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Why the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area?
Luxury homes sprout around historic Selma Plantation house in Leesburg, Loudoun County. (c) Preservation Virginia.
In 1995, Virginia's Northern Piedmont region began to boom with residential development serving the burgeoning high-tech and government contracting firms around Dulles International Airport. As the growth stretched farther into the rural areas of Prince William, Loudoun, and Fauquier counties, it became clear that the historical, cultural, and scenic heritage of those areas was at risk. It is then that the Mosby Heritage Area was created and the Mosby Heritage Area Association (MHAA) was formed to preserve and protect this unique place. In 2020, MHAA took the name Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area in order to better reflect our broad mission of preservation and local history.
Just a mile over the mountain from the Selma development is this beautifully preserved farm.
The Heritage Area's 1,800-some square miles are characterized by breathtaking vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains, distinctive local architecture, handsome farms, intact historic villages and small towns, and miles of narrow country roads. Significant chapters of American history have been written here, which is still one of the best-preserved 19th century landscapes in the nation.
It is the overall mission of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area is to advance the area's preservation by changing the pattern of regional consciousness to one of heritage stewardship. We seek to accomplish that goal through our educational programs and special projects, such as the American Battlefield Protection Program that targets the Civil War cavalry battlefields of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. Day to day, we work to advance the preservation of the Heritage Area through educational offerings that encompass school programs at all levels and public engagement through driving tours, scavenger hunts, and interpretive events.
We believe that in the end, the advocates for the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area will be the many people we have touched. There are many to touch in this five-county region. We have much to do. We need your help. Won't you consider joining the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area today?