There are four Virginia
historical markers at the site, commemorating
John Champe,
Revolutionary War Hero, and three
Civil War markers, including one mentioning the
Battle of Aldie. Its two distinguishing features are
Stoke (a prominent house where Teddy Roosevelt was a frequent guest) and the Champe Ford Memorial (an
obelisk commemorating John Champe, handpicked by
George Washington to re-capture
Benedict Arnold after his
defection to the
British side. He came very close to succeeding, but at the last moment, Arnold changed plans and the whole endeavor had to be called off. His house was at the crossing of the Little River where the monument stands today, but the house itself had collapsed (according to Col. Harris of
Stoke) "sometime in the [19]20s." He only realized when reading an old journal that one of his old buildings had to have been Champe's residence. Dover Mill, built in 1810 and demolished in 1923 (the stones were reused to build Middleburg Bank) was the original mainstay. Established by the Hixson family, it was a profitable enterprise before the Civil War, but never was able to recover from essentially being on the
front lines for several years of war. Dover Mill was also a known landmark for people wishing to travel to the village of Landmark (now uninhabited), by traveling down what is now Champe Ford Road. Dover Academy was a girls school in the mid-19th century as well. The house was eventually purchased by the McCormicks (related to
McCormick Spice Company) and is currently owned by a descendant, Jamie McCormick. ==Other current structures==