Loudoun Valley
Encyclopedia
The Loudoun Valley is a small, but historically significant valley
in the Blue Ridge Mountains
located in Loudoun County
in northwestern Virginia
in the United States
.
and the Bull Run Mountains
to the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains
to the west. To the north it is bound by the Potomac River
and to the south by the Broken Hills
of Fauquier County
. The small portion of the valley residing in Fauquier County is known as Upper Fauquier. The valley varies between 8 miles (12.9 km) and 12 miles (19.3 km) in width and is approximately 34 miles (54.7 km) long. The northern section of the valley is bisected by Short Hill Mountain
. The area west of the Short Hill is known as Between the Hills
and is distinct from the Loudoun Valley, while the area to the east, sometimes referred to as the Catoctin Valley
, is associated with it.
Major watercourses include Goose Creek
, Catoctin Creek
, Panther Skin Run, and the Little River
.
The three major highways across the valley are U.S. Route 50
, which runs from Aldie
on the east to Ashby Gap on the west; Route 7
, which runs from Clarke's Gap west of Leesburg
to Snickers Gap
west of Bluemont
; and Route 9
, which diverges from Route 7 at Clarke's Gap and runs west to Keyes Gap
on the West Virginia
border.
The terrain is rolling, with numerous ridges and hills. Elevation of the valley ranges between 350 to 730 ft (106.7 to 222.5 ) above sea level. The region is temperate, with an annual rainfall of 40 to 50 in (101.6 to 127 ) and a mean average temperate of 50 to 55 °F.
The soil is formed from gneiss
, clay
/ slate
, hornblende
, greenstone
, and quartz
particles, a fertile and durable soil, containing alumina, silex
, potash
, lime
, and other natural fertilizing minerals.
— Quakers, Scotch-Irish, and Germans
interested in starting small farms. The Quakers had significant influence in the central Loudoun Valley, settling in and around such communities as Waterford
, Hillsboro, Goose Creek (now Lincoln
), and Unison
. Their stone buildings are a major feature of the Loudoun landscape. Germans settled in the northern end of the Loudoun Valley, especially in the area around Lovettsville
, leaving a number of log structures as their architectural legacy. Unlike the settlers to the east and south, neither of these groups practiced slavery
. In the southern portion of the valley, centered around Middleburg
, settlers of English descent moving west from the tidewater
region imported slave-based plantation-style agriculture. During the antebellum period, the area became a leading center of agriculture production, particularly of wheat, oats, rye, and corn.
, the Loudoun Valley saw considerable fighting. Owing the Valley's divided loyalties, one-time neighbors took up arms against one another in bitter partisan
fighting. Unionists from the northern portion of the Valley formed the partisan Loudoun Rangers
, while southern sympathizers in the southern portion joined a number of partisan Confederate units including White's Rebels
and Mosby's Rangers
. These units frequently engaged one another in the Valley throughout the duration of the war, most noticeably at the Fight at Waterford
in 1862 when White's Rebels engaged the Loudoun Rangers for the first time.
Major engagements between the regular armies also occurred in the Valley, particularly in 1862 and 1863. In November 1862, following the Battle of Antietam
, Union Gen. George McClellan
marched his army through the Valley in slow pursuit of the retreating Army of Northern Virginia
. Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
fought a delaying action against the vanguard of the Union columns during the often overlooked Battle of Unison
. During the Gettysburg Campaign
, a series of cavalry
clashes between J.E.B. Stuart and Alfred Pleasonton
occurred in the valley at Aldie
, Middleburg
, Goose Creek, and Upperville
. Stuart successfully kept the Federal forces from entering the adjacent Shenandoah Valley
and discovering Robert E. Lee
's main army. In 1864, as General Jubal Early withdrew from Washington
, Union forces attacked his supply wagons at Heaton's Crossroads
at present-day Purcellville. In the early winter of 1864, General Phillip Sheridan had the Loudoun Valley put to the torch during The Burning Raid
in response to actions of Confederate partisans John Mosby who used the Loudoun Valley as his base of operations.
crops, while berry production has increased dramatically (ranked 1st in the state). Christmas tree
farming (3rd in the state) and livestock
(11th in state for sheep and lamb, 14th in state for cattle) are also major agricultural ventures. In the last decade the emergence of vineyard
s and wineries
in the valley has led to it being a top producer of wine in the state.
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
located in Loudoun County
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
in northwestern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Geography
The lush and fertile valley lies between Catoctin MountainCatoctin Mountain
Catoctin Mountain, along with the geologically associated Bull Run Mountains, comprises the easternmost mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are in turn a part of the Appalachian Mountains range...
and the Bull Run Mountains
Bull Run Mountains
The Bull Run Mountains are a mountain range of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia in the United States. Located approximately east of the main chain, across the Loudoun Valley...
to the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
to the west. To the north it is bound by the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and to the south by the Broken Hills
Broken Hills (Virginia)
The Broken Hills is a range of low-lying mountains and ridges in northern Fauquier County, Virginia.The range begins just to the west of the southern Bull Run Mountains, north of Warrentown and continues to the eastern edge of Blue Mountain. Interstate 66 and Virginia State Route 55 run just north...
of Fauquier County
Fauquier County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,139 people, 19,842 households, and 15,139 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 21,046 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
. The small portion of the valley residing in Fauquier County is known as Upper Fauquier. The valley varies between 8 miles (12.9 km) and 12 miles (19.3 km) in width and is approximately 34 miles (54.7 km) long. The northern section of the valley is bisected by Short Hill Mountain
Short Hill Mountain
Short Hill Mountain is a mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia.- Geography :Short Hill rises sharply from the Piedmont countryside of the Loudoun Valley, northwest of Purcellville, as a low-lying ridge barely over above the surrounding area...
. The area west of the Short Hill is known as Between the Hills
Between the Hills
Between the Hills is a small valley in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia, distinct from, but associated with the greater Loudoun Valley.-Geography:...
and is distinct from the Loudoun Valley, while the area to the east, sometimes referred to as the Catoctin Valley
Catoctin Valley
The Catoctin Valley is a small valley, geographically and culturally associated with the larger Loudoun Valley in Loudoun County, Virginia.-Geography:...
, is associated with it.
Major watercourses include Goose Creek
Goose Creek (Potomac River)
Goose Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River in Fauquier and Loudoun counties in northern Virginia. It comprises the principal drainage system for the Loudoun Valley.-Course:...
, Catoctin Creek
Catoctin Creek (Virginia)
Catoctin Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River in Loudoun County, Virginia, with a watershed of . Agricultural lands make up 67 percent and forests 30 percent of Catoctin Creek's watershed...
, Panther Skin Run, and the Little River
Little River (Goose Creek)
Little River is a tributary stream of Goose Creek in Fauquier and Loudoun counties in northern Virginia. Via Goose Creek, it is a tributary of the Potomac River....
.
The three major highways across the valley are U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
, which runs from Aldie
Aldie, Virginia
Aldie is an unincorporated village located on the John Mosby Highway between Gilbert's Corner and Middleburg in Loudoun County, Virginia. It is located in a gap between the Catoctin Mountain and Bull Run Mountain, through which the Little River flows...
on the east to Ashby Gap on the west; Route 7
Virginia State Route 7
State Route 7 is a major primary state highway and busy commuter route in Northern Virginia, United States. It travels southeast from downtown Winchester to State Route 400 in downtown Alexandria...
, which runs from Clarke's Gap west of Leesburg
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
to Snickers Gap
Snickers Gap
Snickers Gap, originally William's Gap, is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain on the border of Loudoun County and Clarke County in Virginia. The gap is traversed by Virginia State Route 7. The Appalachian Trail also passes across the gap...
west of Bluemont
Bluemont, Virginia
Bluemont is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia located at the base of Snickers Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain. At 680 feet , it is the highest community in Loudoun County...
; and Route 9
Virginia State Route 9
Virginia State Route 9 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Charles Town Pike, the state highway runs from the West Virginia state line near Mechanicsville, where the highway continues west as West Virginia Route 9 , east to SR 7 and SR 7 Business near Paeonian...
, which diverges from Route 7 at Clarke's Gap and runs west to Keyes Gap
Keyes Gap
Keyes Gap or Keyes' Gap is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain on the border of Loudoun County, Virginia and Jefferson County, West Virginia. The gap is traversed by Virginia State Route 9/West Virginia State Route 9. The Appalachian Trail also crosses the gap.-History:Originally known as...
on the West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
border.
The terrain is rolling, with numerous ridges and hills. Elevation of the valley ranges between 350 to 730 ft (106.7 to 222.5 ) above sea level. The region is temperate, with an annual rainfall of 40 to 50 in (101.6 to 127 ) and a mean average temperate of 50 to 55 °F.
The soil is formed from gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
, clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
/ slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, hornblende
Hornblende
Hornblende is a complex inosilicate series of minerals .It is not a recognized mineral in its own right, but the name is used as a general or field term, to refer to a dark amphibole....
, greenstone
Greenschist
Greenschist is a general field petrologic term applied to metamorphic or altered mafic volcanic rock. The term greenstone is sometimes used to refer to greenschist but can refer to other rock types too. The green is due to abundant green chlorite, actinolite and epidote minerals that dominate the...
, and quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
particles, a fertile and durable soil, containing alumina, silex
Silex
Silex is any of various forms of ground stone. In modern contexts the word refers to a finely ground, nearly pure form of silica or silicate....
, potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
, lime
Lime (mineral)
Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...
, and other natural fertilizing minerals.
Settlement
Following the 1722 Treaty of Albany, which kept the American Indian nations west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, settlers began slowly to move into the Loudoun Valley. Many of the early residents were immigrants from southern PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
— Quakers, Scotch-Irish, and Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
interested in starting small farms. The Quakers had significant influence in the central Loudoun Valley, settling in and around such communities as Waterford
Waterford, Virginia
Waterford is an unincorporated village in the Catoctin Valley of Loudoun County, Virginia, located along Catoctin Creek. Waterford is northwest of Washington, D.C., and northwest of Leesburg...
, Hillsboro, Goose Creek (now Lincoln
Lincoln, Virginia
Lincoln is an historic unincorporated village in the Loudoun Valley of Loudoun County, Virginia, located approximately south of Purcellville. It was established as the community of Goose Creek during the 1750s by Quaker settlers and renamed Lincoln after the president shortly after his...
), and Unison
Unison, Virginia
Unison is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia. It is located approximately five miles from Middleburg in the Loudoun Valley....
. Their stone buildings are a major feature of the Loudoun landscape. Germans settled in the northern end of the Loudoun Valley, especially in the area around Lovettsville
Lovettsville, Virginia
Lovettsville is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The population was 853 at the 2000 census. The 2005-2009 American Community Survey estimated the population at 1187.-History:Following the 1722 Treaty of St...
, leaving a number of log structures as their architectural legacy. Unlike the settlers to the east and south, neither of these groups practiced slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. In the southern portion of the valley, centered around Middleburg
Middleburg, Virginia
Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States with a population of approximately 976 as of July 2010.-History:The town was established in 1787 by American Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel and Virginia statesman, Levin Powell. He purchased the land for Middleburg at $2.50 per...
, settlers of English descent moving west from the tidewater
Tidewater
Tidewater may refer to:*Tidewater , a geographic area of southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina*Tidewater , a company providing marine services to the offshore petroleum industry...
region imported slave-based plantation-style agriculture. During the antebellum period, the area became a leading center of agriculture production, particularly of wheat, oats, rye, and corn.
Civil War
During the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Loudoun Valley saw considerable fighting. Owing the Valley's divided loyalties, one-time neighbors took up arms against one another in bitter partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
fighting. Unionists from the northern portion of the Valley formed the partisan Loudoun Rangers
Loudoun Rangers
The Loudoun Rangers, also known as Mean's Rangers for their commander, Samuel C. Means, was a partisan cavalry unit raised in Loudoun County, Virginia, that fought for the Union during the American Civil War...
, while southern sympathizers in the southern portion joined a number of partisan Confederate units including White's Rebels
35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry
The 35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, also known as White's Battalion, White's Rebels and the Comanches, was a Confederate cavalry unit during the American Civil War raised by Elijah V. White in Loudoun County, Virginia in the winter of 1861-62...
and Mosby's Rangers
43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry
The 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, also known as Mosby's Rangers, Mosby's Raiders or Mosby's Men, was a battalion of partisan cavalry in the Confederate army during the American Civil War...
. These units frequently engaged one another in the Valley throughout the duration of the war, most noticeably at the Fight at Waterford
The Fight at Waterford
The Fight at Waterford was a small skirmish during the American Civil War that took place in Waterford, Virginia on August 27, 1862 between the local partisan cavalry units of White's Rebels, fighting for the Confederates, and the Loudoun Rangers fighting for the Union...
in 1862 when White's Rebels engaged the Loudoun Rangers for the first time.
Major engagements between the regular armies also occurred in the Valley, particularly in 1862 and 1863. In November 1862, following the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, Union Gen. George McClellan
George McClellan
George B. McClellan was an American Civil War military leader, Presidential candidate and Governor of New Jersey.George McClellan may also refer to:*George McClellan , American physician who founded medical schools...
marched his army through the Valley in slow pursuit of the retreating Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
. Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...
fought a delaying action against the vanguard of the Union columns during the often overlooked Battle of Unison
Battle of Unison
The Battle of Unison or Battle of Union refers to a series of American Civil War cavalry skirmishes in Loudoun County, Virginia, between October 31 – November 2, 1862, between the Confederate forces of J.E.B. Stuart and various units of the Union Army of the Potomac...
. During the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
, a series of cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
clashes between J.E.B. Stuart and Alfred Pleasonton
Alfred Pleasonton
Alfred Pleasonton was a United States Army officer and General of Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Gettysburg Campaign, including the largest predominantly cavalry battle of the war, Brandy Station...
occurred in the valley at Aldie
Battle of Aldie
The Battle of Aldie took place on June 17, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War.Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry screened Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate infantry as it marched north in the Shenandoah Valley behind the sheltering Blue...
, Middleburg
Battle of Middleburg
The Battle of Middleburg took place from June 17 to June 19, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
, Goose Creek, and Upperville
Battle of Upperville
The Battle of Upperville took place in Loudoun County, Virginia on June 21, 1863 during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War.-Background:The Union cavalry made a determined effort to pierce Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry screen...
. Stuart successfully kept the Federal forces from entering the adjacent Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
and discovering Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's main army. In 1864, as General Jubal Early withdrew from Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Union forces attacked his supply wagons at Heaton's Crossroads
Heaton's Crossroads
Heaton's Crossroads, also known as the Purcellville Wagon Raid, was an American Civil War skirmish that took place between Federal cavalry under Brig. Gen. Alfred N. Duffié and Confederate infantry under Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge on July 16, 1864, near present day Purcellville, Virginia in...
at present-day Purcellville. In the early winter of 1864, General Phillip Sheridan had the Loudoun Valley put to the torch during The Burning Raid
The Burning Raid
The Burning Raid was a Union military raid conducted in the Loudoun Valley of Loudoun and Fauquier counties in Virginia in November and December 1864 during the American Civil War...
in response to actions of Confederate partisans John Mosby who used the Loudoun Valley as his base of operations.
Modern era
Following the war, the Loudoun Valley was slow to recover from the devastation of the Burning Raid, but soon the region became a major source of agricultural products again, particularly as notable for its numerous dairy farms. Farming remained a main occupation for several generations until the early 1990s when urban growth began encroaching from the east. Today, farming has lost its prominence in the valley, though still maintains a strong presence, ranking 20th in overall agriculture production in the state. Corn, wheat and beans remain stapleStaple food
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...
crops, while berry production has increased dramatically (ranked 1st in the state). Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
farming (3rd in the state) and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
(11th in state for sheep and lamb, 14th in state for cattle) are also major agricultural ventures. In the last decade the emergence of vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s and wineries
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
in the valley has led to it being a top producer of wine in the state.
Sources
- Loudoun Museum website
- Head, James W., History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County Virginia, Parkview Press, 1908.