In 1749 George Washington age 17 was commissioned to survey and plot thetown and county of Culpeper. He recorded that the town occupied a high andpleasant situa... » 

In 1749 George Washington age 17 was commissioned to survey and plot thetown and county of Culpeper. He recorded that the town occupied a high andpleasant situation. Incorporated in 1834 Culpeper prospered as a majortrading and shipping point with the opening of a stagecoach route. The arrivalof the railroad in 1853 spurred even more economic development and madeCulpeper a strategic supply station for Confederate and Union troops. Occupiedby both armies throughout the war the Culpeper area witnessed more than 100battles and skirmishes and received many Confederate and Union generals.Military headquarters were established here with officers lodged in hotels anddining and entertaining downtown. Much of downtown Culpeper was built followingthe Civil War. The architectural character today reflects the 1888 buildingboom of High Victorian and Italianate styles. «