Waterford Foundation, Inc.

Specific Need

Loudoun’s National Historic Landmark Village needs your help!

Did you know that Loudoun County boasts a nationally significant historic village just minutes northwest of Leesburg? The Waterford National Historic Landmark was designated by the Department of the Interior in 1970 as an important historic resource because of its collection of 18th and 19th century buildings surrounded by an intact rural landscape. For 80 years the Waterford Foundation has worked to preserve Waterford’s historic buildings and open spaces and provide education programs to the public about early American life, including the annual Waterford Fair, the Second Street School Living History Program, and the Waterford Craft School.

What We Do: Preserving the Landmark

Our preservation work focuses on three core areas:

Maintain our historic buildings and open spaces: We own 13 properties, including 10 historic buildings and 3 parcels of open land. Building preservation includes regular and seasonal maintenance as well as larger restoration projects. With 10 historic buildings to care for, each year at least one structure needs paint, a new roof, repair of rotten wood, a new HVAC unit or masonry repointing, just to name a few. More significant restoration projects return our historic buildings to their former glory, honoring those who built them and those who lived, worked, studied or worshiped in them.
Prevent inappropriate change through deed restrictions and historic district zoning: Since the 1970s we have worked to protect buildings and open spaces within the Landmark with historic preservation and conservation easements. In addition, we work with the Loudoun County Historic District Review committee to make sure that any changes to Waterford buildings are consistent with the Waterford Historic District Guidelines. We own only a small handful of the historic properties in Waterford; the rest are owned and maintained by private property owners. Protecting the Landmark as a whole means that we must work together with our neighbors to see that these protections are placed and enforced throughout the Landmark.
Inspire the public to appreciate and protect our historic resources: Through our signature education programs (the Waterford Fair, the Waterford Craft School, and the Second Street School Living History Program) as well as other educational outreach activities, we work to build a love of history in our community. Those who learn to appreciate our history today will become preservationists tomorrow, ensuring that the Landmark will endure and remain a rich historic resource for future generations.

The Waterford National Historic Landmark has the ability to uplift and inspire our society. Please make a gift today to help us preserve Waterford’s history for future generations. Thank you!

Thank you Women For Waterford for providing matching challenge funds! We have two matching challenges:

3pm Matching Challenge - $3500
Midnight Matching Challenge - $2478.50

Mission

We preserve the historic buildings and the open spaces of the National Historic Landmark District of Waterford, Virginia; and, through education, increase the public's knowledge of life and work in an early American rural community.

Profile

The Waterford National Historic Landmark is living history - a treasured connection to America's past, present, and future.

For 80 years, the Waterford Foundation has preserved the Landmark's historic buildings and beautiful green fields and landscapes, while presenting exciting programs that connect all of us to our heritage and help us understand and explore America's past.

Since its creation in 1943, this grassroots organization has rescued and preserved numerous historic buildings and saved neighboring farms and open spaces from development; shared its history through educational and cultural programs and established an archives and local history collection.

The Waterford Fair

From its first year until today, the Foundation has produced the award-winning Waterford Fair, bringing traditional American craft demonstrations, 18th and 19th century living history interpreters, period music, and historic homes tours to 10,000 visitors annually. Join us for the Waterford Fair this October 4-6, 2024.

The Waterford Craft School

The Waterford Foundation started the Waterford Craft School in 2016 to provide an immersive educational experience to adults in a variety of traditional crafts. Now in its seventh year, the offerings also include classes and camps for children and a week of holiday themed short workshops in November. Each year, more than 30 classes are offered in topics from basket weaving to woodworking.

The Second Street School Living History Program

Since 1987, the Waterford Foundation has provided the Second Street School living history program to area fourth grade classes, providing a day-in-the-life experience in which students learn about actual students from Waterford's Black community who attended the one room schoolhouse in 1880. Over 50,000 students have participated since the program began.

The Quest to Understand Life During Reconstruction and Beyond

This new field trip program for 7th grade students was launched in Fall 2023 with a pilot run serving 290 students. While visiting 9 sites throughout Waterford, students hear stories of historical Waterford residents and their experiences during the Civil War, Reconstruction, and into the early 20th century as our nation worked to rebuild after the war. The Waterford Foundation was named a Public Educator of the Year by the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association for bringing this pioneering new program to the students of Loudoun County.