Aldie Mill Historic District
Also known as: Aldie Mill; Mercer House; Miller's House
Why it's listed
Aldie is a small Loudoun County village centered on a grist mill, a miller's house and a manor house in the gap of the Little River. Charles Fenton Mercer settled nearby in 1803, built a brick house on a hill above the Little River Turnpike, and in 1804 obtained rights to dam the river. A large brick mill was raised soon afterward, and the village that grew beside it was named Aldie in 1810. The three-part mill retains much of its original machinery, including imported French flint burrstones, and its twin overshot wheels are thought to be unique in Virginia. The two-story brick miller's house sits behind the mill, while the altered, stuccoed Mercer House overlooks the road from the north. Mercer served as a militia brigadier-general, a Virginia legislator who promoted the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and a congressman opposed to the slave trade. Together the buildings form an unusually complete early nineteenth-century mill complex.
Significance in brief: Aldie Mill is described as one of the most handsomely outfitted and best-preserved mills in Virginia, with twin overshot wheels thought to be unique in the state. With the miller's house and manor house it forms an unusually complete early-nineteenth-century mill complex in a picturesque setting. Its importance is enhanced by the career of its founder, Charles Fenton Mercer, a military officer, legislator and congressman.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 70000806, listed September 15, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Both sides of U.S. 50 from E of Rte. 612 to W of Rte. 732, Aldie |
|---|---|
| County | Loudoun County |
| Listed | September 15, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000806 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Built by Charles Fenton Mercer's slaves (mill) |
| Architectural style | Federal (original portion of the Mercer House) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and unaltered; the mill was still in operation when nominated, though its twin wheels no longer function. |
| Acreage | 60 |
| Coordinates | 38.97484, -77.64126 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 70000806.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4713805
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.