Pete Geis, who lives along the road, originally nominated cider Mill Road in western Loudoun as a Virginia Byway. Geis investigated the history of the road, and found that in 1864, Union troops under General Phil Sheridan were roaming the countryside trying to root out Capt. John S. Mosby’s Partisan Rangers, which had been wreaking havoc across the Northern Virginia countryside.
At one point, the Yankees were ordered to take livestock and burn all the barns and mills that could be used for shelter by Mosby’s men. The Cider Mill was thought to be one such structure.
Geis met with the Loudoun Preservation Society and the Mosby Heritage Area Association, which brought its findings to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
Earlier this spring, the DCR recommended to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) that Cider Mill Road from Charles Town Pike (Route 9) to the intersection with Stony Point and Woodgrove Roads, be designated as a Virginia Byway. On May 21, the CTB approved the designation.
While the Virginia Byway designation doesn’t limit the development or improvement of the road, one of the criteria is that the route bypasses major roads or provides opportunities to leave high-speed routes for scenic travel. Another criterion is that the local government has initiated zoning or other land-use controls, to reasonably protect the aesthetic and cultural value of the highway.
Currently, there are nearly 3,000 miles of roads designated as Virginia Byways, yet several hundred more miles of Commonwealth of Virginia roadways could qualify. To help attract visitors and support economic development through tourism, VDOT, DCR and the CTB encourage local governments to nominate roads for Virginia Byway designation.
By following the highlighted byways on the scenic roads map and on the scenic roads Web site, visitors are directed to places where they can tour wineries, explore Civil War battle sites and historical attractions, view beautiful scenery and enjoy recreational resources.
For Virginia’s Scenic Roads map or for more information on the scenic byway program, visit www.VirginiaDOT.org, and search keyword “Virginia Byway.”
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