History of Haymarket
In the year 1799, the small town nicknamed the “Crossroads” was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly to be built on the land of William Skinner. This town of Haymarket contained 13 streets and 140 building lots. Soon after the creation of this small town, it was selected to be the site of a new district court that would be responsible for serving surrounding counties, including Loudoun, Fairfax, Fauquier, and Prince William. By 1801, a courthouse, jail, and clerk’s office had been constructed. Infrastructure in Haymarket grew as a result of the business created by those traveling to and from the newly built courthouse. Unfortunately for the town, in 1807, the Virginia General Assembly turned to a circuit court system, thus reducing the influence Haymarket had on the local area.
This small town would continue to thrive even without being the area’s important court until 1862, when tragedy struck. It was on a cold night in November of 1862 when the town was almost completely destroyed from a Union patrol that had been sent into the town searching for a suspected sniper. The troops pushed their way into homes trying to find the sniper but found no one. In an act of desperation, they set fire to most of the buildings, trying to force him out of hiding. By early morning all that was still standing were four buildings: the church and three houses. The remainder of the Civil War decimated Haymarket; however, the town was resilient. The people rebuilt their cherished town and to this day, this town has continued to grow.
This town has gradually evolved from a small, rural enclave into a new kind of “Crossroads” by providing the link between the rolling farms to the west with the Blue Ridge Mountains and the hustle and bustle of metropolitan D.C. to the east. Today, Haymarket is a residential hub for employees of the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with an ideal balance of sleek modernity and bucolic fields.
Gainesville Ruritans
The Ruritans have nearly 34,000 members throughout the United States, that work to improve more than 1,200 local communities. Since the organization’s beginning in 1928, Ruritan Clubs have served America with Fellowship, Goodwill, and Community Service. The Ruritans are a civic service organization made up of local clubs in urban areas, small towns and rural communities.
The Ruritan's purpose is to create a better understanding among people and through volunteer community service, make America's communities better places in which to live and work. The slogan of Ruritan is "Fellowship, Goodwill and Community Service." Club membership represents a cross-section of the community in which the club serves, and is not restrictive with regard to occupation, social position, or any other specific criteria.
