ANSWERS: 1
  • ?The Town of Washington was formerly the location of a trading post utilized by frontier families and members of the resident Manahoac tribe. All of the territory in and around the current town was under the ownership of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. In 1748, Lord Fairfax met a 16 year-old George Washington, a distant relative of his. Being impressed by his character, Fairfax employed Washington to survey his lands west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. On the 24th of July, 1749, the town layout as it appears today was surveyed and platted by Washington with the assistance of his chainmen John Lonem and Edward Corder as part of his service to Fairfax. The village was officially established as a Town by the Virginia General Assembly on December 14, 1795 when it gained the requisite population of 200. Records from a 1835 gazetteer state that the town contained one academy, fifty-five dwellings, four mercantile stores, two taverns, one house of worship, twenty-seven trade shops, and two large flour mills. During the Civil War, a home on the town's Main Street served as a Confederate Hospital. In the late 19th century when rail became the main method of trade, the main east-west railway route of the time was constructed north of town through the accessible Thoroughfare Gap. Washington was relatively unaffected by the Industrial Age and thus the current town is quite similar to the one of 150 years ago. By the start of the 20th century the population had reached nearly 500, supporting businesses such as three garages and a barber shop. Currently, the town is probably most well known for The Inn at Little Washington, a five star restaurant, inn, and member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux group. As such it attracts a high-paying clientele from Washington, D.C. and its suburbs. Largely due to its influence, the town is home to several rather expensive shops, bed & breakfasts and restaurants. Dining aside, the town also attracts many hikers that come into the county from the east en route for day hikes or weekend camping trips. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%2C_Virginia

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