The Ashby’s Gap Turnpike GeoTrail
Goose Creek Bridge
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 final stage is not at the listed coordinates!
Long before the construction of the Ashby’s Gap Turnpike, an earlier Native American/Colonial road ran west to Ashby’s Gap. That path crossed Goose Creek at a location that became known as Violette’s Ford. In the first decade of the 19th century, a large bridge was constructed near the ford to carry the Turnpike over Goose Creek. Measuring over 200 feet, it is one of the largest and oldest masonry bridges in Virginia. During the antebellum period the bridge carried foot and vehicle traffic along the Turnpike, and travelers would have to stop and pay a toll at the tollhouse which stood near the northeast corner of the bridge.
On June 21, 1863 US cavalry and infantry pushed Confederate troops across the bridge to the west bank of Goose Creek. The high, steep ground along the stream was perfect defensive terrain, and any attack across the bridge itself would be exposed to rifle and cannon fire. A mounted charge across the bridge were repulsed by the Confederates dug in on the west bank. Both sides settled into an artillery duel, as cannoneers from both armies traded shots for over an hour. Finally, the US forces resolved to make another attack. Under the cover of an intense artillery barrage, infantry from the Strong Vincent’s brigade scrambled down the steep embankments and splashed across the creek. At the same time mounted cavalry rushed across the bridge, finally driving the Confederates from their positions and westward along the Turnpike towards the town of Upperville.
Traffic continued to use the Goose Creek bridge for decades after the end of the Civil War and well into the automobile era. The turnpike, which had been macadamized in the 19th century, was paved with concrete and asphalt. Portions of the road can still be seen at the eastern and western ends of the bridge. The bridge was finally abandoned in 1957 during the same road straightening that bypassed the village of Atoka. Goose Creek Bridge would have likely crumbled if not for the Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club, who took ownership of the property and helped to preserve the structure. In 2017 the Bridge and surrounding land were given to NOVA Parks, who continue to maintain the area for visitors.
To find the cache answer the following questions. All information can be found on the accompanying signs.
A = How many years did the construction of the bridge take?
B = The second attack across the creek involved men of the 16th Michigan and the B3rd Pennsylvania
C = Senator John W. Warner donated 12 acres of land to the Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club in 19C5
DE = The total length of the bridge is 2DE feet
F = The first unsuccessful attack across the bridge was carried out by the Fth New York Cavalry
The final location can be found at N 38° 58.ABC W 077° 49.DEF
Checksum is 32.
Please seek the cache during daylight hours only. This cache is placed with the permission of NOVA Parks.
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.