HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL NR 2022-02-04 Exhibit from Friends of the Slave Quarters on Display at Thomas Balch Library
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
February 4, 2022
Media Contact:
Leah Kosin, Assistant Public Information Officer
pio@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2781
Exhibit from Friends of the Slave Quarters on Display at
Thomas Balch Library
Leesburg, VA (February 4, 2022) – A new exhibit from Friends of the
Slave Quarters (FOSQ) is available for viewing during the month of
February at Thomas Balch Library.
This exhibit chronicles the preservation process of the Arcola
Quarters of the Enslaved from discovery to its present state. When
discovered, the Arcola Quarters were being used as a garage for
family farm equipment. A developer’s survey revealed that the stone
structure probably housed enslaved people and was perhaps built by
those enslaved. The display also documents work done to stabilize
and preserve this historical structure. The exhibit also includes
history and photos of the Settle-Dean Cabin, located in nearby
Chantilly, which upon his death in 1886, Thomas Settle willed to his
former slave Charles Dean and Dean’s descendants.
Please call 703-737-7195 or email balchlib@leesburgva.gov for more
information.
The Friends of the Slave Quarters (FOSQ) is an advocacy group that advises the Loudoun County Parks,
Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) department on preserving the Arcola Quarters of the
Enslaved. The 15-acre park surrounding the Quarters is in the early stages of development. Citizen
involvement is essential to the life of these preservation projects. To become involved with Friends of the
Slave Quarters, please email arcolaquarters@gmail.com.
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