Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine September 2025

WARRENTON LIFESTYLE

Get to know your feathered neighbors

LiveLiFeHealthiest Your LiveLiFe

LiveLiFeHealthiest Your LiveLiFe

Compassionate. Caring. Nationally recognized.

LiveLiFeHealthiest Your LiveLiFe

Fauquier Health has earned Leapfrog’s Top General Hospital award for outstanding quality and safety—the only hospital in Virginia and one of just 36 in the nation to receive this distinction.

Compassionate. Caring. Nationally recognized.

Compassionate. Caring. Nationally recognized.

This honor acknowledges the efforts of our caregivers to keep our patients safe. We’re proud to be recognized as one of the safest hospitals in America.

Fauquier Health has earned Leapfrog’s Top General Hospital award for outstanding quality and safety—the only hospital in Virginia and one of just 36 in the nation to receive this distinction.

Fauquier Health has earned Leapfrog’s Top General Hospital award for outstanding quality and safety—the only hospital in Virginia and one of just 36 in the nation to receive this distinction.

With trusted care, close to home, we’ll help you live your healthiest life.

This honor acknowledges the efforts of our caregivers to keep our patients safe. We’re proud to be recognized as one of the safest hospitals in America.

This honor acknowledges the efforts of our caregivers to keep our patients safe. We’re proud to be recognized as one of the safest hospitals in America.

With trusted care, close to home, we’ll help you live your healthiest life.

See all we have to offer at FauquierHealth.org

With trusted care, close to home, we’ll help you live your healthiest life.

See all we have to offer at FauquierHealth.org

See all we have to offer at FauquierHealth.org

FROM THE EDITOR

There is an article in this issue that I’ve been working on for a while now, and I’ve had people asking when it would be coming out.

The article on Rockwood Hall was a labor of love for me. I met so many people, both in person and by phone or email, that know so much about Fauquier County and its past. There’s not a lot of information about Rockwood Hall out there, so I was relying a lot on people’s personal recollections and stories they had heard from their parents or grandparents and memorabilia and photos they still had. It was so fascinating to see and hear it all. It took some time and organization to pull everything together.

Some might ask, why not use AI to do all that?

AI can do a lot of things. It can, I discovered after laboriously researching and creating my own spreadsheet, design me a perennial garden complete with plant selections and diagrams in seconds.

But AI can’t do everything. It can only mine information from the internet which, admittedly, is an unfathomably vast amount. It can’t find what’s not there, things that haven’t been digitized.

For instance, AI cannot access the memories of a 90-year-old man who remembers Jimmy Dean per-

WARRENTON LIFESTYLE

A Celebration of Fauquier County

PUBLISHER

Dennis Brack

dennis@warrentonlifestyle.com

EDITOR

Pam Kamphuis pam@warrentonlifestyle.com

ART DIRECTOR

Kara Thorpe

kara@warrentonlifestyle.com

ADVERTISING

Sales Director: Jim Kelly

jim@warrentonlifestyle.com, 434-987-3542

Senior Account Executive: Cindy McBride cindy@warrentonlifestyle.com, 540-229-6038

Multimedia Marketing Specialist: Jennifer Margerum jennifer@warrentonlifestyle.com, 703-501-1657

CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR

Jay Ford

creative@warrentonlifestyle.com

forming at the dance hall in Warrenton while waiting for his mother, a waitress, to get off work in the 1950s. Thank you for your time, Mr. Gray.

It can’t capture the nostalgia in an elderly woman’s voice as she recalled dancing there with her husband in the years after WWII and listening to the country music from Rockwood Hall from their nearby home. Thank you for talking to me, Mrs. Head.

And it can’t bring the place to life like a first-person account in the form of a handwritten letter from a serviceman stationed overseas that has been treasured by the proprietors’ family since the early 1940s. Thank you for sharing with us, Mr. Cockerille.

Although AI could, technically, create articles for this magazine, I don’t use it for that purpose. The content wouldn’t be as genuine or as comprehensive as it can be by talking to people and getting to know them. That’s what I’d like Warrenton Lifestyle to be about.

Sometimes it’s the long way around, but gosh, it’s fun.

EDITOR

Pam Kamphuis

ACCOUNTING

Carina Richard-Wheat cwheat@insidenova.com 540-905-7791

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Email: subscribe@warrentonlifestyle.com 540-675-3338

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICE

Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine 70 Main Street (by appointment only) Warrenton, VA 20186 • 540-349-2951 ON THE WEB FauquierNow.com/lifestyle

Facebook: @FauquierNow, @WarrentonLifestyleMagazine Email Newsletter: Sign up at FauquierNow.com

The Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine is published monthly and distributed to over 11,500 selected addresses. While reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to any such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. While ensuring that all published information is accurate, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or omissions. Reproduction in whole or part of any of the text, illustration or photograph is strictly forbidden. ©2025 Rappahannock Media LLC.

facebook.com/FauquierNow twitter.com/FauquierNow

Visit us for the latest local news, calendar, classifieds, obituaries, real estate announcements, newsletter sign up, Warrenton Lifestyle content, and more.

Local volunteer opportunities in our community

Bits of Fall Pumpkin spice, crisp cider, cozy shops—Autumn’s best bits, all right here

Arts Love Sew Modern Erin Grogan’s quilt designs bring a contemporary look to an age-old craft BY PAM

KAMPHUIS

Get to know — and understand — your neighbors with feathered friends BY PAM

KAMPHUIS

38 Local History Rockwood Hall was The Place to Be Warrenton dance club welcomed Patsy Cline, Jimmy Dean & other top acts of the day BY

PAM KAMPHUIS

Real Estate Roundup Fauquier’s Top 10

On the Cover Anthony and Ashley Lucero of Sumerduck with their children Eliana, Leah and Little Tony. Photo by Luke Christopher.

From Curiosity to Confidence:

How Wakefield’s Inquiry-Based Learning Shapes Lifelong Thinkers

BY ELISE SCALISE

At Wakefield School, learning doesn’t begin with answers, it begins with questions.

Whether it’s a kindergartener asking why the seasons change, a middle-schooler exploring the ethics of artificial intelligence, or an upper school student designing a self-directed capstone project, curiosity is the driving force behind the Wakefield experience. An inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning fosters confident, capable thinkers prepared not only for college but for life.

Learning to Ask the Right Questions

Inquiry-based learning is more than a teaching method at Wakefield. It’s a philosophy. Rather than relying solely on textbooks or lectures, students engage in open-ended exploration. Teachers serve as facilitators and guides, helping students uncover meaning through observation, experimentation, discussion, and reflection.

In the Lower School, students become explorers of the world around them. A second-grade science unit on habitats might evolve into a collaborative art mural, with students illustrating the animals and environments they’ve researched, from arctic tundras to rainforest canopies. Wakefield’s youngest students are naturally curious. They are encouraged to wonder aloud, investigate their ideas, and express their learning creatively.

Critical Thinking in Action

As students move into Middle School, inquiry takes on a deeper dimension: grappling with ambiguity, forming arguments, and connecting ideas across disciplines. In humanities classes, students explore essential questions like “What makes a society just?” or “How does history shape identity?” In science labs, they engage in hands-on labs to test their own hypotheses to encourage deeper level thinking.

Teachers create learning environments where it’s safe to take intellectual risks, wanting students to know that not having

“At Wakefield, curiosity is not a phase to be outgrown but a skill to be nurtured for college, career, and a meaningful life.”

the ‘right’ answer immediately is part of the process. Struggle leads to insight.

Owning the Learning Journey

By Upper School, Wakefield students are equipped to drive their own learning in meaningful ways. Through the Independent Study program, students work with faculty mentors to design and pursue self-directed, specialized courses of study in areas of personal interest, building skills that prepare them for their next adventures post-grad.

This culminates years of building the habits of inquiry: questioning, evaluating, synthesizing, and reflecting. Students leave Wakefield not only with knowledge, but with

the skills and confidence to apply that knowledge in creative, impactful ways.

Prepared for a Complex World

In a rapidly changing world, the ability to think critically, ask good questions, and adapt to new information is more important than ever. At Wakefield, curiosity is not a phase to be outgrown but a skill to be nurtured for college, career, and a meaningful life.

Wakefield helps students learn how to think deeply. It is not just about memorizing facts, but learning how to approach problems, how to collaborate, and how to communicate ideas. These are skills students use every day at Wakefield and beyond.

Best Bets

Old Town Warrenton Fall Festival

SATURDAY, OCT. 4

Main Street in Historic Old Town Warrenton transforms with arts, music, crafters, strolling entertainment and festival food during the Annual Old Town Warrenton Fall Festival. Named one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeastern United States and drawing up to 25,000 visitors, this event is a perfect family day, offering something for everyone. This rural county seat opens its streets to 160 booths with a wide variety of artisans and crafters exhibiting and selling everything from handmade jewelry, fine arts, candles, tee shirts, wood furniture, stained glass goods and many other special items. In addition, visitors will find a variety of vendors showcasing their services and community causes as well as a truly incredible variety of food offerings providing for a full day of fun, shopping, food and entertainment for all!

2nd Annual Rokeby Community Fall Festival

SEPTEMBER 27, 10 A.M. - 5 P.M.

OAK SPRING GARDEN FOUNDATION, 8538

MILL REEF ROAD, UPPERVILLE

Oak Spring Foundation is thrilled to welcome visitors to the second annual Rokeby Community Festival where guests of all ages can get into the fall spirit with friends and family. The Rokeby Farm property has a long and storied history as an icon of the Virginia Piedmont as a place where agriculture, art, learning, and community thrive together in the beautiful countryside. Enjoy a day of live music from local artists, shop at the plant sale, gift shop and local craft market stalls, and attend plant and garden presentations and field walks. The kids will have a blast with activities including games, inflatables, a scavenger hunt, a hay bale competition, cover crop maze and more. Food offerings will include specialties from vendors such as Red Truck Bakery, MooThru, and a variety of local food trucks. Tickets $10/$15.

16th Annual Rappahannock County Farm Tour

SEPTEMBER 27 – 28, 11 A.M. - 5 P.M.

Don’t miss this self-guided driving tour through the breathtaking background of beautiful Rappahannock County while learning about the area’s agricultural offerings. After picking up your guidebook at the Rappahannock County Visitors Center, explore a variety of farms that will be open to the public on these two days at your own pace. There is something for everyone to enjoy, from hayrides, farm animals, wineries, goats, sheep, chickens, cows, bees and apiaries, pick your own apples and more! The mission of the Rappahannock County Farm Tour™ is to present an unforgettable, educational and enriching experience of Rappahannock County’s (Agri)Culture. /rappfarmtour.org/

Community Read Evening with the Author

THURSDAY, SEPT. 11, 7 P.M.

RICE THEATER, HIGHLAND SCHOOL, 597 BROADVIEW AVENUE, WARRENTON

Hume Day

SATURDAY, SEPT. 13

LEEDS RURITAN PARK 12032 HUME ROAD, HUME

Hume Day at Leeds Manor Park celebrates the relaxed country lifestyle of northern Fauquier County with an old-fashioned village celebration. Vendors will be on site with homemade crafts, jewelry, candles, fresh farm products, and baked goods. A highlight is the traditional old-time Leeds Equestrian Ring Jousting Tournament that is eagerly awaited every year. In this exciting equestrian sport that has huge spectator appeal, riders of all ages (from children on their ponies on leadline to adults at a full gallop) aim to spear a hanging 2-3-inch ring with their lance. The kids will have a blast with games and barrel train rides, and don’t miss the results of the highly competitive Great Homemade Apple Pie Contest. Don’t worry about going hungry since Marriott Ranch will serve a traditional BBQ lunch. The event is hosted by the Leeds Ruritan Club, a nonprofit community service organization. All proceeds support the maintenance of the park, the Leeds Ruritan Scholarship Fund and the Reading is Fundamental Program.

At this culmination of their 2025 Community Read, the Fauquier Library will host an evening with author Lynda Rutledge. Since July, avid readers in the community have been exploring her novel “West with Giraffes” which is inspired by two giraffes that traveled from New York to the San Diego Zoo in wooden crates in a makeshift truck in 1938. Rutledge will discuss her writing and research methods for the novel and emphasize how giraffes, a threatened species, need protection. An author Q&A session and book signing will follow the presentation. The event is free; registration is required. fauquierlibrary.org

You deserve outstanding service from experts who will help protect your home and best interests. Since 2005, our team of carefully screened craftsmen has helped over 1,300 homeowners complete over 3,700 projects while maintaining the highest client ratings and an A+ BBB rating. We’re committed to excellence and would love to help guide you through achieving your vision for your home.

We invite you to call today to schedule an estimate and start your home’s transformation.

The gift of time and talent

Warrenton Lifestyle’s ongoing “giving back” feature highlights some of the countless time and talent volunteer opportunities in Fauquier County and nearby. In this we hope to bring awareness not only to the needs of our neighbors and the organizations that help but the many ways you can be a part of strengthening even more what is already an impressive community.

Setup/takedown Volunteer

WARRENTON FARMERS MARKET

Warrenton Farmers Market is celebrating 50 years of bringing fresh, local, and sustainable food, food derived items, arts, crafts, creations, and more to the community. With the expansion of the farmers market and the addition of the artisan market, more volunteers are needed. Volunteers will assist with everything including setup and takedown of signage, loading and delivery of supplies, setting up trash receptacles and more. Saturday mornings, three shift opportunities are available. Director@oldtownwarrenton.org

Coach/Mentor

GIRLS ON THE RUN PIEDMONT (NO RUNNING REQUIRED!)

Inspire. Empower. Make a Difference. Join Girls on the Run Piedmont as a volunteer coach and help empower girls in grades 3-8 to be joyful, healthy, and confident. This is about helping girls discover their strengths and believe they can handle whatever life throws their way. Volunteers will lead a small team of girls through a 10-week curriculum that blends movement with lessons on friendship, self-worth and resilience through discussions, games and activities. No prior coaching experience needed; all training, materials and lesson plans are provided and volunteers will be supported by a co-coach team. Volunteers must be over 21 and pass a background check.

gotrpiedmont.org/coach

Katie Oleson: katie.oleson@girlsontherun.org 540-296-4687

For more opportunities to help, check the PATH Foundation’s Volunteer Hub database at letsvolunteer.org or inquire at another nearby nonprofit or organization that relies on volunteer assistance.

Are you an organization in need of volunteers? Email editor@warrentonlifestyle.com with information.

fall BITS OF

PUMPKIN SPICE, CRISP CIDER, COZY SHOPS— OUR ROUNDUP OF AUTUMN’S BEST BITS, ALL RIGHT HERE.

If there was ever a season for hard cider, fall is it! This specialty Harvest Pumpkin Cider is reminiscent of gingerbread, with a hint of spice and a great balance of sweetness and dryness.

COBBLER MOUNTAIN CELLARS, DELAPLANE

What is fall without enjoying a baristacreated Pumpkin Spice Latte? Especially when it’s garnished with a caramel pumpkin design on the top?

HALF PAST MOON COFFEE BUZZ, MARSHALL

F F E E

September gets everyone thinking about fall, but it’s still warm enough for ice cream! Try handcrafted, slow churned frozen delights in seasonal flavors at Fauquier’s popular ice cream parlor: pumpkin pecan caramel ice cream.

MOO THRU, REMINGTON

Local restaurants source fresh ingredients, which means dishes with fall vegetables will be on the specials lists around town. Keep an eye out for seasonal entrees like a Claire’s favorite, Butternut Squash Risotto

CLAIRE’S AT THE DEPOT, WARRENTON on the menu

This Orange Harvest Cocktail blends bold espresso meets silky citrus for a vibrant, modern twist.

KEELAN MARSHALL, BARTENDER, O’BRIEN’S IRISH PUB, WARRENTON

Don’t forget your outdoor decor this fall. There is plenty of time left in the growing season, and you can make your yard or porch shine with autumn colors.

Other plants to consider?

Try Sedum “Autumn Joy” (4), Heuchera Coral Bell (5), Pansies “Panola Orange,” or Zinnia “Magellan Orange.”

Mums (1) are the classic fall flower available in an array of colors with long lasting blooms, but combine them with ornamental kale (2) (in purple, green, pink, or white) and ornamental peppers (3) for a harvest look.

in the garden

Love Sew Modern

Warrenton resident and owner of Love Sew Modern, a quilting design and educational business, Erin Grogan is no stranger to needle and thread. She was exposed to sewing at an early age by her grandmother, a professional seamstress. It became something special between them that created a lifetime bond.

As a child, Grogan would watch her grandmother at the sewing machine. She said, “She dropped a lot of pins while working and it was my job to crawl around under the table after we were done sewing to find them all.”

When she was in the fourth grade, Grogan convinced her grandmother to teach her how to use the sewing machine. The first project they worked on together was a matching green, pleather knee length pencil skirt with a vest.

During her high school years, Grogan designed her school clothes in a sketchbook and spent summers working with her grandmother to choose the fabrics and bring the sketches to life.

She said, “The last project we worked on was my high school prom dress. Her dementia was starting to progress, and she ended up not being able to help me finish it. She was so crushed and upset. I had always imagined that we would make my wedding dress together. She passed away in 2012.”

In college Grogan pursued other creative interests, and it wasn’t until her daughter Keira, her second child, was born in 2016 that she thought about

sewing again. She wanted to make matching outfits for them to wear. Using that very same sewing machine, she often sewed late into the nights.

But it was a solitary job. She enjoyed what she was doing, but sewing for her had always been about sharing the experience with her grandmother.

Finding a community

In 2017, Grogan discovered Oh Sew Persnickety, a modern quilt store in Haymarket and felt a deep connection and new inspiration.

“Until I walked into that quilt shop for the first time I had never seen anything like it,” she said, referring to the bright fabrics on the shelves and modern quilts hanging on the walls.

She slowly started shifting her time from sewing garments to creating quilts and explained, “Quilting didn't just give me another creative outlet, but it also brought me a community. I started joining local quilting guilds and making friends.”

Erin Grogan’s quilt designs bring a contemporary look to an age-old craft.

BY PAM KAMPHUIS

We’ve got Fauquier County covered!

IN PRINT:

WARRENTON LIFESTYLE

a true community magazine

• Get to know your neighbors: Amazing Kids, Local Heroes, Interesting Characters and more!

• Heritage - a look back into the past

• Local Authors and Artists

• Nonprofit Spotlights and Events

• Food and Drink - Recipes

• Every year: Best of Fauquier and

ONLINE:

FAUQUIERNOW up to the minute local news

• Government and Politics

• Public Safety and Crime

• Business

• Education

• Obituaries

• Calendar

• Classifieds

• Opinion

• Real Estate

IN YOUR INBOX:

Newsletters

• Daily Headlines

• Best Bets (top weekend event picks)

• Local Offers

IN YOUR MAILBOX:

Subscriptions available for print issues! check us out!

Into the Future

Grogan said, “Once I became confident in my quilting skills, I started to experiment with designing my own quilts and was no longer sewing from patterns. Making quilts started to feel like creating art in a way that garment sewing didn't. The fabric became my paints and the only limit to what I could create was my imagination.”

And her imagination led her designs into a more modern direction. While traditional quilts use small blocks that repeat neutral tones of colors in a pattern, Grogan’s quilts feature larger shapes such as birds and flowers in brighter colors.

In 2019, Grogan became active in the online quilting community and started advising others. Her knowledge led to requests for her to create instructional videos, which were very well received.

The Next Step

Living in Bristow, Grogan and her husband Patrick had two children who were growing up fast. Too fast. With her son in school, she wanted to make the most of the precious time with her daughter before she started kindergarten.

In early 2020, Grogan made the leap to leave her corporate job and turn her quilting

skills into a business. “It was terrifying. I had been thinking about leaving that job for at least a year but needed to help support my family,” she said.

Her excellent reputation for her educational materials and positive feedback from expert quilters in the online group gave her the confidence to move ahead.

Around that time, the Grogans discovered Old Town Warrenton and fell in love with the small-town charm. They moved here during the summer of 2020.

The business grew slowly at first, with Grogan building her audience on her Instagram page where she had been sharing her work for some

Quilting didn’t just give me another creative outlet, but it also brought me a community.

time. But she found her biggest support to be not online, but in person from local quilt shops. Even though she was virtually unknown, the shops started selling her patterns in their stores and brought her in to teach workshops.

Now, Grogan offers quilting classes locally, but her influence and knowledge has expanded internationally through a combination of virtual lectures and instruction and traveling to hold workshops for quilting guilds as far away as Canada and Singapore. Her patterns are sought after and sold online worldwide, and her book, “Retro Curved Pieced Quilts: 15 Throwback Designs for Today's Quilter,” is available at local shops and on her website.

A Warm Hug

Grogan very rarely sells her handmade quilts, since the time, materials and skill involved in their creation make the resulting price more than the market will bear for the most part. But her skills are put to good use for the community.

Haymarket Quilters Unlimited, a quilters’ guild Grogan belongs to, often works with nonprofits to donate quilts to those in need of com-

fort. These recipients have included victims of domestic violence, homeless children and those with dementia. The guild partners yearly with organizations such as Joshua’s Hands, who has provided over 2,600 handmade quilts for American veterans who have been injured in service of our country since 2011.

“We give quilts to provide comfort during hard times. Wrapping a handmade quilt around you can feel like a warm hug and lets the recipient know they’re not alone and someone cares about them,” Grogan explained.

This, of course, has been the case with quilts throughout history. Handmade heirloom quilts, often passed down through generations, are like a connection to an ancestor. As can be expected, these quilts go through some wear and tear over the years and need repair.

Such was the case for Brandi Norell, the owner of Studio Luxe in Old Town Warrenton. Grogan meticulously restored an heirloom quilt that had been in Norell’s family for a century.

“This project was a labor of love and joy,” Grogan said. “I hope it lasts her family another hundred years.”

And Grogan is passing on her love and skill on down through her own family. Guided by her mother, 9-year-old Keira is now working on her third quilt.

"I like learning to quilt with my mom. I'm not sure if I will always make quilts, but I know I'm going to make at least a few more," she said. L

CHiCken h at

BY PAM KAMPHUIS

Backyard chickens have become increasingly popular, and many people have joined the ever-growing group of chicken keepers, even on small properties.

We put out a call to backyard chicken owners in Fauquier County to share their stories and got a big, enthusiastic response. Chicken owners love to talk chickens.

For many, their initial interest starts with the lure of a supply of fresh, sustainably raised eggs. But a lot of new chicken owners may be surprised when their feathered egg suppliers join the family as treasured pets.

Chicken keeping is not just for adults, either. We received responses from kids — one as young as 3 years old — who are either very involved in the acquisition and care of their chickens or are the main caregiver. Parents value the lessons their children learn from the activity, foremost being the importance of responsibility.

In addition to responses about chickens, we received a few notes asking, “What about ducks?” So, you’ll find a few duck stories in here, too.

Read on and get to know (and maybe understand) your neighbors with chicken coops in their yards!

KEEPING CHICKENS in Fauquier

Carina RichardWheat

BEALETON

5 ducks: Fluffy, Cupcake, Squishy and “house ducks” Little Miss Mae and Beanie Weenie

Owned ducks for 5 years

My best friend, Evelyn, took me to Rural King to purchase chicks. I had received advanced direct instruction from my sweet husband that I was only allowed to purchase six chicks, and absolutely no ducks. So, I came home with eight chicks and two ducklings, and the rest is history. The best thing about having ducks is the amount of joy they have added to my life. My ducks live better than most. Mae and Bean have their own dedicated beds and Fluffy has a private pool.

Regulations allow homeowners on lots as small as 20,000 square feet to raise chickens by adhering to certain standards and limitations involving number of birds, care, shelter and confinement. Enterprises must be personal, not commercial. Be sure to check your local zoning and HOA restrictions.

Alden and Zavier Peterson

THE PLAINS

23 chickens, including rooster Gecko, and hens Marshmallow, Lavender, Kiwi, Cutie, Cutie Patootie and Eggy

Egg yield: 5 eggs per day Owned chickens for 8 months

My Auntie D surprised us with our first flock. She made boxes wrapped up like presents and put the chickens inside in the yard so when we opened the box there was a chicken that ran out! I love to hear the rooster calling. I love them running around our yard and our family loves them too.

They’re part of our family and they’re pretty adorable. They’re beautiful in the sunshine when their feathers shine.

— ALDEN, AGE 8

I loved helping Dad build the coop. I liked working on the design and putting it all together. We painted it too.

— ZAVIER, AGE 5

Jocelyn Carruthers

I’m a Fauquier native and I’ve had chickens/poultry my whole entire life. I’m teaching my daughter all that I know because hands-on learning and passing down knowledge is priceless. I’ve owned, bred and raised (almost) every kind of poultry there is — from bantam chickens to peacocks to pigeons to quail to ornamental show chickens. We even had a pet goose who was basically a dog.

Jeffrey Harris and Dr. Paul Harris and their

Tameron Voss, Fluffy Butt Farm

WARRENTON

5 chickens, Lavender Haze, Opal, Tess, Floppy Comb and Rose

Egg yield: 3-5 eggs per day each, which means my friends and neighbors are never short on farmfresh eggs (and they’re very appreciative!)

When my daughter left for college — my last little bird to leave the nest — I found myself with a quiet house and an emptier heart than I expected. I needed something meaningful to fill that space, and I never imagined chickens would be the answer.

The moment they see me coming, they run to greet me, and it fills me with so much joy.

Fluffy Butt Farm may have started as a hobby, but it’s become a healing, heartwarming chapter of my life — and I wouldn’t trade these feathered friends for anything.

The Lucero Family SUMERDUCK

28 chickens

Owned chickens for 6 years

Egg yield: 12-16 eggs per day

We used to name our chickens but had stopped a few years ago, we have a lot so it’s hard to keep track. My favorite names from the past are Small Fry, and Twilight Sparkle.

I have chickens for a few reasons, of course fresh for fresh eggs, but also as a hobby for myself and my kids. My daughters Eliana (4.5) and Leah (3) help me with “chicken chores” daily

I view them as both livestock and pets, I depend on them for eggs but also spend a lot of time caring for them. I try not to get too attached since it’s usually your favorite chicken who ends up having some sort of demise.

We let our hens part day free range, and I recently had a hen who was running off to the woods, then would return a bit later. I somehow overlooked that she had made herself a nice and cozy nesting area in the woods to lay her eggs. I was quite shocked and disappointed to find almost 2 dozen eggs in the woods.

Heather Rice

OLD TOWN WARRENTON

We have had chickens for 5 years. My son Cameron decided he wanted chickens for pets, and the rest is history. He is known as the chicken whisperer. He likes to name them names that aren’t typical names, like Honkers, Fancypants, Potato, and Oreo.

We also have a crazy white polish roo named Mary. I am sure you have heard him crow...would you like a rooster? And we have two ducks.

My son walks some of the hens uptown on First Fridays in a makeshift baby stroller I converted.

Our favorite story is when our four original chickens decided to take a walk uptown while I was at work. My mom was sitting on the porch. She saw two police officers chasing my four chickens and they couldn’t catch them, but when my son got home from school, he got them with no problem. The officer asked me as the chickens turned the corner into my yard, “Are these your chickens? They were stopping traffic at Molly’s.”

I have a tik tok page I post about them sometimes #oldtownchickenlady

Eliza Stocking

BROAD RUN

6 chickens, 3 years

Egg yield: one egg per day per chicken

We got chickens to provide our family with a sustainable food source (from their eggs).

We also wanted our son to learn responsibility in caring for animals beyond our cat and dog. They are a great way for children to understand a little more about where our food comes from.

Although we mainly have the chickens for their eggs, we treat all our animals with compassion and respect. They each have their own personalities and bring both joy and plenty of laughter to our lives. They are named Minerva Louise (from the children’s book by author Janet Stoeke about the entertaining adventures of a curious hen), Parsnip, and Junebug.

They are great at cleaning out pests from our garden! Our son Jacob (8) enjoys collecting the eggs and you can often find him sitting with the ladies, holding them and feeding them treats.

Kasey Morris

WARRENTON

15 chickens, 9 geese, 2 ducks, and 2 turkeys. Owned chickens for 5 years

Egg yield: 2-3 dozen per week

We first got chickens to have a small supply of fresh eggs. From there, it became a bit of an addiction to add various breeds to get different colored eggs.

Some of them have names, some of them don’t — it depends a bit how personable they are. Two of my favorites are Antonia and Stephanie. We also have a rooster named Claudius (after the emperor) and a hen named Minerva Minor. I was a Classics major in col-

lege, so a lot of the chickens with names have a classical theme.

Once my chicken “addiction” took off, I became interested in show poultry. After attending a large show as a spectator, I was inspired to write my book “Love & Chickens,” which can best be described as Ali Hazelwood meets Best in Show and the Chicken People documentary, with a dash of Pride and Prejudice. It’s an enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy set in the poultry show world. I’m working on a sequel now.

Grief is more than the pain of losing a loved one. It’s the ache of any empty nest, the quiet after a divorce, the identity shift after retirement, or the life that didn’t go as planned.

In a culture that rushes past sorrow, it’s easy to feel unseen. But your grief deserves space. It deserves compassion. And so do you.

You don’t have to go through this alone.

ki roost ds RULE THE

Clifton Hook, age 10

MARSHALL

17 chickens, including Drumstick, Elvis, and Jr.

Owned chickens for 5 years

Jake Wisor, age 11

BROAD RUN

29 chickens

They are fun and interesting to watch. And we get fresh eggs every day. My dad helps me take care of the chickens. I feed and water them twice a day, check on them/play with them, and give them snacks. Some of my chickens will just hop up on my shoulders and run towards me when I have snacks for them. I like to sing to them before they go to bed.

Egg yield: 3 per chicken per week

We started with chickens when I was a little boy, maybe 2 years old. I loved watching them and holding them.

I just love chickens, I can’t really explain why. They are fun, easy to maintain and I get rewarded with eggs to eat or sell.

I take care of them daily. I feed them, get the eggs, fill their water and feed them our scraps each day. My mom helps me clean out

the coop and my dad gets the food from tractor supply (since I don’t have a license yet). L

local history

Rockwood Hall was the Place to Be

Warrenton dance club welcomed Patsy Cline, Jimmy Dean & other top acts of the day

BY PAM KAMPHUIS

One of the best things about Fauquier County is its history. So many buildings have housed a revolving assortment of businesses through the years, and it’s so much fun to hear the stories and imagine the past.

The building at 306 Lee Highway in Warrenton is one such building. Now housing McClanahan Camera, it’s hard to imagine it as anything else. But back in the day, it was a rolicking dance hall under the management of Ben and Becky Cockerille. Serving mostly beer and soft drinks, Rockwood Hall could draw as many as 200 people from as far away as Northern Virginia, Washington DC, Winchester, Front Royal and Culpeper to their evening dances. It was a favorite destination for servicemen stationed at Vint Hill. Early on, during the war years, big band music from orchestras was what people wanted to dance to, although later in the decade and in the ‘50s country music became the popular sound. But whatever music was played, the people came and danced the nights away.

Historical photos courtesy of Mark Cockerille

The building which housed Rockwood was was built about 1937 by Granville and Paul Payne and was named Swanee Tavern, operated under the management of Ben and Becky Cockerille. In June of 1941, the Cockerilles leased the building and its contents for the sum of $125/month and renamed it Rockwood Hall. H. A. Wilson from Catlett purchased the building in 1946 and it remained in operation as Rockwood under the management of the Cockerilles until it closed in 1960s. Currently the building houses McClanahan’s Camera.

A party at Rockwood Hall in the mid ‘40s. Third from left is Kitty Kendrick Head. Now in her 90s, she recalled, “My husband and I used to go dance there when they had country music – we loved it! We lived nearby and we could hear the music from our house which we enjoyed when we couldn’t go dancing.”

“The lease included various restaurant inventory such as an as ice box, a sandwich cooker, a two burner stove, 10 booths, 15 tables, a piano, eight counter chairs, two counters and a Coca-Cola cooler.”

—MARK

COCKERILLE

Lizzie Gray worked as a waitress at Rockwood in the 1950s, and when her sons were young she would bring them to work with her.

Her son Elwood Gray remembered, “I’d watch the dances until I got used to moving my feet and then I started dancing too.”

“I played football in high school [Fauquier High School] in ‘53, ’54, I used to play Friday nights. I’d get a ride from school, and they dropped me off at Rockwood Hall, and then I stayed there until my mother [was ready to] come home.”

“[Occasionally] someone would get into a fisticuffs, and Ma would break them up once in a while. Or the bouncer, Frank Moore, he was the bouncer, and he’d take them outside and then the police would come pick them up.”

ELWOOD GRAY

In an interview with Marilyn Rumpf for a 1991 article for Fauquier Magazine, Lizzie Gray recalled “Sometimes Jimmy Dean would stop his fiddle-calling and come on the floor and dance with me. I had an arm full of bottles, and he’d hold my shoulders and say, I’d rather dance with you than any woman here.”

Chauncey Brown may have been the only Black musician to play at Rockwood Hall. He played on New Year’s Eve and Gold Cup and other special occasions.

— PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOHN KENDRICK

One of the well-known performers to play at Rockwood was Patsy Cline. She played there in the early 50s with a Winchester band, the Kountry Krackers, before her career took off in 1957. She was working the local circuit of dance halls then and didn’t even get top billing on promotional posters. Mark Cockerille said, “Sometimes after the dance hall closed, she [Cline] had to go right by grandpa’s house on route 17. She would stop at grandpa and grandma’s house with the band and have a night cap.”

Early performers providing dance music at Rockwood included Harold Keith and his Orchestra and Jimmy Doman and his Orchestra from Front Royal; band contracts varied from $65-$90 and indicated they would play from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. Later, the Cockerilles started hosting country music acts including Patsy Cline, Jimmy Dean, Roy Clark.

— MARK COCKERILLE

“They had music every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Jimmy Dean and his band would play on Wednesdays. Roy Clark used to play with him, and one night [Clark] came out on his motorcycle with his guitar tied to his back but he was late and Jimmy fired him on the spot. He [Clark] played everywhere after that. Oh, he was good. He played anything, anything that had strings, fiddle, banjo, guitar, and he’d even get up on the piano and play that too. Then Jimmy went into sausage. Jimmy Dean sausage, like in the grocery store, that’s him.”

— ELWOOD GRAY

Jimmy Dean

and his band the Texas Wildcats played Rockwood in the early 50s. In a phone interview with Marilyn Rumpf for a 1991 article for Fauquier Magazine, he said, “What I remember is, how in the world did we manage to perform with just one microphone and do it as well as we did.”

Mark Cockerille recalled his grandfather introducing his brother Dale to Jimmy Dean one Sunday morning while they were sweeping up. Dean had stopped by in his long white Cadillac with a calf comfortably riding on a bed of straw in the back seat.

“The inside of Rockwood was stone walls and wood floors with a small stage at one end the counter and kitchen at the other. The hall had open rafters which they decorated with fresh green garland for the holidays and added balloons to the garland for New Years Dances.”

MARK COCKERILLE

An early business card: notice the phone numbers had only 3 digits.

You don’t have to live with these symptoms. Our experts specialize in minimally-invasive treatments for varicose veins and unsightly spider veins, including:

• Endovenous laser ablation

• Varithena

• Sclerotherapy (injection and laser)

Improve your mobility, enjoy activities more comfortably, restore your circulation…and your confidence.

Ben and Becky Cockerille were, by all accounts, well loved by the visiting service men, most of whom traveled to Rockwood Hall from Vint Hill Station. While overseas, service men wrote letters to them. After they wrote their parents from the Middle East they wrote to Grandpa and Grandma Cockerille at Rockwood Hall.

— MARK COCKERILLE

Somewhere

October 15, 1942

Dear Ben & Becky,

…You see, I am way out here somewhere in this vast Pacific Ocean, and it is quite a few miles from the United States, not to even mention Virginia. And it is somewhere below the equator, but that is all I can tell you because of censorship regulations. However, I thought you might like to hear from me and to know that I am still kicking. After the many nights of Jamboree at Rockwood Hall I could not very well forget to write to the proprietors. I certainly spent many an enjoyable night there and often think back on those times. There are no more Saturday nights for me now. Now and then, when Saturday night rolls around, I feel the urge to jump in the car and head for Warrenton. But there is no car and no Warrenton. On the whole, we very seldom even notice Saturday or Sunday anymore. It just makes a person homesick to think of the good old time when, so we try to keep our minds on our business, and think of the folks at home only when we write to them. Our position here is favorable, and could be much worse, so we really shouldn’t squawk about a thing. Besides we are looking for the war to end most anytime now... So, one of these nights when you least expect it, I’ll come popping in the door with a floozie and holler, “two tickets in the mezzanine, please!” And I’ll have a quart under each arm, so help me. It will be time for celebration, and I am going to celebrate…Have you seen any of my old girl friends lately? If you do tell them Hello for me and not to cry... And in between numbers, if you get a chance, drop me a line and let me know about things…

Sincerely, Churchill,

George E. Jr. Pfc.

U.S.M.C.

EXCERPT PROVIDED BY MARK COCKERILLE

Stick and Stringbean on the Thru-Hike:

Two local men conquer the Appalachian Trail

When Akili McCullough was bored one summer day during high school, he scrolled around on YouTube. He came across an hourlong documentary of a hiker’s experience on the Appalachian Trail. When it was over, he said to his mom, “I want to thru-hike the AT.” Luke Bazill, a friend who also attended Covenant Christian Academy in Vint Hill, volunteered to go with him. Stick and Stringbean were off on what many call “the hike of a lifetime”.

TOP 10 Fauquier’s

Top Sales

The ten highest-priced homes that sold between mid-July and midAugust, 2025 in Fauquier County. Data and photos from Zillow.com.

2224 CRENSHAW ROAD, MARSHALL

$5,500,000

Sold

1129 DELAPLANE GRADE ROAD, UPPERVILLE

$2,710,000

7295 DUDIE ROAD, MARSHALL

$2,550,000

The Big Picture

“The month of July in the Greater Piedmont footprint saw decreased activity in home sales at 147 versus 175 in July of last year. Average days on market increased to 37 days on market compared to 25 in July 2024. The median sales price however increased to $625,000 versus the $500,000 it was last July. Stay tuned for more statistics in August.”

—Carrie Brown, 2025 Greater Piedmont REALTORS® President

The July Details for Fauquier County

Compared to July 2024

Median Sales Price: $687,000, up from $587,000 Sales Activity: 82, down from 94 Days on Market: 16, up from 8

Greater Piedmont REALTORS® is a trade association representing 650 REALTORS® in Fauquier, Culpeper, Rappahannock, and Madison counties.

$1,300,000