Residents with children in grades K-12 will attend the schools of the Loudoun County Public Schools system. Eleven elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools and three private schools are ready to serve the educational needs of students. Once students graduate and are ready to move forward into a collegiate learning environment, campuses for Strayer University, Northern Virginia Community College, George Washington University, and Old Dominion University among others are located nearby.
Residents looking to take a tour of Ashburn to learn more about the historic roots of Ashburn will want to check out the community’s own four landmarks: Janelia Farm, Belmont Plantation, Ashburn Presbyterian Church, and the Broad Run Bridge and Toll House.
Ashburn's beginnings trace back to the 1720s when Thomas Lee and Robert Carter tried to outwit each other by buying up strategic pieces of the Virginia countryside. Each sought to control the commercial destiny of the colony. Lee, influenced by Britain's success on the seas, held the theory that control of the waterways equaled control of the colony. Belmont, Lee's grandson's Ashburn estate, is situated near the Potomac River and Goose Creek. Carter, nicknamed "King" because he owned vast quantities of land, felt destiny would reward the man who controlled land transportation, so he purchased land that controlled the approaches to mountain passes.
Too far from Washington to be a railroad suburb, during its heyday (1880-1920), Ashburn grew into the largest commercial center in Loudoun County east of Leesburg. It was also a summer resort for people escaping the heat of the city. The Ashburn House, built in 1882 and now a purple-painted private residence was a popular hotel frequented by fisherman desirous of trying the excellent bass fishing in nearby Goose Creek.
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