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We are pleased to announce that portrait painter Jordan Xu will be judging our fine art entries this year!

Jordan began studying portrait painting at the Art League School in historic Alexandria, Virginia in 2002. Over the years, he has developed a distinctive style that combines classical realism with vibrant colors and broad, expressive brushwork. His award-winning works have been exhibited in galleries and institutions including the Alexandria Art League Gallery, Cooley Gallery, Artsquare Gallery, and the USDA building, and have been featured in online publications such as City Lifestyle Magazine.

Portraiture remains Jordan’s primary focus, as he is fascinated by the human spirit. He strives to capture the story, joy, affections, fear, anger, and all the qualities that make us human. He also enjoys depicting people in their “natural habitat,” whether it’s their favorite room, sport, book, or travel destination.

In addition to painting, Jordan is an avid musician, playing violin and banjo. He has also created a series of portraits of musicians, from bluegrass jams to concert performances.

His work can be viewed at jordanxu.com. 

40174 Main Street

Open on Friday: 10am to 5pm

In 1825, Lewis Klein opened this building as a “house of entertainment” —a tavern.  He had purchased the lot from Quaker William Hough about 1815 for $80. Like many of its neighbors on Main Street, it was designed for mixed use—a store or other business below and a residence above.  It therefore had no interior staircase between the first and second floors until a 1950s modernization.

The present large downstairs room was built as two rooms with a central corridor; it has seen many uses over the years. After serving as a tavern the space became variously an apothecary and hardware store. In the 1880s the building was the home and office of Dr. G. E. Connell, an enterprising physician. He introduced the telephone to the village in 1884 and charged customers ten cents to call Clark’s Gap, three miles distant at the other end of the line. A side addition was used as a barbershopin the early 20^th century. In the early 1950s, a new owner painted the house the color “of the setting sun on Waterford brick.”  The paint was meant to slow weathering of the soft brick; it has been repainted in other shades since.  The Pink House later was a popular bed and breakfast destination.

The present garden area has seen a succession of buildings over the past 200 years, including blacksmith and wheelwright shops and a succession of stores. A town hall and auditorium occupied the loft area of a large stable on the site. One of these shops stood where the new stone kitchen now stands. At least one of them served briefly as a residence. During an exceptionally rainy period with water pouring down the hill, a tenant joked, “I have the most modern house in Waterford— running water in every room!”

The Pink House is open through the courtesy of Isaac Johnson and Jeff Darrah.

40154 Main Street

Open on Saturday: 10am to 5pm

Built in the 1790s on land subdivided by Joseph Janney, whose family founded Waterford in 1733, this two-story log home reflects the post-Revolutionary growth of the village. Originally a one-and-a-half-story hewn log structure over a stone ground floor, it was soon raised to a full two stories. Though made of logs, the house was never intended as a rustic cabin; clapboard siding gave it a more refined appearance, in keeping with regional building trends.

A narrow two-room wing was added around 1835, likely as a separate dwelling. Early construction methods are evident throughout, from pegged rafter joinery to steep, space-saving staircases. The home offers a rare look at vernacular architecture adapted to meet the evolving needs of a growing commercial town.

The Joseph Janney House is open through the courtesy of owners The Samide Family.

We are pleased to announce that painter, illustrator, and art instructor Eric Westbrook will be judging our fine art entries this year!

Eric lives and works in the Washington DC area. His current and former teaching venues include The Yellow Barn at Glen Echo, The Smithsonian, and VisArts in Rockville, MD. He is an experienced judge of art shows and competitions. 

Eric’s landscape and portrait paintings are frequently exhibited in solo, and group shows and are held in public and private collections.

His illustrations have appeared in the publications of prominent corporate, government, and editorial clients nationwide. Eric received a Bachelor’s degree in art and design at the University of Maryland, College Park MD. His formal training in figure and portrait painting continued at the Art League School in Alexandria, VA, and the Washington Studio School in  Washington, DC. 

Eric Westbrook’s work has been described as an “art of observation”—a reference to the artist’s close observation of a subject, both for its surface details and for the structure and rhythm of its underlying forms. At the same time, the work itself repays observation: the more the viewer sits with it, the more what drew the artist to it in the first place is revealed.

His work can be viewed at ericwestbrook.com. 

15545 Butchers Row

The Mahlon Janney House also known as Market Hill is an exquisite example of Federal-style architecture. It was built in 1801 by Edward Dorsey for Mahlon Janney, son of Waterford’s founder. Located on Butchers Row, named for a historic slaughterhouse, this charming residence boasts 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, and sits on just over 1/3 of an acre.

Originally, the main entrance faced Main Street atop “The Big Hill,” but later renovations moved it to its current location. The home was a medical practice for Doctor Edwards in the early 19th century and underwent significant changes in the mid-20th century, including the removal of interior partitions and the addition of a new wing.

By the early 1900s, Market Hill had fallen into disrepair until the Waterford Foundation restored and resold it. The Acheson family, who purchased the house in 1948, placed it and an adjoining lot in a conservation easement to preserve its historic integrity. In 2020, a new owner dedicated to historical preservation acquired Market Hill and has worked to restore its original beauty.

Market Hill is open through the courtesy of Camilla Strongin.