameplates hang in orderly rows.

Susan Cooney with two of her Labradors and her filly Fionnbharr.

Photo by Linda Roberts

A racehorse trainer for over 30 years, Cooney, 59, relays snippets of a life that has revolved around horses since she was a child. One such snippet was a 2008 victory with Leva Mae in The WV Triple Crown Nutrition Breeders Classic a $125,000 race and part of the West Virginia Breeders Classics. She is one of a handful of women to win on this prestigious evening of racing, which will take place this year on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. Post time is 7 p.m.

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In an occupation that has traditionally been maledominated, Cooney has been training horses long enough to notice that increasing numbers of women are entering the industry as trainers and jockeys.

Cooney was the classic ten-year-old girl bitten by the horse bug at summer camp. She followed her passion through college, earning a master’s degree in breeding farm management and later as an intern at Pillar Stud in Kentucky.

“I don’t see the limitations,” she said, noting that she and husband, former champion steeplechase jockey Patrick Cooney, have had the same clients “for a long time. You develop a reputation for what you do and people find you. Actually, we have some clients who seek us out because they want a woman trainer.”

With an eye to her goal of becoming a trainer, Cooney’s career included working for veteran horseman Charlie Cushman, then later as farm trainer at Whitewood Farm in The Plains. Several years after marrying Patrick in 1988, the couple opened their own racing operation.

At Cooney Racing Stables, headquartered on 200 acres at Walnut Hall Farm in Clarke County, horses fill the 40 stalls for Cooney’s seven owners along with some they own.

Licensed to train racehorses in seven states, Cooney is backed up by her husband, licensed as an assistant trainer. Their operation keeps four grooms at work in the stables and four exercise riders busy at the farm’s 5/8ths-of-a-mile training track. When Patrick is not overseeing the day-to-day running of the stables, he can also be found galloping one of the young horses.

With the Cooneys both licensed, and with two trucks and trailers, they ship their horses to various tracks in the region to enter races where they have the best potential to succeed.

“In a bad week,” she said, with a smile, “I could be shipping horses (to race) to three or four states.”

Her days start at 5:30 a.m. and often don’t end until midnight if horses are entered in races. Vacations aren’t on the calendar.

In the world of Thoroughbred racing, bloodlines, proper conditioning and savvy training are key elements to success. Most horsemen will add that a

Photo courtesy of WVBC

Susan Cooney in a post victory interview with jockey Gustavo Larrosa. bit of luck is also essential. Ask Cooney about the luck that seemed to follow her after buying a filly named In Too Deep for a dollar. She said the filly was a total giveaway, but Patrick insisted that they pay the owners a dollar or “she wouldn’t amount to anything.”

The filly went on to win $150,000 and, as a broodmare, gave birth to the Cooneys’ best racehorse to date, the stakes-winning mare, Embarr, whose earnings total almost $250,000. With any luck, Embarr’s filly, Fionnbharr, who is currently racing, will follow in her dam’s hoof prints.

Cooney has also excelled in the nearby Charles Town-based West Virginia Breeders Classics for several of her owners. In 2003, Pete’s Hick Chick won the Classics’ two-year-old filly race and five years later, Leva Mae took the same race. Both horses retired to Cooney’s farm.

“It’s not an easy life, and we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t love the horses,” Cooney said, adding that slowing down doesn’t seem to be in the cards any time soon.

“It’s very rewarding to win a race for our loyal clients,” she said, and it’s “especially great to win with one that you bred.”

For more on The West Virginia Breeders Classics, Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, go to: www.wvbc.com, 304-725-0709 or wvbcmbn@frontier.com

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We salute the leaders who wrapped their vision and commitment—and arms—around this community to create and sustain a permanent charitable resource.

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

15

Hot Stuff with Peaches and Peppers

By Daniela Anderson ZEST Food Editor

A

t this time of year, thoughts of seasoned and maiden vegetable gardeners turn to putting up the delightful bounty.

For this issue of ZEST, I offer Habanero Peach Jam. Aside from being absolutely delicious, this jam is a winner because it can be made with just a few ingredients and you don’t need pectin to get it to gel. You can add pectin if you like, but it’s not necessary.

First, a few notes: To prep, wash jars and lids with hot soapy water or run them through the dishwasher. Finish sanitizing by putting the jars in a large pot of boiling water with the lids in a small pot of boiling water. Jars should be hot when the jam is added, so the glass doesn’t crack.

On handling Habaneros safely: the hot peppers contain an oil that can cause irritation and burning. The biggest challenge is not rubbing your eyes or your face accidentally with the oils on your hands. So use a pair of snug-fitting gloves and ventilate the kitchen because these pesky vapors also can irritate the throat.

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Add the puréed/mashed peaches, sugar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and habaneros to a heavy-bottomed pot. (Aluminum prevents the jam from scorching while cooking.) Stir continuously over a low flame for 2025 minutes. The jam is ready when it’s thick and the foam on the surface disappears. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

The goal of this delicious jam is including heat and bite while still being able to taste the peach. If you taste test while cooking the jam, the Habaneros will be much hotter and intense at the beginning while they are still raw.

For extra-hot jam, add the Habaneros in the last ten minutes of cooking.

Dispose of the gloves and wash your hands several times to make sure the pepper oils are gone.

This jam is fabulous served with cream cheese and crackers or crusty bread. As a tasty glaze for grilled salmon, it can be created by thinning down the jam with some balsamic vinegar and brushing it onto the grilled fish. Work safely and Buon Appetito.

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

Leo Grant Preaches Your Will, Your Way

L

Aracely. He had always worked out, thanks to his father’s early urging, and he finally decided to make a career out of fitness training.

By James Jarvis

eo Grant likes to say that family and faith started him on his journey to becoming the owner of the Mold Me Fitness Studio in Middleburg.

After earning his personal training certification, Grant started working with clients in a gym in Warrenton. After a few years, he created his own personal training business with clients at their homes until he was hired by the owners of Mold Me Fitness in 2010.

Grant, 41, was born and raised in Marshall, where he still lives with his wife and four children. There are many Grant family members all around the area, including his first cousin Dwight, who owns a popular hair-styling salon on Middleburg’s main street.

“My dad was always in and out of Middleburg and told me that there was a new fitness center that was opening up, and I should go check it out,” Grant said.

“So that’s what I did.”

“All my family is from Marshall and Rectortown— all these little towns,” Leo Grant said. “So, I’ve got a lot of background back through here.”

“Legacy” was the word running through Grant’s mind when he decided to purchase the business from Heather and Tony Galloway eight years later in 2017.

In making the decision, Grant said, his mindset was focused on his family, “something that I could possibly pass down to one of my kids to take over.”

Grant credits his father with instilling in him the habit and importance of exercise as an adolescent and remembers his dad always pushing him to get stronger.

They would spend many mornings and nights working out together in the basement using a three-piece circuit fitness machine and a punching bag.

“I think [my father] just kind of wanted to have a son to kind of man up a little bit – have someone to get tough with,” Grant said.

In 1998, after graduating from Fauquier High School, Grant left home to earn a degree in theology from Life Christian University, which has a remote campus in Amissville. Grant thought he might become a Christian counselor coming out of college and eventually a pastor.

Before that could happen, Grant said it was

Leo Grant of Mold Me Fitness Photo © Vicky Moon

important for him to first find “wisdom” and he also had faith that God would show him the path forward. “You can’t go into this just saying anything and being anything you want,” he said. “You’ve got to experience some things to say some things.”

Grant had several jobs out of college, including working at a childcare center where he met his wife,

While there have been ups and downs in the business, the studio is now doing well. And when one of his many devoted clients walks through the door to work with him on cardio, flexibility or strength training, they all know by now that Grant’s inspirational motto is “your will, your way.”

He’d also like to think he’s now guiding them much the same way his faith guided him to his current work. Not to mention his father, and that well-worn basement punching bag.

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Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

17

5/11/20 5:29 PM

Exploring the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe

T

we drank to the rest of the royal family with Claret and fired a volley in their honor. After which we drank to the Royal Governor’s health and fired a volley in his honor. We enjoyed several sorts of liquors such as Virginia red wine and white wine, two sorts of rum, brandy, punch and cider.”

By Childs Burden

he story begins with a gentleman named Alexander Spotswood, who was born in the Tangier Colony in Morocco in 1676.

His father was an army doctor in the service to the British Empire. In time, the family returned to England and Alexander followed his father into military life when he turned seventeen.

(Now we know what those spare horses were packing.)

At some point, the happy party buried a bottle along the river bank which housed a royal deed claiming the valley in the name of George the First of England. One also must wonder what the Native Americans must have thought about this extraordinary performance.

Alexander advanced steadily within the ranks, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at age 27. He saw military action in The Duke of Marborough’s army and was seriously wounded at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 in The War of the Spanish Succession.

In 1710, Alexander was appointed by King George I to take up residence in the Virginia Colony as Lieutenant Governor. He travelled to Williamsburg and became the first Royal Governor to take up residence in the Governor’s Mansion, now faithfully recreated.

During his term of service, Governor Spotswood dealt with the contentious Virginia Council while also often managing the frequent Indian conflicts that arose as colonial populations moved steadily westward.

In 1716, six years into his colonial service to the crown and at age forty, Governor Spotswood organized an exploratory expedition to cross the frontier of the Blue Ridge Mountains and lay claim to the lands found there for George I. The expedition’s base camp was Fort Germanna, a settlement he had created by recruiting talented miners from Germany to exploit iron deposits along the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers.

The location of Fort Germanna today is between Fredericksburg and Culpeper and close to where Route 3 passes over the Rapidan. A visit to the Germanna Foundation Museum offers valuable information on this fascinating settlement on the western frontier of the Virginia Colony.

Governor Spotswood outfitted 50 men and 74 horses on August 29, 1716 and left Fort Germanna

18

The Golden Horseshoe

Alexander Spotswood heading west along the Rappahannock. They followed the river to Swift Run Gap southwest of Culpeper. They then descended into the Shenandoah Valley, perhaps the first white men to ever have reached this part of Virginia.

The expedition included 14 military scouts and 4 Mehrren Indians, with one scout assigned to document the adventure. That fellow was John Fountaine and history owes him a great debt because there is no other record of this expedition.

On September 6, they rode down into the Shenandoah Valley on the east side of Massanutten Mountain and reached the north fork of the Shenandoah. Scout Fontaine chronicled what happened.

“After setting up camp we enjoyed a nice dinner,” he wrote. “We then drank to the king’s health with Champaign and fired a volley in his honor, and we drank to the princess’s health with Burgundy and fired a volley in her honor and then

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

The party left the following day and unfortunately, Fontaine does not enlighten us as to the condition of the merry gentlemen. Still, reasonable speculation would likely conclude that the return trip must have been rather somber as the adventurers endeavored to nurse their horrific hangovers.

They made it back to Fort Germanna safely and at a later time, Governor Spotswood awarded each officer of the expedition a stickpin made of gold and shaped like a horseshoe bearing the inscription, “Sic juvat transcendere montes” meaning “Thus it is pleasant to cross the mountains.”

The golden horseshoes were each studded with semi-precious stones and of the appropriate size to attach to a watch chain. With that token of appreciation, the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe rode into history 304 years ago.

Governor Spotswood was recalled to England in 1722 but returned to Germanna in 1739, serving as Postmaster General. He died in 1740 at age 64.

Today, the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe are still recognized by the U.S. Army 100th Regiment who honor their Knights for exemplary service and duty.

For more history of the Germanna Settlement, go to: www.germanna.org.

This Natural Can’t Be Fenced In

A

By Leonard Shapiro

t the ripe old age of 15, Calob Harshman went to his father, Rick, the owner of Blue Ridge Fence, with an idea to expand the company’s business into new territory.

Blue Ridge is based in Hagerstown and primarily serviced Washington County in Maryland, southern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, a threehour radius around their home base. Young Calob had a better idea, suggesting an expansion over the Virginia border and into Loudoun County.

He was already working in the business after school at Green Spring High in Hagerstown and over summer vacations, and was totally enamored with everything about the operation. And his dad was all in on his idea, as well.

“I always liked the line of work and working with farmers and equestrians,” Calob said. “We got to work on some of the most beautiful farms and properties, which I enjoyed so much. I also realized that there would not be much of a future for me in the business if I did not think outside the box.

“I had to do something to grow the business so that I could also grow into it. I saw how much potential there was if we just broadened our service area, so that was my mission. With the fall of farm commodity prices, I also knew the equine industry would be my target.”

And he was so right. His dad’s teen angel—again, he was only 15 at the time—was armed with a laptop,

2020-2021 Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Season

Photo by Doug Gehlsen Middleburg Photo

Calob Harshman, a fencing master. a cell phone, and a Facebook account.

“I also had some will power,” said Calob, now 20.

And so, with his father’s blessing, not to mention faith in his son’s instincts and precocious business acumen, “I started focusing on Virginia, with the primary focus of Loudoun County.”

Initially, he scored a couple of “decent projects” in 2015, and the following year he smacked what he likes to call “my first home run.”

“I connected with a barn builder and farm planner and sealed the deal on my largest sale to that date,” he said. “It was a completely new private farm facility in eastern Loudoun County. That project made my entire year and fueled the fire to keep this journey going.

“With that project, along with another new farm in New Jersey and another project in Culpeper County, 2016 was a total win for us and I was beyond excited.

I knew this was the career path for me.”

Essentially, the kid was a Robert Redford-like Natural, knocking it out of the park with the consistency of Babe Ruth.

“From then on I’ve kept my focus in Virginia, primarily Loudoun,” he said. “Since then, we’ve tackled a number of projects from Virginia all the way up to Connecticut, and everywhere in between.”

Calob, who still lives in Hagerstown, an 80-mile drive from Middleburg, is often hands-on himself, spending half his time in sales, marketing, giving estimates and invoicing and accounting. At age 20, he said he’s essentially running the company, though his father also has plenty to say about the business.

“The rest of my time I’m still out in the field installing fence,” Calob said. “We’re now having our best year to date and we’ve had just unreal growth. In 2015 I had no idea where I would be in five years. But here we are, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

From Darkness to Light

For more information on Blue Ridge Fence, go to www. blueridgefenceco.com, visit their site on Facebook @ blueridgefenceco or call or text 301-302-5410.

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Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

19

Snider’s Riders Are Always on the Way J

By Leonard Shapiro

oey Snider’s career path makes perfect sense. From the age of 13, he frequently followed his father, Ray, a master plumber, out the door of their house in The Plains.

Then he’d hop in the truck and head out to various jobs all around the area.

“My father taught me how to be a plumber,” Joey said, sitting in his spacious office at the Middleburg headquarters of J.R. Snider, LTD, specializing in plumbing and water care. “By the time I was 18 or 19, I was telling the older plumbers what to do. No, that didn’t go over very well.”

A 1976 graduate of Fauquier High, Joey still had much to learn about his future profession.

He had finished two years of community college and at one point thought about going to Virginia Tech. But not for long.

“I told my dad I wanted to be a plumber,” he said.

Ray Snider had started his company in 1966, working out of the family home before relocating the business to Middleburg in 1977.

By 1979, the company had moved again to its current location on the south end of Pendleton St. Joey was still going through a five-year apprentice program and two years in a supervisory position. By 1982, he was a master plumber and had completed another rigorous program in gas fitting.

When Ray Snider decided to retire at age 55 in 1983, he had a simple message for his son.

“He told me I could buy the business, or go out and get a job.” Joey said.

This was clearly a no-brainer, and on Joey’s watch, the operation has grown from its original four employees now up to 18.

That also includes Kristi, his wife of 13 years and the company’s office manager, among countless other tasks in her job description, including screening and interviewing potential new hires.

The business has expanded exponentially in other ways. They’ve established a water care division that perfectly complements the plumbing side. There are now over 1,400 clients in an area that covers a 40-mile radius to the west of Middleburg and a 30 miles radius to the east.

“We’re growing all the time,” Joey said. “We average about three to seven new clients every

20

Photo by Vicky Moon

Joey Snider has all the right DNA. week. A lot of it is word of mouth and people reading your reviews on line.”

Those reviews are consistently excellent, and Joey would have it no other way. Both he and Kristi describe him as a perfectionist, and while he no longer goes out as the main man on most jobs, he makes his presence known with unannounced drop-ins to see how his people are performing.

“I call myself the Trash Man because I’ll clean things up and help them any way I can,” he said. “People know we’re high quality. And we wouldn’t be doing this for 37 years if we weren’t reasonable. People will say, ‘I hope you’re as good as they say you are.’ They usually call us again.”

Snider calls his crew “Snider’s Riders,” adding that, “I’m always there for my guys, 24 hours a day. My dad always said ‘nothing good ever happens after 9 o’clock at night.’”

If there’s an after-hours emergency, the Riders have to be ready, day or night. “They are all well aware this is an on-call service,” Joey said. “And they are well-compensated.”

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

Joey and Kristi are particularly picky about new hires. Candidates with solid vocational training are hard to find. “The work force is not that great,” Joey said. “One out of ten or fifteen is a keeper.”

Those who do make the cut also are encouraged to adhere to six core beliefs, what Joey calls “The DNA of Snider’s Riders.” That would be credibility, kindness, humor, respect, trust and understanding.

“If you don’t have those six things in your DNA,” Joey said, “you can’t work here.”

Said Kristi, “they also love that he tries to create new avenues for them to get better. And he wants to do it right. He’s always available. We can be at home, and he’ll be on the phone with one of the guys. They all want to have time with him.”

And there is one critical question employees are always encouraged to ask.

“What would Joey do?” Kristi said. “And they all know the answer.”

Laura Kelsey,

((

WHEW!

Historian and Genealogist

By John Toler

I

t’s been said that studying the past is often like visiting another country. If so, Warrenton resident Laura Kelsey – president of the Fauquier Historical Society and a director of the Fauquier Heritage and Preservation Foundation – would be a world traveler.

Kelsey has lived in the Virginia Piedmont since her marriage to David Kelsey in 1967, first at Sherwood Farm in Culpeper County before moving to Warrenton in 1975. After college, she taught English in schools in Fluvanna and Madison counties, but was always drawn to history.

“When my daughter Tiffany was putting a presentation together on the history of our farm, I thought we really ought to dig into this and see who lived here before us,” Kelsey recalled. They traced ownership back to a 1724 land grant, and identified the first owners.

Fascinated by the colorful details they discovered, their focus shifted to genealogy, and the history of the Kelsey family, traced to 1632 in Connecticut.

Kelsey later worked in property management in The Plains – where she was introduced to Fauquier historian John K. Gott – and then with the Weissberg Corporation as Director of Construction Management.

In 2011, she volunteered as a docent at the Old Jail Museum in Warrenton, mentored by then-Museum Director Francis Allshouse and docent Leona Keen.

“They were a fountain of knowledge about the history of Fauquier County and the Old Jail,” she said.

After retiring in 2013, Kelsey was able to spend more time at the museum, and was elected to the board of directors. This led to her involvement in several important projects for the society, including a booklet describing the historic murals painted in Warrenton by Stuart White; production of Joseph Jeffries’ Warrenton Directory of 1854 and 60 Years Later and an accompanying map and formatting The Civil War Diary of Betty Fanny Gray.

Retirement also provided more time to pursue her interest in genealogy, now evolved into another career as a professional researcher and genealogist. In addition to local clients, others seeking ancestral information have called from Georgia, Colorado and California.

Kelsey’s genealogical research involves trips to libraries, old cemeteries and historic sites. Her primary source of information is from records kept in small towns over many years. They contain a wealth of details that can’t be found online.

After volunteering at the Fauquier Heritage and Preservation Foundation and the John K. Gott Library in Marshall for years, Kelsey was elected to the board in 2017. In addition to undertaking the year-long effort to index Gott’s papers and ongoing research on the “Kings of the Free State,” Kelsey completed the organization’s new website.

After researching the Klipstein family of Marshall, creators of Carbona cleaning agents, Kelsey presented a talk on the Klipsteins for the group’s lecture series.

“I love working with the people at the foundation and doing research in the Gott library, which has been a boon for my genealogy research,” said Kelsey. “More people need to know what we have to offer, and take advantage of it.” The same is true at the museum in Warrenton.

Photo by Doug Gehlsen, Middleburg Photo

Laura Kelsey

The pandemic has presented new challenges. To augment homeschooling and virtual instruction in the schools, the Old Jail Museum offers safe-distanced inperson tours (10 person maximum), and a 3-D virtual field trip of the Old Jail on the Web site that students can navigate with a mouse. For more information, visit www.fauquierhistory.org.

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History Helps Stoke Morison’s Passion

I

By Leslie VanSant

t’s a typical late August afternoon in the Virginia Piedmont. The air is thick, heavy with heat and humidity. A storm is brewing to the west.

Dulany Morison is sitting on the porch at Stoke, his family home, enjoying a cup of tea, an eye to the weather about to roll in, and enjoying a conversation about one of his favorite topics: history.

Photo by Doug Gehlsen Middleburg Photo

Dulany Morison and his relatives.

“We are all so fortunate because we live in a museum: the houses, battlefields, farms, even the roads. You can touch it. It’s (history) alive.” Dulany’s enthusiasm is measured, but extremely contagious.

Dulany Morison grew up surrounded by history.

And it excited his curiosity. At an early age, he started asking questions about his surroundings

Stoke and Welbourne, his family’s homes, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. His great-great-great grandfather founded the Upperville Colt & Horse Show and the Piedmont Fox Hounds. His great-grandmother was known for her gardens, and as a prize-winning propagator of narcissus.

Still curious, Dulany continued his studies at the University of Virginia. And now, in a tradition of community service, he is helping others appreciate our rich local history.

In 2019, he was instrumental in the movement to recognize Willisville, an historic African-American community in Loudoun County, not far from Welbourne on the

National Register for Historic Places. Through the process, Dulany learned more about his own family’s history through the lens of the enslaved and freed AfricanAmericans of Willisville. The stories of both places and their people were connected.

“We have a tendency to take things for granted,” he said. “But if you peel back the layers, it (history) plays a role in who we are and where we are today.”

Since 2016, Dulany has served on the board of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association (VPHAA) and as its chair since 2019. In the last year, he’s led the organization through a re-brand from Mosby Heritage Area to Virginia Piedmont Heritage. The goal of the organization is to raise awareness of the extraordinary and important historic landscape while building support to preserve it. The name did not reflect the broader mission or programs that teach the history of our region from Native Americans through the Civil Rights movement.

“The name change was something that had been discussed for years,” he said.

“With the celebration of our 25th anniversary, it just seemed like the right time.”

Under Dulany’s leadership, the VPHAA has been partnering with other organizations, advocating for land preservation through conservation easements and other legal pathways. In addition to Willisville, they were active in helping Loudoun County recognize the importance of preserving historic Aldie.

Dulany and his wife, Eleanor, who sits on the Piedmont Environmental Council Board of Directors, share a passion for preserving the land.. Together they have undertaken the preservation of Stoke, starting with the renovation of the barn, from which they run a horse boarding operation. They frequently use Stoke—the house and barn—as backdrops for larger discussions about history and preservation.

“Stoke is not just an historic estate, it’s our home, it’s our future,” Dulany said.

“Our passion and enthusiasm, for history and for the land, is genuine and draws people into history. We hope to encourage others to explore these stories and preserve these places so future generations can enjoy them.”

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Purchasing and consigning quality antique arms ofmedals, all types swords, knives, bayonets, uniforms, flags, belts, since 1957. Appraisers and other collectable militaria.We to the Smithsonian, thebuckles National Park Service and also thepurchase National Firearms Museum. gun and military related books, gun related Recipient of the U.S. sporting Department of the Interior’s Citation for Public Service. tools, vintage ammunition, etc. If you have any antique or collectable you want Address: to Visit our shop!military or gun items thatMailing sell please contact us for more information our Box 7 109 E. Washington St (Rt. 50) Post on Office appraisal or outright sale.VA 20118 Middleburg, VA services, 20117 consignment ratesMiddleburg,

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Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

For Pam Jones, It’s All About Building Relationships

By Linda Roberts

W

hether she’s working as the volunteer chair of the board of directors of Oatlands Historic House and Gardens or assisting clients through her profession as a real estate agent, Pam Jones is enthusiastic about sustaining and creating relationships.

Her mantra is supporting “extraordinary transitions” and this carries through in helping her business clients as well as in a leadership role for Oatlands’ 16-member volunteer board of directors. The board serves in a governance position to oversee the maintenance and fundraising efforts for the historic property, now in its 55th year registered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“There are so many stories to be told at Oatlands,” said Jones, who is excited to relay the projects underway at the 400-acre Photo by Doug Gehlsen Middleburg Photo property just south of Leesburg on Route 15.

Pam Jones That includes the descendants program, telling the story of Oatlands through the eyes of the enslaved people who maintained the property as a working plantation with its own dependencies during the ownership of George Carter.

Jones is enthusiastic about the preservation and digitalization of the Elizabeth Carter diary—made possible through a grant—which reveals what life was like on a day-to-day basis in Oatlands’ early years. Now, social media is helping to tell the story of the historic property and its 27 buildings.

In 1804 George Carter, a descendant of wealthy land baron Robert “King” Carter, turned his own substantial resources and his thousands of acres into the creation of the Oatlands plantation. It’s believed that he designed the mansion himself, utilizing elements of Federal, Georgian and Greek Revival architectural styles. Work continued on the three-story structure until the 1830s with the enslaved population at Oatlands creating bricks for its construction from clay dug on the property.

Following Carter’s ownership, Oatlands fell on hard times and at one time was used as a boarding house and later as a school.

In 1903, Edith and William Corcoran Eustis of Washington, D.C. purchased the estate for use as a second home. Mr. Eustis turned his attention to equestrian pursuits while Mrs. Eustis began a lengthy restoration of the gardens. Although the 200-year-old walls surrounding the garden and its dependencies were created by Carter, the gardens as they stand today are attributable to Mrs. Eustis’ planning and foresight.

In 1969, descendants of the Eustis family donated Oatlands to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, ensuring its preservation.

Now this history and the many surrounding stories need to be told. Jones says that the board and CEO Caleb Schutz are working to draw people to Oatlands to unfold the many interesting facts behind the face of the historic property. Part of that effort includes a new landscape plan for its lovely gardens, overnight accommodations and staging weddings, a venture being explored with Matthew Warschaw of Pure Perfection Catering.

At the forefront of plans for Oatlands’ future is the replacement of the mansion’s roof with copper and to repair of the front lawn’s balustrade, which is rotting. “We’re looking at half a million dollars,” says Jones, who adds that $200,000 is still needed toward the roof project.

A board member since 2013, she’s obviously enthusiastic about the property’s future.

“I’m excited to watch the transformation of Oatlands to a position where people want to come and visit,” she says. “I’m challenged and invigorated here and I see a clear path before us now.”

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A ZEST Filled Summer

Photo © Vicky Moon

Sebastian and Sophie Langenberg co-hosted a meet and greet to introduce their new son, Berend Langenberg. Friends and guests along with new grandparents Amanda and Erik Scheps kept socially distant on the deck at the Middleburg Tennis Club.

Photo by Middleburg Photo

Congratulations to The Hill School Class of 2020.

Photo © Vicky Moon

Photo © Vicky Moon

Photo © Vicky Moon

Sundays have become a habit at The Green Barns in The Plains and this includes a visit to the table of Denise Godfrey, owner of A Floral Event.

Tom Sweitzer is clearly on the road to recovery after being hospitalized with COVID- 19 this summer. A Place To Be is still the place to be.

Mask up and love others so you don’t end up in the doghouse we spotted in Middleburg

Photo © Vicky Moon

As soon as we heard that three-year-old Attachment Rate would be running in the 146th Kentucky Derby, we beat feet over to Charles Town to place a bet. (After all we almost got famous last year when we bet on Maximum Security.) Foaled at Wolver Hill Farm near Middleburg and bred by the late C. Oliver Iselin III, father of the always delightful Julie Iselin Diehl. The colt by Hard Spun out of Arista sold as a weanling for $100,000 and as a yearling for $200,000 to Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister along with trainer Dale Romans. At odds of up to 50-1, alas not this time. Stay tuned.

Treats for the end of the school year for students at the recently shuttered Middleburg Academy were a gift delivered

by Daniela Anderson of Countryside Confections.

Best wishes to all.

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Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

THOMAS & TALBOT REAL ESTATE Opening the door to Hunt Country for generations

Rock Ridge

Treetops

94+ Acres $3,674,999 The Plains – Hilltop custom French Country stone manor with magnificent views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 5 BR / 6 BA. 5 fireplaces. 1st floor luxury Master Suite. Great Room opens to terrace with views, formal Living and Dining Rooms, gourmet Kitchen and paneled Library.

Lower Level with Rec Room/Office and Fitness Room.

2 guest/rental houses. 22-stall center aisle barn, fenced paddocks and riding ring. Income producing farm. Easy access to I-66 & Dulles International Airport.

14+ Acres $1,350,000 The Plains – Renovated with beautiful views! The farm has 14+ acres of fenced pasture and mature woodlands. 3 BRs, 2.5 BAs with an open kitchen and eat-in area, living room with built-ins, bay window and fireplace. Upper level suite with luxury bath, walk-in closet and sitting area. Home also has a separate mudroom, laundry room, and exercise room. A 4-stall center aisle barn with a heated tack room, a storage shed and fenced paddocks. Great ride out, OCH territory. Easy access to I-66, Rt 50 and Dulles Airport.

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90 Acres $4,350,000 The Plains – Sweeping panoramic views and grand trees surround this recently renovated, turn-key residence set on a private 90-acre estate. The home has been finished to the highest standards and features three meticulously finished levels with a modern floor plan, which includes a first-floor master bedroom suite. The location is in prime Orange County Hunt Territory.

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Mountain Field Farm

Fox Meadows

30+ Acres $1,675,000 The Plains – 30+ acres horse farm. Custom-built 5 BR/ 3.5 BA home using materials from an 1840’s log cabin - logs, beams, hardwood floors, mantels & doors. Extensive hardscaping provides multiple entertainment spaces.

Swimming pool & gazebo with distant mountain views.

Guest house has a workshop/garage below with a 1 BR/1 BA apartment and sep. Game/Party Room above. 6-stall center aisle barn w/wash rack & heated tack room, 6 fenced paddocks w/auto waterers, 2 run-in sheds & a riding ring. Storage shed & chicken houses. Great ride out.

82 Acres $1,500,000 Delaplane – A private hilltop setting surrounded by 82 acres of lush rolling hills, mature woods and the ‘Crooked Run’ river. Elegant brick manor house with open floor plan and one level living. House centers around a large living room with 18’ ceilings. Features a paneled library, dining room, family room off the gourmet kitchen and a luxury master suite. Hardwood floors throughout and 3 fireplaces. 1 BR studio apartment, 3 BR/2.5 BA guest cottage and a 3-car garage. Storage shed and stocked pond complete the property. Ideal commuter location.

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Four Chimneys 6+ Acres $1,250,000 Middleburg – Luxurious, custom home just minutes from Middleburg. Over 6,000 sq. ft. sited on 6+ acres. 3 finished levels boast 4 BR’s & 4 full BAs. Gourmet kitchen, Breakfast area and Family Room. 2-story foyer and large Living Room, multiple fireplaces. Formal Dining Room, Library, Mudroom/Laundry complete the main level. The upstairs Master BR Suite has luxury Master BA and large walk-in closet. 2-car garage, fully fenced back yard, and 2-stall barn with 3 paddocks. High speed internet.

5+ Acres $899,000 Marshall – Located just outside the village Orlean sits this charming c. 1840’s 2 bedroom, 2 bath home on 5+ acres with mountain views. Lovingly updated. Features stateof-the-art kitchen, baths and unique interior with custom painted ceilings, decorative columns and 4 fireplaces.

Extensive garden offers outdoor ‘rooms’ for entertaining, koi pond and fountain. Other features include a vegetable garden, fire pit and a barn converted into a separate Studio. Detached garage, potting shed and outdoor shower complete the property.

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3.19 Acres $995,000 Middleburg – Lovely brick Colonial in sought after location just 2 miles West of town. House offers 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 Baths with a traditional floor plan set on 3+ open acres. Features hardwood floors on two levels, Kitchen with island that opens to family room, formal dining room and living rooms - each with a fireplace and master suite with large walk-in closet and luxury master bath. 3 bedrooms upstairs with two more full baths. A sunroom and garage complete the property. Landscaping includes beautiful flowering beds, boxwoods and mature trees.

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Upperville House $699,000 Upperville – Fully renovated c. 1843 Greek Revival style home in the historic village of Upperville. 4 BR, 3 BA, Front and rear covered porches. Fully fenced yard behind with professionally landscaped gardens. 2-car detached garage and potting shed. Can be Commercial or Residential.

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2 South Madison Street | PO Box 500 | Middleburg, VA 20118 | Office: 540-687-6500 | Fax: 540-687-8899 | thomasandtalbot.com Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.

The Remains of the Day with the

Smithwicks of Sunny Bank

PHOTOS Šdillonkeenphotography.com

Returning to the barn after evening turnout to the south field.

S

am Fred Road is just east of Middleburg and heading north on this captivating winding road along a curve leads to the entrance to the 1,100-acre Sunny Bank Farm. This is where history and horses cross paths at the home of Eva and Daniel Michael “Speedy” Smithwick, the fifth of sixth generations to live and work here.

The family came to the area in 1769 and, during the Civil War, ancestor Catherine Broun (18201908) owned a mercantile store on Washington Street and kept a diary, which has since been published. During the 1820s, Burr and Frank Fred farmed this very same land, growing corn and raising cattle and a few horses. Frank Fred’s grandson was Samuel Harrison Rogers Fred (“Mr. Fred” 1893-1981), whose daughter, Dorothy Fred, married Michael Smithwick, a Hall of Fame race horse trainer and steeplechase rider who won the Maryland Hunt Cup six times.

Speedy Smithwick

Eva Smithwick

Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, Speedy and his wife, Eva (Dahlgren), work sideby-side and their lives revolve around the farm and horses. He has worked at the racetrack full time (which included a stint when he was employed by the late Jack Kent Cooke in California and Kentucky), and now he keeps their horses in enviable, shimmering shape. Eva leads guests on long rides and is Jt.-Master and huntsman of the Snickersville Hounds. There is no word if their two grown daughters, Kathy and Trish, will carry on.

For now, we are honored to offer up a visit with the Smithwicks of Sunny Bank on a recent soft and steamy early summer evening as they went about their routines in the remains of the day.

Evening turnout to the north field.

Sunny Bank

Heads up in the paddock.

Cat-nap time

Robert Apple comes up and over.

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

27

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For Alfred Austin, a Matter of Survival

By Joe Austin

SECOND OF TWO PARTS

O Create your own destination We’ve been practicing over 30 years for your next local land improvement project.

n Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, Warrenton native Alfred Austin was witness to the landings on Okinawa and seeing the overwhelming number of ships between the horizon and shoreline.

His own ship was one of many carrying several Army divisions that were initially being held in reserve. It wasn’t long before the Higgins boats Alfred Austin, a Warrenton sailor took the men ashore. The next day, the squadron had retired to their usual night positions away from the invasion beaches when they were attacked by eight Japanese suicide planes, “Betty” bombers, coming at them from two different directions.

The action report from the log of the Chilton presents this account: “One twin engine bomber was hit with our machine gun fire as well as fire from one of our own pursuing fighter planes,” it read. “A bomb, which fell harmlessly 200 to 300 yards off our starboard beam, was misdirected prematurely probably because the Japanese pilot had already been hit by our own Navy pilot friend.

“This bomber then hit our signal halyards, radio antenna, stack and commission pennant before diving into the sea on the port side. Gasoline, sheet metal, plastic, and even a machine gun wound up on the CHILTON’S decks.”

The Chilton’s guns were able to splash another of the kamikazes and the rest were downed by gun crews from other ships. But many ships were not so lucky, the worse being a sister armored transport.

Alfred’s ship suffered no causalities and the damage did not impair her operability. Japanese propagandist Tokyo Rose later claimed that the Chilton had been sunk. Good fortune carried them through the days that followed with no further damage during repeated kamikaze attacks.

As a transport squadron, after loading men and supplies ashore, the ships took aboard many casualties that were returning from the fighting. The Chilton was able to care for 156 wounded soldiers and marines during her time in the war zone.

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After Okinawa, the crew prepared for an invasion of Japan, but it was called off after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing Japan to surrender.

Considering the high casualties expected on both sides, it was highly likely that Alfred, as well my own father, would not have come home. Instead, Alfred returned to his family in Warrenton and moved to the Fauquier Freestate where they lived for several years until he was recalled for the Korean War. Moving back to Norfolk and re-assigned to the Chilton, he was stationed on the east coast and in the Mediterranean, away from the war zone.

At the end of the Korean War, he was posted ashore with the Navy Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, DC. As an example of the ironic crossing of family ties, as Officer of the Day he signed the discharge papers of his brother, Wick, who had been helping to build new bases in Korea as a Navy Seabee.

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The Warthog: Rebirth of a Brand “O

By Jodi Nash

nly beautiful to another warthog!”

That was the rallying cry back in the days of Britches of Georgetown, founded in 1967, and later Britches Great Outdoors, which came to fame back in the 1980s. It all began with a single store on Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown, and grew into a truly iconic brand, with over 100 locations.

The warthog was an anti-snob poke at designer Ralph Lauren’s “polo player” and Lacoste’s ubiquitous widemouthed “gator”---a way of distinguishing designer duds from Britches’ brand: “Preppy with an edge.”

Recently, in a bold act of nostalgia, Matt Carson and Steve Sutherland have opened a Britches Great Outdoors store in Warrenton.

Best friends since elementary school and graduates of Fauquier High, the two already own several successful businesses. SiteWhirks, Inc., is a website development 20-year company, and Big Teams is an ESPN-type software platform used in 50 states and Canada for high school athletic and activity management. Clearly they have some serious business chops.

So why back to Britches?

A chance introduction by a mutual friend to Rick Hinden, the original owner, led to the acquisition of licensing rights and logo. The new owners loved the clothing line in their youth, especially the classic Rugby shirt. Matt still has three in his closet, a testament to the durability of the fabric and brand.

Despite the booming popularity of E commerce, Matt believes the act of brick-and-mortar shopping

will never go away. It may evolve, but the discovery of new items, new brands, new design lines, new destinations, will remain.

“I’m a Warrenton boy,” said Carson, an avid kayaker, fly fisherman, hiker and camper. “I love the small town historic vibe and we’re only an hour from D.C., and the Shenandoah Valley, one of the most biodiverse regions on earth.”

As they launch Britches, the goal of leaving a small

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carbon footprint is important, the ultimate “grand experiment,” building a company that goes back to basics, focused on quality, value and service.

It’s a niche market—“American essentials—ruggedly fashionable casual sportswear at reasonable prices, with minimal ecological impact. Bamboo fabrics are used, naturally anti-microbial, and grown without pesticides.

It also requires less water than cotton to grow.

The biggest piece of this dream, however is moving toward American manufacturing. Most clothing retailers, even the biggest brands, outsource production to China, reducing production costs and price to consumers.

Carson is convinced it’s doable, estimating it will take around two years to move back to American manufacturing, item by item. He’s already found a mill willing to “rebuild the rugby and 220 weight polos from scratch”.

Starting with the classic Oxford and 220-weight cotton polo shirts, the plan is to gradually build up manufacturing and supply chains. Noting that there’s an abundance of logo apparel, selling for anywhere between $120 to $140 a shirt for a traditional cotton weave that’s “okay” quality, Matt feels the cost to the consumer should be palatable and fair, at around $65 to $70 an item.

After opening in late July, folks are coming from D.C., Richmond, and Centreville. Fathers, with original gear, are bringing in sons, and millennials are buying T-shirts and fleeces.

“I’m rabid,” Carson said of his passion for the new store. “And Steve and I have a broad vison.”

Warthog included.

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PHOTOS © VICKY MOON

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31

The Scoop on Scruffy’s Ice Cream Parlor

W

By Carina Elgin

hen Hilleary Bogley was a child, she wanted to be a veterinarian, open an animal shelter for abused animals, and own an ice cream parlor.

While not a vet, the founder of the Middleburg Humane Foundation has saved many suffering animals. And, Scruffy’s, her ice cream parlor in Middleburg, is having its best year in 32 years of business in spite of, or perhaps because of the pandemic.

Named after a small terrier mix Bogley rescued decades ago, Scruffy’s opened on Christmas Parade Day, 1988. Ever since, the little shop on the main street of Middleburg has been serving Hershey’s ice cream, offering 24 flavors as well as a full espresso menu. It will stay open through the holidays, then close for the winter, giving everyone a few remaining months to try the usual best sellers, as well as fall favorites Pumpkin and Praline Pecan.

Bogley is quick to praise Lisa Carter, her employee of over 20 years, for much of the parlor’s success. She also credits the Town of Middleburg’s pandemic restaurant voucher program with getting the shop scooping the first week of April this year. She also created outside walk-up windows to serve customers safely, with signs emphasizing the wearing of masks.

To Bogley’s surprise, business doubled during the pandemic. “I think it’s due to people having less to do,” she said. “Ice cream is a happy food and, right now, no one cares if they are a little fat.”

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While locals traded in town vouchers for cones, Bogley said more visitors are coming to Middleburg this year for day trips. Many ice cream fans are driving out from nearby suburbs and Washington, D.C.

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“We’re seeing a lot of family groups and older couples who just want to have a little outing,” she said.

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She’s still active and highly respected in animal rescue, with 28 years as a volunteer Circuit Court appointed Humane Investigator for Fauquier County, and with Culpeper County for 14 years, intervening in suspected animal abuse cases. Bogley’s animal work is now supported through the Culpeper Humane Society.

Scruffy’s donation jar, which has raised over $2,000 so far this year, now supports various rescues such as the Culpeper Humane Society, The Equine Rescue League, and many more.

Bogley also purchases supplies for monthly visits to the families on the Chained Dog Assistance Program, which she instituted to educate owners and improve conditions for tethered dogs. Donations have also gone to a spay/neuter clinic and to “Havahart” traps for Trap-Neuter-Release feral cat efforts.

Facebook followers of Scruffy’s have read about medical cases helped by ice cream donations. There was Pepper, the little Beagle who needed surgery to save her life, and emergency dental surgery for a Guinea pig. There’s no doubt many local animals are safe from abuse and neglect because of Bogley’s dedication.

Bogley said her fiancé, David Braun, fully supports her animal work, adding that, “he’s my rock.” Together, they’ve also found a new passion. In 2017, they started Olde Millstones Vintage Thrift Shop, selling “vintage treasures” in the same building as Scruffy’s.

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Scruffy’s often bulging donation jar has always been associated with Middleburg Humane, which Bogley founded in 1994. When the organization moved into its new Marshall facility last year, Bogley also moved on.

“I re-homed animals for 33 years,” she said. “And now I’m also re-homing second hand treasures.”

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

Carry Me BACK

For George Patton, It Was Cash and Carry

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volunteered the following story about the general. Before World War II, Mr. Clark was field secretary for the Middleburg Hunt and was responsible for collecting capping fees for the Foxcroft Thanksgiving meet.

By Jimmy Hatcher

ong-time local fox hunting enthusiasts will remember the opening meets of the Piedmont Hunt years ago as the late Mrs. A.C. Randolph MFH sat mounted at her Oakley farm in Upperville to welcome in a new hunting season.

George C. Scott in Patton

A long-time member of the Piedmont field once joked how much Mrs. Randolph seemed to resemble the great actor, George C. Scott, in his master work “Patton” as he opened the acclaimed Oscar-winning film making an impassioned speech in front of the American flag.

afternoon field hockey game.

Foxcroft’s students didn’t go home until Christmas back in those days, so the entire community turned out to help the schoolbound girls celebrate the holiday. Activities included a fox hunt, a hunt breakfast, and an

There was a great turnout for the hunt field that day, so Mr. Clark filled both pockets of his great coat with capping fees, which in those days were probably as little as $10.

Patton actually was Mrs. Randolph‘s uncle, his wife being Beatrice Ayer Photo © Vicky Moon Patton, Mrs. Randolph‘s aunt. That Jimmy Hatcher famous speech was no less daunting then Mrs. Randolph‘s mere appearance addressing the opening meet. General and Mrs. Patton had their own fox hunt, encompassing parts of Old Dominion and Piedmont country.

One night, Stephen Clark, scion of the Singer Sewing Machine fortune,

The following day, Friday, Mr. Clark hunted all morning and afternoon with Piedmont and never was able to make it to the bank in time to deposit those fees. On Saturday, the Middleburg Hunt met at Mount Zion Church east of Route 15 and Mr. Clark and his great coat were there to welcome a considerably smaller hunting field.

Riders were starting to move into place before setting off when a horse van arrived, followed by a pink Rolls Royce. Out of the car stepped George Patton, at that time still a colonel, and four of his guests. Col. Patton approach Mr. Clark and said, “Steve, I have five to hunt today, then handed him a $500 bill.

Never hesitating even a blink, Mr. Clark said he left Patton with both of the colonel’s hands filled with countless miscellaneous smaller denomination bills he’d been carrying around for days.

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

33

Someone’s in the Kitchen…

Chef Smith’s scrumptious salmon.

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By Leonard Shapiro

here wasn’t much doubt about Lindell Smith’s future occupation, not with a father who once served as executive chef at the posh UN Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, owned and operated five restaurants in Puerto Rico and opened a bed and breakfast in Rappahanock seven years ago.

Chicken Caesar salad to go.

Photos by © Vicky Moon

It’s always been about the kitchen for his son, Lindell, the new chef at the Middleburg Tennis Club (MTC) who comes to the facility with an impeccable reputation. It includes a degree from the iconic Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., a year working in a D.C. restaurant owned by feed-theneedy celebrity chef Jose Andres and, most recently, working as executive chef at STK, a fine San Juan steakhouse.

When STK closed last year because of the pandemic,

Chef Lindell Smith of the Middleburg Tennis Club

Brooklyn-born Lindell came to Virginia to help out at his dad’s B&B. A tennis club member, Stuart Weinstein-Bacal, had been the family’s lawyer in Puerto Rico and told Lindell about the MTC opening. His hiring was a no-brainer.

“I just grew up in the industry,” he said. “I’ve always been in the kitchen. Right now, I’m really enjoying this community. There’s a little less pressure than you have at a typical big restaurant. At STK, we were doing 400-500 meals a day with a crew of 20. Here, it’s a lot more hands on for me, and that’s good.”

Even better is the club’s revised menu and the culinary touches Lindell also provides. Just listen to one satisfied member’s rave review just after finishing a recent lunch.

“That was the best club sandwich I ever had,” he said.

“Everything was made just the way it’s supposed to be made. Perfect.”

WE’RE HOME! 42341 Braddock Road, Chantilly VA

Questions about PVI? Email ehanley@paulvi.net www.paulvi.net | @paulvicatholic 34

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

HERE and THERE Honey Do, pretty please …add this to your Christmas list from the Millwood Bee Company.

Photo © Vicky Moon

Monte Subasio – 18599 Calumet Ln, Bluemont, Virginia A sophisticated estate on 23 lush acres in beautiful Bluemont. This quite exceptional property was built to exacting standards in 2008, for an owner with an extreme eye for detail and engineering excellence. Visit 18588CalumetLane.com for full details - $2,995,000 Peter Leonard-Morgan | Global Real Estate Advisor | Hunt Country Sotheby’s International Realty Direct - 443.254.5530 | peterleonard-morgan@hcsir.com © MMXX Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC.

We understand local Listerine sales are soaring after our story on Dr. Ed MacMahon of The Plains and his theory on how to help prevent COVID-19 in our last issue of ZEST. Gargle and rinse twice a day, he urged, and lots of folks apparently are doing just what the doctor ordered.

Photo © Vicky Moon

Mark Baker had his hand-made cutting boards at the Fauquier Livestock Exchange Craft Show recently.

Courtesy photo

Members of the Piedmont Garden Club recently paid a visit to School House No. 18 in Marshall. The trip included a tour from the team of Master Gardeners volunteers.

Photo © Vicky Moon

We have always admired and smiled when we see the silks on this iron jockey in Middleburg. A prize to the first (non-related) person to tell us whose colors?

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

35

Perspectives on Childhood, Education and Parenting

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ith the prolonged pandemic school closures, parents and educators have expressed concern that children are falling behind academically and in social-emotional growth. Many worry these losses may be irreversible.

My own experiences Tom Northrup convince me that any lost ground may be recovered relatively quickly if the proper conditions in the home, school, and community are in place. A quarantine silver lining has been that it’s offered parents, educators, and civic leaders an opportunity to think deeply about essential refinements to promote the healthy and productive growth of children.

The books of two scholars—Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, and Douglas Heath’s Fulfilling Lives— were fundamental to my development decades ago.

They still provide an essential framework for today’s leaders to design and support programs supporting childrens’ growth, with the ultimate goal that they become psychologically mature adults.

Gardner hypothesized seven types of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodilykinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.

Schools have historically concentrated on developing the first two—linguistic (reading, writing) and logical/mathematical.

The degree to which schools value and address the other five varies widely. Some consider musical,

“Americans…invented, nearly a century ago, as close to a magic bullet … as we are ever likely to find (to address the social and academic needs of children)….extracurricular activities” — Dr. Robert Putnam, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis (2015) spatial (artistic) and bodily kinesthetic (athletics, dance) as “extras” and funding has been inconsistent.

Others believe they are fundamental and cocurricular, important partners to the first two.

Some educators contend interpersonal and intrapersonal (self-knowledge) are the most important for life success and happiness. They’re also the most challenging to develop. Providing helpful guidance for children to understand their strengths and weaknesses in these areas is time-consuming and difficult for teachers to carry out during the school day.

In Fulfilling Lives, Heath, a Haverford College professor, followed individuals for four decades after their college years. He evaluated their success in meeting the demands and responsibilities of adulthood—at work, as a parent or spouse, as a citizen, as a friend.

He was curious about which school experiences best predicted successful, happy lives.

Heath concluded that, “(he was ) humbled (to learn) that…grades, tests, and academic awards were not the best indicators, but rather students’ depth of genuine involvement in extracurricular activities predict(ed) best how well they succeeded in their adult years.”

Putnam’s introduction from Our Kids suggests we’ve known about this “magic bullet” for a long time, but have failed to consistently provide all children with ”extracurricular activities” throughout childhood.

These programs have been and will continue to be effective because they respond to every person’s need to develop social skills and self-knowledge.

They also offer opportunities in music, art, athletics, theater, publications, and community service. They address the final five intelligences in ways traditional curriculums cannot.

Several months ago, memories were evoked of the place where some of my important learning occurred. I received sad news that a childhood neighbor and friend had died. Decades ago, his parents built a backyard basketball court, an afterschool destination for me and many others.

I don’t recall ever seeing an adult there; choosing teams and resolving conflicts were left to us. A setting where we enjoyed autonomy helped build lifelong friendships, and confidence in our abilities to handle our own affairs.

Activities providing opportunities to develop the full person, engaging all seven of Gardner’s intelligences, can be offered in multiple settings—in or out of school.

What’s now essential is that every child, regardless of family circumstances or means, is offered the chance to participate regularly. When this occurs, childrens’ academic progress, confidence, and motivation are natural outcomes.

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As a franchise owner and an active member of my community, I’m proud to be a part of the 7-Eleven and Marshall, VA story. Stop by and see us!

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Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

A Collector’s Paradise at Marshall Curated

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Get the primary care experience you deserve

By Lizzy Catherwood

ne would be hard-pressed to find someone more personable than Rosanna Funiciello Smith of Marshall Curated.

The antique, vintage, and, curated aficionado is happy to show a visitor around any of the fifteen booths representing local collectors, artisans and vendors in her Marshall shop that opened on Jan. 1.

It features a wide range of offerings, including a unique collection of gems and minerals carved into bowls and lamps. There are locally made soaps, hip face masks and headbands, various types of crafted jewelry, as well as furniture and other antiques from the 19th century up to recent eras, including mid-century modern décor, and Photo by Vicky Moon Rosanna Funiciello Smith of everything in between.

Marshall Curated.

“I super love the vintage, the stories, and what the things could have been, or what they can be,” Smith said. “Or how they can be used.”

She didn’t always have an interest in antiques. As a youngster, she spent summers in Italy visiting family and always enjoyed the heirlooms in her grandparents’ homes, but said she never paid much attention to what made them special.

Her husband, Kevin, and his grandmother, Margaret Reeder, ignited the spark many years later. Rosanna and Kevin moved into Kevin’s childhood home in Gainesville, Virginia filled with a number of antiques. But an old farm table found abandoned in a nearby field got the ball rolling, inspiring Smith’s delight in finding and saving old things.

The farm table was quickly given some necessary TLC and was moved into their home. From there, Smith’s passion blossomed into Bella Villa, an antique store in Aldie she opened in 2007.

Smith said she discovered a seemingly newfound popularity of antiques and vintage goods, especially among a younger generation of antique buyers.

She eventually added the service of renting furniture and décor elements for weddings, conferences, galas, parties, and a variety of special events.

She eventually closed the retail portion of the Aldie location and rented the upstairs level of 8371 W. Main Street in Marshall (above what used to be Robin’s Nest Antiques) to house all her rental pieces.

Last November 16, she and Kevin purchased the building. It happened to be on the exact same month and day she began her first corporate job after college in 1998; the same month and day her husband proposed in 2002; and the same month and day Bella Villa held its grand opening in 2007.

Over the 2019 holidays, Robin’s Nest owner Robin Converse retired and cleaned out the inventory. Smith moved in with some of her new/old things and a curated group of vendors, who helped shape a new brand, new look and altogether new shop.

Smith has rented out fifteen booths to vendors, with two booths from her own collection. The variety makes Marshall Curated that much more unique.

In the back corner, fans of the European Victorian style can find all the elaborate wooden furniture they might need. The Royal Bungaleaux booth has a wide variety of floral art and faux bouquets.

Green Mansions Designs has a line of baby gifts, and high-end home decor.

Perhaps its most breathtaking merchandise includes a large collection of precious rocks and gems from around the world, in particular South America and the Southwest, shaped into bowls, necklaces, and objects of art.

There are countless classic antiques and collectibles, at reasonable prices.

Whether you’re looking for something specific or just want to happily meander through booths, Marshall Curated is definitely a must-browse.

Same-day or next-day appointments Reach your doctor after hours Unhurried visits that start on time

Call 540.724.2054 or visit mdvip.com to schedule a complimentary getacquainted meeting with Dr. Royston.

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Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

37

Historic Fauquier

White Sulphur Springs Remembered A company was sent forward, and as they advanced, Confederate artillery fire came from the Culpeper side of the Rappahannock. In response, the Union commander was ordered to shell the resort.

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By John Toler

auquier White Sulphur Springs, located about six miles southwest of Warrenton, was recently memorialized with a state historic marker. It notes that the story of the Springs goes back to the Native Americans who lived nearby on the Rappahannock River, and later by English colonists.

Aware of the “healing waters” at the Springs, in 1791 Capt. Hancock Lee acquired the property, and built a small, primitive facility there for use by local residents. The popularity of mineral waters was growing, and in the mid-1830s, Hancock Lee Jr., in partnership with Thomas Green, acquired the Springs property and planned a new resort there.

They raised $170,000, and built a large, four-story hotel facing 16 brick buildings forming a semi-circle in front of it. To the north on the main road was the Warrenton House, and to the south, “Rowdy Hall,” with 70 rooms for bachelor guests.

Over the mineral spring was an octagonal canopy, and nearby was the bath house, offering hot and cold sulphur water. Extensive landscaping offered many outdoor activities, and linked the facilities with walkways. A racetrack was built on the flat land across the Rappahannock River.

The Springs could accommodate 700 guests, who were served by free and enslaved Black workers. Staying for the entire season—including a comfortable room, delicious meals and amusements—cost only $75.

Thomas Green was well-connected with state business and political leaders of the day, and in 1849 he was able to secure what promised to be a profitable summer for the company. A cholera epidemic threatened Richmond, and the General Assembly was moved inland for its two-month legislative session. Fauquier White Sulphur Springs was selected, and on June 11, legislators and their wives began arriving. Room and board was set at the cost of $7 per person per week.

The House gathered in the ballroom, while the Senate held their meetings in Rowdy Hall. While there was important work to be done, much time was spent relaxing and enjoying the facilities.

The General Assembly adjourned on Aug. 17, 1849, but there was one matter to be settled: payment for services rendered. Green tried to collect the money due three times, but was never paid for the state’s use of the Springs.

The 1850s were financially good for the resort.

Facilities were expanded and improved, and guests filled the rooms and cottages. It all ended with the Civil War. Strategically located on the road between Warrenton and Culpeper, the Springs was periodically occupied by Union troops. Often, when they departed, Confederates took their place, and

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Built in the 1830s, the hotels and cottages at Fauquier White Sulphur Springs were elegant and the landscaping extensive.

In 1878, years after most of the buildings at the Springs were lost in the Civil War, a new hotel and other structures rose in their place, including a five-story brick hotel. It burned in 1901. on Aug. 25, 1862, the 9th New York Cavalry was ordered from Warrenton to remove the Confederates and re-occupy the Springs.

A company was sent forward, and as they advanced, Confederate artillery fire came from the Culpeper side of the Rappahannock. In response, the Union commander was ordered to shell the resort.

Observing Confederate troops departing the resort over the bridge on the Rappahannock, he sent in a squadron of cavalry. They found the Springs deserted, but again the Confederate battery opened fire. The Union force withdrew and returned fire.

The main hotel was hit and burned down, and another shell demolished the Norfolk House.

It was never conclusively determined who delivered the fatal shots, although they most likely came from Union cannons.

The property stood empty until 1877, when it was purchased by a new corporation with an old name, “Fauquier White Sulphur Springs Co.,” organized to

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

reopen the resort.

Stock was sold and work began on a new fivestory, 120-room hotel with a large saloon, dining room, elegant parlors, spacious ballroom and billiard poolroom.

Heated by radiators and illuminated with gaslights, it also had a bowling alley, steam laundry and mechanical ice machine. The hotel and cottages were elegantly furnished, providing a capacity of 500 guests.

But times were changing, and the days of mineral springs resorts were ending. There were other vacation options, and advances in medical treatments supplanted the “miracle waters.” For two sessions, 1896-97 and 1897-98, the Bethel Military Academy occupied the facilities.

The hotel was destroyed in a disastrous fire in 1901, and no effort was made to return to the resort business. Subsequent owners were Robert C. Winmill and his daughter, Virginia W. Radsch, who sold the property to Walter P. Chrysler Jr. in 1943.

Chrysler opened a restaurant in the Warrenton House and renovated the stables and carriage house into a clubhouse for the “Springs Field Club.” In 1953, the property was sold to William D. Doeller of Orlean.

Doeller established a country club there, with a nine-hole golf course and a swimming pool. In 1965, the Springs was sold to the Fauquier Springs Country Club corporation, which expanded the golf course to 18 holes and added tennis courts. This arrangement changed in 1987, when the Sulphur Springs Investment Corporation became the property’s managing guardian and owner.

For Retiring Educator, It’s Magna Cum Love

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sections of the building “bubbled off” with plastic curtains and playgrounds cloroxed daily.

By M.J. McAteer

lice Duggan skipped first grade. She started hating school in the second. By fourth grade, she was already set on what she was going to do to change that: When she grew up, she vowed, she’d start a school that children actually would want to go to.

“Alice always has a very positive spirit,” said Cyndi Ellis, president of the center’s board. “What I love about her most is that she says, ‘There is always a solution, and we’ll work together to find it.’ ”

That precocious sense of mission never wavered.

Straight out of James Madison University, Duggan started a kindergarten in Clarke County with “a $4,000 budget, an empty room and 19 puzzles.”

She later tutored Native Americans, worked with special needs students and earned a master’s degree in family and human development. Then, in 1984, destiny came knocking in the form of a three-weekold help-wanted ad placed by Upperville’s Trinity Episcopal Church, searching for someone to start a daycare center. The rest is local history.

“I’m normally a five-year person,” said Duggan, who just retired as director of the Piedmont Child Care Center. “But I’ve been here 36 years because of the problem-solving.”

Problems tend to be as common as swing sets at daycare facilities, so Duggan definitely had found her element. The latest problem has been Covid-19, but after a closure of a few months, a “battened down” Piedmont reopened. There are fewer children (ages six months to 12-years-old), no mixing between the age-designated classrooms, no entry for parents,

Long before the virus hit, Duggan had solved a problem for many hundreds of families: Finding a place for their children to learn and grow and feel safe and happy.

Alice Duggan

“I loved it there,” says Sean D. White, an equine dentist in Middleburg. As a four-year-old, he attended Piedmont when it was housed in Trinity’s basement. These days, the center sits across Route 50 from the church on a nine-acre site with its own playgrounds, gardens, and nature trails.

“It hasn’t changed a lot,”White said. “It’s just on the other side of the road.”

White’s 4-year-old daughter, Lillian, has been going to Piedmont since she was six months old.

“She loves it there, too,” her father said, adding that lately, Lillian has been especially excited about

helping to build a Mr. McGregor scarecrow that looms over the strawberry patch, the alphabet and herb gardens and the sunflower house. In the winter, when darkness comes early, Duggan said the children “have a lovely time out there with flashlights.”

White said he appreciates that Duggan is not overly protective, instead encouraging the children to be as autonomous as possible from an early age.

“I don’t believe in a baby-sitting atmosphere,” Duggan explained, and once children feel comfortable in their new environment, she works on their self-confidence.

She pointed to stripes on the hallway floor that are color-coded, leading to various classrooms and said even the two-year-olds can find their way around the building with minimal help, thrilled with that display of independence.

“They just have to know their colors,” she said.

“Alice has put her heart and soul into the place,” said Diana Lichliter, her assistant for ten years and now the new director. “She’s funny and easy going, but serious when it comes to what’s best for the children. I have big shoes to fill.”

Betsy Crenshaw, the center’s long-time bookkeeper, has known Duggan since the ’80s and seconds that sentiment.

“Alice can be tough, but the end result is that the child changes for the better,” she said. “Her M.O. is to make children love school.”

Make that her “M.A.” As in Mission Accomplished.

THE HILL SCHOOL Serving Students in Junior Kindergarten Through 8th Grade

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Bus Service and Before-and-After School Care | TheHillSchool.org Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

39

The Arts Are Alive

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By Anita L. Sherman

olorfully painted hallways. Artwork gracing the walls. Cozy places to sit around every corner. A piano in every room. And room to spare for performing.

Who wouldn’t want to learn and be inspired here?

Located at 39 Culpeper Street in Warrenton, Allegro Community School of the Arts has gone through a recent renovation. It was a Boy Scout Eagle project that put in the finishing touches, adding freshly painted walls and trims.

“We have Micah Gueck to thank,” said Lachelle Yoder, who, along with her husband, Sam, and a staff of teachers and volunteers run the nonprofit performing arts school established in 2004 and anchored in Old Town since 2013.

“We can do this,” Yoder said of the pandemic challenges facing them. Bringing the arts to Fauquier and neighboring counties like Prince William, Culpeper and Rappahannock became more difficult but not impossible.

Ideas to go virtual with many of their offerings already had been in the pipeline before coronavirus.

Now there was urgency to make that happen. In July, Allegro announced it was now offering the Learning

Photo by Anita L. Sherman

Sam and Lachelle Yoder of Allegro.

Annex, a unique blend of general education and the performing arts.

Designed to meet the needs of busy families during unprecedented times, the Learning Annex

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Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

has affordable programs with schedules created to complement the different county school system schedules. It’s billed as a “one-stop shop program” for students where tutors, teaching assistants, supervised lunches and the performing arts are

and Well at Allegro

under one loving learning umbrella.

Held at their facility on Culpeper Street, students can bring their own curriculum (public or home school programs) and have tutors keep them engaged in learning.

internet connection platforms, but with Allegro’s provisions, all lessons are recorded and saved in the student’s private internet file.

Swift said he views the videos of the day, taking notes for future lesson plans.

Arts education includes private music lessons, dance, theatre and youth orchestra. Space is limited to accommodate safety-first small classes and virtual options are available. Ages served are rising second graders through 12th grade and pricing and schedules are flexible.

“At first, I was apprehensive,” he said. “Actually, it was painless. I simply start singing or playing the music assigned and instruct the student in vocal or touch techniques, explaining ways for solving problems in note-reading. I’m fortunate to have found Allegro, it’s a special family to me.

“It’s working well,” said Yoder, pointing to a screen in one of the music rooms. “The student can see the teacher and lessons are recorded and uploaded in individual folders for easy access.”

Moving beyond their walls, Yoder shared that a family in West Virginia as well as a woman in Australia currently take advantage of virtual offerings at Allegro.

Bob Swift, a piano and voice instructor, has been on staff since 2015. His professional teaching began 50 years ago before the computer age but adjusting to a virtual platform has come easy.

Always looking for ways to enhance their offerings, in May, they purchased Excell Dance, bringing it under the Allegro umbrella. Excell Dance owner Kim Bridges will serve on the Allegro Board of Directors.

Their two studios in Old Town Warrenton will remain as well as the teaching staff. Serving the community for more than a decade, incorporating Excell Dance into Allegro made perfect sense and the timing was right.

“Allegro embraces virtual teaching’s present and future without sacrificing its proven excellence of the past,” said Swift. “Allegro has enabled me to offer online piano and voice lessons during this period of COVID-19 quarantine. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with virtual teaching, especially with voice instruction. Not only have I learned to navigate

“Their dance programs are a perfect complement

to our theatre productions,” Yoder said.

Sam and Lachelle work together each day with a mission of bringing the performing arts to the community they call home. Their combined teaching and musical backgrounds and passion for their vision has put Allegro on the map as the region’s preeminent community art school.

“Locking kids down isn’t healthy,” said Sam Yoder.

“They need creativity to stay strong.”

“We need the arts more than ever,” agreed Lachelle Yoder. “We have to think hard to move forward…reinvent…stay engaged…we’re anxious to get started.

We’ve found that this is a strong, vibrant community and we plan to continue to expand. The cork is still in the bottle…it needs to pop…we’re ready.”

In addition to their musical instrument instruction, they’ve also brought in theatre professionals and visual arts experts to expand their programs. They hold classes daily as well as annual performances.

Currently serving some 200 students, classes are available for all ages.

Allegro is located at 39 Culpeper St., Warrenton. Visit www.allegrocsa.org to learn more about Allegro’s programs. Phone program director Lachelle Yoder at 540-349-5088 or email Lachelle@allegrocsa.org.

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

41

Trinity Episcopal Church Welcomes You!

Due to COVID-19 our buildings are closed but

Morning Worship

9:00am in the Bishop’s Garden Upperville, Virginia.

Bring a chair, wear your mask, and please join us!

Call (540) 592-

Visit us at trinityupperville.org Rector: The Reverend Jonathan Adams

Helping Families and Friends Honor Their Loved One 106 E. Washington St. P.o. Box 163 Middleburg, VA 20118 540-687-5400 FAX 540-687-3727 4125 Rectortown Rd P.O. Box 111 Marshall, VA 20116 540-364-1731 WWW.ROYSTONFH.COM 42

Literary Style N ancy Johnson has written a touching new book, “Moe and Lucy: Reunited at the Rainbow Bridge.” Her first book, “A Jack Russell for Jay” (written under her maiden name, Nancy Nakonechny), was quite a success. She’s back at it from her home base in Aiken, South Carolina. “This book is really for anyone who has ever lost a special dog.

The basic premise is two Jack Russells are reunited in a “dog heaven” of sorts,” she told Country ZEST recently. It’s available ($16) from her website www.moeandlucy.com and at Second Chapter Books in Middleburg (540-687-7016).

Hope Porter, the grand dame of saving the countryside, has recorded her efforts in “60 Years on a Precipice.” In the preface, she writes, “This is the story of the land wars of the second half of the 20th century when we were fighting to save farmland that has made Fauquier County one of the most productive and one of the most beautiful counties in Virginia.” Country ZEST agrees and is appreciative of her entire body of work, in county and state boardrooms and now on paper. Published by the Citizens for Fauquier County and available for $20 at The Town Duck in Warrenton.

The book, “Paul and Bunny Mellon: Visual Biographies: The Trompe l’Oeil Paintings at Oak Spring, Virginia” illustrates how the Mellons appreciated and grasped the intricate genre of trompe l’oeil. This lavishly illustrated tome depicts their exquisite taste and interests, via their collaborations with the fine European trompe l’oeil painters Martin Battersby and Fernand Reynard. Professor Lucia Tongiorgi Tomasi articulates these creative partnerships (written originally in Italian) while also placing the art in context within the history of the genre. All of this is augmented by inspired biographical sketches of the Mellons by Tony Willis, who served as the librarian of Mrs. Mellon’s superb collection of rare books, manuscripts, and art related to the history of gardens and horticulture. Since her death in 2014, he has continued in this position for the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Upperville. The book is $50 hardback and $40 paperback at https://oak-spring-garden-foundation. square.site.

And P.S. Local writer Norman Fine has received many notes and letters regarding his book, “Blind Bombing: How Microwave Radar Brought the Allies to D-Day and Victory in World War II” published last December. An interesting story was brought to light by reader Ron Brunnen when he sent a note to Norman.

Ron enlisted in the Army in 1951 and spent three years in active service during the time of the Korean War and the Cold War. He was a member of a SCR-584 radar crew, and by the end of his Korean tour he was Chief Radar Operator and temporary repairman as well. “The SCR-584 was one of the very first microwave radars designed at the Rad Lab in response to the German bombing Blitz over London,” Norman told Country ZEST. “The job of the SCR-584 was to detect individual enemy bombers in the sky up to forty miles distant, lock on, follow them, and by so doing, automatically control the aiming of antiaircraft guns and angle of altitude to shoot them down. Here was Ron Brunnen more than ten years later, using the same radar equipment first to protect Americans from potential Russian bombings during the Cold War.” To read this intriguing story and history, the book is available at Second Chapter Books in Middleburg (540-687-7016).

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

A Perfect Match for Thatch I Story and photos by Vicky Moon

Thatcher McGhee is at work on the renovation of the garden cottage with a fine example of Ms. Perin’s boxwood spiral topiary nearby.

Colin McGhee

The old beams inside the cottage provide attractive interior support.

t’s mid-morning on a brilliant and soon to be sweltering summer morning. The gracious gardens, pool expanse and nearby courtyard are abuzz as gardeners, and a thatcher are immersed in sustaining the perfection created and designed by Jean Perin, the owner of Edgewood near Upperville.

Wait a minute…a thatcher?

Yes, that would be the one and only Colin McGee, a devoted artisan I first wrote about twenty years ago in Town and Country magazine when he did a run-in shed at Over The Grass Farm near The Plains. We did several other stories, including one that ran in The Washington Post, and photo shoots together and then, we each moved along in our careers.

A British native now living in southern Virginia, Colin has since traveled the world to do his wonderful work. It was a delight to meet up again.

“I’d rather work on thatching than have a day off,” he said. His unique craft has taken him to Florida, New York, Iowa and California and beyond. And oh yes, the Bronx Zoo and the Jacksonville Zoo. In addition, he creates playhouses, dog houses, mailboxes and bird houses. See www. thethatchers.com.

Meanwhile, Ms. Perin exudes an edited British inspired style in her garden.

She hired McGee in September, 2005 to create a thatched garden cottage…”a folly,” she said, adding that it will be utilized for garden storage. “The old beams used for the interior support and a reclaimed Victorian window were also used.”

Ms. Perin had Mr. McGee return this summer to do some renovation after a critter got in and munched on some of the water-reed thatch. As co-chair of the Piedmont Environmental Council, she is not only passionate about her garden but also has equal enthusiasm for conservation, land and farmland preservation. www.pecva.org.

Farm & home essentials. Hometown pricing. Outstanding service.

Marshall 540-364-1533 8222 E Main St

Warrenton 540-347-7100 143 Washington St

Equine | Livestock | Pet | Lawn & Garden | Clothing & Boots CFC Farm & Home Center

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cfcfarmhome.com

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

43

Local Montessori Schools Keep Carrying On

2020

RACE SCHEDULE

VIRGINIA’S FALL HORSE RACING CALENDAR Sept. 18 - Oct. 17 Harness Racing at Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock October 4 Foxfield Fall Races in Charlottesville October 10 Middleburg Fall Races at Glenwood Park October 24 International Gold Cup at Great Meadow MORE DETAILS ARE AT

WWW.VIRGINIAHORSERACING.COM 44

T

By Carina Elgin

wo area Montessori schools have worked hard to give children a loving place to find normalcy amid the chaos of COVID-19.

Both Middleburg Montessori and Grace Montessori in The Plains have reopened with thoughtful safety guidelines for families ready to choose an in-person experience.

Both schools have established protocols of physical distancing, hand-washing and adult sanitization of equipment. They’re emphasizing outdoor learning, and feel This handsome young fellow is confident in providing safe, supportive happy to be back in school. environments. Montessori is a method of education developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play.

The Middleburg Montessori School (MMS), founded in 1980, reopened in mid-May after several months of pandemic quarantining. Since being taken over by Head of School Beth Ann Slater in 2003, it serves children from infants through age 15. It was the first Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) to gain accreditation by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.

Slater recently became an AMI Montessori 3-6 Teacher Trainer, guiding adults worldwide in the Montessori Method. Her daughter, Cassella Slater, found she loved teaching adolescents while spending a year in Ghana. She earned her AMI 6-12 diploma and a Master’s of Education, fully preparing her to act as MMS’s Upper School Lead Guide.

The MMS building was substantially expanded in 2015, and the beautiful outdoor campus provides places to learn and play. The Upper School even manages its own hog operation, where students learn hands-on animal husbandry and business skills, selling pork to local establishments, including Marshall’s Field and Main restaurant and the Whole Ox. The Grace Montessori School (GMS) had only been open a few months when the pandemic forced its closure before carefully reopening September 8.

Grace Montessori is an outreach mission of Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains. For the Reverend Weston Matthews, reopening was necessary to provide a safe, loving space for families, especially during COVID. “We put a lot of thought into how and when to reopen,” he said. “We certainly understand that many families are not ready yet to send their young children to school. But, often both parents work, and we need to serve and love them, as we serve and love their children.”

While most often secular, the Montessori educational method can be integrated successfully into a faith-based program. Grace Montessori is officially a new Episcopal school in the Diocese of Virginia. They use the child-directed Montessori approach, but include Sofia Cavaletti’s Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and weekly chapel with Holy Communion for students ages 1836 months and 3-6 years old. For now, Matthews added, “Chapel will be held outdoors, in God’s Creation, the beauty of nature.”

Head of School Micah Earl looks forward to having students spend a lot of time outdoors, getting to know The Plains community by walking through the little town, and enjoying a recently expanded playground.

With a gift from the Ohrstrom Foundation, the playground now measures almost half an acre. Grace Senior Warden Ken Garret spent the summer fencing it, joined by socially-distanced volunteers from the community. The playground is open to the public, dawn to dusk, during non-school hours.

A new initiative from the Middleburg-based Windy Hill Foundation has enabled both schools to offer a program called “From Nest to Wings,” offering Windy Hill families scholarships for critical early childhood education .

For more information on both schools, go to their websites: www. middleburgmontessori.com and www.gmstheplains.org.

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

MODELS SHOWN IN DUBARRY

National Sporting Library & Museum Polo Classic

Photo © Barbara Sharp

Jack and Carolyn Helmly enjoyed a lovely day out.

Dubarry has you covered in warmth and comfort.

You deserve it.

I GOT IT AT THE FEED STORE

®

Photo © Vicky Moon

Juliana May, a co-chair of the event, and Soloman Howard, international opera star and freelance performer with the Washington National Opera.

Photo © Vicky Moon

The ever fashionable Savannah Gavin and Lily Grace Gavin had a true tailgate of their own.

Photo © Vicky Moon

Lawrence Kurzius, board member of the NSL&M and a sporting art aficionado. He is chairman, president and CEO of McCormick & Co. Inc., the sponsor of this year’s official poster

by Andre Pater.

O P E N S E V E N D AY S A W E E K Photo © Barbara Sharp

Nacho Figueras scored the winning goal in the final minutes as the Buckeye Nutrition team defeated the Homan Hall team, 5-4, in the 2020 Polo Classic presented by Mars Equestrian at Great Meadow in The Plains.

7408 JOHN MARSHALL HWY M A R S H A L L , VA 2 0 1 1 5

540-364-1891 › TRICOUNTYFEEDS.COM

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

45

The White Shirts of Paris W

By Sarah Huntington

hen the pandemic hit in mid-March, I suddenly found myself homebound and unsure of what would come next.

We live in Paris, Virginia, sitting at the base of Mount Weather in the Ashby Gap. The village hasn’t changed much since the early 19th Century. There are still just two streets, Federal and Republican, and lots of wild beauty in between.

There’s a particular field that’s caught our attention since we moved here in the summer of 2017. It runs along an old logging road between the two streets. It has an old clothesline with weathered posts and sagging, rusting lines, right in the middle of the field.

My husband, Drew, and I walk our beagle every morning through the field. We began to imagine the clothesline with laundry. That morphed into the concept of a series of white shirts— something simple and graphic.

We are each in creative fields, I’m the photographer, he’s the advertising guy, so we tend to see things in a visual way.

Shirts With a Slip

Shirts All Akimbo

Shirt Ghosts

This conversation went on for three years…until COVID. Now there was time to do the “installation” we’d been talking about. So we scooped up all the white dress shirts we could find and began what I like to call “The White Shirt Series.”

We started with one and eventually worked up to 12.

Each day is different. Each season lends its own aura. The shirts change shape, position, and attitude depending on the weather, light, time of day and, of course, human manipulation and styling.

Sarah Huntington is showing her work (including a large rendition of the White Shirts) at the AIM gallery in Middleburg. Prints are available by contacting her at sarah@ sarahhuntington.com.

46

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

Shirts Upside Down

For Your children’s

children’s

children’s

children Rely on our expertise to help protect your landscape for all future generations.

The Land Trust of Virginia partners with private landowners who wish to voluntarily protect and preserve their working farmland or natural lands with significant scenic, historic, and ecological value for the benefit of our community using conservation easements.

(540) 687-8441 landtrustva.org

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

47

PROPERTY Writes Pheasant’s Eye is located on the east side of Middleburg and includes a rich history, with part of the main house dating to circa 1790.

Pheasant’s Eye Focused on Historic Home

P

heasant’s Eye is a stunning property on sixteen plus acres just east of Middleburg and recorded in two separate parcels. The main circa 1790 house originally served as an Ordinary for travelers between Alexandria and Winchester.

Between 1800 and 1810, the federal portion of the house was added and built using unique rubble and stone block construction and is believed to be the only house in America built in such a fashion. The second story is made of blue granite block laid in a Flemish bond pattern. The stone walls of the home are approximately two-feet thick.

The great room is on the main level.

A main level barn/garage can accommodate all types of transportation: horses or automobiles.

48

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

The main level master bedroom includes a large seating area filled with natural light.

The home has been completely restored and expanded to include a first floor master suite and large family room off the kitchen. The kitchen includes a notable cooking fireplace.

There are lovely hardwood floors throughout the five bedroom suites. The entire home has been meticulously preserved along with the original millwork and fireplace mantles.

Two substantial outbuildings serve as party barns, garaging for approximately 20 cars, space for guests, home office and large scale entertaining in either barn. The grounds are immaculate and two of the original outbuildings remain. Great outdoor entertaining spaces: in the sweeping lawn, garden and large terrace and pool area.

The dining room awaits guests for entertaining.

The “ruins� on the west side of the lawn are from a 19th century bank barn that was deconstructed in the mid-1960s. Portions of the barn foundation, the banked entryway and the silo foundation remain.

Sheridan MacMahon 110 East Washington Street Middleburg, Virginia 20117 $3,200,000 Helen MacMahon 540.687.5588 or 540.454.1930 There is a fabulous pool setting for swimming and entertaining.

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2020

49

Cup of COFFEE

Oh To Be Back at Saratoga

W

By Sean Clancy

hat do you miss the most?

Dinner parties?

Baseball games? A cold beer at the local bar? A kiss on the cheek? The bank, the post office? The treadmill at the gym?

Dinner at your favorite haunt on a Friday night?

Shaking hands on a good deal or a long goodbye?

The list is long and getting longer. For all of us.

I missed Saratoga, my annual summer sojourn to America’s oldest racetrack. A 31-year streak, a 31-year tradition, a Secretariat span of time. Poof, another victim to 2020.

The first 12 were spent as a jump jockey, loose and easy, living free. A friend once said, “I’ve got my tack bag and my credit card, I’m ready for Saratoga.”

Being a jockey at Saratoga, even a twice-a-week jump jockey, was making it to the show.

After retiring in 2000, a broken leg at the last fence on the first day of Saratoga providing the final nail, I gave my saddle to the Hall of Fame (it was the only way I was getting in) and we started The Saratoga Special newspaper the following summer. The words got tougher, the falls easier.

This was to be our 20th anniversary, a celebration of the little paper that could.

But, alas, it didn’t happen.

We audibled and produced 17 issues instead

50

of the normal 34. I stayed home in Middleburg, writing from afar, trying to conjure up the vibe, trying to create the drama the horses and the horsemen of the storied track —a natural muse in a state of bliss—have always provided.

My prose was passable, at best. The words felt stale, the sentences engineered, peanut butter has more flow. As I tell young writers, “Make sure the reader knows you’re there, not sitting in an office somewhere. They need to smell the dirt on your shoes, feel the sweat on the horse’s shoulder, the elation of a perfect trip, the pain of a photo finish loss.”

I guess that’s what I miss the most in 2020, the dirt, the sweat, the elation and the pain. You can have the dinner parties, certainly the treadmill.I need the urgency of the moment, to do something well and do it quickly, like it matters. All days seem to run together, write today, tomorrow, next week, who cares?

And I write this with full appreciation that if we get out of 2020 with a summer at Saratoga as the only thing we’ve lost, we’ve done well. I typed my last words for this year’s Special on September 11.

There I was writing about a stolen summer on the anniversary of a stolen, solemn day.

I remember walking into Nancy Miller’s barn in Unionville, Pennsylvania, to ride Succeed.

Still reeling from a turbulent summer of The Special, our first. Sleep deprived, deadline

Go Green Middleburg | Fall 2020

hungover, I was going to go for a ride on a horse I adored, for an escape.

Kay Stewart, a local veterinarian, pulled into the driveway and told Miller, who I endearingly call Aunt Nancy, and me that the world was under attack. I didn’t know what she meant. There was no cell phone with Internet to pepper you with reality.

An FM radio was the only mobile communication.

I went for a ride, wondering about the world. It wasn’t much of an escape. Hours later, I learned of the devastation, the carnage. Like everyone, I desperately tried to reach my friends—Annie, Wass, Pete, Charlie Moran—living in Manhattan and others in D.C. Luckily, I was spared, I didn’t lose anyone close to me on that terrible morning.

And here we are, 19 years later, trying to survive a turbulent time again. September 11, 2001 was a strike to the heart, an end to the last slivers of innocence that any of us still held dear.

It was strange, being removed from it all, watching from afar. It was hard to grasp, hard to digest, hard to understand. This pandemic is very different, a long slow burn touching all of us in one way or another, coupled with the most restless time this country has faced politically, spiritually, at least in my lifetime.

So here’s to meeting again in Saratoga – or wherever your Saratoga is – next summer. The pandemic behind us and our political divide somehow healed, or at least healing.

MIDDLEBURG

S I M P LY B E T T E R .

REAL ESTATE

2020 Transactions YTD

2020 Sales Volume YTD

MIDDLEBURG REAL ESTATE: 113

MIDDLEBURG REAL ESTATE: $69,292,686

WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES: 60

WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES: $63,283,570

THOMAS & TALBOT: 40

THOMAS & TALBOT: $53,165,000

SHERIDAN-MACMAHON: 25

SHERIDAN-MACMAHON: $37,652,900

HUNT COUNTRY SOTHEBY’S: 14

HUNT COUNTRY SOTHEBY’S: $11,519,000

LONG & FOSTER: 12

LONG & FOSTER: $7,381,100

MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES: 4

MCENEARNEY ASSOCIATES: $3,554,000

Leading Middleburg Brokerage

Middleburg Real Estate has been proudly serving our Hunt Country community since 1939. Visit our site middleburgrealestate.com to see how the leading real estate firm in Middleburg is doing things differently - even now - so that you can have a better, simpler real estate experience. *Statistics taken from BrightMLS 8/20/2020. Transaction totals based on Middleburg office locations only.

The numbers speak for themselves: Our Middleburg office is the number one firm in town.

Multiple Office Locations With four strategically placed offices across Loudoun, we’re well tied into the local market.

Strong Agent Presence Our 61 agents are full-time professionals, masters at their craft, who loyally serve the communities they love.

Nearly a Century of Experience Our legacy dates back to 1939. Our roots in Hunt Country are still a part of how we do business today.

M I D D L E B U R G R E A L E S TAT E . C O M MIDDLEBURG: 540.687.6321 | PURCELLVILLE: 540.338.7770 | LEESBURG: 703.777.1170 | ASHBURN: 703.436.0077 CORPORATE: 10 E WASHINGTON ST, MIDDELBURG, VA 20117 | 540.687.6321 | LICENSED IN VA + WV

Specializing in Large Land Holdings

John Coles 540-270- 0094 Rebecca Poston 540-771-7520 Licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia

EW

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Heronwood Upperville ~ This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own 501 acres of breathtakingly beautiful property in the heart of Virginia’s Hunt Country. Its stunning setting with a private 18-hole golf course, world-class horse facilities, main house and tenant houses is located on renowned Rokeby Road. This property is an incomparable treasure with easy access to Washington DC and Dulles International Airport. $19,500,000

Muster Lane

Sweet Bay

The Plains ~ 108 gorgeous acres, This Stately and Historic Estate with its grand rooms is in prime Orange County Hunt Territory, minutes to Middleburg. It also features a pool and pool house, 5 bay garage with office, 2 tenant houses, newly remodeled 11 stall center aisle stable with apt. & office, riding arena and exceptional ride-out to wooded trails and open pastures. $6,950,000

Upperville ~ With its 115 acres Windsor Farm is an extraordinary horse property specializing in the training of Grand Prix horses. The elegant Manor House dates to the 1700’s and has been expanded through the years to create the current gracious home with formal gardens and expansive views. In addition to the main home, the estate includes 3 tenant houses, and 3 apartments. $6,800,000

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Deerfield

WINDSOR

Upperville ~ The farm and it’s brick manor house, ca. 1844 is a gracious Hunt Country Estate listed on both the Virginia and the National Register of Historic Places. The home has been beautifully restored and features 11 elegant and inviting rooms. Additional homes feature 2 guest houses, 2 tenant houses and a farm manager’s residence. Separate 40 acre parcel with direct access to Rt. 50 features an impressive horse facility with an indoor arena. $5,800,000

Upperville ~ With its 115 acres Windsor Farm is an extraordinary horse property specializing in the training of Grand Prix horses. The elegant Manor House dates to the 1700’s and has been expanded through the years to create the current gracious home with formal gardens and expansive views. In addition to the main home, the estate includes 3 tenant houses, and 3 apartments. $4,500,000

Holly Hill

Spring Hill

Middleburg ~ A gracious and elegant stone manor conveniently located on 37 private acres just 2 miles from Middleburg. Historic property has been meticulously renovated with luxury finishes and tasteful upgrades throughout. Four bedrooms, 4 and a half bathrooms.

Formal dining room, large garden/family room, Ballroom, Chef’s kitchen, library, 6 fireplaces. Charming guest house, pool, 2 barns. Large exercise/art studio. Dressage arena and grass jumping arena. Beautiful gardens, ponds and views. $3,299,000 OCH hunt territory.

The Plains ~ 20 acres in a charming setting, with stone walls, gardens, pastures, pond and pool. Below the guesthouse is a four stall stable with it’s own parking area and driveway. The original 1870 log cabin was expanded several times creating a very welcoming home featuring a first floor master suite, vaulted ceiling kitchen and family room each with large picture windows. This farm and its prime location, halfway between Middleburg and The Plains, provides the perfect way to social distance while being able to keep family and friends close. $2,250,000

Chilly Bleak Marshall ~ This 152 acre horse farm features beautiful open gently rolling pastures and fields in prime Orange County Hunt Territory. The historic fieldstone home dates to 1820 with later additions creating a 5 BR / 5 BA home with stone terrace and pool. Two Stables - 15 stalls and 6 stalls, Kraft Walker, 8 paddocks, 6 fields, 3 cottages. The home is perfectly sited for privacy with easy access to I-66 and Rt. 50. VOF Easement. Shared listing with Sotheby’s. $3,750,000

Stone Haven Woodville ~ Nestled on 158 acres in pristine Rappahannock County, Stonehaven offers a picturesque and tranquil retreat. Sited at the end of the private drive is the historic Stone residence, c.1791 with additional stone cottage for guests or office and tucked into the woods, beyond the home, is a charming and beautifully restored 2 bedroom log cabin. Gardens, lawn, barns, paddocks and tremendous ride out potential provide an outdoor haven. $1,695,000

Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.

During this difficult time, Thomas & Talbot Real Estate’s virtual doors remain open and we continue to show properties with social distancing in mind. Being familiar with working remotely, given the nature of our business, we will continue to provide the highest service and support in Hunt Country. This rural life has never been more desirable.

2 South Madison Street | PO Box 500 | Middleburg, VA 20118 | Office: 540-687-6500 | Fax: 540-687-8899 | thomasandtalbot.com