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By Kevin Allen
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
In many ways, the harfilet of Laurel Mills seems frozen in time.
Its half-dozen or so houses are clustered around the ruins of the old mill on the Thornton River, and most structures date back to the days when the village was a humming mill town. The Laurel Mills Store, which was built in 1877, still serves as the hub of the community.
But things may soon be changing a bit for the small burg nestled away in the southeast part of Rappahannock County.
Peter Winfield, who has lived in Laurel Mills for the past 10 years, has an idea to breathe some new life into the village.
The 64-year-old wants to add on to an existing storage building he owns to be used as studio facilities for artists and craftsmen. The structure is located across Route 618 from the old mill.
But Winfield’s plan is not “to do anything loud.” Change is sometimes a scary word in Rappahannock and, as a longtime resident, he knows that.
Therefore, Winfield’s plan is to add a little something that would complement - but not upset - his hometown.
“I don’t want to do anything to take away from the essential nature of Laurel Mills,” he said.
Winfield is a builder by trade, and specializes in homes with rustic designs that include stone foundations, exposed beams and natural-wood facades. He envisions the artists’ studios would be built in that style.
“I hope it would not look like it was built today,” he said.
The structure would accommodate approximately five 400square-foot studios for artists to produce and sell their wares.
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