Britain, Virginia

Britain, Virginia
Unincorporated community
Britain is located in Virginia
Britain
Britain
Location within Virginia
Britain is located in the United States
Britain
Britain
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 39°15′10″N 77°41′49″W / 39.25278°N 77.69694°W / 39.25278; -77.69694
Country United States
State Virginia
County Loudoun
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)

Britain is an unincorporated community village in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States lying along Milltown Creek. It is located on the eastern flanks of Short Hill Mountain along Mountain Road (VA Route 690) at its junction with Britain Road. The area was the site of a growing African American community in the mid to late 19th century, before most of the residents left for Maryland in the 1920s.

History

Originally known as Guinea, the village of Britain—named after Michigan senator Calvin Britain—became the place of settlement for a free African American community in the mid 19th century. Mount Sinai Free Baptist Church was established here in 1883 and served as a public school and gathering place for the community, until services ended in the 1920s. Unlike most of the black settlements in Loudoun County, Britain had a post office in operation. Its African American residents began to move elsewhere in the early 19th century with the last black families leaving Britain in the 1920s.

References

  1. ↑ "Mount Sinai Church: A Forgotten Gem of Lovettsville History". Lovettsville Historical Society & Museum. April 3, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  2. ↑ Lee, Deborah A. (2004). "African American Communities | History of Loudoun County, Virginia". Loudoun County, Virginia 18th, 19th, and 20th Century History. Retrieved August 1, 2026.