Mayfield

If the old-fashioned hum of a cargo train and the anticipation of an annual fair are just as appealing to you as a vibrant city center, Mayfield may feel just right. A stone’s throw from historic downtown, Mayfield’s neat, straight streetscapes extend from the Blue & Gray Parkway, south to the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds. Its western edge is traced by long-standing tracks, traveled by CSX and RF&P freight carriers. Paul Janney, broker with FXBG Real Estate, LLC, says “Mayfield’s proximity to downtown is fantastic. You can be near all the downtown activity but live outside its daily foot traffic.”

Mayfield’s well-treed, quiet sidewalks are lined with homes built anywhere from the 1940s through new construction. You’ll see 1970s ramblers priced around $240,000 for a newly sided home, to $405,000 for an all-brick renovation. You’ll also see new-construction two-story homes for around $350,000. Modern multi-level farmhouse styles built in 2020 for around $310,000 stand beside midcentury single-level homes. You can also find a shotgun-style home built in 2019 for $300,000. “I think of Mayfield,” adds Janney, “as a good investment. We’re all optimistic about the future of Mayfield. It’s more affordable than living in DC or downtown Fredericksburg, yet you can be downtown in minutes. Even though many homes were built in the ‘40s and ‘50s, there’s been so much revitalization in the last 15 or 20 years. Home flippers and builders are investing in Mayfield.”

Public school students can start at Hugh Mercer Elementary, which earns a B grade from Niche, or Lafayette Upper Elementary, which Niche gives an overall C grade. Sixth- through eighth-grade students head to Walker-Grant Middle School, given a C-minus grade from Niche. Older students move on to James Monroe High, which recently expanded their Career and Technical Education Center, and earns a B grade from Niche.

Mayfield’s green space gem is the 46-acre Dixon Park. Says Janney, “All the local leagues play field hockey, soccer and lacrosse at Dixon Park, and there’s even a new roller hockey rink and an outdoor pool. A well-known philanthropist, Doris Buffet, cofounded the Dixon Pool, which is free for city residents.”

In Mayfield, the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds hosts a year-round calendar of oyster roasts, music events, crab feasts, and beer, wine and bourbon festivals. “If you live near the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds in Mayfield,” Janney says, “you can walk to the agricultural fair, which is a big week-long event every July.” Established in 1738, this fair is the oldest of its kind in the nation and features a ferris wheel, petting zoo, golf cart drag races and more. In the heart of Mayfield, residents enjoy a playground, lighted basketball court and picnic shelter at the W. L. Harris playground. Local baseball players can sharpen their skills at Competitive Edge, offering 15,000 square feet of pitching lanes, batting cages and fielding areas for solo or team practice.

When you want to dine out within the community, the family-owned El Rodeo restaurant serves authentic Mexican and Salvadorian specialties from sizzling fajitas to loaded nachos. For date nights or outings with friends, head to Strangeways Brewing to sample an ample line of craft brews in indoor tasting rooms and an outdoor Biergarten. Rotating food trucks, arcade games and cornhole add to the fun. Pop by the new Starbucks on Tidewater Trail for a pick-me-up any time. It’s also easy to stock up on groceries and essentials at the Walmart Supercenter on Kings Highway about 2 miles east. And while you can’t board a passenger train along Mayfield’s Railroad Avenue, Janney adds, “The Virginia Railway Express is a minute or two away, so you can park and commute by VRE.”

Offering downtown proximity, public parks and convenient commuter access, Mayfield is a quiet suburban spot to find or modernize your new home.

Written By

Lia Girard

Photography Contributed By

Caleb Jones

Video By

Barry Ridgeway