Farm Life
Leopold's Preserve
In 1860, the majority of farms in Prince William County were producing corn, oats and wheat. It is likely that most of the Villages of Piedmont land used at this time was used as farmland with some timber lots.
According to the 1850 U.S. Census records for Prince William County and Schedule 4 for Production in Agriculture records, John Hill Carter's Falkland Farm — which contained 900 acres of improved land and 830 acres of unimproved land — 1,750 acres in total — was valued at $20,000. Records indicate that Carter had $500 worth of farming implements and machinery. He owned seven horses, seven "milch" cows, 11 working oxen and 12 other cattle, and 35 swine. He also owned 300 sheep while most nearby farmers owned fewer than 35. It appears that Carter's sheep produced wool that was sold. At least one large-scale farmer in Manassas, Benjamin Chinn of Ben Lomond, raised Marino sheep for their high-quality wool.
Falkland produced more wheat (600 bushels), Indian corn (1,000 bushels), oats (300 bushels), Irish potatoes (100 bushels), hay (15 tons) and butter (200 lbs.) than neighboring farms. Carter also grew peas, beans, sweet potatoes and orchard products. Many neighboring farms produced more wool than Falkland did and the value of his slaughtered animals was low. Clearly, Falkland was a large and
this page online
Families who lived on the Villages of Piedmont property experienced World War I and, as farmers, may have increased production to feed American soldiers and allies. All the families eventually sold their property and left their farms by 1990.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals • War, World I. A significant historical year for this entry is 1860.
Location. 38° 48.871′ N, 77° 40.344′ W. Marker is near Haymarket, Virginia, in Prince William County. Marker can be reached from Thoroughfare Road, 0.4 miles south of John Marshall Highway (Virginia Route 55), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 16260 Thoroughfare Rd, Haymarket VA 20169, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Antioch-McCrae African American School (approx. 0.2 miles away); Water Fowl And Their Habitat (approx. ¼ mile away); The Battle of Thoroughfare Gap & Chapman's Mill (approx. ¼ mile away); The Thoroughfare Colored / North Fork School (approx. ¼ mile away); Free People Of Color At Thoroughfare (approx. half a mile away); Aldo Leopold (approx. one
Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 2, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 331 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 2, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
