Preservation & Environmental Planning

Historic Resources and Historic Preservation

Preservation of the Town’s historic resources is an important goal of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The Town has a rich history as a railroad and commercial hub for the County and the area. In 2006, the Town of Purcellville Historic District was included on the Virginia Landmarks Register as a recognized historic district. The District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Designation as an historic district on the State and National Registers is honorary and does not bring with it any regulation of what property owners can do with their properties. Property owners within such a district may be able to qualify for State and Federal tax credits for eligible expenses for rehabilitating historic structures. Creation of this district was made possible by an architectural survey of the historic core of Purcellville completed in late August and a nomination application prepared by professional architectural historians from History Matters LLC of Washington, DC. The Town now has a complete survey of all structures within the older sections of town. In 2010, the Town individually listed the Bush Tabernacle and the Purcellville Train Station on both the State and National Registers as well.

The Town also created the Historic Corridor Overlay District which includes all properties adjacent to Main, 21st, 23rd, 32nd Streets and Berlin Turnpike. This special zoning overlay district does create limited regulations for the properties located within the district. For more information on zoning districts, please view our Zoning Ordinance.

The Town’s Board of Architectural Review reviews and approves projects (other than single family homes) within the Historic Corridor Overlay and in the non-residential areas of Town outside of that District. The Design Guidelines provide information about construction within a historic context.

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources provides information on tax credit programs and other information related to Historic Preservation in Virginia.

Related Information

Historic District Map
Department of Historic Resources (external link)
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (external link)
Purcellville Board of Architectural Review

Environmental Resources

The Town of Purcellville is committed to furthering good environmental stewardship and protection of our natural resources. The Council established the Committee on the Environment to review Town policies and provide feedback on areas where the Town could continue to provide protection of these important finite resources. The Town has been awarded three consecutive “Go Green” government awards as a certified “Green Government” and continues to help Town Citizens protect our natural resources.

Related Information

Zoning Ordinance (see Article 14 for information on Scenic Creek Buffer, Floodplains, Steep Slopes)
Committee on the Environment
Protecting and Preserving Wetlands (external link)
Army Corps of Engineers (external link)