April 2018 Newsletter

May 20, 2018 – “The Story of George’s Mill,” presented by Fran Wire, proprietor of George’s Mill Farm B&B, and a former Board member of the Lovettsville Historical Society & Museum.  Fran will tell the story of George’s Mill, located just west of Lovettsville, off Irish Corner Road.  Georges Mill Farm can be dated to records going back to 1774.  At that time, the land was owned by John George, who had come to Loudoun County around 1732 from Germany via Pennsylvania.  The George's Mill property has remained in the hands of the George family for eight generations.

June 10, 2018 – “Waterford: A Village in Time,” by Neil Hughes, based on his new book,  A Village in Time 1660-1990: Discovering American History in a Small Virginia Quaker Village.  For the past 30 years, Neil Hughes has lived in an 1819 house in the National Historic Landmark village of Waterford, Virginia -- a beautiful old town 45 miles from Washington, D.C. in northern Loudoun County, miraculously preserved in time. Hughes' book grew out of his research into the people who built and lived in that very house and village.  

In 1744, John Hough, the grandfather of Samuel Hough, who later built the house, left Bucks County, Pennsylvania and settled in what would become the town of Waterford. As a senior surveyor for Lord Fairfax, John Hough befriended and mentored young surveyor George Washington, who then forged his military career in the French and Indian War, particularly in the battle of Braddock Heights, about twenty miles from Waterford. Both Washington and Hough were visionaries, who became partners in attempting to develop water access to the midwest through their Patowmack Canal Company.  Through the history of his Waterford home, Hughes examines significant historical events affecting every facet of an evolving portrait of America.

July 8, 2018 - “Rebecca and Thomas:  A Civil War Spy Tale.”  In September 1864 during the Civil War, Thomas Laws, a slave, collaborated with Rebecca Wright, a Quaker, to deliver vital military information to Union General Philip Sheridan. This information helped lead to a decisive Union victory at the September 19, 1864, Third Battle of Winchester, the largest battle ever fought in the Shenandoah Valley. The battle was the beginning of a string of Union victories that gave the Federals permanent control of the Valley (and Winchester) and helped ensure Abraham Lincoln’s reelection that November.

August 12, 2018 - "The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia: Seeking Truth at Rattlesnake Mountain." Jim Hall explores lynchings that occurred in Virginia, including one of the most puzzling, a 1932 incident in Fauquier County, when Shedrick Thompson, a fugitive accused of assault and rape, was captured and hanged by his neighbors on Rattlesnake Mountain. The official verdict was that Thompson committed suicide, but Hall builds the case for murder while exposing a complex and disturbing chapter in Virginia history.

Sept. 16, 2018 -  Dennis E. Frye, Chief Historian at Harpers Ferry NHP and prominent Civil War historian will discuss his newest book Antietam Shadows: Mystery, Myth & Machination. Dennis Frye is known for challenging convention and sparking provocation. Antietam Shadows turns much of what you know inside-out and upside-down. 

Oct. 14, 2018 - "Dr. James Willard and Willard Hall in Lovettsville."  Willard Hall, the stately brick building on Pennsylvania Avenue, is one of the oldest dwellings in Lovettsville, likely dating to the 18th century.  In 1868 it was purchased by Dr. James Willard, an Army surgeon from Ohio who served with the 13th Maryland Infantry (USA), also known as the Potomac Home Brigade.  

April 1-30 – Exhibit: General George C. Marshall: 20th Century American Hero, presented by the George C. Marshall International Center. Margaret Mercer Room, Thomas Balch Library, 208 W. Market St., Leesburg.

Mon., April 2, 7:00 p.m. – Slavery & the Underground Railroad in South Central Pennsylvania,  by Cooper Wingert.  Much like the rest of the nation, South Central Pennsylvania struggled with slavery. The institution lingered locally for more than fifty years, although it was virtually extinct everywhere else within Pennsylvania. Gradually, anti-slavery views prevailed. The Appalachian Mountains and the Susquehanna River provided natural cover for fleeing slaves, causing an influx of travel along the Underground Railroad. Historian Cooper Wingert reveals the struggles between slavery and abolition in South Central Pennsylvania. . Hagerstown Library, 100 South Potomac Street, Hagerstown, MD.

Thurs.,  April 5, 10:00 a.m. – Researching Court Records.  Jeanette Irby, Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge and former Leesburg Town Attorney will discuss how to use court records and other resources for data that are frequently overlooked in genealogical and historical research. Irby will demonstrate how to mine court records for clues that can be used to collect information for genealogical research. Examples of these records include real estate records, chancery suits, estates, and indexes. Jeanette Irby has researched land records dating from the 1700s and participated in genealogical seminars sponsored by the Warrenton Court House Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution of which she is past Regent. Irby currently serves as secretary of District VI of the Virginia DAR Chapters. 

Sun., April 8, 2:00 p.m. – We Face the Dawn, by Margaret Edds.  The possibility of a book about Virginia’s leading civil rights icons intrigued Margaret Edds for many years. It seemed a natural culmination of a thirty-four-year immersion in Virginia politics and government, first as a statehouse reporter and then as an editorial writer for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. A focus on racial justice threaded her career, including book-length studies involving the nation’s first popularly elected black governor, the results of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and a criminal justice system that sometimes crucified innocents. It was not until retiring in 2007, and completing a book drawn from letters to and from her mother, that opportunity and interest in Oliver Hill and Spottswood Robinson aligned. By then, both men were deceased, and Edds’ five-year research project depended heavily on archival material; interviews with family, co-workers, and acquaintances, and her own personal glimpses of the men.  Thomas Balch Library, 208 W. Market Street, Leesburg, VA. 

Sat., April 7 – Shepherdstown Museum Offers New Displays.  The Historic Shepherdstown Museum opens for the season on April 7 with a new temporary display of past and recent photos of Shepherdstown. In addition, visitors will be able to see a "new" Jacob Craft clock donated last fall by former Jefferson County resident Curt Mason. Last fall, local historian Doug Perks compiled past and current photos of Shepherdstown into a presentation called "The Changing Face of Shepherdstown." He has now organized the photos into a display for the Museum. The display features images from as far back as the 1860's and as recently as 2015. The Museum is also pleased to display its third early 19th century grandfather clock made by Shepherdstown resident Jacob Craft. Curt Mason donated the clock to the Museum so that it could "come home." The clock once belonged to Rezin Davis (R.D.) Shepherd, a Shakespearean actor in the first half of the 20th century.  Beginning on April 7, the Museum will be open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. It is located at 129 E. German Street in Shepherdstown. For more information contact the Historic Shepherdstown Commission office at hsc1786@gmail.com or 304-876-0910.

Fri., April 13, 7:00 pm – "John Bachelder's Vision for Gettysburg"  by Scott Hartwig, a nationally-renowned Civil War historian and author who served in the National Park Service as the supervisory park historian at Gettysburg National Military Park. He will explore the work of John Bachelder to document and preserve the Gettysburg Battlefield. Aat the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education, sponsored by the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War. This event is free and open to the public. For any questions, please contact Jennifer Alarcon at 304-876-5429, or visit https://www.facebook.com/ events/199410934161926/

Sat., April 14 – 9:00 a.m. – Cycling on the C&O: A Bicycle Tour of the Canal's Connection to Northern Virginia during the Civil War.  Join MHAA staff for a unique history tour done from the saddle of a bicycle along the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The C&O Canal served as an important supply route for the United States during the Civil War and thus continually came under attack from the Confederate army. But the canal also greatly influenced the lives of northern Virginians before, during, and after the Civil War.  The bike ride will begin at 9:00 am at the Points of Rocks Railroad Station Lot, 4000 Clay Street, Point of Rocks, MD 21777. Riders will travel from Point of Rocks upriver to Brunswick and back, a ride of approximately 14 miles. The ride will be on the flat towpath but there is often uneven terrain. Mountain bikes are highly suggested. MHAA will not be supplying bikes; bringing your own will be required.  All registrants for the tour will be entered into a raffle for a one night stay at a restored historic lockhouse on the C&O Canal. In order to be entered into the raffle, registrants must sign up for the tour before the close of day, Wednesday, April 4, 2018.  Tickets can be purchased at http://mosbyheritagearea.org/events/2018/4/14/cycling-on-the-co or by calling (540) 687-5188, and are $20 per bike, or two bikes for $35.  Space is limited.

Sat., April 14 at 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Leesburg Walking Tour with James P. Roberts.  James Roberts, a native of Leesburg, former member of Thomas Balch Library Advisory Commission, 2008 recipient of a Loudoun History Award, and recognized in 2011 by Loudoun Laurels, will lead a walking tour of Leesburg. The tour is an insider’s commentary of local people, places, and points of interest both in and around Leesburg. Particular detail is paid to how Leesburg has grown and evolved through the years architecturally, economically, and racially. Factual, historical, and anecdotal information is intertwined and presented in storytelling fashion as only someone who lived through it and thoughtfully observed it, can do. This unique tour will leave from Thomas Balch Library parking lot at 9AM; sturdy walking shoes are recommended.

Sun., April 15, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. – Short Hill Historical Society Begins Its Second Season of History Talks, Trips and Treasures.  Join us at the barn at Silverbrook Farm Bed and Breakfast to:

For more information see ShortHillHistoricalSociety.org and on our Facebook page.

Sun., 15 April at 2:00 p.m. – Virginia Wine: Four Centuries of Change, by Andrew A. Painter.  An essential addition to any wine lover’s library, Virginia Wine: Four Centuries of Change presents a comprehensive and authoritative record of the Virginia wine industry from its earliest Spanish accounts in 1570 through its rebirth in the modern era. A rich and valuable source for students and scholars, the book chronicles the dynamic personalities, diverse places, and engrossing personal and political struggles that have helped establish the Old Dominion as one of the nation’s preeminent wine regions. Andrew A. Painter, author, is a Virginia native and attorney who specializes in local government law and zoning. Painter has spent much of his time traveling and writing about Virginia’s land development history, and nearly a decade researching the growth of its wine industry. Thomas Balch Library, 208 W. Market Street, Leesburg, VA.

Tues., April 17, 7:00 p.m. – Waterford Foundation Annual Meeting in the Old School auditorium. All are welcome to attend. Come hear about the Foundation's plans for the future and stay for the potluck supper to follow!  For more information call 540-882-3018.

Sat., April 21, 9:00 a.m. – A Landscape Under Threat: Conserving the Blue Ridge, Northern Piedmont, and Lower Shenandoah.  The Mosby Heritage Area Association, the Land Trust of Virginia, and the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition invite you to join us for a conversation about the future of our landscape and our communities, and the use of conservation easements as a tool for permanent protection. Come and hear representatives from Loudoun, Fauquier, and Clarke counties discuss what the issues are, what needs protecting, who is working on what, and what we need to do together to protect the Virginia we love. Invited guests include County Supervisors and other policy-makers, conservation organization members, landowners, conservation funders, realtors, attorneys, and concerned citizens. The event is free, but please RSVP below or by calling (540) 687-6681 to attend, as space is limited. The event will be concluded with lunch.  Llangollen Farm Horseshoe Barn, 21515 Trappe Road, Upperville, VA.