The Morgantowner: Culpeper County, Virginia

Culpeper County is in a fast-growing area seventy miles from Washington, now considered a reasonable commute if you want a house for under $300,000. I spent a few hours there Saturday, August 10. I was in Charlottesville the night before, and drove to Greenbelt, Maryland, to my sister Robin’s house, Saturday night. The last census showed less than 50,000 people in the county.

The county history includes hiring 17-year-old George Washington as a surveyor in the early days, being the last county in Virginia to integrate its public schools, and denying a permit to a mosque a few years ago. In the 2000 census, the county was about two-thirds white and a third African-American. Sixty per cent of the voters picked the current President in 2016. Based on what I saw, there are lots more people in the county since 2000, many new developments of ugly townhouses and bigger detached homes in a pseudo-colonial style with too many gables. I saw many people who appear to be Mexican in town.

I parked downtown and hit a farmers’ market, busy. I bought homemade tea and soap to take to my sister. The old train station has a tourist center, so I visited and picked up some maps. I had made a list of ten places on the National Register of Historic Places to visit and photograph.There are shopping centers, no malls, and the closest community college is just over the county line in Orange County. Facebook has a page for Jews in Culpeper. I don't think there was ever an organized Jewish community.

Downtown Culpeper is pretty and half gentrified. I visited the Burgandine House on Main Street near the intersection of U.S. 15 and U.S. 29, which meet in Culpepper. The house has been restored a few times. I spoke with the man and woman who staff the house to show to tourists. I got to hold a musket from the 1700s. The man told me there is some tension between the old-timers and the new Washington commuters, who, it seemed to him, have brought fancy restaurants the locals can’t afford (I didn’t mention the $4.00 tea and $5.00 bar of soap I bought at the Farmer’s Market).

I walked around and looked at all the historic places. It was cool in the morning but got hot later, so I drove to one of the shopping centers and had “New York” pizza (not really, but not bad) and a salad for lunch. There was a group of younger men (30-40) there, who at first looked like good-old boy types, but one asked another if the schools had enough money, so maybe he’s on the school board, and they were talking about the new Quentin Tarantino movie. Perhaps I was too quick to judge them.

I headed out to Brandy Station, a little community a few miles north of Culpeper, where the volunteer fire department was holding a carnival. There were rides I wouldn’t have the nerve to go on when I was a kid, let alone now, but I did score some great ice cream, locally made.

Greenwood, a late -18th century plantation house with later additions, hidden behind trees, south end of Culpeper

Saturday Farmers' Market, Culpeper

AMTRAK Station and tourist office, Culpeper

A.P. Hill Boyhood Home, 1820, greatly expanded 1860

Davis St., the main commercial street in Culpeper

Mandatory, it seems, Virginia Confederate soldier statue, Courthouse lawn, 1911

Culpeper County Courthouse, 1874

Slaughter-Hill House, 1775, enlarged twice.

Mural of young George Washington working as a surveyor

Pitts Theater, later State Theater, 1937-38, closed in 1992, reopened 2013, closed again 2016
The may have been some financial shenanigans with the restoration and the owner.

Republican County Headquarters, Main St., Culpeper. A man and woman were wheeling out a rack of t-shirts that said "Finally, a President with balls." Classy. I offered to pray for them.