The Manassas Gap Railroad constructed in 1852 went slightly south, through nearby Marshall, Delaplane and The Plains, Virginia, so Paris and its carting-based businesses declined. Because of its distance from the rail lines, the town saw little conflict during the American Civil War, and was referred to in disparaging terms by both Confederate and Union writers. The population in 1880 was 134 persons in 22 households, including physicians, wheelwrights, blacksmiths, harness makers, tanners, shoemakers, carpenters, seamstresses and a bookkeeper and silversmith. The current Routes 17 and 50 were slightly rerouted outside the historic town (Ashby Gap turnpike was once the town's main street, and the old Ashby Hotel/tavern was destroyed in 1939 by a runaway truck coming down from the mountain).