A Guide to the Round Hill Town Minutes Abstracts, 1900-2000 Round Hill Town Minutes Abstracts SC 0013

A Guide to the Round Hill Town Minutes Abstracts, 1900-2000

A Collection in the
Thomas Balch Library
Collection Number SC 0013


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Thomas Balch Library

Thomas Balch Library
208 West Market Street
Leesburg, Virginia 20176
USA
Phone: (703) 737-7195
Fax: (703) 737-7195
Email: balchlib@leesburgva.gov
URL: http://www.leesburgva.gov/departments/thomas-balch-library/

© 2006 By Thomas Balch Library. All rights reserved.

Processed by: D. Nichole Recker

Repository
Thomas Balch Library
Accession number
SC 0013
Title
Round Hill Town Minutes Abstracts 1900-2000
Extent
.15 cubic feet
Creator
Round Hill Town Council
Language
English
Abstract
Entries from the Town Council meetings from 1900 to 2000 on all aspects of town maintenance and governance

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Round Hill Town Minutes Abstracts (SC 0013), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA., Accession #SC 0013, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Ann Whitehead Thomas, Round Hill, VA

Accruals

2004.0156

Processing Information

Processed by D. Nichole Recker 30 Jan 2007

Historical Information

Round Hill began as a small community formed on a tract of land granted to Thomas Gregg from Lord Fairfax in 1741. Germans arrived in Loudoun County from Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey and settled near the Potomac River. From around 1730, the central part of Western Loudoun was home to few people other than trappers and squatters until Quakers obtained land grants and settled in Waterford, Lincoln, Woodgrove, and what was eventually to be known as Round Hill.

Especially in comparison with Round Hill at this time, Woodgrove was alive with activity and development. 1751 saw the formation of the Ketoctin Baptist Church, the first church in the area. Woodgrove's rapid growth lost momentum in 1832-33 when the turnpike was built, which deflected traffic towards Round Hill on the straightest route from Leesburg to Winchester through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Construction of the railroad in 1875 from Washington DC to Round Hill shifted even more significant commercial activity from Woodgrove. By 1893, the Methodist Church was no longer holding services in Woodgrove as the bulk of the congregation met in Round Hill.

Partially owing to the railway and to the clean air of the town, many passengers traveled from dusty Washington DC during summer months to escape the heat of the city. Round Hill accommodated these guests in large boarding houses and inns, becoming known as a resort town served by large livery stables.

Round Hill was officially named such in 1858 when the community petitioned the postal department and received their own Post Office. When the railroad opened in 1875, stage coach carried passengers further on to Winchester, Berryville or Snickersville. In 1900 the railway was extended to Bluemont which became the terminus for the railroad for the next twenty-five years. The railroad quickly became the base of the town's economic prosperity. In 1873 Round Hill had two stores and a Post Office. In 1883, however, it had added several large houses, a bustling railway station, shoe-shop, blacksmith, church, one school in town, three livery stables, literary society, and spoke and handle factory. In addition, a harness shop, paint shop, creamery, stove and tin shop, and cabinet shop were then all in the process of opening. With the increase of automobiles and trucking traffic, the railroad operations became increasingly unprofitable by late 1930. Service to the railway ended in 1939.

The town was officially incorporated on 5 Feb 1900 by the General Assembly of Virginia. State Senator George Ford became the town's first Mayor. The Town Council consisted of six members and the Mayor serving four year terms and two year terms, respectively. Landon O. Hammerly (1860-1943), R. Scott Paxson (1861-1902), Eppa H. Conard (1868-?), J. Benton Taylor (nd) and James E. Carruthers (1848-1901) were elected as the first Town Council with Luther Hurst (1870-1936) as the town sergeant. The location of the Council's meetings is not mentioned until 1925. The Council began meeting at Ford's store at 23 Main Street, moved frequently, and eventually voted to have a town office in 1960.

The Council immediately set up town ordinances regulating building permits, animal control, water, and sewer concerns. Villagers used their own or shared wells until 1914 when the town purchased a lot in order to construct a water reservoir. Round Hill feared major costs in the necessity to expand sewer treatment plants and water reservoir capacity to supply the increasing demand from both the town and the growth outside town boundaries. Both sewer and water considerations are prevalent throughout the minutes.

This collection was transcribed by Ann Whitehead Thomas for the Thomas Balch Library from the town minutes. Mrs. Thomas excerpted information that was of interest to her and relevant for the book she was in the process of writing, leaving out routine items. Mrs. Thomas began transcribing in the mid-90s, paused for various reasons, and completed the project in November 2001.

Scope and Content

These minutes contain entries from the Town Council meetings from 1900 to 2000 on all aspects of town maintenance and governance, including ordinances regarding sanitation (disease, water, sewer), roads (speed limits, names, street widening, paving, DWI), permits (building, traveling shows), defense (WWII shelters), celebrations, services (electricity, telephone, trash removal), finances, and town history (sycamore tree, Ford's store).

This document noticeably reveals the progression of traffic and transportation from 1900 to the present era. Traffic control laws originally deal with horses and dirt roads and then transition to trains, cars, motorcycles, and busses. Entries also become increasingly technical and precise measurements and numbers are used. Increased use of business acronyms and abbreviations become apparent also.

Inclusive dates for this record are 1 Jun 1900 to 6 Jul 2000, with the bulk of the document's entries dating 1970-2000.

Related Material

A Story of Round Hill , REF 975.528 THO

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

Ancestry Library Edition, United States census, Social Security birth and death register, http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Loudoun Cemetery Database. http://www.leesburgva.gov/services/library/cemetery/default.aspx.
Scheel, Eugene M. Loudoun Discovered: Communities, Corners, and Crossroads. vol. 4. Leesburg, VA: The Friends of the Thomas Balch Library, 2002, pgs 82-94.
Thomas, Ann W. A Story of Round Hill . Leesburg, VA: The Friends of the Thomas Balch Library, 2004.
Thomas, Ann W. Interview by Nichole Recker, 30 Jan 2007, Leesburg, Thomas Balch Library.

Other Finding Aid

None


Other Finding Aid

None


Bibliography

Ancestry Library Edition, United States census, Social Security birth and death register, http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Loudoun Cemetery Database. http://www.leesburgva.gov/services/library/cemetery/default.aspx.
Scheel, Eugene M. Loudoun Discovered: Communities, Corners, and Crossroads. vol. 4. Leesburg, VA: The Friends of the Thomas Balch Library, 2002, pgs 82-94.
Thomas, Ann W. A Story of Round Hill . Leesburg, VA: The Friends of the Thomas Balch Library, 2004.
Thomas, Ann W. Interview by Nichole Recker, 30 Jan 2007, Leesburg, Thomas Balch Library.

Contents List

Folder 1: Minutes , 1 Jun 1900 - 30 Oct 1938
Folder 2: Minutes , 5 Dec 1938 - 4 Apr 1960
Folder 3: Minutes , 2 May 1960 - 2 Oct 1969
Folder 4: Minutes , 3 Jan 1970 - 20 Sep 1979
Folder 5: Minutes , 4 Oct 1979 - 2 Nov 1989
Folder 6: Minutes , 7 Dec 1989 - 15 Feb 1996
Folder 7: Minutes , 7 Mar 1996 - 6 Jul 2000