Round Hill Town Council

Round Hill began as a small community formed on a tract of land granted to Thomas Gregg from Lord Fairfax in 1741. Germans arrived in Loudoun County from Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey and settled near the Potomac River. From around 1730, the central part of Western Loudoun was home to few people other than trappers and squatters until Quakers obtained land grants and settled in Waterford, Lincoln, Woodgrove, and what was eventually to be known as Round Hill.

Especially in comparison with Round Hill at this time, Woodgrove was alive with activity and development. 1751 saw the formation of the Ketoctin Baptist Church, the first church in the area. Woodgrove's rapid growth lost momentum in 1832-33 when the turnpike was built, which deflected traffic towards Round Hill on the straightest route from Leesburg to Winchester through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Construction of the railroad in 1875 from Washington DC to Round Hill shifted even more significant commercial activity from Woodgrove. By 1893, the Methodist Church was no longer holding services in Woodgrove as the bulk of the congregation met in Round Hill.

Partially owing to the railway and to the clean air of the town, many passengers traveled from dusty Washington DC during summer months to escape the heat of the city. Round Hill accommodated these guests in large boarding houses and inns, becoming known as a resort town served by large livery stables.

Round Hill was officially named such in 1858 when the community petitioned the postal department and received their own Post Office. When the railroad opened in 1875, stage coach carried passengers further on to Winchester, Berryville or Snickersville. In 1900 the railway was extended to Bluemont which became the terminus for the railroad for the next twenty-five years. The railroad quickly became the base of the town's economic prosperity. In 1873 Round Hill had two stores and a Post Office. In 1883, however, it had added several large houses, a bustling railway station, shoe-shop, blacksmith, church, one school in town, three livery stables, literary society, and spoke and handle factory. In addition, a harness shop, paint shop, creamery, stove and tin shop, and cabinet shop were then all in the process of opening. With the increase of automobiles and trucking traffic, the railroad operations became increasingly unprofitable by late 1930. Service to the railway ended in 1939.

The town was officially incorporated on 5 Feb 1900 by the General Assembly of Virginia. State Senator George Ford became the town's first Mayor. The Town Council consisted of six members and the Mayor serving four year terms and two year terms, respectively. Landon O. Hammerly (1860-1943), R. Scott Paxson (1861-1902), Eppa H. Conard (1868-?), J. Benton Taylor (nd) and James E. Carruthers (1848-1901) were elected as the first Town Council with Luther Hurst (1870-1936) as the town sergeant. The location of the Council's meetings is not mentioned until 1925. The Council began meeting at Ford's store at 23 Main Street, moved frequently, and eventually voted to have a town office in 1960.

The Council immediately set up town ordinances regulating building permits, animal control, water, and sewer concerns. Villagers used their own or shared wells until 1914 when the town purchased a lot in order to construct a water reservoir. Round Hill feared major costs in the necessity to expand sewer treatment plants and water reservoir capacity to supply the increasing demand from both the town and the growth outside town boundaries. Both sewer and water considerations are prevalent throughout the minutes.

This collection was transcribed by Ann Whitehead Thomas for the Thomas Balch Library from the town minutes. Mrs. Thomas excerpted information that was of interest to her and relevant for the book she was in the process of writing, leaving out routine items. Mrs. Thomas began transcribing in the mid-90s, paused for various reasons, and completed the project in November 2001.

From the guide to the Round Hill Town Minutes Abstracts, 1900-2000, (Thomas Balch Library)