In the 1950s, the threat of unchecked development from the greater Washington area spreading into an unprotected Fauquier County propelled Hope Porter into a life of “accidental activism.” Hope has worked tirelessly ever since to save Fauquier County’s farmland. Hope was a founding member and remains influential in CFFC, and has promoted the benefits of agriculture and land conservation in over 300 Letters to the Editor.

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In her book, 60 Years on a Precipice, Hope describes her account of the land wars in Fauquier County that consumed the second half of the 20th Century, and reminds us that Fauquier County’s farmland continues to teeter on the precipice of suburban sprawl.

Hope’s book may be purchased in Warrenton from the Town Duck, the Open Book, and the Old Jail Museum.  Hope is also a talented artist, and her watercolors of Warrenton adorn a set of twelve notecards that are also available for purchase at the Town Duck and Old Jail Museum. At Hope’s request, all profits from the sale of her book and notecards will go towards the preservation of the Town of Warrenton.