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map of 1821 shows Amissville, Flint Hill, and Sperryville, along with the towns of Woodville and Washington. A Civil War map of November 1863 shows the same group, plus Chester Gap. A U.S. Geological Survey map of September 891 shows the same villages and towns. Even certain hamlets exhibit longevity: Laurel Mills, Rock Mills, Slate Mills to name but a few. A number of hamlets appear and disappear: Sandy, Hughes River, Gaines.
The vast majority of citizens in Rappahannock County have little idea of the historical legacy all about them, whether it is in the form of a small town, a village, or a hamlet. Or the large open spaces in between. The villages are still about six miles apart, the easy traveling distance in the old days to take care of business nearby and return home that afternoon. Plantation-size lots still abound outside the villages. A pattern that evolved from the 1600s still exists here today
There's a place in Arkansas, opened in 1970, called Hot Springs Village. It now has more than 13,000 people. That's close to twice the population of Rappahannnock County. It has 460 miles of roadway. According to VDOT, we have 218 miles of roadway. Hot Springs Village covers 26,1)00 acres. This is a village? Hot Springs Village is a "village” because a developer happened to call it a village. We have real ones, proven by time. Let's keep it that way.
The next article in this series will describe the characteristics of traditional small villages.
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