Back in Middleburg and Always Giving Back

Back in Middleburg and Always Giving Back

By Vicky Moon

Here’s a good one. Melanie Blunt GREW UP IN MIDDLEBURG on Chestnut Street and knew every family in the neighborhood. Her father, Wharton Anderson, was an accountant. Her mother, Carolyn Anderson, was a music teacher, pianist and organist.

Carolyn played for the Middleburg Players for many years. “My mom was the member of our family with all the personality,” Melanie said. “She wore bright, colorful hats and drove her Oldsmobile Cutlass a hundred miles an hour down Foxcroft Road. The windows would always be wide open, and our dogs would jump out and we’d have to turn around and go get them.”

Her grandmother, Helen Rose Anderson, had Anderson’s Sandwich Shop, The Middleburg Sandwich Shop, ran The Post and Rail and finally owned The Hamburger Hut. An aunt, Helen Hyre, was on the town council for many years.

And there’s more. “Both sets of grandparents built houses in Middleburg,” Melanie added. “One set was on Sycamore and the other set on Marshall behind the Safeway.”

Valerie Archibald Embrey lived in the same neighborhood and fondly recalled the entire family. “Carolyn was my childhood best friend from Middleburg Elementary and all through Loudoun County High School,” she said. “We double dated to our junior and senior proms.”

Melanie met Naval officer Matt Blunt while she was living in Richmond and he was on shore leave. They married in Middleburg, then moved to Missouri where Matt eventually was elected the state’s 54 th governor in 2004 after defeating Claire McCaskill. That made Melanie the first lady of Missouri.

William Branch Blunt with his mother Melanie Blunt. Branch is a sophomore at Highland School in Warrenton and plays on the tennis team.

Photo by Doug Gehlsen-Middleburg Photo

“It was an honor to serve,” she said. “I had the opportunity to bring attention to causes that were important to me. With the Missouri Women’s Council, we created The First Lady Awards to recognize outstanding women volunteers across the state. We also completed a major renovation of the Missouri Governor’s Mansion.”

Since returning to the area, the Blunt family now lives at Ashleigh, an 1840 home that was built by John Marshall’s granddaughter, Margaret, on land that had been owned by the Marshall family. Former owner Sandra Payson put in extensive gardens on the property. It has undergone a renovation and was on the Historic Garden Tour last year.

Melanie is now chair of the board of the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation. She also chaired the recent Cherry Blossom 5k and Fun walk, an event that raised over $45,000. The foundation will donate $85,000 to local breast cancer charities.

“Breast cancer awareness has always been an important issue to me,” she said, “because I lost my mother to the disease at such a young age.”

“Our boys are William Branch and Brooks. Branch is a sophomore at Highland School and Brooks is a sixth grader at Hill. Both boys would probably tell you that sports is their favorite class.”

Melanie loves to play tennis and was a member of the 2.5 team at the Middleburg Tennis Club that made it to the national finals in 2019.

“We had a blast,” she said, “and we were always surprised when we won. But I can’t play tennis with my sons. They’re so much better than I am.”