Loudoun County, in collaboration with the Waterford Citizens Association, the Waterford Foundation, and the Waterford Leadership Council, is managing several design projects in and around the Village of Waterford. Prior to the start of any work, Loudoun County will conduct an archeological field investigation to identify any artifacts in this historic area. Residents received notification letters in February 2024 regarding the archeological field investigation, which is scheduled to begin Monday, May 20, and is expected to last approximately two weeks, weather permitting. Field crews will be walking the field-testing site and will be shovel-testing to locate and define boundaries of potential archeological sites. An informational flyer with a map of the survey area is online at loudoun.gov/waterford.
The Village of Waterford is the country’s first National Historic Landmark District. With this designation, federal historic preservation laws require this early-stage archeological fieldwork to identify any artifacts in the area. Excavation of shovel test pits will be done 75 feet from the center of the roads and at 50-foot intervals within the survey limits. Crews will remove a circular testing area, screen the removed soil for artifacts and then cover up the testing area. If artifacts are found, additional shovel tests around the initial pit are necessary. Paved or visibly excavated surfaces will not be disturbed.
Background
The Loudoun County departments of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure, and General Services, in collaboration with the Waterford Citizens Association, the Waterford Foundation and the Waterford Leadership Council, are managing several infrastructure projects in and around the Village of Waterford. The proposed Village of Waterford Landmark Infrastructure Improvements project may include upgrading road and sidewalk infrastructure, improving roadway drainage and stormwater, traffic calming and safety improvements, relocating existing overhead utility lines underground, and the design of a new potable water distribution system.
For More Information
For more information about the Village of Waterford Preserving the Landmark Infrastructure project and related water projects, to sign up to receive text or email alerts or to submit a question or comment, visit the project page at loudoun.gov/waterford.
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