Unison Historic District

Unison is a small crossroads village in southwest Loudoun County, Virginia, whose historic core covers about 70 acres along Unison and Bloomfield Roads. The land came from a 1741 Blackburn grant, and William Galliher bought 120 acres in 1802 and divided half-acre lots in 1812. The General Assembly established the town as Union in 1813; it was renamed Unison in 1829. The district holds 44 contributing resources, mainly houses with their outbuildings, plus a church, former school, store and saddle-maker's shop. Log, brick, stone and frame buildings appear, some in Federal and Greek Revival styles. Many early buildings, such as Butterland, Elton and the Thornton Walker House, have two front doors, suggesting combined home and business use. The village prospered as a local commercial, religious and social center until the Civil War. Its distance from major highways and rail lines slowed later growth and helped keep its historic character intact.