UPDATE: The Springs Valley Meeting in Richmond on September 17th has been cancelled.

Proposed Springs Valley Rural Historic District

On Wednesday, August 12, 2009, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources held a public meeting to discuss the proposed Springs Valley Rural Historic District. This nomination is sponsored by the Fauquier County Government and would honor and recognize the rural historic significance of Springs Valley.There has been some opposition working to defeat the nomination, and it is important that citizens who support the designation speak at the meeting.

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources will consider the nomination at their meeting on September 17. THIS AGENDA ITEM HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE MEETING AGENDA, AND WILL NOT BE HEARD ON SEPTEMBER 17. The meeting is open to the public. Pending nominations are posted for review on the DHR website and include the nomination form, photos, and map.

Rural Historic District Designation Details
The proposed Springs Valley Rural Historic District is located just southwest of Warrenton, and contains 7,510 acres nestled among the Piney Ridge Range, Upper and Lower Harts Mountains, Picketts Mountain, and Lees Ridge.

According to the nomination form, the district "meets eight areas of significance in local history relating to the themes of agriculture, architecture, entertainment/recreation, ethnic heritage, health/medicine, industry, landscape architecture, and military, from circa 1750, the date of several of the earliest dwellings, through 1959, since several of the latest-built resources date through the 1950s, making it eligible for listing in the National Register under Criteria A and C."

The designation would not place any constraints on property owners, and would allow homeowners in Springs Valley to be eligible for federal rehabilitation tax credits. A 2008 Fauquier County staff report explains:

"This National Register designation has no connection with additional regulatory oversight in Fauquier County. Being listed on either the Virginia Landmarks or National Register of Historic Places only conveys an honor and recognition of a property's historic significance; it does not place any constraints on the property owner. Being listed on either register does not restrict or prevent an owner from altering, tearing down or otherwise disposing of the property. National Register listing does, however, provide the homeowner access to state and federal rehabilitation tax credits."

Fauquier County currently has over 50 sites listed on the National and State Historic Registers. These designations serve to put state and federal agencies on notice that Fauquier County protects the character of the community, without hampering local land use rights. Springs Valley would be a great addition to Fauquier County's four existing rural historic districts which include: Crooked Run Valley, John Marshall's Leeds Manor, Goose Creek/Cromwell's Run, and Broad Run/Little Georgetown--which is on the State Register and pending on the National Register.

Meeting on August 12
The public information meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 12, at 7pm at the Warren Green Meeting Room, First Floor, 10 Hotel Street, Warrenton.

For more information, please call Todd Benson, PEC's Fauquier County Field Officer at 540-347-2334.