It seems every day we hear more about the issue of run-off from farms into adjoining streams and waterways.  Farmers are being encouraged to help stop the amount of animal waste, pesticides, and fertilizers that make their way into the streams along the pastures.

Though some farmers still doubt the urgency to fence their grazing lands, others in Madison are already taking steps to fence their own pastures.  In this article in the local Madison newspaper, you can find out more about the types of assistance available to help farmers make this transition.

Recently, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said E. coli bacteria in the Robinson River and its tributary Little Dark Run are at a dangerous level.   The Culpeper Soil and Water District has helped 12 landowners in Madison County with fencing, as well as 47 landowners district-wide.

Madison County is on its way to becoming the Napa of Virginia! Well, not quite… you do still have to drive a distance between the vineyards, whereas Napa feels like you are at the Mall going store to store! DuCard Vineyards, Virginia’s newest winery, is having its Grand Opening this weekend, August 6-8. DuCard has five wines available for tasting and will also have entertainment for the weekend’s celebration. To learn more about DuCard and for directions, visit their website.

For anyone desiring to purchase or sell real estate, understanding the market is crucial to making wise investment decisions. Each quarter my firm, Gayle Harvey Real Estate, Inc., evaluates the market information provided by the Charlottesville Association of Realtors and creates charts and graphs to visually represent the current real estate market for specific types of properties and locations throughout the ten county region that we represent. In this post, I’ll be sharing with you the information that we have collected for Madison County. While the Multiple Listing Service does not distinguish between real farms and homes with acreage, we are forced to only show homes with acreage. I will refer to them as “farms” though. I know this can be a little deceiving as there is certainly a difference in the value of a property that has 50 acres of nice pasture land and one that sits on the side of a wooded mountain side. Given that, these numbers are generalities and every property is unique and dependent on location for its true value.

Madison County Va Farms Sold

Madison County Virginia Farms Sold Price

The chart below gives us a better picture of the market over the past few years and unfortunately Madison farms have not been immune from the effects of the recession.While back in 2007 & 2008 the price per acre was nearly $10,000/acre for larger acreage, today it is ranging around $6,000 per acre.

Madison County Median Sold Price Acre

Madison Arcade 1904

A lot of people don’t know that a major fire in 1919 altered the town of Madison in many ways.  In the last decade of the 18th century, a frame storehouse was located on the site of the Arcade in Madison VA.   It eventually housed a tavern on the lot by 1820, and the present brick building may date from that time or somewhat later.  In the mid-1800′s it was expanded as an inn, and a frame extension was added to the south side of the building, with a porch and balcony facing Main Street.  It had a brick arcade which served as the entrance to the rear of the inn.   By the 1880s, the inn was known as Madison House.  It’s fun to imagine the vitality at that time, as rooms, dining, and dancing graced the building.   But by the early 1900′s,  Madison House had ceased to function as an inn.  

Madison Fire 1919

Madison Fire 1919 Damage

The Madison Historical Society reports that “in 1919, a fire which began in the post office south of it destroyed the frame part of the building and gutted the Arcade but was prevented from spreading to the frame buildings to the north by its brick walls.  The brick building was restored, and a commercial cinder block addition constructed.”   Today’s town of Madison bears little resemblance to the pre-fire colonial village.

It is correct to assume that Madison County was named after our fouth president, James Madison, who practiced law there prior to becoming a Congressman and later president. Madison County orignally was part of Culpeper County and spilt away in 1792 to form the county as we know it today. Culpeper broke off from Orange County which had previously been a part of Spotsylvania County. The earliest known settlers were Germans who settled the area known as the Hebron Valley. Today this is a spectacular farming area at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. According to the Madison County Historical Society, the population of Madison in 1799 was 8,322. Today the population is approximately 13,702 according to the U.S.Census Bureau.

The Madison County Courthouse was built in 1830 and the town of Madison experienced a large fire in 1919. In 1929 President Hoover built a summer retreat near the Rapidan River, which was the predecessor of Camp David. Read more about the Hoover Camp

Today Madison County is known for its agricultural and rural beauty as well as its citizens’ commitment to resist the temptation to turn Madison into another suburb of Washington, D.C.

Also of interest is the Madison County Historical Society’s website.

Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria is a very popular destination in Madison County. Graves Moutain is known for its delicious homestyle cooking, apple harvest and music festivals.  This week they have a star-studded line up of  some of the country’s Top Blue Grass artists.  Unlike the festivals in the past, this year in conjunction with Rural Record Label’s 55th anniversary, the music will be recorded and made into a CD.  The organizers expect to see tremendous creativity among the artists and if you are a bluegrass music fan or just enjoy an outdoors music experience, I’m sure this is one festival you won’t want to miss!
Here are the details.