City and State: Taylorstown, Virginia
Listed: 1978
Type of district: National Register Historic District
Major Intersection: One block east of the intersection of Route 663 and Route 688
Taylorstown National Register Historic District Report
Taylorstown National Register Historic District Map
Established in the 1730s, Taylorstown is located in a rural area of rolling hills and farmland in northern Loudoun County, Virginia. This historic mill village is located on Catoctin Creek, with the late 18th-century mill being the district’s centerpiece. Taylorstown was named for Thomas Taylor, who bought the mill in 1784 and replaced an older mill building with the one extant. Taylor’s descendants operated the mill until 1831, when it was sold to Charles Hamilton, the postmaster of a neighboring village; after this sale it changed hands numerous times over a short period.
In addition to the mill, Taylorstown includes two historic store buildings, one from c. 1800 and a newer one built in 1904. Surrounding these commercial structures are many houses and associated outbuildings from the 18th through early-20th centuries. Many of these properties functioned as small farms. Also included in the district are stone abutments from a demolished bridge and a sand quarry. Milling ceased in Taylorstown in 1958, but the village has retained its rural character into the 21st century.