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Purcellville

A Little History

First settled in 1764, the town gets it’s name from Valentine Vernon Purcell, who established the “Purcell Store and Post Office” in 1804.  The Ox Cart track that went through Purcellville towards the Blue Ridge mountains is now known as Business Route 7 ("Main Street").  Officially incorporated in 1908, the town was all but destroyed in a massive fire in 1914, depriving it of most early historical buildings. The town came back and continued to grow so much that in the early 80s the freeway bypass was created around Purcellville and the surrounding towns of Hamilton and Round Hill.

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Above, you can see the W&OD railroad and the surrounding mill at the end of the tracks.  Purcellville is now the largest town in Western Loudoun (about 1/5 the size of Leesburg) with many restaurants and shops.  It is the commercial center of Western Loudoun, drawing in folks from nearby Round Hill to the West, Hillsboro to the north and Hamilton to the East. 

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Purcellville Lifestyle

If you just want to jump to information on the neighborhoods, click here, but if you’re considering moving here, please read on for information about what makes Purcellville such a great place to live!

 

When the W&OD Railroad ceased operations in 1968, the entire region gained the W&OD Trail, with Purcellville as the westernmost endpoint, which is an amazing amenity.  You literally have access from here to hundreds of miles of trails.  If you want, you can bike all the way to DC and beyond.  Be sure to check out my blog posts on biking the W&OD

Purcellville History

And at the end of the W&OD trail in Purcellville are two of my favorite restaurants.   The first is Magnolia’s on the Mill, which is the sister restaurant of Tuscarora Mill (aka Tuskie’s) in downtown Leesburg.  And yes, it still has its old historical Mill works inside!   While considered an upscale restaurant, with great food and ambience, they also have an outdoor area right along the W&OD where you can sit in your bike shorts and chow down on your favorite dish in a casual setting. 

The second I have to mention is Monk’s BBQ, also at the end of the trail.  Not only does it have some of the best BBQ in town, they also have an amazing Bourbon menu and are even associated with Flying Ace distillery in Lovettsville, where you can spend an afternoon sipping bourboun or beer, listening to live music.  Monk’s also has live music on the weekends featuring musicians from around the region.

But, there are plenty of other options too:  Coaches  Corner, Smokin Willy’s, the Local Cut, and Purcellville Pub to name a few.  And on the west side of town, as you head towards Round Hill, you’ll find the West End Wine Bar & Pub, which features an outdoor area also where you can watch the golfers at the Loudoun Golf & Country Club! 

And while, anybody can enjoy a drink at the West End Wine Bar & Pub, the Loudoun Golf & Country Club is a membership only club.  But, many residents join the club, since most of the communities in and around Purcellville do not have their own amenities such as a pool in the summertime.  And with low (or zero) HOA dues, many residents choose to spend their extra dollars joining the Country Club instead.   Even those homes who don’t play golf often join under the “Social membership”, which gets access to the pool, tennis & pickleball courts, and the dining facilities such as Tavern 27 or the Grill Room.

A popular alternative to the Country Club is Franklin Park which sits between Purcellville and Round Hill.  Franklin Park is a great amenity for the entire region and features a huge outdoor competition pool (home of the Stringrays summer league swim team) as well as an aquatic “park” with bubblers, a massive slide and spray area.  But Franklin Park is much more than just an aquatic center.  They have a performing arts center where you will find concerts throughout the year, tennis & volleyball courts, fields for baseball, soccer, rugby and lacrosse, a Disc golf course, equestrian trails, and even an inline hockey rink!

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Another alternative for these types of amenities is Stoneleigh Golf & Country Club, which lies a few miles to the west between Round Hill and BlueMont!  

The town of Purcellville organizes events throughout the year, including a small film festival at the beginning of the year (hosted at Franklin Park), The Purcellville Music and Arts Festival (in April), the Purcellville Wine & Food Festival (July), the Independence Day Parade, and numerous Winter Holiday events.

The Neighborhoods

 

Unlike Leesburg, there are very few “large” HOA type communities around Purcellville.  Many homes here are historical or not part of an HOA at all.  This 2800 square foot home, built around 1936, was sold in late 2023 for $885K. It has all the charm of a Victorian home, but updated with modern amenities.

The largest HOA in Purcellville is Hirst Farm on the southside of town with 240 homes, and is located next to Locust Grove with about 200 homes.  Homes here sit on about a ¼ acre and range in size typically from 3000 to 5000 square feet.   They are often confused as the same neighborhood since they seamlessly connect.  Both neighborhoods have very low HOA fees since they don’t have amenities like a pool, and instead use Franklin Park or the Country Club.

This home sold in 2023 for $960K.  At almost 6,000 square feet, with 7 bedrooms and a three car garage, this is a great example of how far your money goes in Purcellville.  Homes like this, located further east towards Leesburg, are priced closer to $1.5M! 

Just outside of Purcellville, on the north side of Route 7, is Wright Farm with 119 homes.  These are newer homes sitting on 3 to 5 acres, ranging in size from 5,000 to 7,000 square feet.  HOA dues here are also quite low, used to cover things like trash, since they are outside the town limits, but they have no common amenities, just beautiful open spaces!

This 7,100 square foot home in Wright Farm sold in late 2023 for almost $1.4M.  The home is beautiful inside and out, with plenty of space and open views on 3 acres.

But, there are literally dozens of small communities in and around Purcellville.  On the southside you’ll find rolling hills and communities like Woodmar Farm Hamlet, Farmington Green, Browns Farm and Oak Knoll Farms, each with around 70 homes. And there are even smaller developments such as Lincoln Acres, Jacks Run, Oak Knoll Hamlet (and many more), all with around 20-30 homes.

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To the north, as you head towards Hillsboro, you’ll find places like Chestnut Hill, Longmoor Farm Estates and others each with around 30 homes.  Purcellville is actually growing and the town council is considering the annexation of additional developments into the town of Purcellville which would benefit those developments with town services like trash & recycling.

Purcellville neighborhoods

Here’s an example of a 3,400 square foot home in the small neighborhood of Cortland Square that sold in 2024 for $720K.  You can easily walk to downtown Purcellville if you want!

As you can see, there are so many options in and around Purcellville!  As a 20+ year Loudoun resident, I know this area well, and as a top producing Real Estate agent, I know how to market your property well and maximize the sale of your home.  You deserve to work with the best!  If you are thinking of buying or selling in this area, give me a call!  I’d love to put all my knowledge, resources and energy to work for you!

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