A young fairgoer is serenaded by a costumed troubadour. Waterford, Virginia: A Step Back in Time

Story By Maureen D. Hammerquist

A blacksmith creating tools using the same methods as were used in the 18th century.

History can be seen almost anywhere you look. Even large cities like Boston are filled with historic landmarks and buildings where you can learn a lot about our country's heritage. In northwestern Virginia, the entire town of Waterford is a designated national historic landmark, and a visit here is definitely a step back in time.

This Revolutionary War soldier demonstrates the way a flintlock pistol is loaded and fired.

In 1733, a Quaker farmer from Pennsylvania, Amos Janney, came to rural Virginia with his wife in search of new opportunities. Janney built a gristmill and sawmill on the banks of Catocin Creek—a guaranteed success at the time, since most newcomers to the area were grain farmers. Other Quakers, and later Scotch-Irish Presbyterians and German Lutherans, soon followed and the small farming community became a thriving and lively social mix. Families not only brought their varying religious beliefs but also plenty of craft skills, such as blacksmithing and woodworking, with them. Originally known as Janney's Mill, the village was renamed Waterford in the 1790s. Most of Waterford's homes were built in the early to mid-1800s as the town expanded.

The Quakers were longtime abolitionists (they opposed slavery.) In the 1700s and 1800s, Waterford had a thriving free black community, which was unusual for Virginia before the Civil War. The Quaker residents of Waterford remained loyal to the Union even though Virginia was a Confederate state! Town members even formed the only organized troop in Virginia to fight for the Union—The Independent Loudon Rangers.

The Revolutionary War encampment allows visitors to get a taste of 18th century tools, attire and trade.

After the Civil War ended, Waterford's population began to decline. The new railroad bypassed the village completely, so businesses suffered and the town soon slid into disrepair. Ironically, it was probably neglect that saved Waterford, as people thought it wasn't worth the effort to tear down the village's structures. Interest in the town grew once again during the 1930s and efforts began to preserve Waterford's buildings, culture and rural setting. The Waterford Foundation was established in 1943, and the following year the Foundation brought back a 200-year tradition of artisans and craftspeople that had long traded in this small village with the first Waterford Fair. 

Today, Waterford looks much like it did 100 years ago. The most popular time to visit is the first weekend of October, for the annual fair. For three days, history comes alive as craftspeople and re-enactors don period costumes, and the doors to some of the region's most historic homes are opened for people to explore. Many exhibitors demonstrate how they do their crafts using old tools and means. You'll see blacksmiths, potters, cabinetmakers, weavers and much more plying their trade. Visitors can even participate in activities and demonstrations of early crafting and farming techniques.

Dr. Glenn McIntyre works using old-world tools and methods to hand carve these authentic muskets.

Visit the 19th-century one-room schoolhouse, the even smaller jail, and walk through the mill—the third to be built on the site of Janney's Mill, which itself dates back to 1818. Slow down at the Revolutionary War militia encampment as a uniformed soldier shows how a flintlock pistol was used. Watch Civil War soldiers reenact past battles and stop in the Old Forge to see hand-carved muskets made using the same methods from centuries ago. Listen as the fife and drum corps play and march through the narrow streets on their way to the Union and Confederate cemetery.

You can experience Waterford history any time of year.  The Foundation offers tours of the village and living history programs, and has made it easy to learn more about Waterford through its website (www.waterfordfoundation.org) with virtual tours and plenty of historical information. Come see what life in a 19th century rural town was really like!