18th century Waterford was established around 1733 by Amos Janney, a
Quaker from
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Janney purchased on the south fork of Catoctin Creek and established a
grist mill and
saw mill in the area in the 1740s. Due to the success of the mills, the settlement became known as "Janney's Mill." The town grew quickly as a center of commerce for growers of grain. Amos Janney died in 1747, leaving his estate to his sixteen-year-old son, Mahlon, who replaced the original log mill with a two-story structure. The village continued to grow, and in 1780, twelve acres on the south side of Main Street were subdivided into fifteen lots, upon which shops and homes were built. By the 1790s, the village was known as "Waterford," named after the city of
Waterford in
Ireland, where some of its founders had once lived before
immigrating to the United States. New residents continued to come from
Pennsylvania, as Quakers were followed by
Presbyterians,
Lutherans,
Baptists, and
Methodists. Waterford was also populated by
African Americans, both free and
enslaved.
19th century Civil War By the start of the
Civil War, the population of Waterford remained largely Quaker. As
pacifists and
abolitionists, the Quakers remained loyal to the
Union throughout the war. Waterford was the scene of a fierce
fight between the county's Union and Confederate forces, the
Loudoun Rangers and
White's Rebels, respectively. Waterford was then populated predominantly by Quakers, who helped slaves escape to the North.
20th century With the town falling into disrepair in the early part of the twentieth century, the Waterford Foundation was formed to help save and preserve Waterford and its history. In 1974, the Waterford Foundation helped create an innovative land preservation program in which the historic properties of Waterford are protected through open space and façade easements. More than sixty easements have been granted. The town is largely residential, although a number of businesses are based in the village. The Loudoun Mutual Insurance Company has been located in Waterford since 1849. ==National Historic Landmarks==