Delaplane and Orlean

Delaplane and Orlean sit either side of I-66 in northern Fauquier County, a few miles apart and both very small. Between and around them is the Crooked Run valley — farms, vineyards, and estate land, much of it permanently protected.

Delaplane

The village at Route 17 and Route 623 was called Piedmont Station in the 1860s, and it was from here in July 1861 that Confederate troops were carried by rail to the First Battle of Manassas, generally cited as the first strategic movement of troops by railroad in wartime. The freight line still runs through. Today it is a store, a few houses, and an I-66 interchange at exit 23.

Orlean

A crossroads on Route 688 southwest of the interstate: a store, a church, scattered houses, and farmland in every direction. Smaller and quieter than Delaplane, and further from the highway.

Sky Meadows

North toward Paris and Ashby Gap, Sky Meadows State Park covers some 1,800 acres of the Blue Ridge’s eastern slope — trails, a historic farm, Appalachian Trail access, and long views back over the valley. It is the area’s main public amenity and it protects a substantial piece of the landscape permanently.

Wine country

The valley and the Route 17 corridor hold a number of vineyards with tasting rooms, which bring steady weekend traffic through both villages. Along with the park, they are why visitors come, and they are part of what makes this protected countryside economically viable.

Buying land here

The purchase is the land, and the documents are the substance of it:

• the conservation easement, recorded with the deed, permanently setting what can be built, subdivided, or altered;
• the water supply and its tested flow, whether well or spring;
• the septic permit and the dwelling size it allows;
• any land use taxation enrollment, and the roll-back cost of a change of use;
• road access and maintenance agreements on the smaller lanes.

Schools

Fauquier County Public Schools, generally the Fauquier High School pyramid in Warrenton. Bus rides from the rural roads are long. Confirm the assignment for a specific address.

Getting around

I-66 exit 23 at Delaplane, Route 17 north over Ashby Gap into the valley and south to Marshall and Warrenton, Route 688 southwest to Orlean. The rail line is freight; the nearest VRE station is Broad Run, roughly half an hour east.

Buying or selling here

Few sales, each particular, and the interstate access makes this some of the most reachable protected countryside in Virginia — which is reflected in prices. Buyers should read the easement before falling for the view. Sellers should have the full document set ready, because the buyers who work in this market are patient, careful, and not numerous.