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North Fork
North Fork history
By Beth Lucas
Did you know that North Fork used to be considered a busy village, and that it got its name from the nearby creek?
Eugene M. Scheel, Loudoun historian, has written a series of books he has named "Loudoun Discovered," and in the "Communities, Corners and Crossroads" volume, he wrote about North Fork. He has kindly allowed us to share with you his information about our little neighborhood.
The nearby creek is called the North Fork of Goose Creek, with all deeds before 1900 referring to the stream as the "northeast fork." Our fork is actually the largest tributary to Goose Creek, as opposed to Beaverdam or Crooked Run.
The Baptists here called their church the North Fork Primitive Baptist Meetinghouse, so the shorter name stuck. They began meeting in a log church in 1784, and built the two-story church (which is now a home) in 1831. In 1835, a competing North Fork Mission Baptist Church was organized by the pastor of the Ketoctin Church. They were known as the "new schoolers" and believed in "paid ministers, accompanied church music, Sunday school and missionary efforts," as opposed to the first church which did not. A huge fight ensued between the two factions and eventually, in 1846, the new schoolers built what is now North Fork Baptist Church, originally a two-story structure just east of the other church, but now only one story after the 1949 tornado ripped off its top.
By 1850, North Fork had a schoolhouse and a frame story on the southeast corner of North Fork and Melbourne-Globe Roads, where the Martins now live. The roads by North Fork were considered the "back way from Middleburg to Leesburg" by troops during the Civil War. During that time, the new schoolers canceled several church services because of troop movements.
In 1871, a store was opened about 50 yards from the intersection of North Fork and Lincoln Roads by James Ratcliffe and King Cole. It was open until 1907. Another store and post office, owned by William "Circleville" Brown, burned down in 1878, and a new store known as Circleville Post was opened near Cole and Ratcliffe, with a new post office known as North Fork.
Across the streets at North Fork Road and Lincoln Roads, there was a blacksmith shop from 1878 to about 1911. The blacksmith, Charles Schooley, was also a barber, and he later became the postmaster. The wheelwright shop was located across from Schooley's establishment, and coffins were made there, since he was the undertaker, and he kept the livery stable. There was also a shoemaker shop nearby.
So we can see now how busy North Fork merchants were before 1900. We will report more next week on the decline of business here.
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