Collection open for research
No physical characteristics affect use of this material.
Henry G. Plaster Collection (SC 0038), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia.
Henry G. Plaster, Bluemont, Virginia
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2007.0031
Processed by Emily Hershman, 24 March 2008
The village of Bluemont (formerly Snickersville), VA, was first incorporated in 1807. Located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the village was originally a series of hunting paths for local Native Americans. When the W&D railroad opened a terminus at Bluemont during the early twentieth century, it enjoyed two decades of prosperity as a vacationing spot for Washingtonians. Today Bluemont remains a small village rich in history and culture.
Henry G. Plaster(1928- ), widely considered the historian of Bluemont, was approached by a Loudoun County employee about participating in the Historic Districts Project. Mr. Plaster compiled a series of essays about Bluemont's buildings, history, and culture during 2005 and 2006, and donated them to Thomas Balch Library after their completion.
The Henry G. Plaster Collection contains five typewritten essays that include maps of Bluemont and its surrounding areas. The essays are in good condition and may be photocopied.
"An Historical Look at Bluemont's Houses," the first essay in the collection, mentions houses and landmarks including the John McClanghry House, the tanyard, the Mary Lodge House, the Carrington House, Clayton Hall, Snickersville General Store, "Free Church," and the Samuel Allder House. The location of these houses is indicated on an enclosed hand-drawn map. A duplicate copy of "Early History of Glenmeade Farm" (see Folder 2) can also be found in this folder.
"Early History of Glenmeade Farm" discusses the establishment of Snickersville in 1731 by George Carter (ca. 1718-1742), and Snickersville Turnpike's role as an important road connecting Winchester to Alexandria throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This piece includes a map displaying early land ownership in Snickersville. It describes all owners of the Glenmeade Farm from approximately 1731 to 1925.
"Bluemont's Historic E.E. Lake Store" follows Bluemont from its incorporation as a village in 1807 to its transformation in the late nineteenth century into a prosperous summer resort area; E.E. Lake (10 Nov 1860-29 Mar 1917), who purchased the lot on which the store was located in 1906, enlarged its structure to include a post office wing and living quarters. The store moved to a facility across the street during the 1930s, and closed in the early 1940s.
"Dr. George E. Plaster's Civil War Service" discusses Plaster's service in the 6th Virginia Cavalry, his exploits as a cavalry officer, and his imprisonment at the end of the war in Johnson's Island, Ohio; George Plaster (1826-1925) is the grandfather of Henry G. Plaster.
The last essay in the collection, "Snickersville During the Civil War," is particularly concerned with eye-witness accounts and troop movements of the 6th Virginia Cavalry in which many citizens of Bluemont were enlisted. It provides an analysis of each year of the war, and details skirmishes and minor battles, including the Battle of Monocracy (9 Jul 1864), and the Cavalry Battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. It concludes with an account of the Bluemont casualties of the 6th Virginia Cavalry.
The essays are the only items in the collection.
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