Finding Montebello in Waterford, Virginia

To get to Montebello, you head west on Route 7 out of Leesburg. As you crest Catoctin Mountain, you know you’ve entered “Western Loudoun”, the part of the county that’s still rural and picturesque.

Bear right onto Route 9, and take another nearly immediate first right onto Clarke’s Gap Road. Although you don’t realize it yet, you’ve begun to head back in time. A few minutes ago it was 2023 and you were navigating traffic in the bustling county seat. As the speed limit drops to 20 MPH and you enter the Historic Village of Waterford, it might be 1950 or 1850 — you certainly can’t tell from the architecture of the quaint little houses lining the narrow town street.

Oncoming traffic pulls over to let you pass because the road isn’t wide enough for two vehicles. People wave and smile because they assume you’re a neighbor, even if they don’t recognize you.

The windows of the Old Mill in Waterford are boarded up. There’s work going on. The current structure, originally built in 1838 is finally getting some loving restoration. No doubt it will be a museum one day soon.

Take a right as you head out of town. The paved road quickly turns into gravel. Be careful here, the “Caution Chicken Crossing” sign isn’t decorative.

As you head deeper into farmland, the road narrows into a tunnel of tree canopy. If you stop the car and listen, you hear nothing but the hum of insects, the chirping of birds and maybe the distant moan of a cow out in the field.

A mile or so down that road on the left, you’re home at Montebello, and it looks and feels like this. View the full MLS listing here: 15203 Clover Hill Road