The Ashby’s Gap Turnpike GeoTrail
National Sporting Library and Museum
Presented by the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area
This cache is part of a series that takes you along the former Ashby’s Gap Turnpike. For centuries, this path was a vital thoroughfare across Northern Virginia. From its beginnings as a Native American trail, through its use as a colonial road and 19th century turnpike, to its transformation into a modern highway, this road has seen a lot of history. The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area invites you to follow in the footsteps of Native hunters, colonial settlers, enslaved African-Americans, Civil War soldiers, and more.
The cache is not at the posted coordinates!
The National Sporting Library and Museum was established in 1954 as a place “Dedicated to preserving, promoting and sharing the literature, art and culture of equestrian, angling and field sports.” Inside are galleries that showcase artwork dating back thousands of years, as well as a full research library. It also serves as an important reminder of the Middleburg area’s equestrian past.
In 1853, Colonel Richard Henry Dulany established the Upperville Colt and Horse Show at Grafton Farm, just a few miles west of Middleburg. It was the first dedicated horse show of its kind in the United States, and it still continues to draw thousands from around the world to Middleburg each summer. Colonel Dulany was also responsible for founding the Piedmont Fox Hounds in 1840, making them the oldest active hunt in the United States.
During the Civil War, horses and mules were increasingly vital for the war effort on both sides. They were not only needed to mount officers and cavalrymen, but also for pulling artillery and supply wagons as well. The toll on horses and mules during the war is often forgotten, but a statue stands on the grounds of NSLM as a reminder of their sacrifices.
In the early decades of the 20th century, wealthy northerners flocked to the Middleburg area, establishing country estates and founding several other hunts. American foxhunting was reinvigorated in 1905 with the “Great Hound Match,” in which the American hounds proved equal to their British counterparts. The match took place on the territory of the Piedmont Hunt, west of Middleburg.
The coordinates will lead you to a touching monument that shows the toll the Civil War took on equines. To find the cache, solve for the following:
The monument was sculpted in 19(A)
Many horses died within (B) miles of Middleburg.
N 38° 57. (891 + A)
W 77° 44. (344 - B)
VPHA has permission from the NSLM. Please seek the final stage during daylight hours only.
VPHA’s mission is to educate and advocate for the preservation of the extraordinary historic landscape and culture of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area for future generations. The Area includes all or parts of five counties in the northern Virginia Piedmont and lower Shenandoah Valley: Loudoun, Fauquier, Clarke, Prince William, and Warren Counties.
By telling our stories, we hope to inspire people to care for and protect our outstanding historical resources.