Afton, Virginia

Afton, Virginia
Census-designated place
Amtrak's Cardinal passes through Afton in 2009. No trains stop in Afton.
Location of Afton within Albemarle County
Location of Afton in Virginia Afton, Virginia (the United States)
Coordinates: 38°01′56″N 78°50′21″W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Counties	Albemarle, Nelson
Elevation	1,362 ft (415 m)
Population  (2021)
• Total	313
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	22920
Area code	540
FIPS code	51-00484
GNIS feature ID	1499043

Afton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Albemarle and Nelson counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is newly listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 313.

Geography

It is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains about 20 miles (32 km) west of Charlottesville.

Economy

Afton is home to Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery, Silverback Distillery, Veritas Vineyard and Winery, the Blue Mountain Brewery and Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery.

Demographics

Afton first appeared as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census.

Point of Interest

Scott Castle- Also known as The Royal Orchard, the 25,000-square foot Tudor Gothic-style mansion was built in 1911 by Richmond, Virginia engineer Henry Baskervill and architect John Russell Pope after the pair were commissioned by Frederic Scott, a brokerage firm owner who was the first Virginian to hold a seat in the New York Stock Exchange. Scott had purchased the property in 1903 from the family of Afton native Andrew Stephenson.

The Royal Orchard name originated in 1837, when Stephenson, who at the time was serving as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, introduced a basketful of Newtown Pippin apples that he had grown in his orchard to Queen Victoria, to which it quickly became a royal favorite.

In October 1968, the Scott Family held a charity event at their castle by hosting an art auction in order to raise money for the local fire and rescue services. This would be the only time that their vacation home was ever open to the public. It was reported that an estimated 4,600 visitors and one thousand automobiles appeared around the mansion, oftentimes blocking U. S. Route 250. Since the conclusion of the event, the family has made their private getaway closed to the public out of their request of respected peace and privacy; however, there have been a few exceptions, but only on terms of private wedding events.

In 2009, home building company Alexander Nicholson partnered with John Milner Architects to make a full restoration of the castle.

Notable residents

• Paul F. Gorman, former Commander in Chief of the United States Southern Command
• Rita Mae Brown, novelist, poet, screenwriter, activist
• June Curry, benefactor to bicyclists on the Transamerica Trail
• Mary Chapin Carpenter, songwriter, musician

See also

• Rockfish Gap