Bringing Loudoun’s Historic Unpaved Rural Roads into the 21Century
Loudoun’s huge network of old and largely unpaved rural roads and bridges is both a scenic and historic treasure and a major maintenance challenge.
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In Our Backyard
In Our Backyard: The Checkered History of Alcohol in Loudoun
The types of corruption and violence that accompanied Prohibition in Loudoun and surrounding counties was seen all across the country, and magnified many times over in the cities.
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In Our Backyard: The Checkered History of Alcohol in Loudoun
The people of Loudoun County have had a robust relationship with the alcohol industry for centuries. In 1774, two years before the start of the Revolutionary War, George Washington signed a deed allowing John Mercer to operate a distillery as a part of his mill in Aldie. Recognizing the financial success of the Aldie distillery, Washington built his own near Mount Vernon.
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In Our Backyard: General Assembly Squelches Effort to Ban Horse Racing in Unison
The Virginia General Assembly, in its winter session, rejected an effort by the residents of the village of Unison to ban horse racing on its streets. But that was 204 years ago.
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In Our Backyard: Enjoy the Outdoors Safely
The Nightmare Situation. This is the search and rescue operation professionals fear the most—a lost child. Fortunately, however, teaching aids have been developed to help lost children help themselves, their parents’ peace of mind, and their rescuers.
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In Our Backyard: Enjoy the Outdoors Safely
By Larry Malone Part 1 of a 2-part series Did you find yourself spending more time walking, hiking and biking
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Never a Bad Time to Plant a Tree
My beautiful little piece of western Loudoun needs attention, but I am weary of all the grass mowing and putting down fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides to grow it more so that I can mow more. It’s not rational, because lawns are not very good for the environment.
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In Our Backyard: A Loudoun House and Its Land Transformed
This is a story of transformation—first, of a house, then of the land on which it stands, and then of us, the “transformers.”
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Mt. Zion Church: Evolution of a Loudoun Landmark
In February 1865, Eliza Davis, living on a farm two miles east of Aldie, wrote to her mother-in-law in Connecticut a first-hand account of life on the home front during the Civil War:
Read moreThe Path to Freedom, Justice and Racial Equality – A History Told Through the County Courthouse
The quote above by Virginia historian James Hershman, and the words that follow, is the prologue to the Loudoun County Heritage Commission’s new report on the history of the Loudoun County Courthouse and Courthouse grounds. The report’s 82 illustrated pages illuminate moments in our history from its earliest days under British rule through to the modern era with a special focus on the history of slavery and civil rights through stories and vignettes of specific residents and local events which mirror the history of race relations in Virginia and across our nation.
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