Afton, Virginia | |
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 Location of Afton within Albemarle County | |
  Location of Afton in Virginia Show map of Virginia Afton, Virginia (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:38°01′56″N78°50′21″W / 38.03222°N 78.83917°W /38.03222; -78.83917 | |
| 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 |
| [2] | |
Afton is anunincorporated community andcensus-designated place inAlbemarle andNelson counties in theCommonwealth ofVirginia. It is newly listed as a CDP in the2020 census with a population of 313.[3]
It is located in the foothills of theBlue Ridge Mountains about 20 miles (32 km) west ofCharlottesville.[4]
Afton is home to Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery, Silverback Distillery, Veritas Vineyard and Winery, theBlue Mountain Brewery and Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery.
Afton first appeared as acensus designated place in the2020 U.S. Census.[5]
Scott Castle- Also known asThe Royal Orchard, the 25,000-square foot Tudor Gothic-style mansion was built in 1911 byRichmond, Virginia engineer Henry Baskervill and architectJohn Russell Pope after the pair were commissioned by Frederic Scott, a brokerage firm owner who was the first Virginian to hold a seat in theNew 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 ofNewtown Pippin apples that he had grown in his orchard toQueen 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 blockingU. 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.
Municipalities and communities ofNelson County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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