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About Middleburg, Virginia
Head approximately 50 minutes west of Washington, DC and the vista suddenly opens up and becomes rolling green fields with Civil War-era stone wall fences and black four-board. The Blue Ridge Mountains suddenly come into view and form a magnificent backdrop. This is the heart of Virginia horse country and an area that has drawn people from around the world because life here is extraordinary.
It is one of the few remaining large rural areas that exist so close to a major city. Conservationists and preservationists have fought fiercely to retain this rural area which has become such a draw for tourists. In the center of this rural landscape, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, lies Middleburg, a small, historic town.
Six hundred and fifty people reside within the 37-acre town limits of Middleburg; however, the address has so much cachet that there are 1,856 post office boxes and a growing waiting list of those wanting a Middleburg address.
Celebrity sightings in Middleburg are not uncommon. Local residents Robert Duvall and Willard Scott are sometimes spotted in town. In addition to the Kennedys, past residents have included Elizabeth Taylor and Pamela Harriman (former Ambassador to France). Now the region is home to many Fortune 500 CEOs and many Fortune 500 heirs.
Middleburg’s charming streets are lined, literally, with history-- more than 145 of its buildings are on the National Historic Register. The town’s name comes form its location along the Ashby Gap Trade Route which today is Route 50 (John S. Mosby Highway). Located a day’s coach ride from both Alexandria and Winchester, it became known as “Middle Burg”.
Joseph Chinn, first cousin to George Washington, sold the land that the town now occupies for $2.50 an acre in the late 1700s
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Middleburg was involved in the Civil War as troops from both Union and confederate armies camped and skirmished here on their way to Gettysburg. Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby, a famed guerrilla warrior, used Middleburg for a time as a base camp from which to raid the region. There are rumors that Mosby’s horse was hidden in the lower level of a Middleburg building, now occupied by the Hidden Horse Restaurant.
The Red Fox Inn, which is an inn and a restaurant, is one of the region’s oldest. It got its start in 1728, when Joseph Chinn built a tavern to serve weary travelers. Chinn’s cousin, Washington, who was then a young, enthusiastic surveyor, spent the night in the inn in 1748.
At the beginning of the Civil War’s Gettysburg campaign, the inn, then known as the Beveridge House, served as both Confederate headquarters and a hospital. While strategy was planned upstairs, wounded soldiers were tended in the tavern rooms. The pine service bar, which is used today in the Tap Room, was constructed from the field operating table used by an Army surgeon who served with General Jeb Stuart’s cavalry.
In later years, the Red Fox Inn served as the site for one of President Kennedy’s press conferences. The Kennedy’s rented a farm in Middleburg as one of their presidential retreats. Here Jackie, an accomplished equestrian who rode with the Piedmont Fox Hounds and Orange County hunts, was often photographed the children riding. Up until her death, Jackie was often seen in the Middleburg area and her daughter, Caroline, sometimes visits.
Middleburg calls itself “the nation’s horse and hunt capital” because it is home to so many horses and equestrians. Riding boots, breeches and horse trailers are common sites. This area has been horse country since its beginning days.
Virginia foxhunting tradition was born in Middleburg around 1748, when Thomas the sixth Lord Fairfax, set up the first pack of foxhounds in the English manner of the order of the present day hunt. Today, there are 10 active hunts in the Hunt Country proper. The members of the hunt clubs usually ride with the hounds three times per week during the season which runs fall through spring.
The steeplechase, or racing over fences, is another passionate pursuit, which purportedly got its start in the hunting fields. Hundreds of years ago, a duo of Irish hunting enthusiasts raced cross-country, using church steeples as landmarks, to determine who had the faster foxhunter. Point-to-point racing is also a popular sport. Its season runs from February through May.
There are many past and current Olympic riders in the Middleburg area. These include Joe Fargis (past Olympic gold medalist for show jumping), Nina Fout (bronze medalist for last 3-Day Event team in Sydney), Linda Weisman (bronze medalist for last 3-day event team), Karen and David O’Connor, 3-day event team bronze medalists (David also won the gold individual medal). The O’Connors are the first husband/wife combination to share an Olympic medal twice. They were both part of the medal team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Others in the area include Mara DePuy, silver medalist on 3-day event team in Atlanta and Stephen Bradley who competed in Seoul and Barcelona as part of the 3-day event team.
The National Sporting Library also celebrates the horse. While the museum contains documentation of a variety of hunting sports, it is predominantly dedicated to horses and the sports they represent—steeplechase, flat racing, polo, jumping, etc. A horse statue in front of the museum honors the many horses that served nobly in the Civil War.
The horse theme is carried through Middleburg’s retail with establishments such as the Coach Stop Restaurant, Journeymen, a clothing shop with tack repair in the back, Finicky Filly, an upscale women’s boutique and Cuppa Giddyup, a coffee shop.
For those with discriminating tastes and an eye for the unique, Middleburg’s merchants offer a wide array of fine shopping, including tack, sporting art, antiques, furniture and home accessories to clothing, books, gifts and a kitchen shop. The White Elephant located on the back street is a consignment shop that is full of one-of-a-kind treasures.
But Middleburg is not just about horses. Wine makers have also discovered the rolling hills surrounding the town and there are three wineries (soon to be four). The wineries have won many awards for their wines, including Chrysalis’ Vineyards “Best of Show” for its viognier in a large San Diego competition.
The town maintains a distinct charm and warmth. Annual events in the area include: the Hunt Country Stable Tour held Memorial weekend, when more than a dozen major horse properties and equine facilities such as the local (horse) Swim Center open their doors to the public; the Middleburg Garden Tour which showcases the stunning gardens of five of the area’s estates; and the Christmas Parade held on the first Saturday in December, which is led by the local hunt in their red (“pink”) hunting jackets riding through town on their exceptional horses accompanied by the hounds.
For those who appreciate good horses, colorful history and fine living, Middleburg offers the opportunity to have it all. It is home to a truly sophisticated country lifestyle that cannot be replicated, but must be lived.
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