Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-03-18
LOudOun County, Va.

LOudOun County, Va.
A series of interesting letters lately appeared
10 the Loudoun Mirror, written by Fenton M
Henderson, esq, giving a description of the
social and agricultural advantages of Loudoun
county, which, we are glad to see, have been
collected and published in pamphlet FORM
From these letters we make the following ex-
tract, and will in subsequent numbers of the
Gazette, copy other portions;
The county is bounded for forty miles on the
north by the Potomac river or from within one
mile of Harpsrs Ferry to Seneca Dam, little
above the Great Falls of the Potomac.
Along the banks of this river the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal, and the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad run, on the Maryland side, for thirteen
miles, to the Point of Rocks, and the canal
follows the river to Seneca above mentioned.
Ferries at Berlin, Point of Rocks, Noland's,
Rawlings, Whites, Edwards, covering dis
tance of thirty miles, allow of access the first
two to the railroad and canal, and the others)
to the canal, while lift lock at Edwards Fer
ry, lets boats out into the river, which at the
usual stages of water, come up nearly to Haw-
lings' Ferry. There is fine reach of tho river
between Edwards and Seneca, where there is
feeder lock.
Harpers Ferry is eighty-one miles from Bal
timore, and the Point Of Rocks slxty-nine,
whilst they are respectively sixty and forty
nine from Georgetown by the canal, which is
usually closed from December 1st to March lst
every year by ice or tor repairs. The locks ON
the canal admit of the passage of boats one
hundred feet long and fourteen wide, and draw
ing five to six feet water, (the latter being the
intended depth of water in the canal,) and al
lowing load of one hundred and thirty tons of
coal, or eleven hundred barrels of -four.
Before the war. there was bridge at Berlin,
four miles below Harper's Ferry, and another
at the Point Of Rocks, thirteen miles below
These we're burnt during the war, but the abut
ments and piers of substantial masonry are only
awaiting little capital, or the awakening OF
energy, to have again put upon them structures
that will add greatly to the value of the lands
in that fine section of our county.
But last June the track of tie Alexandria,
Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad was relaid
to Leeesburg, the county seat, and the road IS
graded and the ties are ready for the iron to
Mercier's depot, and little money will carry
it to Wheatand Station, the crossing OF the
Loudoun and Berlin turnpike.
Leesburg is thirty-seven, Mercier's forty
three,and Wheatland forty six miles from Ale1-.
aDdria.
The people of the District Of Columbia are
now agitating the question of a branch road
connecting, probably, by way of the Little
Falls, with the Loudoun Il Hampshire road
about eight or ten miles from Alexandria.
Thus the marketsof Baltimore, Georgetown,
Washington and Alexandria, all shipping ports,
will meet nearly in the heart OF Loudoun
county about forty-fVe miles from the last
three.
In addition to the public Improvements
above named there is turnpike from Smokers
vile to Georgetown, with branch to Alexan
dria another from Alexandria to Aldie, and,
branching there, to Paris in the southwest
corner of the county, and to Snlckersvllle IN
the western part, and thence continued to
Winchester twenty miles distant, and lastly a
graded road from Purcellvie lnine miles above
Leesburg) to Berlin on the Baltimore & Ohio
Road
The Eastern line of the country is twenty
two miles from Washington City, the South
ern boundary from thirteen to twenty-five
miles from Leesburg, and the Loudoun q
Hampshire road, and from eight to twelve
miles from the Manassas Gap Railroad, at
points varying from thirty to sixty from Alex
andria. When the railroad shall have been
completed to Wheatland Station no farm In
the county will be more than twelve miles
from railroad station, and none more than
sixty from tide water at Alexandra or Wash
ington city, or more than three miles from
mill. The Blue Ridge Mountains bound it on
the West, the Eastern line OF the county being
thirty-two miles from that range and the Eau
quier line about twenty-six miles from the 70
tomac river at Berlin.