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In Haymarket Crossing , Stanley Martin is building a community of spacious three- bedroom townhouses in a tree-lined neighborhood that will have a pavilion, benches and two tot lots. (Benjamin C Tankersley for The Washington Post) With a population of about 2,000, the town of Haymarket is tucked away in Virginia’s Prince William County . A little-known fact to newer residents of the Washington area is that in the mid-1990s, the Walt Disney Co. purchased large amounts of land in the area for a proposed U.S. history theme park to be built in Haymarket, just several miles from Manassas National Battlefield Park . Local residents opposed the idea, and the controversial plan fell through. The bulk of the land was then sold to a local business executive , who sold it to developers. While there is no theme park, there are signs of a growing community that has also managed to retain a certain amount of small-town charm. Mary Scarpinito, originally from Long Island, has lived in Arli...

Home furnishings vendors old and new continue to make products in the U.S. Bassett Furniture While domestic manufacturing's best days are clearly in the rearview mirror, there is a but detectable resurgence in American- made home furnishings . HFN spoke with some of the best-known companies--along with up-and-comers--that are helping to keep American manufacturing alive . While the business entities are unique in their offerings, philosophies and operations, they share some distinctive beliefs. Whether it's a conversation with Rob Spilman, CEO of Bassett, with a century-old tradition of making products in the U.S., or Trent Mayol, founder of year-old SmartDeco, there's a deep confidence in the quality of American-made goods. " Making products in the U.S. has a unique connotation that you truly care about the quality of your product," Mayol said. "It says that you're not willing to sacrifice quality for the sake of profit making. And Americans should t...

Jon Herskovitz Aug 15th 2017 10:57PM AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas measures to restrict access for transgender people to bathrooms in schools and public buildings died on Tuesday as the House adjourned and ended its special legislative session . Business leaders and civil rights groups had campaigned heavily to defeat the bills, saying they were discriminatory and would damage the economy. The measures were blocked by moderate House Republicans . Enactment in Texas, the most populous Republican- dominated state , could have given momentum to other socially conservative states for additional action on an issue that has become a flashpoint in the U.S. culture wars. 10 PHOTOS Protests against North Carolina transgender bathroom law See Gallery ASHEVILLE, NC - JUNE 21: A display inside Malaprop 's Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina features books by authors who support the repeal of HB2 on June 21, 2016. Malaprop's has had authors cancel and a decline in sales du...

Ted Marules' new bathroom is neither subtle nor cheap. "We had visions of grandeur," he says of the $20,000 renovation to his Houston-area home. "We planned to have some wonderful moments in there." Marules and his wife sprung for all the frills: special- order Spanish tile , marble floors, gold faucets and the Texas- sized whirlpool bathtub . "We got some really nice, fancy stuff, and we spent the damned money for it," says the 53-year-old accident reconstruction expert . "Looks like a Roman whorehouse, but it's beautiful." The centerpiece of Marules' marble palace is the hourglass tub, a 10- jet Jacuzzi mounted like an acrylic altar at one end of the room. It set him back $1,897.70. In its promotional materials, Jacuzzi says the tub Marules bought , the Real model, "surrounds the bather in sumptuous curves for an exceptional bathing experience ." Through the Magic Touch controls and PowerPro jet system , it promises ...