Phillips Farm

A Great Place

The 144-acre Phillips Farm is located in Waterford, Virginia, a historic rural, Quaker village that has been designated a National Historic Landmark and lies north of Leesburg and Purcellville.

The farm is one of the many properties preserved by the Waterford Foundation in and around the village.  At the trailhead behind the Old Waterford Mill, you can pick up a trail brochure that details numerous points of interest that run through the property. Enjoy nature walks, birding and learning about our local history dating back to the 1700s.

As the south fork of the Catoctin Creek winds its way through the Phillips Farm in late spring, it leaves behind warm pools where tadpoles school and damp, sunny streamside nooks where butterflies gather.  Erosion of the banks of the Catoctin is severe, but Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy has partnered with the Waterford Foundation in an effort to create a buffer to prevent further soil loss.  In 2008 and 2009, LWC volunteers planted hundreds of trees and shrubs along the Creek and continue to monitor the area.

The property’s hayfields are still in production and are divided by original stonewalls and hedgerows providing habitat for a multitude of songbirds and insects.  Wildflowers abound in the spring and summer.  The opportunities for wildlife photography are limited only by the time you might have to enjoy this special place.  All of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Citizen Science monitoring programs are ongoing on this property, from bird and butterfly counts to stream and amphibian monitoring.