AfriGeneas States Research Forum
[VA] History Trail Through Loudoun County, VA
History Trail Through Loudoun
Discover aspects of Loudoun's history in every corner of the county.
By Erika Jacobson
August 29, 2007
Throughout the year, the Connection will be featuring occasional stories highlighting Loudoun's history, in honor of the county's 250th anniversary.
Photo by Erika Jacobson/The Connection
While much of Loudoun’s history is preserved through restored mansions and Civil War sites, other aspects of the county’s 250-year history remain hidden in plain sight, along roads residents travel every day, in parks and in towns. Each area of Loudoun, the Route 7 corridor, along the John Mosby Highway and in Leesburg has it own bit of history that residents can explore and discover for themselves.
The Suburban East
Vestal’s Gap Road; Claude Moore Park: This unpaved road was created by the American Indians living in the area before it was known as Loudoun County. It was created as route to the Potomac River for hunting and trading. Two springs near the road provided water, plentiful quartz and quartzite were available for tool making, and the hill along the road served as a place for hunting game such as deer, bear, turkey, elk and various small mammals. During the 1700s, Vestal’s Gap Road connected Alexandria and Winchester, which were among the five largest cities in Virginia. In 1754, with 120 militiamen, Lt. Col. George Washington traveled along Vestal’s Gap Road towards Fort Duquesne to confront the French, which began the French and Indian War.