Middleburg

History

The town was established in 1787 by Revolutionary War officer and statesman Leven Powell. He purchased the land for Middleburg at $2.50 per acre in 1763 from Joseph Chinn, a first cousin of George Washington. It had been called "Chinn's Crossroads" and was then called Powell Town. When Leven Powell declined to have the town named after him, the town was called Middleburgh, and later, simply Middleburg. The village is located midway between the port of Alexandria and Winchester, Virginia, on the Ashby Gap trading route (now followed by U.S. Route 50). In 1863, Middleburg witnessed two skirmishes during the Gettysburg campaign of the Civil War. From the early 1900s, Middleburg began welcoming visitors who participated in foxhunting and steeplechasing. The village soon earned a reputation as the "Nation's Horse and Hunt Capital", attracting prominent visitors from across the U.S. Middleburg is the home of the National Sporting Library research center for horse and field sports, which publishes Thoroughbred Heritage on the Internet. A new addition is being made to include an art gallery and museum. In 1961, activists of the Civil Rights Movement pressed John F. Kennedy on local segregation issues during his residency outside town. That year, he and Jackie had rented Glen Ora. The Middleburg Historic District, comprising the 19th-century center of town, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The oldest building in town, the Red Fox Inn & Tavern, was originally established in 1728 by Joseph Chinn as Chinn's Ordinary and is billed as the oldest continually operated inn in the U.S. The oldest known house still in use as a residence, "Middleburg House," was built in 1779. Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are Benton, the Burrland…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 square mile (1.5 km2), all land. The elevation is 486 feet.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• LIGHTRIDGE HIGH
  High · Aldie · 1,771 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• John Champe High
  High · Aldie · 1,598 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• WILLARD MIDDLE
  Middle · Aldie · 1,587 students · 15:1 ratio
• Goshen Post Elementary
  Elementary · Aldie · 950 students · 14:1 ratio
• Hovatter Elementary
  Elementary · Aldie · 933 students · 15:1 ratio
• Arcola Elementary
  Elementary · Aldie · 810 students · 14:1 ratio
• Sycolin Creek Elementary
  Elementary · Leesburg · 506 students · 12.3:1 ratio
• Banneker Elementary
  Elementary · Middleburg · 172 students · 11.5:1 ratio