Between the Hills
Encyclopedia
Between the Hills is a small valley
in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia
, distinct from, but associated with the greater Loudoun Valley
.
and east of the Blue Ridge Mountain
. The area includes the communities of Neersville
and Loudoun Heights
.
Between the Hills can be divided into two sections; the upper and lower valley. The upper valley encompasses the area north of the Hillsboro Gap
in the Short Hill, while the lower valley encompasses the area south of the gap. The valley ranges from 2.5 miles (4 km) wide at its largest, just south of the Hillsboro gap to 1.4 miles (2.3 km) wide at its smallest, east of Purcell Knob
in the upper valley and is approximately 11 miles (17.7 km) long.
The main waterways of Between the Hills are the North Fork of Catoctin Creek
, which drains the lower valley before flowing through the Hillsboro gap into the Catoctin Valley
, and Piney Run, which drains the upper valley and flows north through the valley directly into the Potomac River
.
Across the Potomac River, the valley continues as Pleasant Valley
in Maryland
.
, Charles Town Pike, west of Hillsboro, to its northern terminus at U.S. Route 340
, south of the Sandy Hook
bridge over the Potomac River
and east of Harpers Ferry. State Route 719, Stony Point-Woodgrove road runs north-south through the lower valley from Hillsboro to Woodgrove. The Charlestown pike bisects the valley, running southeast-northwest from the Hillsboro Gap to Keyes Gap
in the Blue Ridge.
era, which resulted in separation of the underlying rocks of the Blue Ridge and Short Hill mountains, which were deposited during the Catoctin Formation of the late Proterozoic
period and uplifted during the Grenville Orogeny
. Reactivation of the fault during the Alleghenian Orogeny
caused further separation of underlying rock deposited during the middle and late Paleozoic era.
, a Between the Hills resident, John Mobberly
, gained notoriety as a Confederate
guerrilla. During the last two years of the war, he successfully disputed control of the area through his daring exploits, until his assassination outside of Neersville in April 1865. In late November-early December of 1864 much of the Between the Hills valley was put to the torch by Union cavalry during The Burning Raid
, including Potts Mill, the ruins of which can be seen from off Stony Point Road. Confederate partisan John Mosby and his Rangers
suffered their first defeat during the Battle of Loudoun Heights
was fought on January 1, 1864, in the valley and along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge.
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
, distinct from, but associated with the greater Loudoun Valley
Loudoun Valley
The Loudoun Valley is a small, but historically significant valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains located in Loudoun County in northwestern Virginia in the United States.-Geography:...
.
Geography
The Between the Hills valley encompasses the area of Loudoun that lies west of Short Hill MountainShort Hill Mountain
Short Hill Mountain is a mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia.- Geography :Short Hill rises sharply from the Piedmont countryside of the Loudoun Valley, northwest of Purcellville, as a low-lying ridge barely over above the surrounding area...
and east of the Blue Ridge Mountain
Blue Ridge Mountain
Blue Ridge Mountain, also known as Blue Mountain, is the colloquial name of the western most ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia...
. The area includes the communities of Neersville
Neersville, Virginia
Neersville is an unincorporated community in northwestern Loudoun County, Virginia, USA. It is located in the Between the Hills area of the Loudoun Valley on Harpers Ferry Road at the foot of Short Hill Mountain...
and Loudoun Heights
Loudoun Heights, Virginia
Loudoun Heights is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. It is located in the Between the Hills region of the county along Harpers Ferry Road and is bounded to its northwest and northeast by the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park on the...
.
Between the Hills can be divided into two sections; the upper and lower valley. The upper valley encompasses the area north of the Hillsboro Gap
Hillsboro Gap
Hillsboro Gap, also known as the Gap in the Short Hill is a water gap in the Short Hill Mountain formed by the North Fork of the Catoctin Creek in Loudoun County, Virginia. The gap derives its name from the town of Hillsboro, which is nestled in the gap...
in the Short Hill, while the lower valley encompasses the area south of the gap. The valley ranges from 2.5 miles (4 km) wide at its largest, just south of the Hillsboro gap to 1.4 miles (2.3 km) wide at its smallest, east of Purcell Knob
Purcell Knob
Purcell Knob is a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountain in Loudoun County, Virginia. The peak is just northeast of the main ridge at Keyes Gap and southeast of the village of Neersville....
in the upper valley and is approximately 11 miles (17.7 km) long.
The main waterways of Between the Hills are the North Fork of Catoctin Creek
Catoctin Creek (Virginia)
Catoctin Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River in Loudoun County, Virginia, with a watershed of . Agricultural lands make up 67 percent and forests 30 percent of Catoctin Creek's watershed...
, which drains the lower valley before flowing through the Hillsboro gap into the Catoctin Valley
Catoctin Valley
The Catoctin Valley is a small valley, geographically and culturally associated with the larger Loudoun Valley in Loudoun County, Virginia.-Geography:...
, and Piney Run, which drains the upper valley and flows north through the valley directly into the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
.
Across the Potomac River, the valley continues as Pleasant Valley
Pleasant Valley (Maryland)
Pleasant Valley is a small valley in Washington County, Maryland, United States.-Geography:The valley is bound by South Mountain to the east, Elk Ridge to the west and the Potomac River to the south. To the north the valley opens up to connect with the Hagerstown Valley near Boonsboro...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Transportation
State Route 671, Harpers Ferry Road, is the main road in the valley, running north-south through the upper valley from its southern terminus at Virginia State Route 9Virginia State Route 9
Virginia State Route 9 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Charles Town Pike, the state highway runs from the West Virginia state line near Mechanicsville, where the highway continues west as West Virginia Route 9 , east to SR 7 and SR 7 Business near Paeonian...
, Charles Town Pike, west of Hillsboro, to its northern terminus at U.S. Route 340
U.S. Route 340
U.S. Route 340 is a spur of US 40. It currently runs for from Greenville, Virginia at US 11 to Frederick, Maryland at US 40. Between those two states, US 340 also passes briefly through West Virginia. In Virginia and West Virginia, it is signed north–south...
, south of the Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook, Maryland
Sandy Hook is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
bridge over the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and east of Harpers Ferry. State Route 719, Stony Point-Woodgrove road runs north-south through the lower valley from Hillsboro to Woodgrove. The Charlestown pike bisects the valley, running southeast-northwest from the Hillsboro Gap to Keyes Gap
Keyes Gap
Keyes Gap or Keyes' Gap is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain on the border of Loudoun County, Virginia and Jefferson County, West Virginia. The gap is traversed by Virginia State Route 9/West Virginia State Route 9. The Appalachian Trail also crosses the gap.-History:Originally known as...
in the Blue Ridge.
Geology
The Between the Hills Valley was formed by action along the Short Hill fault during the early PaleozoicPaleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...
era, which resulted in separation of the underlying rocks of the Blue Ridge and Short Hill mountains, which were deposited during the Catoctin Formation of the late Proterozoic
Proterozoic
The Proterozoic is a geological eon representing a period before the first abundant complex life on Earth. The name Proterozoic comes from the Greek "earlier life"...
period and uplifted during the Grenville Orogeny
Grenville orogeny
The Grenville Orogeny was a long-lived Mesoproterozoic mountain-building event associated with the assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia. Its record is a prominent orogenic belt which spans a significant portion of the North American continent, from Labrador to Mexico, as well as to Scotland...
. Reactivation of the fault during the Alleghenian Orogeny
Alleghenian orogeny
The Alleghenian orogeny or Appalachian orogeny is one of the geological mountain-forming events that formed the Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Mountains. The term and spelling Alleghany orogeny was originally proposed by H.P. Woodward in 1957....
caused further separation of underlying rock deposited during the middle and late Paleozoic era.
History
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a Between the Hills resident, John Mobberly
John mobberly
John W. Mobberly, also known as John Mobley or Morbly, was a Confederate guerrilla who operated in the Loudoun Valley and Between the Hills region of Loudoun County, Virginia during the American Civil War. He also served as regular soldier in Elijah V...
, gained notoriety as a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
guerrilla. During the last two years of the war, he successfully disputed control of the area through his daring exploits, until his assassination outside of Neersville in April 1865. In late November-early December of 1864 much of the Between the Hills valley was put to the torch by Union cavalry during The Burning Raid
The Burning Raid
The Burning Raid was a Union military raid conducted in the Loudoun Valley of Loudoun and Fauquier counties in Virginia in November and December 1864 during the American Civil War...
, including Potts Mill, the ruins of which can be seen from off Stony Point Road. Confederate partisan John Mosby and his Rangers
43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry
The 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, also known as Mosby's Rangers, Mosby's Raiders or Mosby's Men, was a battalion of partisan cavalry in the Confederate army during the American Civil War...
suffered their first defeat during the Battle of Loudoun Heights
Battle of Loudoun Heights
The Battle of Loudoun Heights was a small cavalry skirmish during the American Civil War between John Mosby's Rangers and Major Henry A. Cole's 1st Potomac Home Brigade Maryland Cavalry on January 9, 1864, in Loudoun County, Virginia. Cole's Cavalry successfully defended a night raid against their...
was fought on January 1, 1864, in the valley and along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge.