Country Zest & Style Winter 2021 Edition by Country Zest & Style

WINTER 2021

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY HILL SCHOOL TEACHER

THEA ISRAEL ASBURY COMMITTEE’S

PHYLLIS COOK TAYLOR

PRSRT MKTG U.S. PoStaGe

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Personalities, Celebrations and Sporting Pursuits

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

RUTLEDGE FARM MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

$8,000,000

FIDELIO THE PLAINS, 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

$6,490,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 Sandra Bravo GreenBerG 202.308.3813

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

MAYAPPLE FARM

DIXONS MILL ROAD

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

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 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

BUST HEAD ROAD THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA

$1,100,000 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

MARSHALL, VIRGINIA

Lovely brick home on hilltop setting, completely redone by current owners | Wood floors, high ceilings, lots of light | 6 BR, 5 1/2 BA, 5 FP, sweeping stair case in foyer | Basement level finished for family enjoyment w/ media room, office, gym, billiard room, full bar w/ kitchenette, full bath & outside entrance leading to pool and spa | Improvements include 3-car garage, heated 4-car garage w/car lift | Potting shed/studio w/ attached heated green house | 20 car barn for serious collector | Swimming pool with spa | 5-stall barn | Property fenced and cross fenced | 68.23 acres

$2,375,000 Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

OLD ALDIE RECTORY ALDIE, VIRGINIA

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

DEERFIELD UPPERVILLE, VIRGINIA

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

$4,500,000 helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

LONG BRANCH THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA

Gorgeous 71 acre parcel in a wonderful location between Middleburg and The Plains | Rolling land with stone walls and 2 ponds | Enchanting property - must drive all the way up to the building site to appreciate the setting and views and privacy | 4 bedroom certification letter from Fauquier County, driveway installed | Property is in conservation easement and may not be divided further

$1,950,000 helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

BUNKER HILL THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA

2 lots between The Plains and Marshall | Parcel C is 3.9 acres | Parcel B is 3.5 acres | Both parcels have preliminary soil work completed to obtain 4 bedroom septic permits | Both lots are very private and have a nice mix of open and wooded areas | Great convenient location where few lots are available

$995,000

$250,000 each

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

of NOTE

ZES ST TStytlel &

BE ON THE LOOKOUT through this Country issue of

ZEST & Style ZES ST TStytlel &

Country

Long Branch Historic House And Farm

for the hummingbird.

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.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Presents a

Sale Of Fine Art and Objects

January 20 - February 28, 2021

ur area has always had a vibrant African-American community, and we’re delighted to share a number of stories on the subject in this Winter edition of Country ZEST during February’s Black History Month. One of our resident historians, John Toler, has written a fascinating story on a relatively overlooked group of Black soldiers during World War II. No, not the Tuskegee Airmen. It’s about the Montford Point Marines, including a late, brave local veteran who served with them in the Pacific.

Photo by Shannon Davis

Our two cover women, Thea Israel and Phyllis Cook Taylor, are on the front lines, so to speak, Asbury is the oldest church in Middleburg. of education and local preservation, respectively. Thea is a talented and beloved second grade teacher at The Hill School in Middleburg with an intriguing background and teaching genes all over her family tree.

10am – 4pm Monday thru Friday Evenings and Weekends by Appointment Please call: 540-837-1856

Phyllis has been serving on a five-person town committee trying to save the old Asbury Methodist Church building. She has vivid memories of attending services there and at Middlburg’s Shiloh Baptist Church. Read all about it in Shannon Davis’s terrific and timely story on Asbury’s past, present and future. Emma Boyce, a wonderful young writer, also profiles dynamic Pastor Herman Nelson, who’s been preaching from Shiloh’s pulpit for 34 years. Oatlands Historic Home & Gardens in Leesburg once constituted the largest community of enslaved people in Loudoun County. Now, Oatlands is helping their current descendants uncover family roots back to the 1700s. This month, we’re featuring stories from two talented high school students. Warrenton’s Miles Kresic, a senior St. Andrews in Delaware, has an illuminating look at the little-known Cold War Museum in Vint Hill. And Uzrah Abrar, a junior at Wakefield in The Plains, has focused on teacher Peter Findler and his innovative approach in presenting a unique view of history. Her talented Wakefield classmate, photographer Robert Cunningham, contributed the photos.

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We’ll continue to ask local students to contribute articles and photos. Judging from the first two, 21st Century journalism has a bright future. There’s plenty more from several seasoned writers, including a fabulous firstperson piece by Ashby Inn founders John Sherman on his and wife Roma’s adopted hometown of Paris, the Virginia version. We’ve also got pizza, wine, Marshall frog legs, Middleburg gems, Warrenton cameras, Waterloo crafts, Linden candles and a sheepish photo feature that definitely won’t count toward putting you to sleep. One more admittedly unabashed plug. My wife, Vicky Moon has written an illuminating, meticulously researched new book—Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop Had a Way With Horses—on a pioneering African-American female trainer of racehorses based in nearby historic Charles Town. That’s the only editorial selfpromotion you’ll see on these pages, other than to say it’s available in several Middleburg shops and Amazon. Hope her terrific book, and the magazine, add a little more ZEST to your reading pleasure. Leonard Shapiro badgerlen@aol.com 410-570-8447

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

ZES ST T & Sty t lel

Country

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

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

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 798 Middleburg, Virginia 20118 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, Kevin Ramundo, Leslie VanSant, Linda Roberts, Louisa Woodville, M.J. McAteer, Melissa Phipps, Mike du Pont, Sean Clancy, Tom Northrup, Tom Wiseman

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

ON THE COVER

Karen Monroe and Doug Gehlsen

/ Country Zest and Style

For this issue, I went a little old school and broke out my trusty Sekonic light meter. As the name implies, it provides an accurate measure of the ambient and strobe light which allows me to pre-set the camera and dial in the correct light settings. This is particularly useful in the studio where I have mixed light sources and a short time frame to get accurate light exposure. Light meters can be useful beyond studio environments and are recommended for beginners to learn the fundamentals of camera exposure and metering. Lighting was my typical setup, which includes a beauty dish as the key light and a stop box for fill to the right of the camera.

/ @countryzestandstyle

/ @countryzestand1

www.countryzestandstyle.com 4

Country MATTERS

Stopping the Swap Critical for Aldie

By Kevin Ramundo Columnist

everal months ago, it appeared it was time to celebrate reports that Loudoun County had agreed to buy 16 acres of land in the historic village of St. Louis, place the land in conservation easement, and prevent the construction of 27 new homes. That celebration may have been premature. It was later learned that the developer, Mojax LLC, withdrew from the St. Louis agreement based on the claim reported in the media that tax benefits it expected to receive would not be available. On Dec. 1, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors decided to pursue Photo by Hugh Kenny, a different deal offered by the Piedmont Environmental Council developer. The village of Aldie Under the new plan, the county would still buy the St. Louis land for the previously agreed-upon amount of $1.5 million -- and also give Mojax 6.3 acres of county land in Aldie to develop and $600,000 for improvements. That included a road that would lead to 60 acres under conservation easement behind the proposed development. The supervisors should be applauded for wanting to protect St. Louis and save several small historic buildings in Aldie. And to be fair, we may be in the early stages of this situation and it could improve. But the discussion now underway threatens a quaint and historic village with a development that would include 164 parking spaces and almost 35,000 square feet of commercial and retail space. All this unfolded without any community involvement until a quickly convened public hearing on January 13. Compelling concerns were voiced, including from those who, in 2019, successfully opposed the county’s plans for a 20,000 square-foot fire station there, a plan the supervisors thankfully changed. Many hoped the action by the board at the hearing would have gone beyond just referring the contract for the Aldie development to the board’s finance committee. The entire situation raises these and other questions: Should the county even consider trading the historical and rural qualities of one village for another? Why didn’t the county involve the community and solicit multiple development proposals such as Middleburg has done in efforts to restore the historic Asbury Church? Would the county be receiving fair value for its Aldie land? It seems as if what’s possibly happening is more about expediency than what the public wants and due diligence deserves. Isn’t it more important to do the right way instead of jumping at an agreement. Yes, the county should strive to protect St. Louis, but not at the expense of Aldie. In recent years, another entity planned to bring a commercial-scale restaurant, resort and event facility to a historic property near Upperville. The Fauquier supervisors made community concerns a priority. Why should it be any different with the Aldie project in Loudoun ? Important open issues remain about the Aldie plan and my hope is that the county acts in the community’s best interests by rejecting the swap and this game-changing proposed project at the eastern gateway to the rural part of the county. You can email the supervisors at bos@loudoun.gov with your thoughts. Kevin Ramundo is a former communications executive who was recently elected president of Citizens for Fauquier County and serves on the Land Trust of Virginia board.

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

heels down, chin up. here’s to a fabulous 2021!

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2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges. My heart goes out to the many who have suffered this year. I feel certain 2021 will be a smoother ride and with resolve we will prevail. We’ve all taken more time to focus on what matters most. We’ve also been reminded of how important it is to support charitable groups that protect open spaces and this healthy way of life we live. I’m so grateful and honored to have been able to help more people than ever find Cricket Bedford 540-229- 3201

their perfect place in Hunt Country this year. Here’s to health and happiness in 2021!

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A Community Center For One and All

By Carina Elgin

ince opening in 1948, the Middleburg Community Center, the stately yellow stucco building at the western edge of Middleburg’s business district, has seen many people come and go through its arched white doors. As the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 brought most community activities to a halt, Executive Director Olivia Rogers said the staff is “taking it day by day and staying optimistic,” making needed renovations, planning for the future, and continuing to take bookings for weddings and other activities. In 2019, some 115 events were offered at MCC, Rogers noted. The ever-popular Halloween party went through a record 500 hot dogs in 90 minutes. The center has become home to a bustling crafts show. Fourth of July festivities traditionally featured smalltown charm with fireworks that never disappointed. The beautiful ballroom with its stage hosted everything from Hunt Balls to fundraisers to Bingo night. Various classes, meetings and 15-20 weddings were held at the lovely venue. Rogers herself is an expert on wedding opportunities at MCC, having been married there before taking her current job. And then, Covid-19 hit MCC hard. A few sociallydistanced events were able to be held outside, including “Music in The Park” and outdoor movies. Some classes, including yoga, and an art program, were offered with strict guidelines. Others had to be cancelled. And yet, despite Covid precautions, the pool was actually busier than ever. “People weren’t traveling

Photo by Carina Elgin

A Middleburg Must: The Fox Out Front and there were no camps for the kids,” Rogers said. “We were glad we could offer that to the community.” In the Covid lull, significant renovations have already been made to the pool. Building and grounds maintenance has been completed. The airy Terrace Room is being totally revamped, with, as Rogers explained, “a brand new look and experience.” As a community supported non-profit, one-third of the operational budget has typically come from venue rentals, with the rest coming from individual and business donations. Rogers and the all-volunteer

board are preparing fundraising plans for the MCC Endowment, looking to raise $6 million by 2025 for the 75th anniversary. This treasured non-profit was the inspiration of Mrs. Howell E. (Dorothy) Jackson, who felt the area needed a hub for “community spirit and civic work”. She convinced some of her well-to-do friends to chip in and they purchased about 30 acres of what was then Mrs. D.N. Lee’s horse farm on the edge of town. The yellow house just to the west of the current building was the original farmhouse, and continues to be part of the well-tended complex, along with an herb garden, playground, baseball field and picnic areas. The Community Center got off to a busy start, with picnics, bowling, dances, movies, swimming and various educational classes, clearly filling a need for the mostly rural population in and around Middleburg. Virginia was still segregated when MCC first opened in 1948. The first community center for Black residents opened on the east side of town three years later, at about one-tenth the cost. In 1962, an agreement was reached to open the pool to all residents. Now, Rogers says, “Middleburg is special in that it welcomes so many demographics, ages and beliefs. There is nothing more special or unique than living and working in a small town of people who love and care about one another, and we are proud to be a hub for so many of these folks.”. Mrs. Jackson would surely be proud, too. Please visit middleburgcommunitycenter.com or their Facebook page for a full list of events and activities.

Money Talks. Now, Teach it to Hug. From memorial funds, to scholarships funds, to donor-advised funds, we can help you make a difference that never ends. Since 1999, the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties has helped generous donors support a variety of charitable causes in our region. We salute the leaders who wrapped their vision and commitment—and arms—around this community to create and sustain a permanent charitable resource.

Won’t You Join Us? CommunityFoundationLF.org  (703) 779-3505 6

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

Remembering a Long Ago Middleburg Officer Down By Leonard Shapiro

hen he was doing his due diligence as he prepared to interview for the job of Middleburg’s police chief in 2012, A.J. Panebianco came across a story about the first, and only, Middleburg policeman ever to lose his life in the line of duty back in 1899. Town Sergeant Henry Milton Seaton was only 28 when, on Dec. 2, 1899, he succumbed to a stab wound sustained a week earlier. On the 121st anniversary of his death this past Dec. 2, Middleburg’s American Legion Post 295 honored him with a moving ceremony and the placing of a commemorative plaque name on the Noble Building on Madison Street in the village. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which chronicles the stories of many of the 24,000 police officers killed in the line of duty in the U.S. since 1776, Sgt. Seaton was mortally wounded by a man he had earlier arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

Photo © Vicky Moon

Middleburg Police Chief A.J. Panebianco.

“On the advice of a town council member, the prisoner was released and told to go home for the night,” according to the Officer Down web site. “However, after leaving the jail, the male and his brother located Town Sergeant Seaton at Adam’s Store, at the intersection of Madison Street and Washington Street. The brother then stabbed the officer in the abdomen with a double-edged dirk.

The plaque on the Noble House building honoring Sgt. Seaton, the only Middleburg police officer ever killed in the line of duty.

“The two brothers fled Middleburg later in the night. The brother who acted as the accomplice was arrested in Washington, D.C., on January 6th, 1900. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison, but was pardoned by the governor after serving a short sentence. The brother who stabbed Town Sergeant Seaton was arrested in Ohio in June of 1908.”

Michael McCoy, a retired firefighter who lives in Purcellville and is Seaton’s distant relative, contacted Panebianco several years ago about honoring him. Legion Commander John Moliere also knew about Seaton and suggested the Middleburg Post, now celebrating the 75th year of its founding, would be interested in organizing such an event. And so, this past Dec. 2, Moliere, Chief Panebianco and Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton all delivered remarks at a ceremony witnessed by about 25 people, including several current Middleburg police officers and members of Sgt. Seaton’s family still living in the area. Michael McCoy, who suffered serious injuries as a Fairfax firefighter years ago, was physically unable to attend but said, “it was just very nice of them to do this. I thought it was a great thing.”

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So did Chief Panebianco, who has a rubbing displayed on his office desk of Sgt. Seaton’s name taken off the National Law Enforcement Memorial wall in Washington, D.C. “It was truly heart-touching,” Chief Panebianco said of the Dec. 2 ceremony. “I’ve been to a number of police funerals in my 32 years, and this was very special. The American Legion solidified the fact that Sgt. Seaton will not be forgotten. It was a great act of kindness by them, and so moving.”

T H E O F F I C I A L B A K E RY O F G R E AT M E A D OW

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

PSO Still Spreading the G

By Leonard Shapiro

lenn Quader’s 15th year as director of music for the Fauquier County-based Piedmont Symphony Orchestra (PSO) clearly has been the most challenging of his career. This gifted conductor and his dedicated players keep making music, sweet classical music, despite countless pandemic-produced obstacles. It has not always been easy. For starters, a live audience has been nowhere to be seen since their last concert more than a year ago. Because wind instruments have the potential to spread the Covid-19 virus, until recently trumpets, trombones and saxophones, among others, have been ruled off the stage and out of the musical mix. Since their main concert venue at Highland School in Warrenton has been temporarily closed, they practice for what now are live streamed and recorded concerts in a far smaller space

PSO Director of Music and Conductor Glenn Quader.

The Emmanuel Episcopal Church invites you to

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

Sweet Sound of Music at Buchanan Hall in Upperville. They’ve also had to leave behind larger percussive instruments and other heavy equipment at Highland. “This last year has been all about adapting,” Quader said. “It’s also learning how to land on our feet and make it work.” Clearly, Quader and his talented players remain upright, and the PSO keeps offering inspiring music for its faithful followers. Buchanan Hall essentially has become one big recording studio, as well as the symphony’s rehearsal hall. Said PSO president Ernie Hueter, “I’m very proud of how we’ve handled the past year. Glenn and Kate Garretson, our executive director, kicked into high gear coming up with a live stream series to continue to offer our patrons and the community music from past concerts. While most orchestras have either shut their doors or just closed for last season and this one, Glenn put his creative talents to work and we’ve never stopped.” This 2020-21 season began in October. The original idea was to have a small audience of 30-40 music-lovers for a mostly Bach event, perhaps sitting at socially distanced tables, with masks mandatory. But there was little interest in buying tickets, for

obvious safety concerns. Instead, the orchestra recorded the program, streamed it live on line and also provided discs of the concert to season ticket holders. It was the same with a December Christmas event featuring Vivaldi, the Nutcracker, and a guest appearance by Warrenton’s popular SilverTones swing band. The PSO’s Feb. 20 concert, “Rock Unplugged,” should be a lively session that will have that Buchanan joint jumping, even if the audience will have to do their dancing in the comfort of their homes. Better yet, because of somewhat eased restrictions, Quader will have those brassy wind instruments in the orchestra,, along with several vocalists. Rehearsals have not been easy. Safety regulations dictate they can only practice indoors for 30 minutes, followed by a 10-minute break. Doors and windows are then opened to circulate fresh air before the next 30-minute segment. Leading up to a live performance,, the orchestra normally has six or seven rehearsals, including a dress rehearsal. These days, because there are fewer players than the normal full 55-musician contingent, they have only three rehearsals before the final recording concert.

“We’re a smaller group,” Quader said, “so we’re able to be more efficient.” Like many local orchestras also not holding live events, the PSO season ticket sales are down about 50 percent. New subscribers are now being offered all six of the season’s concert recordings when they sign up. The PSO depends on ticket sales, sponsorships and donations and so far they’re managing to survive. “Financially, it’s been difficult,” Hueter said. “We're grateful to our sponsors who have maintained their support of our efforts to educate and entertain our community. It remains a challenge, but I’m confident with Glenn’s leadership we’ll survive and thrive into 2021 and beyond.” Quader is cautiously optimistic the PSO may be able to have a live performance by the end of the current season in June. “But if we have to wait until the fall, so be it,” he said. “Our musicians have been great and we’re all doing the best we can. We’re just trying to hold it all together.” To sign up for a season subscription and get access to past, present and future concerts, visit www. piedmontsymphony.org.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

At Nick’s Deli, It’s Time to Celebrate PHOTOS BY CROWELL HADDEN

Nick’s at night Sufyaw Sarsour handles the kindling and firewood department out front

Joe Sarsour mans the check out counter and last March (pre-mask requirement) offered hard to find household items

t’s a very happy new year for Nick’s Deli on East Main St. in Marshall as they mark their 30th anniversary in business. Once known (and still often referred to) as Glascock’s, the jam-packed store literally stocks just about something for everyone, including plenty of hard-to-find toilet paper (during a panic run on the product) and bleach in the early stages of the pandemic. Joe Sarsour, the son of equally dynamic deli founder Nick, presides over the Marshall operation while his delightful dad handles the Warrenton store. It’s definitely a family affair, including several cousins often behind the front counter. The daily menu options are fabulous, including Catfish Fridays. And if you’ve never had one of Nick’s scrumptious oversized French Fries, you’ll definitely know why regulars refer to them as Marshall Frog Legs.

Produce includes mangos, bananas, avocados and more At Nick’s they call the French Fries “Marshall Frog Legs”

Time to have a donut

Just beyond the Old Dominion Country Hams, the staples at Nick’s include not just toilet paper (back shelf top right) but also Corona Extra, Charras tortilla chips and a “wine section.”

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

Fauquier Habitat Building For the Future By Darryl Neher Chief Executive Officer, Fauquier Habitat for Humanity

(Second of two parts)

e’re excited about our 2021 plans to execute a construction program that represents longterm stability, a predictable yet growing building schedule for housing, and a replicable model to pursue throughout our service area. We’ll do it by investing in people and investing in neighborhoods, including the revitalization on Haiti Street in Warrenton. Fauquier Habitat for Humanity, through a generous grant from the PATH Foundation, purchased ten properties representing 19 units of Haiti Street housing. With support from HDAdvisors, we have worked closely with the Town of Warrenton, Virginia Housing, and Haiti Street residents on identifying options for a revitalization and development for this important, historic neighborhood. In January, we began holding meetings to promote possible plans and solicit feedback. We’ll also continue our work with our Haiti Street neighbors to develop the skills to advocate for the needs of everyone living there We launched Project Engage a year ago, with residents participating in educational programming on how to best advocate for themselves within the community, local government and social service agencies. We’re also looking for new opportunities in

Volunteers and future homeowners help put the finishing touches on a fancier Habitat for Humanity property. Rappahannock and Fauquier counties. One of our largest challenges is to identify and secure property for future development. It’s no secret the cost of developable land in the counties is expensive. With our vision for significant growth over the next five years, it’s essential to remain nimble and have the flexibility to move quickly when opportunities arise. Our recipe is straightforward. We want to acquire parcels of property to build or revitalize a truly livable neighborhood. We want to engage, educate, and encourage our partner families. Our goal is to organize and recruit community support from town and county officials, other social service providers,

local law enforcement, and faith leaders to help improve our neighbors’ lives. This year, we’re also hoping to serve more families. Fauquier Habitat has built 55 homes since 1991, but in order to upscale our impact, we’re building the collaborations, infrastructure, and capacity to ensure that we can do more to meet the growing need for affordable housing. Volunteers have always been the lifeblood of the Habitat construction model and will continue to be a foundational element of community engagement and transformation. Community members working side-by-side with future homeowners in the construction of a new home helps build relationships that can last a lifetime and transform neighborhoods. To strategically increase our building capacity, we’ll supplement our traditional model by developing relationships with subcontractors and builders to construct additional housing every year. This includes looking at multifamily affordable rental options for those seeking a non-ownership option. Our hopes for Fauquier Habitat are simple—we believe everyone deserves a safe, affordable, and decent place to live. We often take for granted every time we walk into our own homes, but providing more housing opportunities can only be realized by an entire community partnering on solutions. To become involved with Fauquier Habitat, email them at info@FauquierHabitat.org.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

Photo © The Pink Sheet, Inc/Vicky Moon

Hope Diamond

Bettina Belmont Ward

Evalyn Walsh McLean

Diamonds Were These Girls’ Best Friend

By Jimmy Hatcher

think we’re talking about the 1930s here. That’s when Bettina Belmont, later Mrs. Newell J. Ward, Jr., a long-time Middleburg resident, was in her teens. Her father, Raymond Belmont (think Belmont Park Racetrack in New York), won the Maryland Hunt Cup in 1922. Her stepfather, Arthur White, had won it two years earlier in 1920. Well, Bettina was quite a belle, and when she was invited to dances in Washington, D.C., she often would stay overnight with Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean. Mrs.

McLean’s father had made his fortune in mining and the family later owned The Washington Post, a grand house in what is now known as the McLean Gardens section of Northwest Washington, and, of course, the 49-carat Hope Diamond. At the McLean’s house, the usual morning procedure after a dance in Washington was for Bettina to wake up early, have breakfast In the kitchen and then drive back to Middleburg for a morning ride with her stepfather at her parents house, Chilton. One morning after a night at Mrs. McLean‘s, Bettina found her way to the kitchen only to be told

by the cook that on this day, she would be having breakfast with Mrs. McLean in her bedroom. And so, back upstairs she went to Mrs. McLean‘s room. As she walked in, she was greeted by Mrs. McLean, who was sitting up in her bed wearing the Hope Diamond on a chain around her neck. She beckoned Bettina to hop in bed and sit next to her. Then Mrs. McLean leaned over, reached into her bedside night stand and pulled out the 94-carat Star of the East diamond, another priceless jewel. Much to Bettina’s shock, and delight, she fastened the precious gem around the teenager’s Bettina’s neck. And then they both had their breakfast.

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Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

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Frank Drew: A Samaritan’s Life Spectacularly Lived

By John Sherman

rank Drew died the way he lived: a Good Samaritan.

He was shot to death in Rectortown after he pulled over to treat the driver of a wrecked car. The driver, who later committed suicide, was being sought by police for the murder of his father hours earlier. A random, senseless tragedy. Frank Drew worked with me at The Ashby Inn as maitre d’hotel and sommelier during the 1980s and 1990s. The staff—-from the dishwasher to the bartender to the servers on the floor—-revered him as a quiet, attentive, professional with a ready smile and a wry sense of humor. Most of all, he was admired for his generosity and sincerity. “He was brilliant and charming, yet possessed this deep authenticity and modesty,” said Martha Hughes, an Ashby server and midwife. “He was a man at peace in his own skin.” He grew up in New York City. He and his twin brother, Chris, graduated from Georgetown University in the same class as Bill Clinton. Soon after, he drifted out to our area. For as long as I can remember, he rented a modest apartment right on the railroad tracks in Markham. Just across the tracks he lived in a ramshackle building and began creating exquisite furniture. I sleep on a four-poster bed he made of cherrywood and write at a desk of the same wood. “Frank valued things that spoke of great care and attention to detail. He was always generous with his friendship and his love for beautiful things,” Tara Welty remembered. “I have a wooden bowl Frank made a long time ago. I polished it to a beautiful sheen the other day,” said Debbie Cox, our office manager. I don’t remember exactly when Frank gave himself over to the pursuit of wine—-beyond a glass full. He must have read volumes. He would sit in on tastings at the inn and, in his modest way, showed a knowledge that chagrined the wine rep. He could tell you the two hectors on a south slope in Burgundy that produced the most coveted pinot noir grapes. “Frank was consumed by excellence,” recalled Jim Law, owner and wine maker at Linden Vineyards. “Whether it was expressed in peaches, craftsmanship, cheese or wine. He lead us down a wonderful path. His influence raised our bar and improved our wines. He was a natural teacher. Sharing gave him great pleasure. He was our humble mentor.” When Frank delved into something, he read and researched until he was expert. From wines, to gardening to woodworking, he developed an expertise for everything that interested him, and his interests were broad. Lately he had turned his focus on his neighborhood birds. “He understood which type of feeder mesh and seed each bird preferred, and daily he battled the squirrels trying to steal the seed.” That from a mutual friend, Saud, who, 25 years ago, gave Frank his credit card and told him to amass a wine cellar. After months of research and tasting, Frank created that wine cellar whose depth and reach

Frank Drew was a remarkable wood craftsman, an extremely passionate wine connoisseur and a lauded member of a hospital emergency room team. were stunning. He found extraordinary caches of Italian and French reds that matched Saud’s myriad Middle Eastern dishes. These hours over table brought back my best memories of our times together. (Frank’s glass was always half full; mine was always half empty.) “I hatched a plan to drink Frank out of house and home,” said Bush Nichols, an Ashby bartender. “Fortunately for Frank and unfortunately for me, I never quite pulled it off ” Frank’s life took a radical turn in his 50s when he entered training to become an EMT. “He chose a life of service at a point when most folks are more focused on when they get to retire,” said a friend. Once certified, he worked with Marshall Fire and Rescue. He went on to the emergency rooms of two hospitals, including Fauquier, finally working for Novant’s hospital in Haymarket. “Frank was almost always the first staff member

in the room of every new ER patient,” recalled a colleague. “His warm smile, confidence in his skills and his ability to connect at the human level put us and every arrival at ease,” added another. A friend wrote a poem on Frank’s death. The last lines: …as all futures that from This moment do arise, are emptied, My friend’s voice made silent --- And no more his smile. One night long ago, Frank and I were the last ones left after close out. We were on watch. The inn rooms were all taken by a group of women in their 30s. They brought along a boom-box now blaring the Four Tops, James Brown et al in the upper dining room. Sing along and foot falls filled the inn. Frank looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, broke into a wicked smile. Pointing upward, he said, ”Let’s dance.” Frank Drew, always the Good Samaritan.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

At Teddy’s, It’s All About the Dough

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 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

By Leslie VanSant

or nearly 30 years, the dough has been rising at Teddy’s Pizza. “We watch the weather, you have to know if it is going to be cold or hot,” explained owner Teddy Vicidomini. “If it’s cold, you need to use warmer water and more yeast to make the dough rise. If it’s warmer, less yeast and cooler water. We don’t put eggs or sugar in our dough like some places. The dough is perfect, why mess with perfection.” To say that Teddy knows pizza is an Photo by Leslie VanSant understatement. He and his brother, Anthony, Teddy, Susan and grew up in Brooklyn, working at their parents’ Anthony pridefully produce place, “Lenny’s Pizza.” Their father, Michele the perfect pizza. “Mike” Vicidomini had started working in the shop when he emigrated from Naples, Italy to the United States. “He started as a dishwasher, then he was the manager, then he was the owner,” Teddy said. “He did that in one year, he worked hard.” Lenny’s was a family business and the brothers worked in all aspects of the operation. “Our mother, Louise, would say, ‘go help your father’ and we would prep, mop the floor and then we started making the dough,” said Anthony. The idea to move to Virginia came in 1993. Teddy heard about a newly opened pizza shop in Middleburg, “Susan, my wife, and I love Middleburg,” said Teddy. Michele and Louise soon followed and the family business of making great pizza continued. Anthony came down from Philadelphia, where he had his own pizza shop, a few years before their father passed away in 2016. Louise still comes in the shop. The family takes great pride in their pizza and other specialties, including cheesesteaks, baked ziti, and the lasagna is “really good.” “It’s all about the ingredients, we use quality ingredients, that’s the difference,” said Teddy. And their best seller—cheese or pepperoni? It’s the cheese pizza by far said Teddy, although his personal favorite is white pizza. Recently, Teddy’s Pizza was crowned the winner in the “Pizza-palooza Corona Madness,” an informal pizza-tasting contest held by residents in Stone Ridge. Like March Madness, a bracket of 34 family-owned pizzerias was put together, and the cheese pizzas were compared over a 17-week period. “We didn’t even know it was happening,” explained Teddy. “But we are really excited. We rely upon word-of-mouth advertising and this was great.” COVID didn’t really change Teddy’s business model. The Federal Street shop has been primarily a take-out and delivery operation. Business actually picked up during the pandemic. There are a few tables in the restaurant, but there is no eating inside until after it’s over. “We miss having the customers sit at the tables, the interaction with people,” said Anthony. The Brooklyn-ese banter between the brothers is fun and funny. The jokes fly quickly. And while they like to laugh, they are serious about their work. They have a passion for making quality pizza. “It’s rare to find a pizza shop that’s been owned by one family for more than 25 years now, it is hard work, you have to love it,” said Anthony. “The mom and pop shops, you know it’s going to be good, they are disappearing.” Still, it seems the passion for pizza has skipped a generation. While neither Teddy or Anthony’s adult children work in the pizza business, Teddy’s grandson, Declan, likes making dough with his grandfather. Middleburg’s future pizza lovers can only hope it lasts. Teddy’s Pizza is located at 9 East Federal Street, call 540-687-8880 to order.

MARY WILSON, P.T., O.C.S.* Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

540-687-6565

* Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist www.middleburg-pt.com American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties

Perspectives on Childhood, Education and Parenting

Wait: The Art and Science of Delay by Frank Partnoy “Because novices are prone to make the wrong move, the right move is often no move at all.”

By Tom Northrup

s a young teacher in the late 1960s, I recall one of my soon-to-retire mentors giving me some advice when I became angry about a perceived slight from a colleague, and was about to confront him. This older woman, to whom I explained my upset, suggested an alternative approach. Instead, she suggested, I should write a letter to him, put it in a drawer, reread it in a day or two, and then decide what to do. She believed that delaying my response, thereby gaining perspective and balance, would be the wiser course.

In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman explains that we have two systems of processing: System 1( fast), which operates quickly, intuitively and requires little effort, and System 2 (slow), which calls for concentration, effort and time. In our daily lives, we operate mostly on System 1, which is comfortable and requires minimal energy. It generally serves us well, but not always; understanding when we need to activate System 2,and raise our effort, is central to becoming skilled in employing ”the art of delay” in our decision making.

Frank Partnoy, in Wait: The Art and Science of Delay, (2012) offers an approach to decisionmaking I found both original and valuable. In the introduction, the author reminds us that “the key skill that distinguishes human beings from animals is our superior ability to think about the future.”

Adolescents with their brain’s under-developed frontal lobes, are prone to overuse System 1, resulting in impulsivity. Their ”choices” often cause pain to peers and adults, and frequently result in serious consequences for them and their parents. The speed of communication which social media platforms offer makes it easy for them to get into deep water quickly.

That gift, however, does not insure that we will make prudent or well-timed decisions. To do so, in this time when communication tools are lightning fast and the expectation that one should respond quickly, often without adequate analysis, presents a challenge for all of us.

Frustrated, the adults in their lives will belatedly say, “What were you thinking?” We, as adults, need to consider how we might help them develop strategies for understanding and using the benefits of System 2 and of delay. Putting the letter in the drawer, rather than pushing the send button. Challenging for both

parties, I know. Teachers and parents must also exercise patience with their students and children as their frontal lobes mature, as they learn how to behave with increased restraint. Some adults are prone to make negative comments and pessimistic judgments about their child’s behavior and about his/her future success (or lack thereof). An informed prediction of a child’s life productivity is impossible, especially during these formative years. I was recently reminded of the wisdom of delaying judgment on the worth of anyone’s life, at a memorial service for a childhood friend. As a child and young adult, he was disparaged by many for his boisterous and apparently selfish behavior. Ultimately, he became recognized for his generous spirit, humor and even for his leadership in the community. And, the letter to the colleague I placed in the drawer instead of sending? Never was sent. He and I spoke later and settled our misunderstanding and became friends. Tom Northrup, a Long-time educator, is Head of School Emeritus at The Hill School in Middleburg.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

He’ll Take Paris,

The Historic Virginia Village The Lindsey Store and post office back in the day.

By John Sherman

ll the old timers are gone, along with their memories.

Shanghai Lloyd, Hump Adams, Harvey Turner and Calvin Thomas were still alive when my wife, Roma, and I moved here in 1984 with the intention of opening a country inn. Since that time, only one new house has been built. And only two of the then citizens are sill here. At 80, I’m the second oldest in the village. We all gathered to sing “Happy Birthday” last July as Suzie Pennick turned 90. By my reckoning, of the 30 houses in the village, about two-thirds were built before the Civil War. And less than 30 of us wake up here each day. Of the 15 or so Parises in the nation, ours is the smallest. The village has two parallel streets, Federal and Republican. Until about twenty years ago, Republican Street (known as “Back Street”) was Black. Federal Street remains White. Betty Adams was the post mistress when I arrived. The post office was in her basement with hanging laundry and an exercise bike and was the center of village news. Whose daughter got married. Who was sick and would welcome food. And always the water problem. “It was a friendly meeting place where all private people met,” remembered Ms. Pennick from Republican Street, where mail is now delivered into lock boxes.

I found a letter tucked away in a closet addressed to “Monsieur le Maire, Paris, Virginie.” It was dated 1951, an invitation to all American mayors of Paris to fly in for a week as guests of the French government to celebrate Paris’s two millennia anniversary. Sadly no one in the Post Office spoke French. When Betty retired in 1990, the village lost that center and, with it, our integration—-both racial and social. A terrible loss. Mike Carr and his wife are the fifth generation to live in the house his great uncle built. His greatgreat grandfather showed up in Paris in the 1840s with two slaves. His grandmother, Gadora Byrd, a recluse, lived in the house for more than 60 years and was always reading. Every Thursday she was driven to Middleburg with stops at Safeway and the library. Although I had been living in the village for five years, I only met her once, grocery shopping. We chatted briefly. She told me she grew up with Civil War veterans. I smiled. She sensed my disbelief. “Do the math,” she snapped. I did. Paris is stuffed with history. Perhaps the earliest account: “Bitterly cold and windy weather on the mountain forced Colonel Washington to return from the surveying field to Ashbys Tavern standing within five miles to the south on the 10th of March (1748). The 12th was spent entirely inside the tavern.” Washington was 16. The tavern was destroyed by a runaway truck in 1939. The only remaining artifacts are the columns fronting the Ashby Inn, once a rectory.

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

The aftermath of the Revolutionary War brought the story of Hessian prisoners from the battle of Trenton marched through the village headed west toward Winchester. The name Paris is surrounded by myths. The most standard story has Thomas Glascock, who fought in the Revolutionary War with General Lafayette, named the village Paris in his honor. The Virginia legislature chartered the village Paris in 1810. Given the dates of the marquis’ visits to America after the war, it doesn’t sync. Glascock owned the land that is now Paris. His original plat showed a vision for 14 streets. The lots laid out along Federal and Republican remain today. Most of the village’s houses were build in the 1820s; the inn in 1829. From Wikipedia: “The market town prospered in the early 19th century, but lagged in the middle of the century because none of the newly constructed railroads went through it. It was last listed as an incorporated town in 1830. In 1835, Paris had several taverns, three stores, a school and a church shared by several denominations, as well as 25 dwellings, two saddlers, two blacksmiths, two wagon-makers, a tailor, a cabinetmaker, a chair-maker, a turner, a wheat fan maker and three boot and shoe factories.” The population, according to the 1835 census, was around 200, compared to our diminished 30 today. The village’s greatest historic note came on July

A long ago view of Federal Street heading north.

Sign of the times at Trinity Methodist

When Jackson was told sentries had been posted, he reportedly replied, “Let the poor boys sleep. I will watch the camp.” The next morning, Jackson’s remaining troops marched south to Piedmont Station (now Delaplane), where 11,000 men were put on box cars and flatbeds to be hauled by the Manassas Gap railroad right onto the battlefield. It was the first known transport of troops by rail. Today the houses of Paris tell their own history. At the far west end of Federal Street is the house of Dr. Thomas Settle, called to Charlestown to pronounce abolitionist John Brown dead after his hanging. He spent the war as a field surgeon. “When I arrived in this village in 1970, many of the buildings were ramshackle,” recalled John Miller, the present owner. “Between the opening of the Ashby Inn and the closing of the street, Paris began to change for the good.” Next door is what used to be a tavern and way station where horse teams were rotated to make the climb through Ashby Gap. At the time, Federal Street was a major east-west thoroughfare leading to the western frontier. The two-lane street became Route 50 until it was rerouted in 1957. Across the street stands the house where John Mosby allegedly eluded two Union soldiers waiting outside. Next door to me is the old Lindsey store which sold groceries and sundries and, where, the story has it, George Patton used to buy hunting hounds. The two Esso pumps are long gone. Up the street, between the inn and the church, is the Slack store which conveyed with the sale of what is now the inn. The potbelly stove is gone, but the metal plate remains. The heart pine shelving was reworked to make the bar and benches in the inn’s taproom. A local newspaper piece reported that one of the storekeepers committed suicide inside. Not the first shooting death in Paris. Perhaps the most interesting building lies at the head of Republican. It reportedly was built by Quakers and deeded to the village as a non-denominational meeting house by Thomas Glascock. It was used as a hospital where medals were found nailed to its walls after the war. Around the turn of the century it became school for Black children.

Looking north on Federal Street today.

20, 1861 with the arrival of Confederate General Thomas Jackson with his lead brigade of 2,500 men. Their orders were to reinforce the army of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard who was about to engage Union forces in what is known by the south as the First Battle of Manassas, and by the north as Bull Run. It was there that Gen. Jackson earned his sobriquet “Stonewall.”

“My husband, Felton, went to that school,” remembers Ms. Pennick who came to Paris 60 years ago. “It was a very different time. There was no electronic music. We had to make our own music.” She is the only Black resident whose daily walk takes her up Federal Street. She exchanges news with passersby. And George Washington? Well, apparently he went on to sleep around.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

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heryl June has lived around the world and developed a taste for all things chocolate. “My great aunt was from France and was a phenomenal cook who taught me many things,” she told Country ZEST. After starting at the local farmers’ market several years ago, she opened the Chocolate Palette at 141 W Main St. in Purcellville. Guittard and Valrhona chocolate are her favorites. Sipping chocolate is her specialty along with yummy tarts, mousse dome cakes, truffles, tiramisu and more. www.thechocolatepalette.org/

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Middleburg, Purcellville, The Plains and Waterford

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A new three-layered chocolate tart is called TrueLove

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

Experience STEM at Foxcroft School In a world where only 24% of the STEM workforce is female and 21 of the 30 highest-paying jobs in the coming decades will be in STEM fields (according to Business Insider), Foxcroft School can give your daughter significant opportunities to pursue her interests in science, technology, engineering, and math. At Foxcroft School, more than 30% of recent graduates chose a STEM field as their undergraduate major.

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A boarding and day school for girls in grades 9-12 & post-grad www.foxcroft.org | admission@foxcroft.org | 540.687.4340 | 22407 Foxhound Lane, Middleburg, VA Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

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By Jodi Nash

odest. Humble. Hard-working. Resilient. That would describe Robert “Pooch” McClanahan, who originally opened his business—McClanahan Camera, of course—in 1961 as a photography studio in Old Town Warrenton. Born and raised in Fauquier County, as an eighth grader, he was fascinated when he Photo by Jodi Nash watched a fellow student develop a roll of film Bridget, Pooch and Cindy in photo club. Growing up on a horse farm, McClanahan in front of the equine events (races, point to points, hunts) camera, for a change. were his earliest subjects. Shooting with a box camera and eventually graduating to a Speed Graphic, he apprenticed during high school with legendary Warrenton photographer Marshall Hawkins, who specialized in horse events. Hawkins once photographed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s head-first tumble over a fence while fox hunting, selling it to Life Magazine as a cover shot. In 1958, Pooch obtained an Associate’s degree in photography from RPI (now Virginia Commonwealth University), intending to come home and open shop. Concerned that a fledgling business might be interrupted by the draft, he volunteered and served three years in the Marines, completing U.S. Navy Photo School in Pensacola, Florida. After duty stations in Japan and Okinawa attached to a photo squadron, Pooch came home and opened his studio. “I’m fortunate,” he said. “I knew what I wanted to do.” The nickname? His dad gave it to him to avoid being confused with a neighbor also named Robert. So Pooch it’s been ever since. In 1962, along came Bridget Macgregor, an English girl from Kent, working at a local horse farm. After two years of dating, they married in 1964. Bridget had no prior interest in photography, but she learned. “He taught me everything I know,” she said. Together they photographed portraits, weddings, horses and equestrian events. They did commercial work, and newspaper photography for the Fauquier Democrat. These were fun, adventurous years, working side by side, often with Bridget as “a second camera.” Because film, equipment, paper, and chemicals were hard to get, necessitating long trips to D.C., the studio gradually started carrying cameras, lenses and photography supplies. In 1970 they moved to their current location at 306 Lee Highway and still maintain a dark room. They had two daughters, Cindy born in 1969, and Wendy, in 1972. The pace inevitably quickened and they kept earning and learning, often bringing the girls to the store. Their inventory increased, and they slowly shifted from studio photography into a retail camera store. Then came the digital age, and a fundamental shift from analog film to digital imaging. From a niche commercial market in the mid-90s to the mainstream consumer market in 2007, digital ruled. The advent of the iPhone, with a camera so good it changed the industry forever, suddenly created a snap-happy culture. With Cindy on board by then, the business evolved, selling a variety of interchangeable lens cameras, camera protectors, and cell phone accessories. Bridget trained in scanning and printing on large format printers. Pooch immersed himself in learning digital photography. He forced himself to leave his film behind when he went to photograph the Albuquerque Balloon Festival in 2006. It was an arduous transition, but they did it. These days, Cindy is at the heart and soul of it all. McClanahan’s offers photo preservation and restoration, video and photo transfer to CDs and DVDs, custom mat and framing, private photography classes, and cell phone use instruction. Cindy has an informative photo blog, and teaches digital photography at libraries, Scout meetings, real estate offices, and in small private groups. McClanahan’s also offers an array of personalized photo gift items, and they still have a darkroom. McClanahan’s is the oldest self-owned business in Warrenton, and Pooch and Bridget have been married 57 years, working for many years with Cindy, and, in a pinch, Wendy. The tough part of the business: when things get slow, the hours get longer. Pooch is 83, Bridget 79. It can be demanding. Their planned escape to England postponed by the pandemic, they long for rest and relaxation. “Photography’s been my life,” Pooch said, his arm around Bridget. Both are smiling. “It’s been a good run. I’m ready for a slow walk.”

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

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In The Historic District Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

Virtual Shopping at Emmanuel’s Middleburg Marketplace

By Leonard Shapiro

he Christmas Shop offered by Emmanuel Episcopal Church has been a treasured Middleburg tradition for over 70 years, but the 2020 version had a far different look. Because of the pandemic, instead of shopping being up close and personal, with scads of merchants selling their wares to an eager clientele at the Middleburg Community Center, the event went virtual. A soft opening in December mostly limited online shopping to church members, giving the Marketplace an early experimental go. While this initial online offering did not generate the revenues of the Christmas Shop, it opened an on-line window to a year-round internet shopping destination that will benefit the historic Emmanuel Church and the local charities it supports through grants. They’re calling it the Middleburg Marketplace, and as the new year settles in, it’s starting to gather momentum. This new approach has been developed by a committee of church members that includes Mary and Peter Hayes, Middleburg residents for 14 years and both highly accomplished business executives with cutting edge marketing experience. It doesn’t hurt that Emmanuel Rector The Rev. Gene LeCouteur, who has an MBA from Cornell, is also involved in the new venture. Mary Hayes is co-chairing the effort along with Ellie Underwood, and they have recently added

a general manager, Kathleen Barrett, and a marketing specialist, Sally Lowe. So far, more than 40 vendors/ merchants have signed up to sell their assorted wares online year-round, with special themed pages for holidays or other distinctive events. Many of the current Mary and Peter Hayes merchants are area are helping guide Emmanuel’s new on-line artisans offering oneMiddleburg Marketplace. of-a-kind art, sculpture, pottery, and jewelry. Mary Hayes said the goal is to increase the variety of inventory and the number of merchants by 10fold, including several Middleburg shops already preparing to soon join the marketplace. “We tried had to have (the Christmas Shop) in person,” Mary Hayes said. “But we were facing two problems. What were the government guidelines going to be? How restrictive? And more than that, our merchants were having trouble envisioning selling in a fairly closed space. So we decided to do a virtual market. “Once we started and were putting more and more into it, we decided to keep it open for the foreseeable future. It will produce income for the vendors, for the

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

church and for the charities we support in this area. Our merchants feel very confident this is a good idea.” The church will earn 15 percent of the sales, just as it always did from the Christmas Shop. They’re getting the word out on the Middleburg Marketplace all over social media—Instagram, Facebook and Twitter—as well as press releases, e-blasts and of course, word of mouth. Projections indicate the marketing campaign will reach close to six million potential customers during the first year. Mary Hayes described the Middleburg Marketplace as a “curated website,” with a committee of church members who will screen potential merchants based on what they will be offering and their price points. “We already have many unique items, artisanoriented,” she said. “Many of the merchants will be local. We have beautiful things, lots of art, mostly hand-crafted and much of it one of a kind…We’re also working to get more medium and lower priced items that are still high quality.” In addition to historic Emmanuel’s Rector’s Discretionary Fund which assists people in need with medical and utility bills, rent and other expenses, local organizations that receive grants from the church include Middleburg F.I.S.H., the Windy Hill Foundation, Seven Loaves Food Pantry, A Place To Be and the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter. For further information, go to middleburgmarketplace.com or middleburgmarketplace3@gmail.com

Vineyard VINE

Why We Knead Wine...and Pizza

By Peter Leonard-Morgan

e all need wine. That’s what Jared Slipp and Allie Nault decided when they conceived the idea of Knead Wine in Middleburg. This inventive play on words came about as a result of the couple’s passion for wine, as sommeliers, together with a great appreciation of haute cuisine. They realized that the historic, destination village would welcome a true gourmet pizza store and also a specialist wine merchant, owned and operated by highly trained Out front at Knead Wine professionals. Slipp is one of a handful of members of the Court of Master Sommeliers. In fact, only four people can lay claim to this title in Virginia. Furthermore, he trained at both the Culinary Institute of America and the Italian Culinary Institute (Hmmm, could this have something to do with the pizza concept?). He also honed his skills as a top chef at some of the finest restaurants around the world, ultimately bringing his expertise to Middleburg just last year. Before joining forces with Allie at Knead Wine, he spent six years as wine director at arguably one of Virginia’s finest wineries, RdV Vineyards in Delaplane. Knead Wine took over an adorable space on West Washington Street, perfectly suited for its dream. Slipp and Photos by Peter Leonard-Morgan Allie Nault and Jared Slipp at Knead Wine. Nault invested significantly in top-end ovens to bake pizzas made from the finest ingredients. At the same time, they reworked the store to display some of the finest wines from around the world, with an art gallery decor. Their wine selections are not limited to just high-priced vintages. Slipp’s expertise has ensured that they’ve been able to select many excellent wines at every day, affordable prices, ensuring that patrons are able to pick up a cordon bleu pizza, paired with a great wine. Slipp is not the only wine expert in the house. Nault was the sommelier at the world famous Inn at Little Washington (Va.), a Michelin three star restaurant, advising a discerning clientele as to the best wines to accompany some of the world’s foremost culinary masterpieces. The two now bring their combined skills to Middleburg and have already developed a loyal and strong customer base. One of the most challenging goals in pizza creation is to cook a gluten free crust that is as good as a regular one. At Knead Wine, they somehow have achieved this objective. It’s remarkable! Their ‘standard’ menu consists of pizzas with names created to celebrate some of the greatest names in rock music. Among others, they include The Gibbons, after Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, The Page, named for Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin and of course The Clapton, no explanation needed. During the current COVID pandemic, many restaurants have not been able to accommodate in-store dining. Knead Wine was developed from the outset as a carry-out only operation, and therefore has a very user friendly online ordering system. Pizzas are ready in about 20 minutes, they recommend arriving early so as to be able to peruse the wine racks and select a bottle to perfectly accompany your extraordinary food. A sweet new addition to Knead Wine’s offerings now includes Jarad’s Famous Swiss Chocolate and Virginia Peanut cookies, delicious enormous creations that provide the perfect dessert. Knead Wine is open on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Call 540-687-5150 or kneadwine.com.

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

England Blooms in Paris By Drew Babb

Photography by Sarah Huntington

PSO ROCKS! - FEBRUARY 2021

The triumphant return of our ever-popular ROCK SHOW! PSO’s phenomenal rock band will take the stage to perform timeless Rock hits from the last fifty years. If you have cabin fever there is no better way to lift up your spirits than to rock out with the PSO!

From Darkness Light - APRIL 2021 PSO YOUNG PEOPLE’Sto CONCERT UPCOMING PSO VIRTUAL CONCERTS at BUCHANAN HALL, UPPERVILLE: PSO ROCKS! - FEBRUARY 2021

2020-2021

PSO SHOWCASE - JUNE 2021

VIRTUAL CONCERT AND SEASON TICKETS: www.piedmontsymphony.org The PSO is Generously Funded in Part By:

The Margaret Spilman Bowden Foundation Nicolaas and Patricia Kortlandt Fund The Wise Foundation Luminescence Foundation

The Phillip A. Hughes Foundation

The Crossﬁelds Group

hen Queen Elizabeth II visited Virginia during the 1976 Bicentennial, then Governor Mills Godwin made a toast. “Your majesty, as long as there is a Virginia, there will always be an England.” Paraphrasing and bending the Guv’s words, one could say, “As long as Stephanie Fasold works her magic, English flowers will always bloom. Stephanie Fasold and her pals Fasold fashions exuberant flower creations for weddings, parties and events. Her floral enterprise is called Lavender Green (lavendergreen.net). She says she’s a florist, but as the photos attest, artist is more like it. Fasold’s affinity with English flowers is neither latent, nor learned. She is not an Anglophile. She is English. She hails from the seaside town of Cromer, County Fit for a Wedding of Norfolk, on England’s eastern coast. One derivation of her birthplace’s name is “a gap in the cliffs,” which is poetic since she lives in the tiny Fauquier village of Paris, which, itself, is in the Ashby’s Gap, just beneath Mount Weather. Her love of flowers sprouted early. She remembers her mother filled every room of their house with joyous pots and pitchers of fresh-cut beauties. She tattles on her Mum: “She would visit grand estates, she’d sneak a cut rose in her pocket, poke it in the ground, and thanks to England’s soil and climate, we’d have a bush next year!” From amateur to professional arranger took a creative path. She’d call a famous florist in London, volunteer to come in and watch and help. She’d sponge up every trick in every florist’s book. How did she arrive in the U.S.? She took a year’s gig as a nanny in Silver Spring, then met a Yank stationed at Fort Meyer and married him. But the flower bug bite was deep. She saved her money and flew to Paris and London and again volunteered to work and learn. No salary. But an impressive ROI. Stephanie’s work regularly beautifies events at the nearby Ashby Inn. A large event often consumes a week of 12-hour days, She reels in Now that’s a centerpiece local and regional arrangers, many of whom she met (pardon the affectation) whilst a member of the Washington National Cathedral Flower Guild. Onsite, hovering in her ivy-encrusted barn workshop, are three eager associates. Two vintage Pugs, Sarah and Elizabeth, and a slightly younger Beagle named Clementine. So the question must be asked. What defines English flower arrangement? She answers, without equivocation: “Bold! Roses. Primroses. Bluebells. Violets. Peonies. Dahlias. Twigs. Herbs. Portals. Pillars. Arcs. All manner of unpredictable components. And did I mention roses?” As we depart, Stephanie Fasold presents our photographer with a sublime long-stem pink rose. She waves her hand with a benediction: “Snip if off when you get home. At an angle, naturally. In a day or so it’ll be a big as a cabbage!”

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

Cold War Comes Alive at Vint Hill Museum

By Miles Kresic

he Cold War Museum at Vint Hill is one of Fauquier County’s best kept secrets, a treasure trove of donated artifacts and exhibits assembled by experts who lived through the Cold War era. It’s situated on the site of the former Vint Hill Farms Station, which once functioned as a top secret signal intelligence facility working in counter intelligence for the U.S. Army during and after World War II. Now known as the Vint Hill Village Green Community Center, it’s the perfect place to learn about one of the most tense periods in American history. The museum was founded in 1996 by Gary Powers Jr. and his friend, John Welch. Gary’s father, Francis Gary Powers, was the American pilot who was shot down over Soviet territory in his U2 spy plane in 1960. On a recent Saturday afternoon, Jason Hall, executive director of the museum, highlighted a few of its unique exhibits. The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the U.S. and their respective allies after World War II to the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union.. “Our tagline here is ‘real people explaining the real things,’” Hall said. The museum’s collection is entirely donated, and is renowned in Cold War research circles. In fact, the Spy Museum in Washington and the National Cryptologic Museum at Fort Meade in Maryland both borrow many artifacts from Vint Hill. “We don’t borrow artifacts from the Spy Museum, they borrow artifacts from us,” Hall said. “The staff and historians of the CIA Museum, NSA’s

One of many fascinating displays at the museum.

Photos by Miles Kresic

The Cold War Museum in Vint Hill Cryptologic Museum, the FBI, all like what we do when they see it.” Fauquier County provided funding for the initial renovation. The museum is publicly owned, and receives little funding. Instead, it relies on bi-annual fundraisers, memberships, personal donations, private tours and paid presentations, including book discussions, sessions on counter intelligence and, of course, Cold War history. Plans for a second location, likely in Lorton, are underway. The museum’s collection is extensive and exceeds the capacity of the current building, once a barn on the old farm property. “There’s practically no space to put anything else,” Hall said. “That itself is not unusual for American museums which are not even showing more than three percent of their collection. Almost everything we have is next door in storage.”

The museum’s collection includes a Soviet surfaceto-air missile, one of the artifacts the museum loans out to other locations. The second Lorton location will be at ta former Nike missile site, one of several old missile defense facilities designed to protect Washington D.C. in the event of a nuclear attack. Despite receiving little publicity, the museum has become popular by word of mouth, particularly from area residents in and around Warrenton. “We get visitors from around the world, but the vast majority are local.” Hall said. “All the businesses here really value the history of Vint Hill, and as the main custodian of that history, we’re very happy to work with them to help visitors have a good time when they visit.” The Cold War Museum is located at 7142 Lineweaver Road in Warrenton. For more information, call 540-341-2008 or visit coldwar.org.

Antique Arms, Edged Weapons & Armor Since 1957

Dealers and Appraisers for Fine Antique Firearms, Edged Weapons & Armor

www.davidcondon.com Recipient of the United States Department of the Interior Citation for Public Service

(Visit our online catalog) We are always looking to buy vintage guns, daggers,

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. sporting gun and military related books, gun related Recipient of the U.S. 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 on our 109 E. Washington St (Rt. 50) Post Office Box 7 appraisal or outright sale.VA 20118 Middleburg, VA services, 20117 consignment ratesMiddleburg,

Free 1-800-364-8416 Te. 540-687-5642 • FaxToll 540-687-5649 • Email: info@davidcondon.com 109 E. Washington (Rt. 50) Post Office Hours:St.Tues.-Fri. 10-5:30 • Sat. 10-3Box 7 Middleburg, VA 20117 Middleburg, VA 20118 Tel. 540-687-5642 Fax 540-687-5649 Email: info@davidcondon.com www.davidcondon.com

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

Candlemaker’s Quest Leads to Start-Up Home Business

“W

By Linda Roberts

e have many returning customers for our nutmeg/ginger-scent candle,” said candlemaker Fallin Hebb, who finds her small business of making hand-poured candles soaring since its founding last fall. Nutmeg/ginger is one of the popular six scents Fallin stirs up in her kitchen in Linden near Front Royal. And, she’s currently working on five additional scents to add to her Westview Candle product line along with a new Etsy shop which offers a personalized Happy Birthday Candle for $20 including postage. A medical social worker in Fairfax for five years dealing with the often-difficult task of helping others through life’s stressful moments, Hebb had been searching for an outlet to relieve her own stress. She tried various types of exercise, but still didn’t find the one thing that worked for her. After much soul searching, she looked into developing her own home-based business. She had thought about it in the past, but never took the plunge to try. Delving into the process, she ordered a starter kit and was initially surprised at how much she didn’t know. There were many facets to deal with—wick sizes, fragrance oils, wax types and candle containers. Ultimately, Hebb decided to produce soy-based candles because they are cleaner for the environment and last longer once lit. She said she “found my groove” after research

Have a $19 Happy Birthday candle. and study, which resulted in the decision to produce soy wax candles with phthalate-free fragrances and cotton wicks. Her vision for Westview Candle, named after the westward-facing view from her home on a slope in the small village of Linden, was to create a product “that is affordable, high quality, fun, enjoyable, and that gives back. “We love where we live,” said Hebb, speaking of the home she shares with husband, Cory, and their threeyear-old daughter, Corsen. “We hope to send our clients some of that joy and peace with our candles.” Less than a year into the home-based, fledging

Westview Candle business, Hebb advertises her wares on Etsy, Facebook and Instagram and finds herself shipping out an average of 120 candles a month. Westview Candle scents also can be found for sale at the Strasburg Visitor Center. Clients select their favorite scents and have a choice of two jar sizes with a third jar size later this year. “It’s just me right now,” Hebb said, adding that her husband helps from time to time. As orders grew, Hebb has found her candle-making spreading from the kitchen to the dining room and eventually to another room in their home. As the business grows, Hebb is already making plans for its future expansion. “I’d like to add to our retail line, participate in craft fairs and do more bulk orders,” she noted. Hebb also is exploring setting up a program to donate a percentage of her sales to a military-based organization. Her husband is a military veteran. From her small spot in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Hebb said, “I couldn’t be happier with where I have landed.” She’s continued her career as a full-time social worker and finds herself fulfilled through her entrepreneurial efforts. As a candlemaker, Hebb has landed upon her creative niche and finds that, “Trying different scents and combinations, jar sizes, label designs, and much more are proving so exciting for me.” Contact Hebb on her website, www.westviewcandle.com.

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

EVALUATION

Jumping for joy

Stormy and Philip Dudley enjoy life in the wide-open countryside.

Pablo & Dilly Are At Photos © Dillonkeenphotography.com

et there be no question that Pablo and Dilly, a pair of chocolate-colored Merino sheep, have made themselves at home on the Upperville farm of Stormy and Philip Dudley. You might even say they have the run of the place. The Dudleys

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

All in the family

Pablo and Dilly love to run with Philip since he usually has a Gator full of treats.

Home On The Farm The end

What’s for dinner?

A farmhouse without a porch… that would be a shame. Adine Cathey.

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estled in her airplane seat on a trip home from Guatemala, Lee Owsley had an “ah ha” moment, one that would change her life and that of thousands of women and men around the world. The year was 2009 and Owsley had completed a weaving class in a small highland village in northwestern Guatemala. She made a beautiful scarf from the experience, but the threads of inspiration had Photos courtesy of Latitudes also been woven into her Kelsey and Lee Owsley psyche. “I’ve always wanted to do something about the poverty I’ve seen when traveling to Third World countries but, like most of us, never known quite where to start,” said Owsley who was already helping a missionary friend sell paper beads made by women in Uganda. Why not add products made by these Guatemalan women? That and her own love of weaving, quilting, sewing and smocking created her vision to help others help themselves by promoting their work. “It was a calling…a passion…I knew what I wanted to do with the next chapter of my life,” said Owsley who, beginning with a pop-up location in Warrenton now has three brick and mortar locations and offers a growing and thriving online shopping experience. With stores in Warrenton, Fredericksburg and Staunton, Latitudes offers customers a plethora of goods from dozens of countries worldwide. The items are varied, colorful, unique and represent so much more. Purchasing a piece of jewelry, a furry hat or serving dish from Latitudes assures that it was made by artisans who are paid a fair wage and that consumers are adding to the dignity of their lives. Dealing with the pandemic has been a challenge particularly for small businesses. “We were closed for two months and then re-opened with some trepidation as we really do want to do the right thing and not spread the virus or endanger ourselves, but it’s actually going well,” Owsley said. “Customers have been great about wearing masks and socially distancing and we have all stayed healthy.

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Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

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Popular with new moms, aunts and grandmothers, Latitudes has several soft outfits for infants and toddlers as well as fun crib mobiles and plush toys. Business has been down, of course, but we ended the year in better territory than we would have predicted. “We got the Fauquier Cares grant and PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) money, which helped a lot. We were able to still keep up with good orders for our artisan partners for the most part and pay our staff as Latitudes carries a bright and usual. Quite a blessing!” cheery selection of masks. Running Latitudes is a family affair. Daughter Kelsey Neal is the assistant manager at the Warrenton store. Lee’s husband Terry operates the Fredericksburg location and daughter Anna oversees the Staunton shop. With two young daughters of her own, Kelsey Neal not only enjoys working with her mother but furthering her vision. “I like the uniqueness of our products, our mission and also opportunities to travel,” said Neal. “We’ve been able to take about 15 different trips during the last 10 years to visit and learn from our artisan groups. We’re looking very much forward to getting back to this when it’s safe and possible again,” said Owsley clearly excited about their clothing line and new additions coming for spring. “The first Friday of December, the fourth, was 10 years to the day that we opened our very humble pop-up store at 104 Main Street,” she said. “It’s crazy to think of all the people, places, events, and relationships that have been birthed and grown during that time. I can honestly say every day brings a new surprise or something to learn.” Be the Change Foundation is a local nonprofit with a mission of empowering, strengthening and inspiring women who want to start or build on an existing business. They offer a 12-week series of business classes and Owsley, a firm believer in entrepreneurship, volunteers as a regular speaker. When she begins her presentation, she holds up the scarf made in Guatemala years ago with a knowing smile. It’s the symbol of her vision that has become her reality and the dream isn’t over. “Yes, yes, yes, it’s still fun and challenging and rewarding,” said Owsley. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. I am ever more grateful for our community and my staff.” Latitudes in Warrenton is located at 78 Main Street. Visit www.latitudesfairtrade.com. Phone 540-349-2333.

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

For Jackson, It’s Teach and Treat

By Leonard Shapiro

or Richard Jackson, it began with Peace Corps service more than four decades ago and his 1977 posting to Kenya. He had finished his training as a physical therapist at the Ithaca College/Albert Einstein School of Medicine and soon was sharing his expertise by teaching at the Kenya Medical Training College. “The Peace Corps was probably where the idea of helping people came from,” said Jackson, a longtime Middleburg resident who started his practice here and now, with his wife Anna, has grown it to 21 clinics located in Northern Virginia and Maryland. “Anna and I are both believers that it’s important in life to help other people and improve the world around you,” Jackson said in a recent interview. The Jacksons have funded The Jackson Clinics Foundation, a non-profit that over the last ten years has educated and trained physical therapy students in Kenya, Ethiopia and most recently Mozambique. The foundation’s motto: “Teach One, Treat Many.” Over the years, Jackson has taught over 400 classes, many of them in Africa. The foundation, including many volunteers now employed by the Jackson Clinics, has helped train hundreds of physical therapist in countries where, in sone cases, there were none. “We started in 2010 in Ethiopia,” Jackson said.”Over a seven-year period, we launched the

first doctoral program in physical therapy on the African continent. Our doctors of physical therapy are unique in the world. They set fractures, suture wounds, give injections, write prescriptions and order and read X-rays. Most doctors of physical therapy in other places don’t do that, but there really was a need in Ethiopia.” In 2012, Jackson started a graduate program in orthopedic manual therapy in Kenya and turned it over to the government last year after graduating 180 students. In 2019, he launched the first women’s health program in East Africa, in Nairobi. COVID has temporarily put a hold on the program, but it will resume when the pandemic has eased. “Women’s health in Africa, especially pelvic health problems, are really under-served there,” Jackson said. “Physical therapy can do a tremendous amount of good for women, and that was pretty much unknown when we first started the program." In Juy, 2019, Jackson was asked to start physical therapy training in Mozambique. “They have none,” he said. “That is just an astonishing statement. We’re talking about helping treat strokes, amputees, everything. Before, they basically were sent home to die.” At the invitation of the Mozambique government, the foundation has begun a four-year bachelor of science program in physical therapy. They launched it with about 40 students, with many more to come. The Jacksons mostly fund the foundation, with

many employees and other college instructors volunteering to help teach and offer practical clinical advice for two weeks at a time. The foundation pays their expenses and welcomes outside grants or donations and help from foreign governments. Because of the pandemic, many students have been forced to drop out of programs because they could not afford the modest tuition that is used to pay for volunteer teachers accommodations. Over the last two months, $30,000 has been raised, much of it contributed by some of their U.S. instructors who, because of the pandemic, are also teaching virtually. Jackson is a native of upstate New York in a town called Mexico not far from Syracuse. He likes to tell people Mexico is only five mies away from Texas, N.Y., and Phoenix, N.Y. is not that far either. Ethiopia, Kenya and Mozambique, of course, are halfway around the world, and Jackson is obviously proud of the work he and his colleagues have done to train hundreds in programs that will continue to grow. “As physical therapists, we spend all day helping people,” he said. “When you have the means to help, that’s what you do. I’ve always felt I could reach more patients by teaching. I know I’m reaching thousands of people because of what we’re doing. To me, that’s what this is all about.” To donate toward student tuition, go to www.teachandtreat.org

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Richard Jackson surrounded by his African physical therapy students. Courtesy photo

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

At Station No. 3, A

By M.J. McAteer

t Middleburg Fire Station No. 3, every day is the same but different. Set-in-stone routine can, at any moment, be shattered by adrenalinespiking emergencies or by requests for more mundane assistance, such as getting the cliched cat out of a tree.

Since restructuring in 2015 to move away from volunteer staffing, six professional firefighters are always on duty to provide Middleburg and other parts of Western Loudoun with any and all requests for fire and rescue services.

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

Jeffrey Garner, who started out volunteering at a fire station at age 14 and now has 33 years of service, is the station captain, and he explained the usual routine at Station No. 3. On arrival at 6 a.m. for a shift that lasts until 6 a.m. the next day, the first order of business is, without fail, sorting out equipment. Firefighters put their flameresistant pants, coats and helmets on the various “apparatus”--Middleburg has a fire engine, a brush truck, a tanker and an advanced-life support ambulance--the better to meet the mandate that they be able to clear the fire station within two minutes of a call. Next, they inspect their various vehicles to ensure they are in perfect working order. Station No. 3 keeps its apparatus sparkling clean even though the back roads in its service area can be a muddy mess. Once assured that all the equipment is ready to roll, like so many members of today’s working world, the fire crew members disperse to check emails before gathering for a communal breakfast. Twenty-four hour shifts mean firefighters eat three meals while on duty, but the county doesn’t provide the food. Instead, crews generally chip into a kitty and stock up on supplies for a 90 days at a time. “We try to eat as healthy as we can,” Garner said.

WWW.ROYSTONFH.COM 34

The rest of the day is spent on training, mostly on-line, but one firefighter is constructing a maze on the station’s mezzanine. The crew will then turn out the lights and practice maneuvering in a dark and confined space that mimics conditions that might be encountered at a fire.

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

They’re Always Fired Up The Middleburg firefighters: (left to right)Tech Jerry Dean, Captain Jeff Garner, Firefighter Greg Strickland, firefighter/paramedic Adam White, firefighter Sam Gomez, firefighter Jeff Staub. Photo by M.J. McAteer

The firefighters share cooking and cleanup duties. Over dinner, they might critique their response to a recent call before watching a movie and heading to bed. Station No. 3 has six bunk rooms, so each firefighter has privacy. They work every fourth day, a total of seven or eight days a month. Still at any time, a call can come in and explode this lulling routine. “You don’t know if you’re going to run or if you’re going to run anything,” Garner said, though, on average, the station gets two or three requests for service a day, mostly EMS calls. The firefighters also frequently respond to car accidents and reports of gas leaks and hazardous materials, sometimes remaining in the field for many hours. They go out on less dire calls, too—freeing kids stuck in playground equipment, cutting rings off swollen fingers (the station has a special tool for that), even rescuing ducklings from storm drains. Whatever the need, great or small, Systemwide Fire Chief Keith Johnson said, “Never hesitate to call.” Both Johnson and Garner stress that firefighters will install smoke alarms in homes with parts and labor free for the asking. They consider smoke alarms lifeand-death equipment. “You can’t detect a fire when you’re sleeping,” Johnson said. Being in a rural area, Station No. 3 has a special set of challenges. A lack of fire hydrants means that the firefighters have to bring water with them. Finding addresses also can be difficult. With so many large properties in the area, fires also can go undetected until they are well advanced. Barn fires, often caused by alternative heat sources, such as heat lamps to keep the chickens warm, are common. “Old barns take off very quickly, and typically there is not a lot that we can do,” Johnson said. Being a firefighter is “kind of a calling,” Garner said. “You have to want to help people, and you have to understand the dangers.” One danger he avoids, however, is Station No. 3’s fireman’s pole. It takes training to use the pole without getting hurt. “They look cool,” Garner said, “but I prefer the stairs.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

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Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

Cup of COFFEE

I Hereby Do Resolve To…

go running, one of the few acceptable activities in this social-distancing, maskwearing pandemic era.

tack.” I’ll try to get to 158 with my laptop. Let’s just say, I’m not there yet. Running helps with this one and reading hurts. Funny how that works.

52. Books. That’s the goal for 2021. Read 52 books. One a week. Sadly, that would be about 40 more than last year. Looking around my desk, my closet, my car, our shelves, I have definitely bought more books than I’ve read and started way more than I finished. This year, that changes. My son Miles, 12, has stacked up a pile for me and asks about my progress daily. I’ve definitely sparked his interest with this one, way more, than the 1,000mile resolution. He handed me Harry Potter, the Sorcerer’s Stone for my first assignment. A Prayer for Owen Meany came next, then I slipped in a book on Tom Seaver (Miles and Annie don’t think sports books should count) and then The Hobbit. I’m halfway through Oliver Twist, Dickens, and The Boys in the Bunkhouse by Dan Barry. Different books for different moods. As for 52, I’m on target.

0. Alcoholic drinks in January. An annual tradition started about five years ago, inspired by a conversation with our friend John Coles. January is a good time to recalibrate. This was accomplished easily this year. Without dinner parties, hell, without weekends, abstention came naturally. At least, we’ve got one resolution in the books.

By Sean Clancy ow are your resolutions?

Thirty-six days into 2021 and mine run the gamut (and no, dear editor, making deadline was not on the list). I actually wrote mine down this year. Big ones. Little ones. Audacious ones. Ridiculous ones. Completely-out-of-ourcontrol ones. By the numbers, they go like this: 1,000. Miles. That’s the goal for 2021. Run 1,000 miles. It began with my colleague and friend Tom Law’s humble brag of completing 1,000 miles in 2020. Let’s just say I did not match him in 2020. I needed a goal; now I’ve got it. I purchased a Garmin watch, ordered new shoes, signed up for Strava and even enticed a few friends to join in the fun(?) in 2021. I banged out a quick 50, reached 71, then sputtered. A bum ankle from an old fall flared up. I’m now hoping it’s flared down and I’ll soon be back on the road. And, yes, there’s plenty of room in the pool. Emily, Will, Christian, Peter…let’s

150s. Pounds. Like most resolution lists, losing weight is a given, just keep it on the list each year. I weighed 165 Jan. 1. As Annie says, “Don’t forget, I fell in love with you when you were 138 with your

40. Watch 40 days of racing—live—at Saratoga. May the world recalibrate and allow this to happen. Again, out of our control, let’s just hope life gets back to normal (or better) by summer. 365. Days of writing. Just write something every day. Anything. About running, reading, not drinking, watching races at Saratoga…anything. I’ve accomplished this so far—8,027 words, some even published. And, no, I didn’t say 8,027 good words. Those are a few of the 2021 resolutions for 2021. When it’s all said and done, it has nothing to do with anything else specific to the resolutions. It’s simply to share something, to engage with friends, to start a dialogue, to inspire, to motivate. Now, about this ankle.

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Hill’s Thea Israel: Teaching Just Comes Naturally “Everything is new for them. I also love that I can still be a kid with arly in her long and them. I can still be a little goofy, thoroughly fulfilling dance with them, sing with them. teaching career, Thea Israel, ”And I love their questions now a second grade teacher because I learn something every at The Hill School in Middleburg, day myself. They don’t stop asking had a third grade classroom that questions. I’ll bring up a topic and included a small group of boys that they are always asking ‘why?’ They had difficulty selecting books that don’t settle for the first answer that Hill School interested them. comes out of my mouth. They’re all second They often let it be known, by word grade just so curious.” teacher and deed, they weren’t particularly Israel’s enthusiasm for teaching Thea Israel. happy with the books they were surely comes naturally. Her mother, reading in class. So Israel decided to Karen Burdnell, was a teacher and Photo by Middleburg Photo take a different approach to get them a librarian. Her dad, Jack Burdnell more involved. went back to school at age 50 for his Bachelor’s “I created a book club for them,” she said. “Eoin degree, then went on to teach high school math for Colfer had written a number of children’s books, and four years. a few of them were silly stories about troublesome “Both my grandmothers were teachers and I have boys. We would read these books in class and those aunts and great aunts who were teachers,” she said. boys would giggle and laugh out loud. Then I kept “Education is definitely in my blood.” hearing from their parents. ‘Do you have any more Her own education came mostly in her hometown books like that you can recommend.’ of Baltimore from independent schools beginning “It was just so satisfying because I found a way to at The Calvert School, known for its home-school connect with those children and get them interested curriculum. She’s a graduate of highly-regarded in books and reading. It’s one of the more memorable McDonogh School, then majored in history at experiences I’ve ever had.” Western Maryland College, now known as McDaniel There have been many others before and surely College. And throughout high school and college, there will be many more to come for a teacher who she was always working with children as a camp has been at Hill for 13 years, the last five teaching the counselor at The Claggette Center, the Episcopal second grade. Talk about memorable experiences. Diocese of Maryland’s retreat, camp and conference “At that age, I just love the fact that they’re so center in Frederick, Maryland. interested in every aspect of learning,” Israel said. She’s also been a competitive swimmer and over By Leonard Shapiro

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

the summer, she supervises the swimming pool at Winchester Country Club and coaches the swim team. “Teaching was always at the top of my list of what I wanted to do as an adult,” she said. “And I’ve always worked with a wide range of children.” After college, she had classroom training in second and fourth grades at the Park School in Baltimore, taught in fourth and fifth grades at Frederick Trinity School and fifth grade at Flint Hill in Oakton. Debbie Sharples, a reading specialist at Hill, told her about an opening for a third grade teacher at the school, and Israel, who lives in Winchester, was hired in 2008. Treavor Lord, Hill’s Head of School, is proud of the devotion and care exhibited by all of Hill’s faculty and staff – especially this year as they are teaching in-person to all of Hill’s students. “Thea is a wonderful example of a dedicated teacher,” he said. “Her talent, humor, and willingness to support each of her students is outstanding. I’m proud to have her as a colleague and proud of the work she does every day for her students.” “Hill reminds me so much of my own independent elementary school, Calvert,” Israel said. “Every child fully participates in a strong academic program as well as sports, art, music, and drama. I also like the idea of team teaching and collaboration. We’re told ‘this is your curriculum, so make it the best you can.’ As teachers, we’re totally invested. You never stop learning, and it’s made me a better educator.” There’s been an added bonus, as well. Her two children, Charlotte, now a sixth grader, and Stuart Jr., in third, came through her second grade classroom. And did they call her Mrs. Israel, she was asked. “No. It was just mom.”

Phyllis Cook Taylor

Hometown Woman’s Love for Asbury Church Continues

Photo by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg Photo

By Shannon Davis

hyllis Cook Taylor grew up in the shadow of the Asbury Methodist Church in Middleburg, only a few blocks away from the Shiloh Baptist Church. Her family regularly attended both and, she said with a laugh, “We called ourselves Bapthodists.” “My mom, Mary Ann Gordon Cook, was a Baptist,” she said. “My dad, Carr P. Cook, Jr, was a Methodist. Like most of us in the Middleburg community…you were a member at one church and attended the other. My father’s family was fourth generation Methodists and dad was the Sunday School Superintendent at Asbury. My mom eventually converted. I guess you could say dad won that battle.” Taylor’s great grandparents’ home was just across the street from where she lived at the intersection of Marshall and Jay Streets in the village’s northeast section. Her grandparents lived near the Solon Cemetery on the western edge of Middleburg off Washington Street and she later lived next door. She attended Asbury as a child, two Sundays a month, and Shiloh the other two Sundays a month.

Years later, she has vivid memories of Asbury, which dates to 1829 and is the oldest standing church in Middleburg. Over nearly two centuries, the Asbury building has served as a storehouse, a hospital and as a morgue during the Civil War.

In 1864, it was transferred from a white Methodist congregation to an African-American Methodist Episcopal congregation, which used it both as a church and as a school for black children. The town of Middleburg acquired it in 2014, 15 years after it was last occupied.

The building is now for sale, and the town has requested sealed proposals (RFP) from “experienced and qualified firms and teams that wish to be considered for the purchase and adaptive reuse” of the church. So far, four RFPs have been submitted, with the town emphasizing that any proposed use must maintain, promote and preserve the building’s historic and cultural significance. Taylor, who lives in Lorton, currently serves on a five-member town committee to review the four submitted RFPs. No asking price has been set, and the final decision will be made by the town council.

Photos by Shannon Davis

The windows are reflective of the Gothic Revival Style,” according to architect John Blackburn who is familiar with the building, “or in the case of the church it’s an example of what I’d classify a regional variation of the rural gothic revival style vernacular. area outside Middleburg during segregation; then Middleburg Elementary from fifth through seventh grade after desegregation.

“Asbury had a big, annual picnic each summer,” she recalled. “We traveled to a park in Frederick, Maryland where African Americans could use the facilities. The Middleburg Community Center and pool were segregated and we could not use it during those days.” Taylor began her working career at age 16 at a Middleburg bookstore. She went on to Madison College (now James Madison University) for a degree in education and business. She now works in financial services for a credit union and previously spent 21 years with Cox Communications.

Still, Phyllis Cook Taylor remains thrilled to know that her cherished childhood church building will possibly be saved.

And these days, she’s delighted to be discussing Asbury’s future. “Something good is going to happen, “ she told Country ZEST. “That church is still there for a reason. It hasn’t fallen in, it’s standing. It’s the oldest church building in the town and it needs to be saved.”

All the children from both churches attended a Wednesday afternoon bible class taught by muchbeloved Rosa Carter. The Rosa Carter Elementary School in Leesburg is named in her honor. Taylor attended Banneker Elementary in the St. Louis

Finally, Phyllis Cook Taylor declared: “I would like to see the church preserved as one of the most valuable historical resources of the town - which it is - and used as such to benefit the community. To share its great history not only locally, but regionally and nationally.”

“As a child, I recall the senior choir entering the Asbury sanctuary singing, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy,’” she said. “At the Christmas Pageant, children received hard candy and oranges. Easter weekend was a full three days as we had Good Friday off.”

“It needs to stay as a church,” she has said and noted that history transcends anything going on, she feels it’s urgent. There are still many families around who attended.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

Semper Fi:

By John Toler

egregation in the U.S. military did not end until 1948, with President Harry Truman’s Executive Order 9981, fully integrating the armed services. Until then, everything from training, military assignments and quartering was determined by race. While many are familiar with the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the African American fighter pilots and ground crews whose story was told in books and the 2012 movie, Red Tails, less is known about the Montford Point Marines, their counterparts in the U.S. Marine Corps. Fauquier County natives Roland I. Tapscott and his younger brother Stanley were Montford Point Marines. They lived in the Warrenton-Catlett area when the U.S. entered World War II. In early 1942, Roland was drafted by the Army and ordered to report to Fort Myer for a physical. When he got off the bus in Washington, he stopped by a kiosk manned by a Marine recruiter and signed up. What he didn’t know was that only since 1941 were African Americans allowed to serve in the USMC. A month later, Tapscott arrived at Montford Point, a segregated training facility outside Camp Lejeune, N. C. The unit was designated the 51st Composite Defense Battalion, a unique designation that allowed the men to be trained separately from White Marines. Conditions were deplorable. Barracks were dilapidated former Civilian Construction Corps huts, in which 40 men were quartered. Initially, there were no latrines, which recruits had to build. Worse was the overt racism, from the civilian communities around the base and White officers and NCOs assigned to train them. Making a raw recruit into a Marine was tough, but added to that were open hostility and constant questioning of the Montford Point trainees’ capabilities. “It was clear that they didn’t want Blacks in the Marine Corps,” Tapscott said in an interview in 2012. “It was disgraceful.” Adequate training also was lacking. Tapscott’s platoon spent only three days on the rifle range, firing .22 caliber rifles instead of the M-1 rifles they were expected to carry into battle. In spite of his brother’s experiences at Montford Point, Stanley Tapscott enlisted in the USMC, arriving for training in December, 1944. “By then there were Black drill instructors, and they had to be tougher than White DIs if they wanted to keep their jobs,” he recalled. “Every movement in camp was to be done at a run, and anyone caught walking was subject to punishment.” Before completing training, Stanley suffered a serious bacterial infection, and was separated from

The only time Pvt. Tapscott got to wear his Marine Corps dress blue uniform was for this portrait, taken in July 1943 while he was on the only leave he took while in the Corps. the Marine Corps and sent home. He is still mystified by the action, and the fact he was given an honorable discharge, rather than a medical discharge. Initially, those who completed training were enlisted in the Marine Reserve and assigned to inactive duty. That changed with the critical shortage of manpower as the war progressed. Of approximately 20,000 African Americans trained at Montford Point during WWII, nearly 13,000 were sent to fight in the Pacific. The remainder served stateside as stewards at various headquarters or worked

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

at supply or ammunition depots. From Montford Point, Pvt. Roland Tapscott was assigned to the Marine base at San Diego, and from there to New Caledonia in the South Pacific as a member of the 1st Marine Division’s 21st Replacement Company. On August 13, 1943, his unit landed at Guadalcanal, which was still unsecured. Leaving their transport ship in two smaller boats, they were headed to Banika, about 60 miles away in the Russell Islands, when Japanese aircraft attacked. They were strafed by Japanese fighters,

The Montford Point Marines

Originally, White Drill Instructors handled the training of recruits at Montford Point. Later, African American Marines served as DIs, as shown in this platoon photo taken in 1943.

The Montford Point Marines Congressional Gold Medal

and witnessed the sinking of the USS John Penn hit by aerial-dropped torpedoes. Banika was a forward supply base, where much of the materiel, fuel and equipment used by the 1st Marine Division were handled. Tapscott was assigned to a trucking company, driving bulldozers and operating cranes. Living conditions were primitive, with Marines sleeping in two-man pup tents. There was always the threat of an enemy attack, and bombings and strafing continued for several months. The work was challenging, often lasting 24 hours a day for long periods of time. The war ended after two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan in August, 1945. Due to its remote location and the slow drawdown of troops and supplies in the Pacific, then-Cpl. Tapscott did not start for home until Dec. 1, 1945. He finally

made it back to Montford Point and was honorably discharged on Jan. 11, 1946. Tapscott married Nettie Sue Stevens in 1946, and the couple lived in Washington, D.C., where he started a 30-year career as a civilian transportation and supply management officer for the Navy. They moved to Warrenton in 1962, and built a new home on Frytown Road. He died in 2014 at 92. His brother Stanley, who drove a taxi in D.C. for fifty years, passed away in 2017 at age 91. Back home in Fauquier, Roland Tapscott was a community leader, serving on town and county boards and commissions and worked in the Civil Rights movement. He was instrumental in creating the Fauquier Housing Corporation and the Fauquier Veterans Memorial. The Montford Point Marines finally received special recognition for their service on Nov. 23, 2011, when President Barack Obama awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the estimated 400 surviving Montford Point veterans. The medals bore the inscription, “For outstanding perseverance and courage that inspired social change in the Marine Corps, 2011.”

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

Oatlands Diary Details Once Lost Descendants Photos by Tiffany Dillon Keane

Ryan Williams is descended from Julius Day, the patriarch of the family and one of the few enslaved people from Oatlands whose lineage can be traced back to the very late 1700s or early 1800s.

By Leonard Shapiro

t took some time for Ryan Williams to learn about the illuminating and inspiring history of his family, until he discovered The Oatlands Historic House & Gardens, where many of his descendants were enslaved on the Leesburg property as early as the 1790s. While attending Penn State in the mid-1990s, he’d done some family research at the National Archives in Washington. After hours of eye-straining microfilm study, he found a census record for his grandfather on his father’s side, several uncles and other relatives who had settled in Arlington. His research was suspended as he completed his degree, then became immersed in a successful journalism career. Five years ago, he began digging into his mother’s side—the Day family—after a great uncle living in Arlington died. “It got me thinking,” Williams said, adding that he then went to ancestry.com “and dove into the rabbit hole. I found many Days, and names I’d never heard before. Then I discovered they had to be in Loudoun County.” Next came a Google search and “the first thing that came up was Oatlands and Elizabeth Carter’s diary,” Williams said. Mrs. Carter and her husband George owned Oatlands in the 1800s and the plantation contained the largest enslaved community in Loudoun—133 men, women and children at the outset of the Civil War. Oatlands now has an interactive website exhibit that also includes a comprehensive database of those working for the Carters from the slavery era, also tracing family roots up to the present. “Reclaim Your Story” Oatlands urges through a program funded with a $12,000 grant from the African-American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. When Arlington resident Ryan Williams first contacted Oatlands, he opened his conversation by saying, “I think there’s a good chance my relatives were enslaved at Oatlands.” He soon visited and began discovering all about the Day family. Last year, he was named to Oatlands’ board of directors and is obviously a huge supporter

Ryan Williams is descended from Julius Day, the patriarch of the family and one of the few enslaved people from Oatlands whose lineage can be traced back to the very late 1700s or early 1800s. of its descendants program. Its valuable data base is available to anyone looking to research their own family histories. Caleb Schutz, Oatlands’ executive director, would like to attract more African-American families to its treasure trove of information that eventually will be linked to a national data base. “Recently, there’s been a change in the thinking of the African-American community,” Schutz said. “More people want to learn as much as they can about their families…It’s not always good news. For many, it’s painful. But we think it’s important to continue this work.” Williams said his own experience was enlightening, especially finding descendants from the 1790s and early 1800s. “Because of my journalism background, thee’s a part of me that gets excited about discovery,” he said. “I’ve aways been fascinated by history. There’s that connection between the present and the past and what we can learn from it.” That connection comes to life whenever he’s on

Oatlands’ gorgeous grounds. “There’s something extraordinary about walking onto the land where, not too many generations ago, my family was enslaved,” he said. “Being able to trace a family member’s birth year to the 1790s was a huge discovery. Knowing that one of my relatives was born a slave and then grew up free was revealing. “He also had enough money to buy property and build a home in Gleedsville (about four miles from Oatlands). That was just as important as anything I discovered. You can see the person you are based on the story of how they lived and survived.” Williams is still doing family research. He now knows some descendants ended up in Georgetown, in Montgomery County, Maryland and in Philadelphia, where he grew up. “I’m not done,” he said. “My discoveries opened up a large, broad chapter that’s also helped me educate my family…When you talk to them, you see the light in their eyes because they know how important it is to share all this.” Important, illuminating, and inspiring.

Written after slavery had ended, this 1866 entry in the diary says “Julius brought six partridges for me.”

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

Pastor Herman Nelson at Shiloh Baptist’s 150th anniversary cerebration.

By Emma Boyce

n the unassuming 300 block of East Marshall Street, the Shiloh Baptist Church opens its doors every Sunday. These days, Sundays are quieter. In his 34 years there, Pastor Herman Nelson has seen the church through highs and lows, but for him and his congregation, Shiloh has always been a blessing. “God moved me to be present, to open the church to whomever comes,” said Pastor Nelson, his voice carrying over the phone. It’s easy to imagine him preaching from the pulpit, spreading the word of God. “Whether it’s local folk, or visitors who have not been to the town, our own members or nonmembers, or those who have strayed, it is a blessing to be in the church praying, not only for myself and my family but for the Shiloh family, the community, and for the Body of Christ in general.” His path to the ministry wasn’t always obvious. Before Shiloh, he served 21 years in the military, an illustrious career that included a stint at NASA in Houston and later the Pentagon. Initially, he aspired to be a fighter pilot and an Air Force general, but before realizing those dreams, he discovered his true calling—preaching. In fact, at the Pentagon, with orders in hand, the calling came to him, this time loud enough to hear.

At Shiloh Baptist, From Military to Ministry

“I had many experiences in the military that led up to and helped shape my thinking and preparation for the ministry,” he said. “But I was not necessarily conscious that it would be leading there. God has a way of preparing you in ways and situations you know you didn’t do yourself.” The time between the Pentagon and his arrival at Howard University remains a blur, but soon enough Pastor Nelson found himself at the school registrar’s office enrolling in the Master of Divinity program. Before he even finished Deacon Turner, a member of Shiloh’s congregation and one of the first African-Americans elected to the Middleburg Town Council, requested Pastor Nelson serve as Shiloh’s interim pastor. “I yielded to the ministry,” he said. “It was not something I chose. It just happened. I don’t have any intent to color or smooth over or self-aggrandize what God has done. I give him the glory because I’m humbled at what he’s done in my life, in my growing up, in my educational pursuits, in my military service, in my private sector, in my ministerial pursuits with the support of my wife, family, and Shiloh family.” More than three decades later, he’s now part of Shiloh’s rich history, one that has its informal roots in the Civil War. Along the way, Shiloh has fostered numerous notable members of the community, including Loudoun NAACP president William

McKinley Jackson, who fought to integrate public spaces in Middleburg, and prominent educator in the era of Jim Crow, Rosa Lee Carter. Affectionately called “Mother of the Church,” she now has a school in Leesburg named after her. The Shiloh building, erected in 1913, was built by master stonemasons and church members Nathan Nathanial Hall and his son, William Nathanial Hall, who would become one of the most respected African-American builders in Loudoun County. “There are many marvelous families that have rooted in this church through the years,” said Pastor Nelson. “We’re few in number today, much fewer than we were then, but in spite of that, God has shown his grace and his mercy to us with large and small numbers.” Twenty years ago, Pastor Nelson had a vision. “I was looking to try to encourage and inspire the church,” he said. “You can sense when there is apathy and there is struggle. I said, ‘we are to continue to have faith in Jesus Christ, we are to continue to plan and make ready for revival and restoration in spite of these things that are going on.’ That’s true today, less we forget Peter Tibbs’ legacy of over 50 years at the Middleburg Community Center. He encouraged the use of the center for Shiloh to celebrate our 150th anniversary in 2017.”

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

Doing It All at Middleburg Tennis Club

By Leonard Shapiro

nthony Pinkard, the do-it-all, multitalented operations manager at the Middleburg Tennis Club (MTC), knows plenty about Walter Payton, the late Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back, including his favorite meal. “Tortellini,” he said, something he learned first hand when Pinkard worked as a manager at Payton’s Windy City restaurant in the 1990s. Pinkard’s journey to the Midwest and back to his roots in hometown Warrenton has taken all manner of intriguing twists and turns. He’s a Fauquier High graduate, played football and track there, lived for ten years in Chicago and has raised three adult girls—Elizabeth, Amanda and Jennah. These days, he said, the 20-minute commute from Warrenton to the tennis club on Zulla Road offers a pure joy ride to a job he clearly loves. He originally joined the MTC staff five years ago as a part-time server to supplement his work at the Longhorn in Warrenton. Over the years, he’s helped start up several local restaurants, trained the Longhorn staff and stayed on as a manager of the popular steakhouse. At MTC he was named restaurant manager about a year after he started, then last year moved up to operations manager. He has multiple responsibilities—overseeing food and beverage,

Photo by Leonard Shapiro

Photo by Vicky Moon

Anthony Pinkard at the Middleburg Tennis Club

Whatever it takes.

the outdoor pool and the maintenance of the entire facility, including tennis courts indoors and out. He works in close coordination with General Manager and head tennis professional Kevin Brundle and “anything on the tennis club property, I’m responsible for,” Pinkard said. “But I don’t do tennis lessons.” Still, said one admiring member, “The man does just about everything that needs to be done around here. He knows every member’s name, and their kids names, too. He’s just a terrific guy who has everyone’s respect. He really makes the place work.” Dining facilities in the main clubhouse have been spread out for social distancing during the

pandemic. The kitchen, the indoor and outside patio dining areas, locker rooms and gym are constantly scrubbed and sanitized. The pandemic also has had an impact on the number of club events: from limiting how many for lunch or dinner and also to watch the popular winter tennis tournament. To make up for less than full houses in the dining areas, the club also offers a popular take-out service. While a number of businesses have been forced to lay off workers to survive, Pinkard is particularly pleased and proud that MTC so far has managed to keep its entire 22-person staff intact. And more good news for the club: membership is up because people are moving away from D.C. and its dense suburban areas and out to the wide open spaces of the countryside. Many of them play tennis. Soon, they’ll also be able to play paddle tennis on outdoor courts the club is planning to build. Brundle and assistant pro Kyla Walgren have become certified teachers of the ever-growing sport of pickle ball. There also are plans to expand the gym, renovate the main locker rooms and re-furbish the deck and its outdoor dining area. “It’s a challenge here every day, something different every day,” Pinkard said. “That’s what makes it enjoyable. For me, it’s also the members. There’s just a great atmosphere around here. You couldn’t ask for anything better.” Not even serving Walter Payton his tortellini.

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Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

Matt Hannan: A Perfect Fit at Long Branch By M.J. McAteer

Photo by M.J. McAteer

Matthew Hannan at Long Branch

atthew Hannan has traveled the world, only to find that there’s no place quite like close to home. “I used to commute 15 hours by plane,” he said of one of his former lives as an overseas tour director. “Now my commute is five minutes by car.” Hannan recently was named executive director of Long Branch Historic House and Farm in Boyce, only three miles from his Millwood front door. That he already was a well-regarded member of the local community “was important to us,” said Randy Buckley, head of the nonprofit estate’s board. Even more important were the other assets Hannan could bring to the job. “We needed someone who is wonderful with the public, and who understands historic preservation and fundraising,” Buckley said. Check. Check. His career in the travel business included fluency in Mandarin to lead tours to China, booking luxury outings via private plane and a stint with his own boutique travel firm. Hannan knows people and, obviously, enjoys them. That attribute is a top priority for his new employer. The Long Branch Website pointedly says it wants to become “the most accessible” historic home in the country, and already has done a lot to fulfill that goal. During daylight hours, it has an open-door policy, allowing dog walkers, bikers, equestrians and picnickers to freely roam its 400 acres. People are invited to fish in its pond and stroll its elegant English-style gardens. Admission to the early-19thcentury Federal-style mansion, which anchors the property, is also a welcoming $5. Long Branch is particularly proud of its grand house, with a magnificent columned porch and design input from Benjamin Latrobe, the architect of the U.S. Capitol. Hannan hopes to “up the ante” on outreach. In 2021, Long Branch will hold a fine art sale and host a lecture series featuring local writers and historians as it continues to display the works of area artists in some of its gallery-sized rooms. As Covid allows, Hannan expects to experiment with public gatherings such as horse, bridal and antique fairs. Long Branch is a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A people-person director was necessary but obviously not sufficient. It needed someone well-versed in historic preservation and home and landscaping design. Hannan “was an easy choice” on that front, too, Buckley said. Hannan, 58, has restored four historic homes, including his 1912 Millwood house which he described as “in serious need of rehab” when he moved there in 2013. Last year, the county awarded him a certificate of merit for the work he did on his house, but also the former Love and Charity Chapel next door. In 2017, Hannan purchased the 1907 African-American Baptist Church, then verging on collapse, and brought it back from the brink. He plans to let the community use the old church as an events space. Although Long Branch has a farm manager, Hannan’s duties extend to oversight of the operation of both a 20-stall racing barn and a horse retirement operation with more than 70 equines in residence. He also handles the logistics for as many as 20 weddings a year, along with private parties and receptions. Long Branch has an endowment, but needs those income sources to stay solvent. Taking on a job with so many moving parts might sound stressful, but Long Branch exudes a special sense of serenity. From its manse’s rooftop balustrade, the view is of horses scattered across bucolic pastures that stretch away toward the blue-tinged mountains. The chaos of the modern world seems far, far away.

38490 Charles Town Pike, Waterford, VA 20197 Delightful 6-acre buildable lot, 4 miles from route 7 on Charles Town Pike, route 9, Waterford. Property has a well and has been perced for a 4bedroom home. Photos and video available using link below - $365,000 38490CharlesTownPike.com Peter Leonard-Morgan | Global Real Estate Advisor | Hunt Country Sotheby’s International Realty Direct - 443.254.5530 | peterleonard-morgan@hcsir.com

Greer’s Antiques GREER’S ANTIQUE CONSERVATION

© MMXXI 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.

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37627 Allder School Road Purcellville, VA 20132 | Winter 2021 540.338.6607 greersant@aol.com Regular hours are by

HOME SWEET HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Whether you are planning to remodel your kitchen, transform your master bath, finish a basement or build an addition, you need more than a contractor. You need a partner you can trust with the possession that says the most about what you value and the way you live.

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The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area headquarters at the crossroads of Atoka is the circa 1801 Rector House, site of Mosby’s Rangers formation in 1863.

Adaptive Reuse of Historic Structures

By Jennifer Worcester Moore

ach of the five counties of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area incorporates and encourages Adaptive Reuse policy in their Comprehensive Plan.

That includes maintaining the historic landscape and townscape that link us to the past, conserving resources and being environmentally-friendly, bringing positive economic impact, maintaining and enhancing traditional building skills and providing variety and architectural interest.

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Fauquier County’s Preservation Programs and Other Planning Tools section on Adaptive Reuse states, “There is a need to raise awareness of the role that rehabilitation and adaptive use of historic buildings play in addressing environmental issues and providing sustainable development. There are many opportunities to form partnerships with the environmental community to provide educational programming that supports green building practices and protection of cultural and natural resources.” The Virginia Main Street Program includes historic Manassas, Warrenton, and Berryville in the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area. It is “a preservation-based economic and community development program” that uses what is known as “the Main Street Approach” developed by the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Virginia Main Street also is a Main Street America State Coordinating Program that offers a wide range of “services and assistance to communities interested in revitalizing their historic commercial districts.” Main Street towns in Virginia and throughout the country have proven to be popular tourist destinations year round, and especially during the holiday season. Shopping Main Street local has become a way in which citizens support small businesses. Those who restore, re-use, or maintain a historic structure are eligible for a 20 percent federal tax credit for qualifying expenses. Those expenses include windows, doors, ceilings, floors, chimneys, and walls. Renovations must follow the Secretary of Interior’s Rehabilitation of Historic Structures guidelines, which seek to keep a structure true to its era in design, materials, and setting, while allowing for modern convenience. Jennifer Worcester Moore is the president of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association, PiedmontHeritage.org

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

“At Catoctin Creek, we aim to be as sustainable as we can in our production of exceptional rye whisky. Our production is zero-waste; our grain is organically grown; our bottles are made four hours from the distillery, in Pittsburgh. However, the largest sustainability thing we’ve ever done is recycling a 100-year-old building for our production purposes. Adding solar to this building just took us to the next level and helped us lower our impact while making great spirits!” — Scott Harris, owner Catoctin Creek Distilling

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Catoctin Creek Distilling Company on Purcellville’s Main Street repurposed a former Buick car dealership into a tourist attraction, and installed energy-efficient solar panels. The distillery has been recognized by Loudoun County with green business awards in 2011, 2013, and 2016. According to owner and founder Scott Harris, “Our solar plant offsets about 85 percent of electrical usage in the distillery. This means we are burning less coal and natural gas. On very sunny days, the solar plant generates the equivalent of five households of electricity and actually returns energy to the public grid for others to use.”

Six Things To Know About Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings: (According to the National Park Service, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Don Rypkemo, U.S. Energy Information Administration)

1. Reusing a 5,000 square-foot building saves the carbon consumed by 85 homes in one year. Reusing a 100,000 square-foot building saves the equivalent of the carbon emitted by 1,600 homes in one year. 2. According to the Building and Social Housing Foundation and Empty Homes Agency of England, it takes about 50 to 65 years for a new, energy efficient building to save the amount of embodied energy lost in demolishing an existing building.

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3. The U.S. Energy Information Administration found that buildings constructed during the early 1900s were more energy efficient than those built from 1950-2000. Many of these older homes were built with non-mechanical, energy-saving features, like deep eaves for shading, cross-ventilating hallways, and operable windows.

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4. Air infiltration occurs in buildings through many conduits—attics, chimneys, vents, doors, even electrical outlets—but more heat is lost through the roof than any other part of your house. By adding about 3 1⁄2 inches of insulation in your attic, you save more energy than replacing your windows, and the insulation will cost a lot less. 5. By simply installing weather stripping to an existing window, you can increase a window’s energy efficiency by as much as 50 percent.

6. Most vinyl replacement windows only function for about 10-15 years. However, they will last forever in a landfill. Replacement windows that contain vinyl or PVC are also toxic to produce and create toxic by-products.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

NATURE OFFERS US

the chance to stretch our legs and take a deep breath. Its beauty surrounds us and renews our soul. The Land Trust of Virginia is committed to working with families who want to permanently conserve their open spaces. For information and/or to support our work, go to www.landtrustva.org or call 540-687-8441. 48

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

PEOPLE Chuck Kuhn, founder and CEO of JK Moving Services, and his wife, Stacy Kuhn, have purchased 143 acres in Leesburg, with the intention of placing 134 into a conservation easement to protect the open space from development. The Kuhns will retain the remaining eight acres of commercially zoned property for future use. Meanwhile, they’re working closely with the Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County to sell the property post-easement for community enjoyment. “As our county continues to grow, it’s important that we preserve land that can be enjoyed by our citizens as well as protect natural habitats,” Kuhn explained. Photo © by Vicky Moon

In a tough year, Warrenton-based Rainforest Trust, a global nonprofit, was able to place more than 25 million acres in conservation protection. This includes critical land in the Amazon, Africa and Asia. In the past five years, Rainforest Trust has more than doubled the amount of land it’s protecting, as well as critically endangered and threatened species such as this adorable Pongo pygmaeus (Bornean Orangutan). The organization also met a challenge grant to raise $50 million to match a donor’s $50 million by the end of 2020. Photo by Bernat Ripoll and BNF.

Zoe Korff was recently honored by The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association’s 2020 James Jerome Woodruff-Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Civil War Essay scholarship. A former Hill School student and now a freshman at Heritage High School in Leesburg, she wrote an essay, “The Civilians’ War,” for the contest. Her work examined the impact of the Civil War on families and communities, and the lasting effect well beyond April, 1865. Kevin Ramundo has been named the new president of the Citizens for Fauquier County, the oldest conservation nonprofit in the area. Ramundo, a writer and columnist for Country ZEST, is active in regional preservation and conservation efforts. He also serves on the board of the Land Trust of Virginia.

2021 GRADED FEEDER CALF SALE SCHEDULE 2021 Graded Feeder Calf Sale Schedule

In Cooperation With

Best wishes and congratulations. “Love is lovelier the second time around...” just ask Holly and Stuart Weinstein-Bacal who recently celebrated their second marriage in late December at home at Glen Gordon Manor in Huntley. (As in: they were married once, divorced, and re-married.) The bride looked radiant and shared this with ZEST (with his blessing of course). “Basically, it was, I loved him then, loved him still. Always have, always will. And it was mutual. When we finally had a chance to spend time together again, the stars aligned. It’s so amazing!”

Culpeper-Madison Feeder Cattle Association, Inc. PO Box 275, Culpeper, 22701

Marshall Feeder Cattle Association, Inc. PO Box 204, Hume, VA 22639

Eastern Virginia Cattlemen Association, Inc. Tappahannock, VA

A hearty welcome to Lt. Shaun Jones, the new police officer on the block in Middleburg.

Virginia Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Livestock Marketing Services

Fauquie Excha T

Take In on Thursdays before Sales!

January 8th @ 10:30 am—Marshall, VA 15th @10:30 am—Culpeper, VA February Fauquier Exchange, Inc. VA 5th Livestock @ 10:30am—Culpeper, PO10:30am—Marshall, Box 247 12th @ VA Marshall, VA 20116 March7404 John Marshall Highway VA 20115 5thMarshall, @ 10:30am—Culpeper, VA Phone: 540-364-1566 12th @ 10:30am—Marshall, VA Fax: 540-364-4641 26th @ 10:30am—Marshall, VA E-mail: FauquierLivestock@yahoo.com April **Please Note Dates/Changes** 9th @ 10:30am—Culpeper, VA 16th @ 10:30am—Marshall, VA 30th @ 10:30am—Marshall, VA May 7th @ 10:30 am—Culpeper, VA 14th @ 10:30am—Marshall, VA 28th @ 10:30am—Marshall, VA June 4th @ 10:30 am—Culpeper, VA 11th @10:30 am—Marshall, VA

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Phone: 540-364-1566 (office) 540-631-3523 (Stan)

PO Box 247,247, Marshall, VA 20116 Phone: 540-364-1566 (office) 540-631-3523 (Stan) | PO Box Marshall, VA 20116 7404 John Marshall Highway, Marshall, VA 20115 7404 John Marshall Highway, Marshall, VA 20115 | E-mail: FauquierLivestock@yahoo.com E-mail: FauquierLivestock@yahoo.com

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

Get the primary care experience you deserve 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. Norris Royston Jr., MD Family Medicine

The 9:57 Project:

A Unique View of History

By Uzrah Abrar Wakefield Class of 2022

akefield teacher Peter Findler often tells his students that, “You can find hopeful stories in any traumatic moment if you look hard enough for them.” That would include one of the most infamous days in American history—the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan and the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. nearly twenty years ago. Findler has since co-founded The 9:57 Project with his friend and U.S. Army pilot John Photos by Robert Cunningham/ Hamilton. It’s a non-profit 501(c)(3) designed to Wakefield School educate students by connecting military veterans Wakefield teacher Peter posted to war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan both Findler founded The 9:57 during and after 9/11 with students, eventually Project. around the country. The project was created after Findler invited Hamilton to speak to his students at Wakefield last fall about his military service. They eventually decided to gather several more veteran friends and took students on a field trip to the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The end result was the creation of the 9:57 Project. Findler in the classroom. “We want to inspire kids with history, and we want to share that there could be triumph in the middle of tragedy,” Findler said, adding that, “9/11 is full of amazing stories, and Flight 93 is just one of them.” Why 9:57? At 9:57 a.m. on September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 out of the Newark, N.J. airport was hijacked in the air by terrorists thought to be attempting an attack on the nation’s capital. It crashed in a Pennsylvania field when several passengers and crew members mounted an unsuccessful assault on the hijackers. They could not get into the cockpit, and the terrorist pilot crashed the plane, killing everyone on board, including seven crew members and 33 passengers. It was a day when ordinary people became heroes, when strangers united in an attempt to thwart the hijackers in a show of unity, strength, and resilience. Although they were not able to save themselves, they succeeded in diverting the plane away from Washington and targets that may have included either the Capitol building or White House, saving hundreds of lives. In Somerset County, Pennsylvania, about 160 miles from D.C., the Flight 93 national memorial was created to remember and honor their bravery. According to Findler, the 9:57 Project aims to add more nuance to the narrative by asking military veterans from that period to share their own stories. The goal is to educate, inform, and inspire students across the country by remembering more than just the tragedy of that horrific day, but also the relentless hope, love, and unity people are capable of in times of crisis. The project has been slowed somewhat by the current pandemic, preventing inperson presentations. But Findler is in the planning stages of Zoom presentations that can be just as effective. On Veterans Day this past fall, Findler brought the program to Wakefield, allowing students from grades six through twelve the opportunity to meet and interview a number veterans about their experiences. On the 9:57 website, one student is quoted after seeing the presentation that, “I do not want to be misconstrued as diminishing the tragedy contained in that day. This is why the human aspect is so essential... Anyone can give a slideshow, but to collect a group of people who all have stories and insights is incredibly valuable.” Findler said he firmly believes that by sharing these stories with students across the country, it may inspire them to emulate the project’s core values: courage, resilience, and service. Drive

Findler Photos

8255 East Main Street Marshall, VA 20115 mdvip.com/NorrisRoystonMD

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MARSHAL 7-ELEVEN

YOUR HOMETOWN GO-TO CONVENIENCE STORE “Give the customers what they want, when and where they want it.” —Joe C. Thompson Jr., 7-Eleven Founder

7-Eleven was the first to provide to-go coffee cups! 7-Eleven was the first to operate 24 hours a day!

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7-Eleven and their brands are a big part of the American culture and are recognized worldwide. The Marshall 7-Eleven is your go-to convenience store for food, beverages, money related items, fuel, general grocery items and so much more! Check out some of our offerings ... • • • • • •

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7-Eleven was the first to offer a self-serve soda fountain! 7-Eleven coined the phrase “Brain-Freeze®”!

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! — Bernice Simpson

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

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There’s a Creation Here for Just About Anyone

By Linda Roberts

emember Troll Dolls? Love handmade jewelry? What about the fresh scent of a hand-poured candle or does finely woven macramé catch your eye? Jessica Dove has the corner on the market for the charming and unusual at her little shop in the Waterloo building she shares with Waterloo Electric, 12557 Lord Fairfax Highway, where it intersects with Route 50 in Clarke County. Many people recognize her craft shop as the former home of Benjamin Moore Paints. Now Unique Creations Studio is home to almost 60 local crafters whose wares cover everything imaginable and then some. People still come in looking for the paint store even though the craft shop has been open since 2019. “We’re really low on product now,” said Dove as she looked around the small space that is literally filled floor to ceiling with an orderly plethora of unique creations—all handmade by her crafters. According to Dove, the Christmas season helped wipe out her inventory but she was expecting an influx of new merchandise, much of it spring oriented, in late January. Already at the front of her store are brightly colored tote bags, one with an appealing Valentine hearts theme. Dove, who was in retail for almost 20 years, is a

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Photo by Linda Roberts

Jessica Dove, an artist herself, holds a painting she created at her Unique Creations Studio in Clarke County. savvy professional who knows how to set up displays to create the most eye appeal for her shoppers. Several years ago when surgery and a long rehabilitation kept her side-lined for three months, she developed the idea for a craft shop and Unique Creations Studio was born. “I thought about moving to the Outer Banks area of North Carolina to open a shop, but I wasn’t quite ready to leave family yet,” she said. “My ultimate goal is to move there and take some of my crafters’ wares, but not yet.” Dove is enthusiastic about the friends and connections she has made through her shop, which is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

and Sunday (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). She’s glad to point out a delicate crystal butterfly collection, which is being sold by each piece to aid the local chapter of a national suicide prevention organization. Dirt Girl Pottery and Lightning Bug Hollow Studios pottery and oil paintings grace the front window. Finely turned wooden bowls, at exceptionally reasonable prices, line up in the opposite corner beckoning shoppers to pick them up to feel the smoothness of the various woods. Lining the wall behind the counter are the sureto-please, colorful tea towels that depict various locales, crafted by Tiffany Youngblood. “They’ve been a big hit,” Dove said. “And we can’t keep anything with bumblebees and sunflowers in stock.” And, those trolls? Each bright-eyed, little figure with its wild hair rests in its own miniature setting, providing just the right environment for an air plant to occupy the space as well. Cindi Cunningham, Dove’s mother, came through the shop during our interview, wearing a troll doll t-shirt and stopped to chat. “I just love the trolls,” she said with a smile. “I want all my crafters to succeed at what they are doing,” said Dove, who draws and paints and offers her own creations in the shop. “I couldn’t do it without them; the connections I’ve made here are incredible.”

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every smile

comes from a place of safety and security that only a home can bring.

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) are now underway for all Federal and Virginia State employees and retirees. Please consider giving to Fauquier Habitat for Humanity.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better life. Donate or volunteer at Fauquierhabitat.org.

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

10/14/20 8:53 AM

PROPERTY Writes

Upperville Estate Offers 166 Lush Acres of Pure Joy An overhead look of the gorgeous property, with the Blue Ridge off to the west.

his absolutely stunning manor home on Trappe Hill Road near Upperville includes four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and three half bathrooms with a beautiful lake view on 166 lush acres. The light-filled home features exposed beams, exquisite hardwood floors, updated bathrooms, custom cabinetry, and countertops. The large granite island in the kitchen, numerous living spaces, and back porch all make this home an entertainer’s delight. The main level office with beautiful built-ins and a large window make working from home a treat. The two-car attached garage features an upper-level one bedroom apartment with a bathroom, kitchen, and living space.

The exquisite main house has four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and three half bathrooms with a beautiful lake view.

The property also includes a three-bedroom, two-bath guest cottage with two-car garage. It’s also a horse-lovers dream, with a ninestall barn and an indoor arena, a machine shed, and multiple lush paddocks with run-in sheds. The views are also gorgeous, with the Blue Ridge mountains to the west and a peaceful lake to the east. Offered at $3.95 million.

Lush paddocks provide a little bit of horse heaven for its equine occupants.

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

The property includes a three-bedroom, two-bathroom guest cottage and a two-car garage.

The expansive kitchen includes custom cabinets and granite counters all around.

This light-splashed living room includes exposed beams and offers gorgeous views of the grounds, as well.

Middleburg Real Estate Property: 21167 Trappe Hill Road Upperville, VA 20184 Price: $3.95 million Listing Agents: Peter Pejacsevich 540-270-3835 (peter@atokaproperties.com) Scott Buzzelli 540-454-1399 (scott@atokaproperties.com) There’s a nine-stall barn for your favorite horses.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2021

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Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2021

Virginia Guest and Senator John Warner

MIDDLEBURG

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

REAL ESTATE

2020 Closed Transactions

2020 Sales Volume

MIDDLEBURG REAL ESTATE: 195

MIDDLEBURG REAL ESTATE: $136,082,212

WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES: 105

THOMAS & TALBOT: $120,842,500

THOMAS & TALBOT: 83

WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES: $99,011,019

SHERIDAN-MACMAHON: 55

SHERIDAN-MACMAHON: $69,163,300

HUNT COUNTRY SOTHEBY’S: 27

HUNT COUNTRY SOTHEBY’S: $24,635,300

LONG & FOSTER: 24

LONG & FOSTER: $15,504,600

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.

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 *Statistics taken from BrightMLS 1/1/2020 - 12/31/2020. Transaction totals based on Middleburg oﬃce locations only.

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

here’s to a wonderful way of life.

Dunnottar

Deerfield Farm

181 acres $4,500,000 Upperville – Impeccably restored brick manor house, ca. 1844. Perennial gardens and orchard, guest house with theatre, guest/pool house, pool, 2 tenant houses, 5 bay garage, workshop, 2 ponds, fenced fields and paddocks.

400+ acres $4,125,000 Warrenton – Historic farm with panoramic mountain views, Great Run creek flows the length of farm and there are two ponds. Approximately 300 acres of grasslands for horses or cattle. Conservation easement with VOF allows 3 divisions.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

Susie Ashcom | 540-729-1478

Rock Ridge

Chilly Bleak

Stone House Stables

152 acres $3,250,000 Marshall – Open, gently rolling pastures and fields in prime Orange County Hunt Territory. Historic home dates to 1820. 5 BR / 5 BA with stone terrace and pool. Two Stables - 15 stalls and 6 stalls, Kraft Walker, 8 paddocks, 6 fields, 3 cottages.

4.82 acres $1,950,000 Middleburg – Largest residential parcel “in town!” Built by local master builder WJ Hanback. 3/4 BRs, 3 full BAs, details include spiral staircase, built-ins, hardwood floors and fireplaces. Fenced garden extensive landscaping, pond and mature trees.

16+ acres $1,195,000 Warrenton – Horse property with history dating back to land grants, the main home, ca. 1790. 10 stall barn, 5 bay machine shed, 2 car garage, 4 paddocks and grass riding ring, making this an ideal property for a horse enthusiast.

Cricket Bedford | 540-229-3201

John Coles | 540-270-0094

Cricket Bedford | 540-229-3201

John Coles | 540-270-0094

D VE O E PR RIC M I P

Five Forks Farm

FEB 2021

The Orchard

94+ acres $3,674,999 The Plains – Magnificent views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 5 BR / 6 BA. 5 fireplaces. 1st floor luxury primary suite. 22-stall barn, fenced paddocks and riding ring. 2 tenant houses. Income producing farm. Easy access to I-66 & Dulles Int. Airport.

Ashby Gap Trading Post

CI ER

Madison & Federal

L TA N E

Grey House

39+ acres $1,100,000 Woodville – Charming home with log walls and exposed beams. Convenient to Culpeper, Warrenton, Little Washington, Shenandoah National Park, Sperryville and Luray. Nature lovers paradise. 8 stall barn and a small guest house.

10 acres $799,000 Amazing opportunity! 4 BR house; a separate 3,170 sq. ft. building. Commercial use permitted, certain restrictions apply. High visibility, ample parking and road frontage. Separate access for the residence and an additional building site.

REDUCED $699,000 Middleburg – Zoned for mixed use with Retail & Office spaces. Includes 7 rare parking spaces off Federal! Long time, active retail business in one building. Seller desires to rent back. Priced well below appraised value. Has 4 entrances.

$2,300/mo. Renovated 3 or 4 BR home with upgraded kitchen, 3 new BAs with custom tile, vanities and fixtures. 2 fireplaces. Finished lower level could be spacious office. Bright rooms with all new windows and large deck overlooking private back yard.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

Emily Ristau | 540-454-9083

Cricket Bedford | 540-229-3201

Rein du Pont | 540-454-3355

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

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

Country Zest & Style Winter 2021 Edition

Articles inside

Matt Hannan: A Perfect Fit at Long Branch

Doing It All at Middleburg Tennis Club

At Shiloh Baptist, From Military to Ministry

Oatlands Diary Details Once Lost Descendants

Semper Fi: The Montford Point Marines

I Hereby Do Resolve To...

At Station No.. 3, They're Always Fired Up

For Jackson, It’s Teach and Treat

Latitudes: Weaving a Way to Empower Women Worldwide

Pablo & Dilly Are At Home On The Farm

Candlemaker’s Quest Leads to Start-Up Home Business

The Cold War Comes Alive at Vint Hill Museum

England Blooms in Paris