HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL NR 2021-12-21 Town of Leesburg Finalizes Transfer of Sycolin Cemetery to Loudoun Freedom Center
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Media Contact:
Leah Kosin, Assistant Public Information Officer
lkosin@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2781
Town of Leesburg Finalizes Transfer of Sycolin Community
Cemetery to Loudoun Freedom Center
Property transfer marks the culmination of a six-year-long effort to recognize,
preserve, and restore the site.
Leesburg, VA (December 21, 2021) – Today, the Town of Leesburg announced that the transfer
of the Sycolin Community Cemetery property from Town ownership to the Loudoun Freedom
Center has been finalized.
“The Town is happy to officially pass stewardship of the Sycolin Community Cemetery into the
capable hands of the Loudoun Freedom Center,” said Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk.
“We have worked collaboratively with Loudoun Freedom Center on preservation and
recognition of the cemetery since 2015, and the transfer of the property has been a priority
item for the Council.”
The Sycolin Community Cemetery is a historic African American cemetery located on Town-
owned property adjacent to the Leesburg Executive Airport. The cemetery was associated with
the Lower Sycolin community, an African American community established in the 1870s, and
with the Sycolin Union Church (today, the First Baptist Church Sycoline). The last known burial
took place in 1954.
The Town acquired the three parcels containing the cemetery in 1989 and 1990, using grant
funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to expand the runway protection zone
for the Leesburg Executive Airport. After purchasing the property, the Town cleared and
maintained the portion of the property within the runway protection zone, but left the two
burial areas that comprise the cemetery undisturbed. In 2015, local historian Jim Koenig
brought the existence of the cemetery to the attention of Pastor Michelle Thomas, founder of
the Loudoun Freedom Center.
In 2016 and 2017, the Town made improvements to the cemetery that included debris and
fallen tree removal, GPS mapping of the two burial areas, new signage, clearing a trail to and
around the burial areas, and installing perimeter fencing around the burial areas.
After investigating several options for the continued stewardship of the cemetery, in February
2019, the Town Council resolved to transfer the property to the Loudoun Freedom Center.
The Town hired Rivanna Archaeological Services to conduct a delineation study of the cemetery
in order to ensure that all burials were included in the transferred property. Following the
completion of the delineation study in May 2020, the Town subdivided the 1.6 acre parcel
containing the two burials areas from the runway protection zone property and had the new
outlot parcel platted and recorded in Loudoun County land records.
Because the Town originally purchased the property with federal grant funding, FAA approval
was needed before the transferring the property. The required runway protection zone is not
impacted by the transfer of the cemetery outlot, and the Town retains ownership of the
remainder of the property.
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