Waterloo, Fauquier County, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Waterloo is a village in Fauquier County, Virginia
, in the United States
. Straddling the Rappahannock River
at its confluence with Carter's Run, it is the location of what was, until the 1950s, the only bridge crossing the Rappahannock north of Fredericksburg
.
In 1829, construction began on a canal
to eventually connect Waterloo with Fredericksburg, about 58 miles to the southeast. Finished in 1849, the canal included 44 locks and 20 dams, with 14 miles of dug canal.
Commercial activities in Waterloo began to thrive at the time of the canal. Eventually there was a sawmill, a clothing mill, a blacksmith, and a plan for a group of shops and factories on the Fauquier side to serve the community and the canal. When the Orange and Alexandria Railroad commenced operation in 1852, traffic on the canal went into rapid decline, and venture ceased to operate in 1853.
During the Civil War
, the town of Waterloo was occupied by both the North and the South on their respective sides of the river. In 1861, CSA General Stonewall Jackson
defeated USA General Shields in an early skirmish of the war in Virginia; Shields crossed the Waterloo Bridge from Culpeper to Fauquier on his retreat back to Washington. Starting at Waterloo on August 22, 1862, General J. E. B. Stuart's army rode around the army of USA General Pope
. Stuart's force captured Pope's headquarters wagons and destroyed Union supplies and army material, leading up to the second battle of Manassas
. Eventually, all but a couple of buildings in Waterloo were destroyed or dismantled by the warring factions. See also "Battle of Rappahannock Station I
."
The current Waterloo Bridge was constructed in 1919 by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company. A one lane, steel bridge, it is said to be the second oldest such bridge in Virginia. The bridge, costing $7,050, was paid for by the counties of Fauquier, Culpeper, and Rappahannock as a means for local farmers and merchants to deliver goods to market.
Fauquier County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,139 people, 19,842 households, and 15,139 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 21,046 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Straddling the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
at its confluence with Carter's Run, it is the location of what was, until the 1950s, the only bridge crossing the Rappahannock north of Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
.
History
The village has existed since at least 1749 when the decision was made to build a road from Warrenton (about 8 miles east) to serve the growing number of farms along the river. With Fauquier County on the north side and Culpeper County on the south side, Waterloo is surrounded by relatively flat tracts of arable land and the river offers water power for mills.In 1829, construction began on a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
to eventually connect Waterloo with Fredericksburg, about 58 miles to the southeast. Finished in 1849, the canal included 44 locks and 20 dams, with 14 miles of dug canal.
Commercial activities in Waterloo began to thrive at the time of the canal. Eventually there was a sawmill, a clothing mill, a blacksmith, and a plan for a group of shops and factories on the Fauquier side to serve the community and the canal. When the Orange and Alexandria Railroad commenced operation in 1852, traffic on the canal went into rapid decline, and venture ceased to operate in 1853.
During the Civil War
American 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...
, the town of Waterloo was occupied by both the North and the South on their respective sides of the river. In 1861, CSA General Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
defeated USA General Shields in an early skirmish of the war in Virginia; Shields crossed the Waterloo Bridge from Culpeper to Fauquier on his retreat back to Washington. Starting at Waterloo on August 22, 1862, General J. E. B. Stuart's army rode around the army of USA General Pope
John Pope (military officer)
John Pope was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He had a brief but successful career in the Western Theater, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the East.Pope was a graduate of the United States Military Academy in...
. Stuart's force captured Pope's headquarters wagons and destroyed Union supplies and army material, leading up to the second battle of Manassas
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
. Eventually, all but a couple of buildings in Waterloo were destroyed or dismantled by the warring factions. See also "Battle of Rappahannock Station I
Battle of Rappahannock Station I
-External links:**...
."
The current Waterloo Bridge was constructed in 1919 by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company. A one lane, steel bridge, it is said to be the second oldest such bridge in Virginia. The bridge, costing $7,050, was paid for by the counties of Fauquier, Culpeper, and Rappahannock as a means for local farmers and merchants to deliver goods to market.