{"nrhp_refnum":"08001112","name":"Bear's Den Rural Historic District","other_names":["VDHR File No. 021-5010"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Generally runs along both side of ridge along parts of Raven Rocks and Blue Ridge Mtn. Rds.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bluemont","county":"Clarke County","state":"VA","lat":39.10450749700004,"lon":-77.85541204423862,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2009-05-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A rural historic district of about 1,855 acres along the Blue Ridge ridge near Snicker's Gap, mostly in Clarke County with some resources in Loudoun County, Virginia. It holds late-19th and early-20th-century summer homes and related outbuildings.","why_significant":"The district is significant as a collection of rustic, stone-built summer retreats created from the 1890s onward by wealthy Washington, D.C. residents seeking cooler mountain air. The arrival of the railroad at nearby Bluemont around 1900 made the ridge easy to reach and set off a burst of construction. Its houses, stone walls, gateposts and landscape retain a distinctive character, and the original owners were closely linked by Washington social ties.","narrative":"Along the crest of the Blue Ridge near Snicker's Gap, this rural district covers roughly 1,855 acres, mostly in Clarke County with a part in Loudoun County. It contains 66 properties and 231 resources, including 152 contributing buildings, mainly dwellings and their outbuildings. Most were built as summer homes by affluent Washingtonians drawn by the cooler climate and long views over the Shenandoah Valley and the Piedmont. Development began in the 1890s and grew sharply after a railroad reached nearby Bluemont around 1900. Native greenstone granite gives the houses a rustic look and also forms the extensive stone walls and gateposts. Styles include Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne and several eclectic revivals. Notable properties include Joannasberg, built in 1897 by travel writer Frank Carpenter, High Meadows, Eagle Rock Farm, Seltsenhorst and Bruce Farm. A former hotel, school and church also stand in the district. Many original owners were neighbors and acquaintances from Georgetown.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Late Gothic Revival, French Eclectic, Spanish Eclectic, Bungalow/Craftsman, Ranch, Minimal Traditional, and Vernacular","criteria":[],"status_note":"Most houses are now occupied by year-round residents. Some are still used as summer homes or weekend retreats. A few outbuildings and tenant houses are abandoned or in ruins.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:03.066864-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/34/6802/41680234/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/08001112.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08001112/21180e56bb-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08001112/21180e56bb-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Jerrye &amp; Roy Klotz, MD","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NEAR%27S_DEN_RURAL_HISTORIC_DISTRICT;_LOUDOUN_COUNTY,_VA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jerrye &amp;amp; Roy Klotz, MD</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NEAR%27S_DEN_RURAL_HISTORIC_DISTRICT;_LOUDOUN_COUNTY,_VA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41680234","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear%27s_Den_Rural_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14712006"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/clarke-county/bears-den-rural-historic-district-08001112/"}