12 building lots reduced to one, natural and historic resources preserved
PURCELLVILLE, Va., Dec. 21, 2022 – The Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) is pleased to announce a conservation easement in Loudoun County, thanks to the generosity of owner Kathy Wilt. Her 12-acre property in Purcellville plays an important role in maintaining the rural setting of this area.
“My grandparents purchased this beautiful property in 1939. I was fortunate to grow up here helping my grandmother with all the farm chores such as milking the cows, feeding all the farm animals and tending to the garden,” said Wilt. “I purchased the farm from my grandmother in 1987 so she could experience a new home with all the amenities of modern day living and be close to her friends in Lovettsville. This allowed me to live the dream of owning the family farm and continue my labor of love raising animals and a place to keep my horses and mules. This donation of easement was a very emotional decision made on my part and satisfying that the land will be kept in open space for perpetuity and continue with the same stewardship of my ancestors. Due to the location of my property within the Village of Taylorstown and the zoning, there was potential for high density development, so donating the easement is peace of mind that this will not happen. I interviewed all the area land trusts and decided that the Land Trust of Virginia was the best fit for me and my property.”
Wilt’s property is highly visible from both Taylorstown and Furnace Mountain Roads and contains 8.5 acres of “Prime Farmland Soils” or “Farmland Soils of Statewide Importance”. It is within the Taylorstown Historic District, listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places, and the easement will protect Wilt’s historic dwelling. Originally settled in the 1730s, this area is free from modern intrusions save for a new concrete bridge across Catoctin Creek and has remained a sleepy crossroad since milling operations ceased in 1958.
“Wilt runs a small commercial livestock operation of Holstein cattle, qualifying her for assistance from our Malcolm Forbes Baldwin Fund, which is used to offset our costs for properties in agricultural use,” said LTV Executive Director Sally Price. “We were pleased to be able to offer that assistance to ensure another piece of rural Loudoun County gets protected.”
Kathy Wilt’s easement is the 230th easement completed by the Land Trust of Virginia. For more information about their work, please visit http://www.landtrustva.org.
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About the Land Trust of Virginia
The Land Trust of Virginia is a nonprofit organization that partners with private landowners who voluntarily protect and preserve properties with significant historic, scenic, or ecological value. LTV has worked with 230 families, conserving a total of 28,769 acres in 29 counties in Virginia. While LTV charges landowners for their services, the fees charged only cover about 28% of LTV’s actual costs, so fundraising is essential to our mission.
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