In celebrating the county’s 250th anniversary this year, residents and tourists alike have become familiar with Loudoun’s place in history, from its Civil War landmarks to the historical figures that lived here.
Now one more spot in eastern Loudoun is being recognized for its own place in Virginia’s history. The Aldie Bridge on Route 50, also known as the Little River Turnpike Bridge, has been nominated for inclusion on the Virginia Landmark Register, the commonwealth’s official list of historic buildings, structures, sites and districts.
All of the nominees will be considered at a public meeting in Richmond, Wednesday, June 6, by two advisory committees of the Department of Historic Resources.
"One of the missions of the department is to improve the stewardship of historic properties," Randy Jones, publications manager of the Department of Historic Resources, said.
THE ALDIE BRIDGE which was nominated by the Virginia Department of Transportation, is still a working bridge, as it has been since it was first constructed in 1826.
Jones said whenever possible the department will include a bridge on the state register.
„Some of these old stone bridges, there are very few of them left,‰ he said. „We have nominated quite a few bridges to register in recent years.‰
While the decision to include the bridge on the register will happen at the state level, the commonwealth asked the county‚s Historical District Review Committee to give their opinion on the site, Meghan Boyce, a member of the committee and county planner, said.
„The Aldie Bridge is a phenomenal site,‰ Boyce said.
At their Monday, June 4 meeting, the committee reviewed the application and formed a letter to send to Richmond showing their support for the bridge's nominination.
"With the 250th anniversary, one of the things that has been highlighted is the historic right of ways," Heidi Siebentritt, historic preservation planner on the committee, said. "This bridge is a very important part of that history."
Siebentritt said the bridge's design also helps distinguish it as a historic landmark.
"It is a double arch bridge, which is an unusual design," she said. "It's unusual not only for the county, but for the whole region. It's a very important center piece to the village of Aldie."
FOR A SITE to be considered for the Virginia register it must meet several criteria, which includes a site’s age, it must be 50 years old or more, and it must retain most of its historical integrity.
"So it hasn’t been so altered that you can’t detect what it would have looked like historically," Jones said.
In his application for the bridge, Anthony Opperman, preservations program manager for VDOT, wrote that the "Little River Turnpike Bridge has been modified little over the last 180 years. The roadway has been paved in asphalt, the parapets covered with concrete capstones, shotcrete has been applied to the underside of the arch and a concrete fender has been installed to protect the upstream side of the pier from debris and scour. In 2004 the bridge was substantially reinforced by the installation of 'grouted anchors,' stainless steel rods surrounded by grout injected bags designed to consolidate the rubble infill and carry a portion of the ‘live,’ or traffic loading."
Opperman also noted that the "most recent modifications were undertaken by VDOT with sensitivity toward the historic character of the bridge and in consultation with the Virginia state historic preservation officer."
IN ADDITION, every site included on the list must meet one of four criteria for the National Register of Historic Places, association with an event or pattern of events, association with a significant person in the commonwealth’s past, distinctive architecture or work of a master or its archeological potential, such as Native American or battlefield sties.
Opperman cited the bridge’s involvement in the "Turnpike Era" as reason for its inclusion on the register.
"There was considerable interest at the turn of the 19th century in improving Virginia’s transportation infrastructure and dozens of private companies were chartered by the General Assembly to construct and maintain turnpikes, canals, and railroads — overseen by the commonwealth’s Board of Public Works," he wrote.
The Little River Turnpike Company was hired in 1802 to build a turnpike road 34 miles from Alexandria southwest to the Little River.
"The Little River Turnpike Bridge at Aldie today constitutes the most prominent surviving element of the turnpike," Opperman wrote.
ONCE A SITE has been nominated for addition to the register, the two advisory boards, one appointed by the governor and one appointed by the director of the Department of Historic Resources, will vote on the application.
"There is no limit to how many can be approved," Jones said.
Landowners of sites on the Virginia register are eligible for the commonwealth’s tax credit program, but the Aldie Bridge would not be included in that program since it is owned by the state.
"The tax program doesn’t do anything for state-owned properties, only personal property owners," Jones said.
After it has been approved, however, there are few tangible changes to the landmark or area.
"Technically it is an honorific designation," Jones said. "People always assume that if it is put on the state or federal register that it is protected, but it is not. A property owner can demolish a site if he wants. While we would prefer him not to, there are no limits put on property owners."
Jones said most of the sites gain a certain panache when included on the register and being a part of the list can bring a sense of identity to the area.
"People love Virginia and one of the things that makes Virginia so wonderful is our historic sites and our history," Jones said.