In the 1700s, Thomas Jefferson observed gold, in an area within Fauquier County, Virginia now known as Goldvein, and chronicled his discovery in his only book, “Notes On The State Of Virginia”. Since the initial discovery of gold 19 mines were established throughout Fauquier County.
In 1934, the United States Congress passed the “Gold Reserve Act of 1934”, which rose the price of a Troy ounce of gold to $35, after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the bill into law.
This act by the federal government artificially almost doubled the price of gold and created newfound demand for gold mines in Virginia, and in other states.
Presently, the Goldvein Mining Camp Museum is located within Monroe Park. The original buildings, for the mining operations, were relocated from other parts of Fauquier county. Original components of the mines, such as metal hornet balls, remain on the park grounds.
The musuem has articles and exhibits on the various gold mines of Fauquier County including the Bancroft Mine, Cool Spring Prospect, Emigold Prospect, Franklin Mine, Kelly Mine, Kidwell Mine, Kirk Mine, Liberty Mine, Liepold Mine, Little Elliot Mine, Randolph (Sugar) Mine, Waterman Mine, and the Wykoff Mine.
Along the gold vein of Virginia, gold mines have been established as far north as Great Falls, along Fairfax County’s border with Maryland, to Stafford County, down to Buckingham County and to other parts of southern Virginia.
In 1983, the Virginia Division of Mineral Resources published the “Virginia Gold-Resource Data” in Charlottesville, Virginia. This publication is the most recent document pertaining to gold mines around the entire commonwealth.
Hamilton Historical Records 