HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2012-02-08 Monroe slave database
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
Thomas Balch Library Adds Database of President James
Monroe’s Slaves to Historical Research Resources
Leesburg, VA (February 7, 2012) – Leesburg’s Thomas Balch Library has added a new resource
for studying the history of slavery in Loudoun County. Researchers Lori Hinterleiter Kimball and
Wynne Saffer conducted extensive research on the enslaved community of President James
Monroe and have published their work in a database which is now available online to
researchers and genealogists. The database can be accessed on the Thomas Balch Library’s
website at www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=86.
At 2:00 p.m., on Sunday, February 12, 2012, Kimball and Saffer will present their findings in a
free lecture at the Thomas Balch Library (208 West Market Street, Leesburg). The lecture is
free and open to the public. Due to limited seating, the library recommends registering in
advance by calling 703-737-7195, or registering online at
www.leesburgva.gov/ThomasBalchLibrary
President James Monroe owned both land and slaves in several Virginia locales, including
Loudoun County. In 1830, he was the owner of 1,823 acres in Loudoun and 66 slaves, making
him the largest slave owner in the county. Kimball and Saffer spent several years locating and
analyzing documents related to Monroe’s slaves, primarily the enslaved community in Loudoun
County. Compiled from primary sources such as letters, deeds, estate records, chancery suits,
and inventories, the new database contains over 300 references to named slaves. The focus of
the research was on Loudoun County, but it was necessary to include references to slaves at
Monroe’s other properties, primarily Highland in Albemarle County.
Kimball and Saffer have not been able to locate descendants of the Loudoun slaves, or to
determine what happened to Monroe’s slaves after he died and his daughters inherited them.
They have made their research available to historians and genealogists with the hope that it will
help others identify their ancestors.
Lori Hinterleirer Kimball has lived in Northern Virginia for 25 years and has done research on
various local topics, including the Paxton family of Carlheim/Paxton in Leesburg; the historic
Selma mansion and property; and freedom seekers Peyton Lucas and Frank Wanzer. She is
president of the Loudoun Preservation Society; a member of the Black History Committee of
Friends of Thomas Balch Library; and a member of the County’s Heritage Commission.
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TOL PR 2012-02-08 Monroe slave database
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Wynne Saffer is a life-long Loudoun resident. He has completed numerous research projects,
mapped the county by land ownership in 1860; and written several books about Loudoun’s
history, including Loudoun Votes 1867-1966, A Civil War Legacy and Mount Zion Cemetery,
Aldie, Virginia. He is a former member of the Black History Committee and a founding member
of the Friends of the Arcola Slave Quarters. Saffer currently serves on the Boards of the Friends
of the Thomas Balch Library; the Loudoun Historical Society; the Patriot Project; and the
Sesquicentennial Committee of the American Civil War.
Both Kimball and Saffer are past recipients of Thomas Balch Library’s annual Loudoun History
Award.
About the Thomas Balch Library: Thomas Balch Library is a history and genealogy library
owned and operated by the Town of Leesburg. A designate Underground Railroad research site,
the Library’s collections focus on Loudoun County, regional and Virginia history, genealogy,
military history with special emphasis on the American Civil War, and ethnic history. For more
information, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/ThomasBalchLibrary.
Contact:
Alexandra S. Gressitt
Library Director
agressitt@leesburgva.gov
703-737-7196
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