Boyce has small-town, rural charm with new development in the Shenandoah Valley
A new bucolic vista is revealed around the bend in nearly every country road in the rural Clarke County community of Boyce: 20th-century town halls built in old industry villages, farmland and pastures filled with horses, and the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains that tower east of the Shenandoah River. That’s not to say it’s totally stuck in time. “I’ve seen more new construction in Boyce in the past few years than I ever had before,” says Wesley Smith, a Realtor at Pearson Smith Realty who has seven years of experience specializing in the Northern Virginia market. “It’s more rural still, but there are new subdivisions.” Despite the influx of homes with more bedrooms and garages than were in vogue two centuries ago, Boyce’s bread and butter remains preservation: preservation of tiny villages that center business and community life between rural hillsides, preservation of nature through local conservancies and preservation of wide-open countryside that has become increasingly rare as the suburbs of Washington have crept westward.
Single-family homes built multiple centuries or multiple years ago
The centuries-spanning styles of single-family homes built throughout Boyce speak to the area’s history: Colonial-era farmhouses and estates found down winding roads from railroad-era village centers and New Traditional homes that are still being built. “What comes on the market in Boyce might be 150 years old or just 5 years old,” Smith says. Regardless of age, single-family homes set on sub-acre lots in old-fashioned villages, in wooded cabin communities or new construction subdivisions typically offer the area's lowest prices. Prices for homes on suburban-sized lots range from around $230,000 to $650,000. Homes set on small acreages, which might take the form of a wooded hillside or cleared, roadside property, can go for around $330,000 to $800,000. Homes on upward of 10 acres can sell for $750,000 to $1.2 million, though entire farms and 100-plus-acre historic estates can go for much more. Sidewalks tend to connect some streets in villages or subdivisions, but Boyce is so spread out that pedestrian infrastructure usually disappears along hilly, country roads.
Recreation from the State Arboretum to the Blue Ridge Mountains
Home to a gingko grove that glows golden through the fall months and many other carefully managed gardens, the State Arboretum of Virginia is both a vital education center for ecological science run by the University of Virginia and a beautiful place to walk trails and learn about local flora. Members hit the 9-hole golf course, pool and sports courts at the Millwood Country Club, and other private recreation clubs offer space to ride horses, practice shooting and otherwise enjoy the Clarke County countryside. Under the Harry Flood Byrd Bridge, boaters set off into the Shenandoah River from the Berrys Boat Ramp. Hikers go all the way across the river and up into the Blue Ridge Mountains, bound for multiple trailheads that offer access to the Appalachian Trail.
Shopping and dining around Boyce and in Berryville
The Main Street in Boyce’s small, namesake town is a blueprint for the area's other tiny village-style settlements; the historic post office and town hall are a short walk from a couple of specialty stores and little churches like Boyce Baptist Church. The Locke Store in Millwood supplies specialty grocery items, but the old-fashioned country store is better known for its fresh sandwiches, baked goods and exceptionally diverse wine selection. The intersection of U.S. Routes 340 and 50 is more developed with newer chains and gas stations, but the Lone Oak Tavern has served diners at that intersection for close to a century. For more specialty stores, restaurants and the larger Martin's grocery store, residents drive less than 10 miles to Berryville.
Events to preserve local wildlife, history and community services in Boyce
The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center operates both as a wildlife hospital and a sprawling outdoor education complex along the Shenandoah River. Locals can learn about the region’s flora and fauna through preservation-focused day camps or get involved with local conservation by volunteering to help maintain the center. Smaller cultural and historic centers throughout the area, including at Millwood’s own Burwell-Morgan Mill. During the spring, upward of 1,000 creative works are displayed for a couple of weeks in the mill, inviting art buyers to have their money go both to artists and to multiple Clarke County cultural groups and museums. Neighbors also show up at the Boyce Volunteer Fire Company’s fire house a couple of times a week, ready to play some bingo and support their local firefighters.
Attending Clarke County Public Schools
Boyce Elementary School earns a B-minus from Niche, as does Johnson-Williams Middle School. B-rated Clarke County High School offers students the opportunity to enroll in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a curriculum framework known for its academic rigor and focus on community service.
Taking U.S. Route 50 and Interstate 66 to Winchester and Washington D.C.
Winchester, and the campuses of both Shenandoah University and the Valley Health Winchester Medical Center, are around 10 miles away down U.S. Route 50. Washington commuters might head south to Interstate 66 on the roughly 70-mile trip to the nation’s capital. Washington Dulles International Airport is about 45 miles from home. While the Virginia Department of Transportation maintains the Waterloo Park and Ride to encourage carpooling, no public transit serves the lot; residents will need a car to get around.
Flood risk on Opequon Creek
Waterways like Opequon Creek may flood nearby roadways and properties after unusually heavy rain. Buyers can consult maps to understand their risk and any need for flood insurance.
Written By
Julia Szymanski
