George Neavil, a planter and land speculator, acquired land in this area in 1731 and for decades operated Neavil's Ordinary, which provided lodging and refreshment to travelers in Virginia's backcountry. The ordinary was well situated near major roads that linked Pennsylvania to the Carolinas and connected eastern tobacco ports with the Shenandoah Valley. In March 1748, 16-year-old George Washington stopped here with George William Fairfax on their journey across the Blue Ridge to survey portions of the vast land grant controlled by Thomas, 6th Lord Fairfax. The town of Auburn developed around the ordinary.