The Friends of the Thomas Balch Library The CHRONICLE Volume 19 Issue 2 Spring 2015 What Was Life Like in Loudoun in 1776? Discover Loudoun County's Role in the American Revolution at the Friends' Annual Fundraiser By Donald G. Cooper, Ph.D. President, The Friends of the Thomas Balch Library This year, for our cause of independence. 8th annual Friends The event, which sup- fundraising event to ports the Library en- be held on Sunday, dowment (see page 5), September 13, at Sil- will feature a panel of verbrook Farm, we’ll three speakers, each step back in time – to looking into a different 1776 – to plumb our facet of the war in history and deepen Loudoun: our understanding of • Tracy Gillespie, Loudoun County and historic site supervisor its residents on the at Aldie Mill, Mt. Zion, "The Spirit of Loudoun" battlefront and home- and Gilbert’s Corner Historic Parks, will front of the American Revolution. set the scene of a county that was a ma- It’s an opportune time for us to jor agricultural center and one of Vir- delve into this period as the Loudoun ginia’s most densely populated places. Revolutionary War Memorial Commit- The County contributed much of the tee prepares to dedicate a memorial stat- grain to George Washington’s Conti- ue at the Loudoun County Courthouse nental Army, earning it the nickname on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. "The Spirit “Breadbasket of the Revolution.” of Loudoun,” sculpted by the renowned Loudoun’s militia, according to Jay Hall Carpenter, depicts a Loudoun the returns of 1780 and 1781, numbered family—a farmer taking leave of his wife 1,746—far in excess of the numbers for and son to serve in the militia—as did so any other Virginia county. many neighbors who contributed to the (continued on page 2) The Friends of the Thomas Balch Library www.balchfriends.org [email protected] The CHRONICLE P.O. Box 2184 Leesburg, VA 20177 The Friends of the Thomas • Don Cooper, the president of the Friends Member Dorothy (Dot) Balch Library, Inc. Friends, will look into three families of Shetterly is generously hosting the Loudoun patriots: the Copelands of fundraiser at her beautiful farm, Board of Directors Silverbrook, near Hillsboro in Western Donald Cooper Hillsboro, Sergeant Laurence Ever- President hart, and Sergeant-Major John Loudoun. It’s a place with its own tales Sarah Huntington Champe. to tell of local Quakers during the Vice President Jeff Bolyard Champe was the American double- Revolutionary War period, among them Treasurer David Potts. Francis R. Fera agent chosen by George Washington Secretary and Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee to Potts migrated from Philadelphia Brock Bierman capture the traitor Benedict Arnold and County, Pennsylvania, and purchased Derrick Clarke Ann Daye bring him back for trial. 540 acres, including the Silverbrook Richard Gillespie Sergeant Everhart served as an land, from Catesby Cocke in March Lee Lawrence 1758. His son David Jr. would later Lewis Leigh, Jr. assistant to Lieutenant Colonel Phil Lo Presti enlist in the Continental Army and be Thomas Horne disowned by the Fairfax Monthly James P. Lucier Meeting. Dan Morrow Sharon Parker But David Jr. and his brother Ezekiel, William C. Ray the future owner of the Silverbook Patty Rogers-Renner parcel, participated in the war effort, as Ronald A. Rust Susan P. Webber so many other Loudoun Quakers did, by Suzi Worsham helping feed the troops. David provided 425 pounds of beef and Ezekiel another Advisory Commission 375 pounds. James H. Hershman Sergeant Laurence Everhart Count on the Friends to present a Chairman James A. Morgan, III William Washington, the cousin of lively program that answers many of Vice Chairman George Washington. According to your "who, what, when, where, why, Eileen Axeman legend, he and the famed Sergeant and how" questions about Loudoun and Francis R. Fera James P. Roberts Andrew Wallace saved the life of the the War for Independence. Lou Etta Watkins Marquis de Lafayette at the Battle of For more information, please call Brandywine. Everhart also rescued 540-579-2825 and leave a message with Board of Supervisors Ken Reid William Washington at Cowpens. your name and phone number, and a Leesburg Town • The Honorable Gary Clemens, member of the Friends will return your Council call promptly. To learn more about Fernando Martinez clerk of the Loudoun Circuit Court, Library Director will discuss the court system and its Loudoun in the Revolutionary War, Alexandra S. Gressitt influential officials, such as Catesby turn to page 6 for the Librarian's list of Editor books, manuscripts, and collections at Laura Longley Cocke, land speculator and the region’s the Thomas Balch Library. first clerk of court. Page 2 Summer Classes and Calendar Saturday tours and Sunday lectures at the They often contain hundreds of signatures and are Thomas Balch Library will resume in a useful tool in genealogical and historical research. September 20. In the meantime, don't miss Frequently, they contain supplementary support this fascinating class. documents useful in research, including maps, wills, naturalizations, deeds, resolutions, affidavits, History of Virginia as Told by Legislative judgments, and other items. Petitions Greg Crawford of the Library of Virginia will Thursday, 6 August 2015, at 10 a.m. discuss how one can access these valuable documents Petitions to the General Assembly were the online through the Library of Virginia database for primary catalyst for legislation in the Commonwealth Legislative Petitions (http://www.virginiamemory.com/ from 1776 until 1865. Public improvements, military collections/petitions) Crawford, who received a BA claims, divorce, manumission of slaves, division of and MA in History from Auburn University, was counties, incorporation of towns, religious freedom, hired in 1999 as Local Records Archivist at the and taxation were just some of the concerns expressed Library of Virginia and is currently the Local Records in these petitions. Services Program Manager. EXHIBITS 2015 Margaret Mercer Room July- American Colonization Movement – Greg Paxton Early organizers of the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Color of the United States were, left to right, Richard Bland Lee, John Randolph, and Henry Clay. August –Local Civil War Relics – John Creamer September – The Village of Aldie – Aldie Preservation Society Lower Level Meeting Room July – September – Celebrating Virginia’s Heritage - Morven Park Petition for "a provision a for teachers of the Christian religion." Page 3 News From the Friends' Black History Committee A Busy Spring for the BHC: Studying Loudoun's Lost "Colored" Schools, Discovering a Long-Lost Mortician's Ledger By Robert Sanabria, BHC Member In May and June, members of the Black History Committee participated in conferences, led cemetery tours,uncovered treasures in attics, and moved forward with a new study of Loudoun County’s “colored” schools. Donna Bohanon the BHC Chairperson Donna Bohanan and several other Committee members attended the Journey through Hal- lowed Ground ‘s 10th Anniversary Annual Conference held in Water- ford, Virginia, on May 19 and 20. During the conference, she participated in a panel discussion “Challenges and Successes in Acti- vating Interest in Black History,” Larry Roeder also is engaged in She then went on to instruct Win- along with Christian Cotz, director a multi-year project to fully docu- nebago Indians in Nebraska as of education and visitor engage- ment all of the former “colored” part of a program led by Samuel ment at James Madison’s Montpe- schools in Loudoun, showing their Janney of Loudoun. In May, mem- lier; Jenny Masur, manager of the locations, available photos, the bers of the research committee National Capital Region’s Nation- names of instructors, and subjects joined members of the Lincoln al Underground Railroad Network taught to their students. County Preservation Foundation to study to Freedom, and Karen Hughes residents are invited to provide the Lincoln Colored School. White, president of the Afro-Amer- personal information on the col- Louis Jett, BHC secretary, re- ican Historical Association of ored schools. A research model cently made a fascinating discovery Fauquier County. may be found on https://conklin- while cleaning out an upstairs Larry Roeder, chair of the project.wordpress.com/, which room in an old Hillsboro house: an Black History Committee's Re- documents the Conklin Colored early 20th century mortician’s search Committee, led a Spring School, as well as McGraw’s ledger. The abandoned record Cemetery Tour on May 16 starting Ridge, a “white school.” book contains information on at the Prosperity Baptist Church, In his recent research Roeder many old families in Loudoun, in- founded by Jennie Dean. To learn has focused on Caroline Thomas, cluding the Emerick family. Oscar more about Loudoun’s black a Quaker instructor from Pennsyl- Emerick was one of the longest cemeteries, visit https://conklin- vania who taught African-Ameri- serving superintendents of the project.wordpress.com/cemetery- cans in Leesburg and Lincoln. Loudoun County Public Schools. tour/. Page 4 News From The Friends of the Thomas Balch Library Time to Celebrate and Support At Last! The Thomas Balch Library Endowment Foundation Now Can Accept Funds Directly By Ronald A. Rust, Board Member On behalf of the Friends of the Thomas Balch Library Board, I am pleased to announce that the IRS filing for 501(c) 3 status is nearing completion and the Thomas Balch Library Endowment Foundation (TBLEF) will be ready at last to receive funds currently held in trust by the Town of Leesburg. The Foundation grew from a generous bequest of more than The Thomas Balch Library/Bowie Gridley Architects $600,000 made by the late Virginia Bowie, a longtime volunteer, to the Balch Library. authorized by the General Assembly. Therefore, We first announced the gift in 2011.