Waterford's Historical Timeline

A chronology of major events.

Waterford's commercial development timeline »

Waterford's Historical Timeline
1722	Treaty of Albany: Indians not to cross south of the Potomac River nor East of the Blue Ridge Mountains	Waterford land grants
1733	Amos Janney arrives from Bucks County, PA and settles"Janney's Mill"	First settlers A Quaker settlement Quakers shape the town Development by the mill
1740	Mill, Quaker meeting house built
1757	Loudoun County formed from Fairfax County. Leesburg made county seat
1764	1st (of 3) Presbyterian church(e)s built
1776	Declaration of Independence	Waterford Mills Ice houses
1780s	"Janney Mill" changed to Waterford by Thomas Moore	Waterford tannery
1801	Jefferson became President in new capital, Washington, DC. Waterford incorporated as a town	Agriculture Waterford farmers Cemeteries The Jail Post Office opens Library opens African-Americans
1803	Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson mentions Loudoun method of crop rotation
1815	Waterford formed first bank in Loudoun County
1818	Fire company started
1819	Loudoun Auxiliary Society of American Colonization Society (to repatriate freed slaves to Liberia) formed with James and Asa Moore, and Jacob Mendenhall of Waterford among the officers	Before the Civil War Furniture industry
1820s	Area from Patrick Street to Factory Street including both Second and High Streets plotted- and sold, beginning "New Town."
1830-1840	Railroads and roads bypass Waterford
1836	Waterford incorporated with town council of 9 men
1838/9	Covered bridge built with county funds near Mill
1840s	Methodist congregation organized
1849	Loudoun Mutual Insurance company formed
1853	Baptist Church built. Yardley Taylor 1853 map
1859	John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
1861	Waterford voted 221-36 against secession (Loudoun County voted 2-1 for)
1862	Spring: Capt. Means formed Loudoun Rangers. August: Mean's Rangers attacked by and surrender to Col. White's Confederates at the Baptist Church	Civil War 1861 Civil War 1862 Waterford Civil War battle in 1862 Civil War 1863 Civil War 1864 Civil War 1865
1863	Emancipation Proclamation frees slaves (few in Waterford)
1864	Waterford News published (first county paper outside of Leesburg).
1868	"Colored School" built and opened
1870s	Railroad at Clarke's Gap bypasses Waterford. 1875 map drawn for Charles Phillips Janney of Leesburg	Shopping in 1870
1879	Edison invented first practical light bulb
1889	Bridge at Mill fell in rains that caused the Johnstown, PA flood
1891	John Wesley Community Church built
1890s	Telephone came to Waterford
1910	First automobile comes to Waterford	Cold wave of 1912
1920s	Electricity comes to Waterford. Route 7 paved from Washington to Leesburg	New bride's comments on rural life
1929	Quaker meeting "laid down;" building vacant 1929-39; sold for private use in 1939	Waterford tornado
1936	Waterford dropped its town charter for lack of funds	Waterford in the 1930's
1937	Edward and Leroy Chamberland begin restoring houses
1939	Old Mill closes
1942	Waterford Foundation incorporated. Annual Fair begins
1947	Waterford Citizens' Association formed
1957	"Colored School" on Second Street closed
1970	Waterford designated National Historic Landmark