ne day a woman stopped into Rick Stoutamyer's bookshop in Middleburg. She carried with her the first edition of A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781 in the Southern Provinces of North America written by Colonel Banastre Tarleton -- one of the most infamous British officers of the Revolutionary War. The book recounted America's War for Independence from Tarleton's point of view, which naturally differed from the villainous way he was depicted in the 2000 movie, The Patriot. Stoutamyer saw that the book contained illustrated maps with hand-colored troop positions, and they were in fine condition.

"The book had been living on a covered porch for years," he recalls, "but I knew it wouldn't be long before it would find a more comfortable place to rest." He later sold it for $5,000 to a private collector with a passion for rare books on Colonial American history.

Stoutamyer buys and sells antiquarian books. The term "antiquarian" refers to rare and out-of-print books that are collected for their significance as objects, and not necessarily as reading material, although many collectors attest to reading all or at least part of the books they acquire. And while it may not be akin to discovering a Picasso in Uncle Ernie's attic, valuable books turn up serendipitously all the time.

The buying and selling of antiquarian books is a niche trade with a surprisingly vital base in and around the Piedmont. After all, the region was home to two of the greatest book collectors in America: Thomas Jefferson and Paul Mellon. They stand at either end of what was considered by many the quintessential era in book collecting, from the late 18th Century through the 1940's.

About the Author: Cheryl Sadowski is a freelance writer interested in the history and preservation of the Piedmont. She lives near the fall-line of the Potomac.

Read more in our Winter issue.