The small town of Purcellville holds a larger-than-life community and has a long history seen clearly through the town’s infrastructure. Purcellville was incorporated into Loudoun County around a hundred years ago, named after a post office and store owned by a man by the name of Valentine Purcell. Since then, Purcellville has flourished with many different businesses being established across its main street. A center point of the town was its train station, built in 1904. The station lies adjacent to the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) trail.
With a lengthy history living and serving in Purcellville, Eleanore Towe gives her insight. She said,“Purcellville was a very different town, but it was very warm and friendly and welcoming to us. My husband was Dr. James Towe and we came to Purcellville in 1965. He came to what was a small town in Virginia to practice medicine and take care of underserved communities. Back then, believe it or not, Purcellville was an underserved community.”
After years of living in Western Loudoun, Mrs. Towe won office as a member of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in which she served two terms between 1996 and 2004. She went on to state, “Really good things have evolved, like the swimming pools, ball fields, like Franklin Park. Franklin Park has a lot to offer.” She continues, “When I was on the board, we built 28 schools.”
Purcellville is home to multiple different businesses and landmarks. One of the most recognizable is the White Palace located on 21st Street. The restaurant can be seen in photos below. The history of Purcellville is extensive, and it all lies just two left turns out of Woodgrove.