Washington, Virginia — usually called "Little Washington" to distinguish it from the bigger one ninety minutes east — is a town of about 130 people in Rappahannock County. The town was first surveyed by George Washington as a young man in 1749, before he was president and before there was a country to be president of. He laid out the streets on a five-acre grid that's still recognizable today.
What's here
Main Street and Gay Street form the spine of the town. The Inn at Little Washington sits on the corner of Main and Middle. The post office, town hall, and a handful of galleries and shops cover most of the rest. The whole walkable section takes about ten minutes to cross.
Why guests come
For most guests, the draw is some combination of three things: dinner at The Inn at Little Washington (Patrick O'Connell's three-Michelin-star restaurant), a day in Shenandoah National Park or on Old Rag, and the dozen or so wineries within a half-hour drive. Foster Harris is a short walk from the first, twenty minutes from the second, and the natural base for the third.
Getting around
Cell service in Rappahannock County is patchy. GPS works most places but not all. Most guests park once when they arrive at Foster Harris and walk to dinner; for hikes and wineries, the drive is short but you'll want directions written down or downloaded for offline use.
A note on the name
The town was named after George Washington in 1796 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly — the first town in the United States to be named after him. Locals will sometimes mention this if you ask. Mostly they don't make a big deal of it.
← All things to do