Ending a long saga that saw the future of a historic village volleyed about amongst many possible outcomes, The Piedmont Environmental Council this summer became the proud new owner of six acres in the Village of Aldie, known as the Aldie Assemblage, that possess an exceptional combination of significant historic and natural features. And as one chapter closes, an exciting new chapter begins.
Aldie: Historic Village along Route 50
Backdropped by the Bull Run Mountains and encircled by the Little River, the Village of Aldie is one of the many historic villages dotting the countryside in Loudoun County. The 19th century was its heyday, when the Aldie Mill, powered by the waters of the river and strategically located along the Little River Turnpike (today’s Virginia Route 50), made the Village an important center of commerce in the County.
Today, travelers passing through can easily see that the historic integrity of the Village and the vibrancy of the local community remain. Aldie marks a place where suburban life recedes and Loudoun’s rural Piedmont communities and landscape take hold.
Aldie at Risk
Whether Aldie could retain its historic character came into question in 2015, when Loudoun County bought the Aldie Assemblage with plans to build a new fire and rescue station there. Uniquely located at the intersection of the Bull Run Mountains, Little River, and Route 50, the site appeared incompatible with a station of the scale proposed by the County. The mountain would need to be cut and several historic structures, including a circa 1820 tavern building, destroyed. The size of the station was inconsistent with the historic character and fabric of the Village.
Working with the Aldie Heritage Association and other community organizations, the people of Aldie pushed back. Loudoun County listened, and with help from local residents, found a new location for the station at nearby Gilberts Corner.
Victory, however, was short lived. In 2021, the County considered handing over the Aldie Assemblage to a developer in a land swap intended to prevent an ill-conceived residential project that threatened the nearby Village of St. Louis’ fragile water supply. But the developer’s plan for the Aldie Assemblage was even more expansive and incompatible than the fire and rescue station.
Once again, Aldie residents rallied and worked with partners like PEC to find better options, including a proposal by a local resident to buy the Assemblage outright. When that fell through, the fate of the property became uncertain once again.
A Conservation Solution
The Aldie Assemblage lies squarely in the midst of several PEC landscape-scale priorities: conserving the unique natural and cultural features of the Bull Run Mountains, protecting water quality in the Goose Creek watershed, and preserving the rural landscape along the Route 50 corridor. And so, PEC offered to buy the Aldie Assemblage for $600,000.
“Along with many partners, we’ve engaged years of effort and exhausted a full range of non-acquisition options in search of a good conservation outcome for the Aldie Assemblage. But there are instances when direct action is the most viable outcome,” said PEC Director of Conservation Mike Kane.
PEC owns Roundabout Meadows at Gilberts Corner and the Piedmont Memorial Overlook in Paris, two publicly accessible properties that anchor conservation along Route 50. PEC’s acquisition of the Aldie Assemblage ensures that incompatible development will no longer be a threat to the property itself, the historic character of the Village or PEC’s larger landscape initiative here.
“Thanks to generous financial support from many, including PEC’s Rowley Goose Creek Conservation Fund and Bull Run Mountain Conservation Fund, PEC was able to step in. Our strategic plan invites this option when a conservation opportunity presents itself and community support has aligned, which happened here,” Kane said.
The Next Chapter
PEC has created a concept plan to guide ownership of the Aldie Assemblage over the next three to five years. “Four basic objectives guide this plan: we want to realize restoration of the historic tavern building, ensure that any future restoration of the property preserves the integrity of the Village’s historic character and fabric, and conserve the array of natural and historic resources. And we wish to explore the creation of a public green along the banks of the Little River to expand public access opportunities to both the Bull Run Mountains and the river,” said Kane.
Aldie residents and numerous conservation organizations — including the Aldie Heritage Association, Virginia Piedmont Heritage Association, Loudoun Historic Village Alliance, Aldie Ruritan Club, and many others — have worked tirelessly for years to discourage the County from developing the Aldie Assemblage in a way that threatens the historic character and fabric of the Village. And thanks to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors’ willingness to listen, the collective impact of those voices brought us to pursue and now complete the purchase of the property this summer.
“The story of the Aldie Assemblage demonstrates the incredible importance of community voices,” Kane said. “That’s why an essential element of our work going forward will be to continue to seek input and guidance from residents and partners for the most appropriate, realistic and desirable future use of the property and its resources,” Kane said.
This article appeared in the 2024 fall edition of The Piedmont Environmental Council’s member newsletter, The Piedmont View. If you’d like to become a PEC member or renew your membership, please visit pecva.org/join.