The Digges' Valley Farm Ruins
Analysis
This page is where I've decided to share excerpts of my research report for class. I hope to expand on this research and as I do so, I will continue to update this report and the website. If you're interested in reading the full report, I have a link with a PDF copy available for download at the bottom of this page.
Introduction
This project is an exercise in archival research and its purpose is to learn proper archive usage. While my topic was very locally based in Loudoun County, Virginia, I tried to diversify the archives I used for research as much as possible. Archive use is incredibly important to many, if not all, humanities and sciences, including those that sometimes tend to blur the line between the two fields, such as archaeology. In this report I’ll present my findings and tie them into the broad bank of archives I used. My archive research was vital to understanding what I found in satellite imagery and when visiting the actual site of the farm ruins in Hamilton, Virginia.
Discussion
In 1737 Mr. George Atwood of Maryland purchased a parcel of land from Lord Fairfax. Years later this land would become known as Digges’ Valley, in Loudoun County, Virginia. On this property sit the ruins of an 18th-century farmstead that was in use for the better part of two centuries. The land and buildings on the property switched hands, but the lifeways of the people in Loudoun County continued.
The ruins consist of several fieldstone foundations: a simple I-frame house,
a smoke house, springhouse, barn, and other utilitarian buildings, which
may include a stable. The springhouse is the only building still completely
standing, though in poor condition.
An interesting note is that there is graffiti on the concrete and cinderblock
structure, “BH 1935,” drawn into the concrete foundation. There are also
other concrete slabs poured, most likely to serve as modern floors for the
historic buildings still in use in the 20th century.
One of the most interesting structures still partially standing is the barn. You can see the original structure and the later addition, and the clearly defined walls with large buttressing stones. The size of the buttressing stones on the remaining walls of three of the buildings is evidence of the age of their construction, as well as the methods of construction. The springhouse and barn have evidence of being modified or repaired at a later date. An addition was added to the barn’s south side, with smaller stones, mortar, and even has evidence of having been plastered on the inside. There is a space for a window, and a doorway with wood and stone lintel leading into the original barn structure. With the amount of brick on the property, the foundation (and sublevel) were made of fieldstone, and the upper levels were most likely brick.
Closer review of all the deeds and establishing a more solid chain of deed is tantamount to this research project, in order to erase all shred of doubt.
It is extremely unfortunate that the buildings on site were knocked down for insurance reasons and that students or professionals weren’t afforded the opportunity to document the remains of the buildings that had been in use for nearly two centuries. The agricultural and rural community of Loudoun is changing rapidly but clinging to and celebrating its roots. The collection of buildings would have served as an excellent example of vernacular structure in the piedmont region of Virginia, and shone a light on the long legacy of agricultural lifeways in Loudoun County.
The exact date of construction isn’t known at present. According to Roberto Costantino, author ofColonial Catoctin, possibly the first owner to reside on the property, Joseph Cadwallader, was the most prominent stonemason in Loudoun County in the 1760s, judging by early deeds from the county. Costantino credits Cadwallader with the construction of the Fairfax Monthly Meeting, which is still standing in Loudoun (Costantino, 53).
The right side of the building was the original construction of the Fairfax Monthly Meeting house in 1761.
Over the centuries the land that is still in use to this day was cultivated by many different crops and used for the livelihood of many families and generations. In the earlier 20th century Loudoun County became widely known for its prevalent dairy farming community. There is evidence that dairy cattle could have been on the property as late as the 1990s (or later), even as the dairy industry was declining in the county. From aerial photographs, there is evidence of orchards around the buildings, small enough for personal use. On adjacent properties there are more widespread orchards that later disappear. In the photos from the 1950s, you can see that the area is becoming more overgrown. The next available photos are from the early 2000s; the foliage is so dense that all you can see is the remaining outline of the barn’s foundation. With the recent addition to the WebLogis system for Loudoun County, the 2015 satellite imagery was taken at a time when there was less foliage on the tress and the faint outlines of more buildings are noticeable.
Graffiti in concrete
Springhouse
West side of barn
A view of the landscape looking east from the barn.
Download my full report here!