Upperville, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Upperville, Virginia
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 Upperville, Virginia
Location in Northern Virginia
Upperville, Virginia
Location in Virginia
Upperville, Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Fauquier |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Upperville is a small village in Fauquier County, Virginia, USA. It is located about 50 miles from downtown Washington, D.C., near the Loudoun County line.
The village was started in the 1790s by Josephus Carr and was first called Carrstown. Later, in 1819, the state government changed its name to Upperville. A famous writer, John Updike, even wrote a poem about Upperville in 1961.
Discovering Upperville's Past
Upperville is a special place with a lot of history. It is known as the Upperville Historic District and is listed as a Virginia Historic Landmark. This means it is protected because of its important past. Other historic places nearby include Blue Ridge Farm, Oakley, and Rose Hill Farm.
Upperville is about eight miles west of Middleburg. This area is famous for its horse farms and country estates. Many fast racehorses, called Thoroughbreds, are raised here.
The Upperville Colt & Horse Show is a very old event. It was started in 1853 by Colonel Richard Henry Dulany. It is still the oldest horse show of its kind in America. Oakley Farm was owned by a member of the Dulany family. This farm was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.
Near Upperville, a man named Henry T. Oxnard built a horse breeding farm in 1903. He called it Blue Ridge Farm. In 1928, Rear Admiral Cary Travers Grayson bought the farm. His family still owns the property today.
Over the years, many other important people have lived in the Upperville area. These include Isabel Dodge Sloane, who had a very successful horse farm called Brookmeade Stud. Liz Whitney Tippett lived for almost 60 years at the Llangollen estate. Bertram and Diana Firestone owned Newstead Farm. Sandy Lerner and Paul Mellon also had famous horse farms here.
Paul Mellon gave money to build Trinity Episcopal Church in 1960. This church is a central part of the community's activities. Each year, for two days, several horse farms in Upperville and Middleburg open their gates to visitors. This event is called the Hunt Country Stable Tour. Since 1960, it has raised money for programs run by Trinity Episcopal Church.
Famous People from Upperville
- Sandy Lerner: She helped start a big technology company called Cisco Systems. She lives in Upperville and runs a farm there.
- Jill Holtzman Vogel: She is a Virginia State Senator. This means she is an elected official who helps make laws for the state of Virginia. She owns a large home in Upperville with her husband.
- Rachel "Bunny" Mellon: She was a horticulturist, which means she was an expert in gardening and plants. She designed the famous White House Rose Garden. She also created a special library about plants at her home, Oak Spring Farms.
