Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Use Restrictions

Physical characteristics and conditions affect use of some of this material. Request permission to photocopy.

Preferred Citation

Bluemont Research Collection (SC 0051), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Unknown

Alternative Form Available

None

Accruals

2010.0174X

Custodial History

Collection previously located in Thomas Balch Library's Vertical Files

Processing Information

Processed by Victoria Venne, 18 May 2010

Historical Information

The village of Bluemont is located in Loudoun County, Virginia on the east slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is one of the oldest settlements in western Loudoun County. Bluemont was known as Snickers Gap from 1807-1824; the name was changed to Snickersville when the area officially became a village. When the railroad arrived it brought with it people and tourism. The Southern Railway Company, believing the name Snickersville would not entice people to visit the village, requested the village's name be changed to Bluemont to promote tourism in the area.

The names Snickers Gap and Snickersville originate from the name of one of the previous owners of the land, Edward Snickers. Edward Snickers (1735-1790), a ferryman among other things, owned the land from 1769 to 1777. Snickers sold the 624 acres where Bluemont is now located to Richard Wistar (d. ca. 1788). After Wistar's death, William Clayton (d. ca. 1817) bought the property from his heirs in 1792. Clayton was the first owner of the land to actually live on it. His son Amos Clayton (d. 1829) designed and built Clayton Hall for him in 1797. Clayton Hall is one of the historical landmarks still standing in the village of Bluemont. Clayton is the first recorded landowner resident of the land, but it is likely that the actual settlement of Snickersville originated before Clayton owned the land.

Before the railway arrived the most common way for people to travel in and out of the town was by one of two major roads located in the area. These roads were located at present day Route 734 and Route 760. Route 734 traveled from Snickers Gap to Aldie and Route 760 connected Bluemont with Route 7. When the railway arrived, the village of Bluemont was small. The railroad brought a good amount of tourism to Bluemont that helped the village to prosper. New general stores were built and the number of people living in the area increased as well. Most of the tourism came to Bluemont because of its mountain surroundings. People from Washington, DC would vacation in the area because of its mountain views. Once the widespread use of personal motor vehicles became popular, the railway was no longer the main source of tourism. Tourism decreased once motor vehicles made their way into society. In 1984 the Bluemont Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is still today a place for people to travel and take in the history of the small town, and its mountain views.

Scope and Content

This collection is an artificially created collection including documents that were previously located in the Thomas Balch Library's Vertical Files. The collection consists of documents written by individuals with a connection to the Bluemont area. Documents in folder 7 were compiled to create a timeline of Bluemont and include published materials and original research. This collection gives information on the history of Bluemont and its residents.

Related Material

Davitt, Joseph M. Mountain Lore "Our Part of the Blue Ridge": Entertaining Tales from Snickers Gap to Mount Weather . Bluemont, Virginia. V REF 975.528 DAV

Smith, Jean Herron, Evelyn Porterfield Johnson, and Robert Hoffman. From Snickersville to Bluemont: The Biography and History of a Virginia Village. Bluemont, Virginia: Bluemont Citizens' Association, 2003. V REF 975.528 SMI

Smith, Jean Herron. Snickersville: The Biography of a Village. Miamisburg, Ohio: The Miamisburg News, 1970. V REF 975.528 SMI

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

Other Finding Aid

None

Technical Requirements

None