Linden is a small unincorporated village in Fauquier and

Warren Warren most commonly refers to: * Warren (burrow), a network dug by rabbits * Warren (name), a given name and a surname, including lists of persons so named Warren may also refer to: Places Australia * Warren (biogeographic region) * War ...

Counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. It is located west of

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

at exit 13 off of

Interstate 66 Interstate 66 (I-66) is a 76.32 mile east–west Interstate Highway in the East Coast of the United States, eastern United States. The highway runs from an interchange with Interstate 81 in Virginia, I-81 near Middletown, Virginia, on its w ...

History

In 1669, the "official" discovery of the Shenandoah Valley was credited to John Lederer and John Catlett at the present day site of Linden. The discovery and mapping of the area helped to open the area for further settlement. A marker at the intersection of VA 55 and SR 638 in Linden help commemorate this event.Bicentennial souvenir history of Warren County
From the mid-18th century to the 1950s, the Linden area was home to 25 apple orchards. The Linden Methodist Church was built in 1842 and numerous buildings still exist dating from the 19th century. In November 1954, tragedy struck the Linden church. A fire thought to be caused by a faulty pipe in the wood-burning stove destroyed the beautiful 112-year-old wooden structure. Its towering steeple and bell had long been an iconic landmark in the community. The Front Royal Fire Department courageously fought the blaze for four hours before it was squelched. Several heroic men in the Linden community, including Rev. B. L. Lock entered the burning building to salvage the church's antique pulpit, pews and bible. All were relics from a church building that had previously served the congregation. The fire revealed several graves beneath the church's stone foundation making it very difficult to rebuild at the same site. Therefore, the congregation decided to relocate the Linden church next to the parsonage, on the opposite side of Highway 55. In December 1955, the ground breaking ceremony for the new Linden church at its current location took place. When completed, the new church was furnished with the pulpit and pews that had been rescued from the flames.

Civil War

The relative ease of settlers crossing the Blue Ridge at the gap also allowed Linden to serve as a point of transit for the armies of both the Union and Confederate States during the

United States Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded ...

. Linden was part of "Mosby's Confederacy" and served as rallying and rest points for the Confederate Rangers Mosby's Rangers under Colonel John S. Mosby.Mosby

Numerous locations illustrating the daring and tenacity of the band are a short drive from Linden.Mosby Heritage Area

Battle of Manassas Gap

A small battle and postscript to the Confederate Gettysburg campaign, the

Battle of Manassas Gap The Battle of Manassas Gap, also known as the Battle of Wapping Heights, took place on July 23, 1863, in Warren County, Virginia, at the conclusion of General Robert E. Lee's retreat back to Virginia in the final days of the Gettysburg Campaig ...

occurred a half mile from Linden on July 23, 1863. After retreating across the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

Williamsport, Maryland Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,137 as of 2010. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. William ...

, Lee's

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was a field army of the Confederate States Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed agains ...

withdrew up the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...

. George G. Meade's

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

crossed the river east of the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

and followed Lee into Virginia. On July 23, Meade ordered the

III Corps III or iii may refer to: Companies * Information International, Inc., a computer technology company * Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company * 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company Other uses * I ...

, under Maj. Gen.

William H. French William Henry French (January 13, 1815 – May 20, 1881) was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer, General in the American Civil War. He rose to temporarily command a corps within the Army of the Potomac, but was re ...

, to cut off the retreating

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

columns at

Front Royal, Virginia Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was estimated at 15,400 as of 2023. It is the county seat of Warren County. History The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to beco ...

, by forcing passage through Manassas Gap. At first light, French began slowly pushing Brig. Gen. James A. Walker's Confederate brigade (the

Stonewall Brigade The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was a famous combat unit in United States military history. It was trained and first led by General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, a professor from Virginia Military Ins ...

, part of Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson's division) back into the gap. About 4:30 p.m., a strong Union attack drove Walker's men until they were reinforced by

Robert E. Rodes Robert Emmett (or Emmet) Rodes (March 29, 1829 – September 19, 1864) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War, and the first of Robert E. Lee's divisional commanders not trained at West Point. His division led Stonewall Jackson ...

's division and artillery. By dusk, the poorly coordinated Union attacks were abandoned. During the night, Confederate forces withdrew into the Luray Valley. On July 24, the Union army occupied Front Royal, but Lee's army was safely beyond pursuit.

Today

Linden is mostly a bedroom community with subdivisions known as Apple Mountain Lake and Blue Mountain. It has two gas stations, three stores, a restaurant, and a post office with zip code 22642.Linden Post Office
Linden is home to St. Dominic's Monastery,Saint Dominics Monastery

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...

access points, and the

G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area, one of the richest botanical areas of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, is a Virginia Wildlife Management Areas, Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located primarily in Fauquier County, Virginia, Fauquie ...

. A primary Appalachian Trail access point is on Tuckers lane off of Route 55 the John Marshall Highway. Turn onto Tuckers Lane from John Marshall Highway and go under I-66 to the parking area on your right.

Geography

Linden sits astride the Warren and Fauquier County line, SR 55 (the John Marshall Highway) and Interstate Highway 66. At above sea level, it sits at the top of the

Manassas Gap Manassas Gap is a wind gap of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the border of Fauquier County and Warren County in Virginia. At an elevation of 887 feet above sea level, it is the lowest crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the state. The origins of ...

in the

, making it a gateway into the

today (as it was for early settlers in the area). The

Manassas Gap Railroad The Manassas Gap Railroad (MGRR) ran from Mount Jackson, Virginia, to the Orange and Alexandria Railroad's Manassas Junction, which later became the city of Manassas, Virginia. Chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1850, the MGRR was a n ...

was completed in 1854; it ran through Linden from Mount Jackson to Manassas Junction, giving the town of Manassas its name. Today, the tracks form a part of the

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

rail system. The popular north–south

crosses Hwy 55 (John Marshall Hwy) and under

I-66 Interstate 66 (I-66) is a 76.32 mile east–west Interstate Highway in the East Coast of the United States, eastern United States. The highway runs from an interchange with Interstate 81 in Virginia, I-81 near Middletown, Virginia, on its w ...

in Linden at County Rd 725 (Tuckers Ln.) as it follows its way along the east side of the Blue Ridge. While the "village" of Linden sits at above sea level, many of the surrounding attractions and activity areas with road access climb above , making for a diverse natural experience.

Geology

The soils in Linden are developed from granite,

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

gneiss Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...

, greenstone and chloritic

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...

. The terrain ranges from rolling to steep landscapes that are dissected by Goose Creek and its tributaries that feed from runs and springs from the east side of the

. The rolling uplands contain soils that are loamy to silty and can be shallow to bedrock. On the steeper upland sections, the soils are loamy with stones and rock outcrops evident on the surface.

Schools

Schools K–12, operated by the Warren County School Board,Warren County Schools
are located in Front Royal for students who live on the Warren County side of town. High schoolers attend Warren County High School. Mountain Laurel Montessori School is in nearby Front Royal. Students who live in Fauquier CountyFauquier County Schools
attend primary and middle schools in the Marshall area, while high school students attend Fauquier High School in Warrenton, VA.

Flora and fauna

Here is a list of commonly seen local

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

and

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

in and around Linden. * Plants * Reptiles **Snakes, venomous *** Northern copperhead (''

Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen ''Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen'' (or northern copperhead) was formerly a venomous pit viper subspecies found in the eastern United States. However, recent taxonomic changes do not recognize the northern copperhead (''A. c. mokasen'') as a vali ...

'') *** Timber rattlesnake (''

Crotalus horridus horridus The timber rattlesnake (''Crotalus horridus''), also known commonly as the canebrake rattlesnake and the banded rattlesnake, Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Pub ...

'') **Snakes, non-venomous *** Black snake (''

Pantherophis obsoletus ''Pantherophis obsoletus'', also known commonly as the western rat snake, black rat snake, pilot black snake, or simply black snake, is a nonvenomous species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to central North America. No s ...

'') **Turtles and tortoises *** Eastern box turtle (''

Terrapene carolina carolina The eastern box turtle (''Terrapene carolina carolina'') is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. ''T. c. carolina'' is native to the Eastern United States. The eastern box turtle is a subspec ...

'') * Amphibians ** American toad (''

Bufo americanus The American toad (''Anaxyrus americanus'') is a common species of toad found throughout Canada and the eastern United States. It is divided into three subspecies: the eastern American toad (''A. a. americanus''), the dwarf American toad (''A. a ...

'') * Fish *Birds ** Eastern bluebird (''

Sialia sialis The eastern bluebird (''Sialia sialis'') is a small North American bird migration, migratory thrush (bird), thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards. The bright-blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or ope ...

'') ** American robin ('' Turdus migratorius'') ** Grey catbird ('' Dumetella carolinensis'') ** Black vulture ('' Coragyps atratus'') * Mammals ** White-tailed deer (''

Odocoileus virginianus The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North, Central and South America. It is the most widely-distributed mainland ungulate ...

'') ** Black bear (''

Ursus americanus The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with a diet v ...

'') ** Grey fox ('' Urocyon cinereoargenteus'') ** Eastern grey squirrel ('' Sciurus carolinensis'') ** Eastern chipmunk (''

Tamias striatus The eastern chipmunk (''Tamias striatus'') is a chipmunk species found in eastern North America. It is the only living member of the genus ''Tamias''. Etymology The name "chipmunk" probably comes from the Ojibwe word (or possibly ''ajidamoonh' ...

'') ** Eastern cottontail (''

Sylvilagus floridanus The eastern cottontail (''Sylvilagus floridanus'') is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. Distribution The eastern cottontail can be found in meadows and shrubby ...

'') ** Groundhog ('' Marmota monax'') * Invertebrates ** Crustaceans *** Common crayfish (''

Cambarus bartonii ''Cambarus bartonii'' is a species of crayfish native to eastern North America, where it is called the common crayfish or Appalachian brook crayfish. ''Cambarus bartonii'' was the first crayfish to be described from North America, when Johan Chr ...

'') **

Cnidaria Cnidaria ( ) is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic invertebrates found both in fresh water, freshwater and marine environments (predominantly the latter), including jellyfish, hydroid (zoology), hydroids, ...

e *** Freshwater jellyfish (''

Craspedacusta sowerbyi ''Craspedacusta sowerbii'' or peach blossom jellyfish is a species of freshwater hydrozoan jellyfish, or hydromedusa cnidarian. Hydromedusan jellyfish differ from scyphozoan jellyfish because they have a muscular, shelf-like structure called a ...

'') ** Arachnids *** Northern black widow (''

Latrodectus variolus ''Latrodectus variolus'', the northern black widow spider or northern widow, is a venomous species of spider in the genus '' Latrodectus'' of the family Theridiidae. The population is closely related to the southern black widow, '' Latrodectus m ...

'') *** Wolf spiders (

Lycosidae Wolf spiders are members of the Family (biology), family Lycosidae (), named for their robust and agile hunting skills and excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and usually do not spin spider web, webs. Some are opportunis ...

)

References

External links

Mosby
( John S. Mosby)
Company D of the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry
(

43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry The 43rd Virginia Cavalry Battalion, also known as 43rd Virginia Rangers, Mosby's Rangers, Mosby's Raiders, or Mosby's Men, was a battalion of partisan cavalry in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Noted for their lightning str ...

)
Mosby Heritage AreaSaint Dominics Monastery
*, ''Virginia Happy Trails Running Club''
Linden Volunteer Fire DepartmentWarren County SchoolsFauquier County Schools
*
Thompson Wildlife Management Area
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Fauquier County, Virginia Unincorporated communities in Warren County, Virginia Unincorporated communities in Virginia