Melissa and I went for a nice afternoon drive down some of the wonderful country roads in Loudoun, Prince William, and Fauquier Counties today. Along the way we stopped at the Goose Creek Stone Bridge, which is located just north of the Loudoun/Fauquier border to the west of Middleburg, Virginia. It was built some time between 1801 and 1803 to carry the Ashby’s Gap Turnpike, and it is among the oldest and longest remaining stone turnpike bridges in Virginia. In June 1863, it was the site of a battle between advancing Union and retreating Confederate troops.
When U.S. 50 was built, replacing the Ashby’s Gap Turnpike through this area, it was routed slightly further south on a modern bridge . . . but thankfully, unlike countless other historic bridges, this one was not torn down. The property is now owned and maintained by the Fauquier-Loudon Garden Club and is open to the public.
