Land Use

In the 18th century, English settlers, many of them tobacco farmers, arrived in Virginia's Piedmont region, having migrated from the Tidewater region. In Loudoun County, there was a slightly later influx of Germans, Dutch, Scots, Irish, and Pennsylvania Quakers, most of whom did not own slaves. This ethnic mix had consequences later during the Civil War, as Loudoun County was split southeast to northwest, Confederate versus Union.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Loudoun County saw a shift from corn and wheat cultivation to dairy farming, and populations in the region grew. Many new immigrants were recently-freed African-Americans, but these new land-owners may have been slowly driven from their property, through discriminatory legal practices, as lumber companies consolidated large land-holdings.

In the 20th century, a variety of historical and economic pressures resulted in depopulation, exacerbated during the Depression.

In very recent times, the population has increased as "settlers" departed Washington, D.C., and surrounding suburban areas for life in the country. Today, Loudoun County, Virginia, is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States.

The Between the Hills valley has been timbered in the past for a variety of uses. For instance, the U.S. government leased timber rights on Loudoun and Maryland Heights to produce charcoal to feed the Harpers Ferry armory that supplied guns to the Union army during the Civil War.

In some cases, portions of local forests were clear-cut. Tree removal carried out on private lands by individual farmers was focused on level land suitable for plowing, as indicated by old aerial photos of the our land. In this way, local microenvironments were preserved whole or partially and could be exploited for a variety of products, including wild plants, fish, and game.

It appears likely that private lands in the valley, including our lands, were last heavily logged approximately 100 years ago. Small-scale logging operations continue today.