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HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2014-05-29 Old & Historic District Anniversary Event Town of Leesburg News Release For Immediate Release Leesburg To Conclude Year-Long Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Old & Historic District with Special Program on Friday, June 6, 2014 Leesburg, VA (May 29, 2014) – Over the past year, the Town of Leesburg has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Leesburg Old and Historic District. As the year comes to a close, the Town will conclude the celebration with a panel discussion and reception on Friday, June 6, 2014, beginning at 5:30pm. The event will be held at the Mason Enterprise Center, 222 Church Street SE. Co-hosted by the Leesburg Board of Architectural Review and the Town’s Planning & Zoning Department, the event will begin with a brief history of the Old and Historic District’s establishment and recognition of key players in the district’s creation, including Stanley Caulkins, who served on the Town Council when the district was enacted June 10, 1963. Past members of the Board of Architectural Review will also be recognized. The main part of the event will be a panel discussion about the district’s greatest achievements and challenges in the past 50 years; current opportunities and challenges; and looking into a crystal ball to predict the future. The audience will be invited to engage in discussion about their hopes for the future of the Old and Historic District. Panelists will include: • Tracy Coffing, former Board of Architectural Review member • Jim Sisley, Leesburg Economic Development Commission Chairman, former Board of Architectural Review Vice Chairman and member of the former Leesburg Crossroads organization • Kevin Wright, Town Council Member, former Board of Architectural Review liaison and member of the former Leesburg Renaissance organization • Teresa Minchew, current member, and former Chair, of the Board of Architectural Review The panel will be moderated by Heidi Siebentritt, Historic Preservation Planner for Loudoun County. On June 10, 1963, the Leesburg Town Council established the Old and Historic District to “preserve the unique cultural heritage represented by the original section of the Town.” At that time, there were only four other local historic districts in Virginia, in the cities of Alexandria, TOL PR 2014-05-29 Old & Historic District Anniversary Event Page 2 Charlottesville, Richmond and Williamsburg. The original boundaries of the district followed the town limits as depicted on the 1878 Gray’s New Map of Leesburg. Since then, the district has been expanded several times. “The Leesburg Town Council showed tremendous foresight in creating the Leesburg Old and Historic District in 1963,” said Susan Berry Hill, Leesburg’s Planning & Zoning Director. “Given the tremendous development seen in and around the Town over the last 51 years, the protection provided by this zoning designation and the oversight of the Board of Architectural Review has provided generations of residents and visitors the ability to enjoy our treasured downtown.” The event is open to the public and refreshments will be served. Contact: Betsy Fields Research & Communications Manager bfields@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2734 # # #