Hillsboro Historic District (Boundary Increase)
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Hillsboro is a small community in the northern Piedmont of Loudoun County, Virginia, set in a gap of Short Hill Mountain beside the North Fork of Catoctin Creek. Most of its buildings line Charles Town Pike and are built of local bluestone fieldstone or hewn log, giving the town a consistent color, texture and scale. Earliest surviving buildings date from about 1740, including a three-part roadhouse, and later examples include the 1875 Old Stone School and a store completed in 1930. Styles range from vernacular dwellings to Federal, Italianate and Queen Anne buildings, many combining home and business under one roof. The town grew from the late eighteenth century until the Civil War, supported by mills and trade, and declined as improved technology and new roads shifted commerce elsewhere. The last mills were razed by 1941. This updated listing adds nearby properties that show Hillsboro's role as a milling town, and recognizes its architecture and commerce between about 1740 and 1941.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant for architecture and commerce. Its local bluestone and log buildings reflect Quaker influence and a vernacular tradition, mixed with Federal, Italianate and Queen Anne examples. Hillsboro also grew as a milling and trading town until the mills closed around 1940-41. The added properties present that milling history more fully.
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 09000921, listed March 23, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Charles Town Pike, between Hillsboro Rd. and Stony Point Rd., Hillsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Loudoun County |
| Listed | March 23, 2010 |
| Reference number | 09000921 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1740 - 1941 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal; Late Victorian/Queen Anne; Modern Movement; Other: I-house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Largely a residential community. Current functions include single dwellings, a specialty store, a meeting hall, a school and agricultural fields. |
| Acreage | 77 |
| Within district | Hillsboro Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.19704, -77.72269 (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 09000921.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.