Bear’s Den Rural Historic District—named for a distinctive out-cropping of rock visible on the western slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains— is situated along the boundary of Clarke and Loudoun counties. The district features sophisticated residences and vacation homes, stone walls, and a scattering of farmhouses, many of which also are of stone construction. Located along this mountainous area that overlooks the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the Piedmont to the east, the district attracted wealthy people, political leaders, as well as writers and musicians during the period from 1890 through the mid-20th century, during the ascendance of Washington, D.C., as a growing political and social hub. The district’s early roots date principally from 1874 when the first train of the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad reached the community of Round Hill, although farmers who recognized the agricultural potential of the area settled there earlier, as evidenced by several antebellum cabins. Once well-heeled Washington-area residents discovered the cool climate and spectacular scenery of the district, they arrived to build summer homes and ultimately define the district’s character as it appears today.