Last week was a landmark event for Loudoun history. During their Wednesday, June 6, meeting, two state advisory committees, one appointed by the governor and one appointed by the Department of Historic Resources, voted to include the Aldie Bridge on Route 50, also known as the Little River Turnpike Bridge, on the Virginia Landmark Register. The register is the commonwealth’s official list of historic buildings, structures, sites and districts.
The 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.
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.
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."
At its June 4 meeting the county’s Historic District Review Committee voted to show its support for the bridge’s addition to the Virginia register. When voting on landmarks, the commonwealth asks the localities to weigh in on the importance of a site.
"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 after the meeting. "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."
— Erika Jacobson