Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research

Use Restrictions

Visual materials may require special handling.

Preferred Citation

Fran Poston Photograph Collection (VC 0007), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Mary Fishback, Leesburg, VA

Alternative Form Available

None

Accruals

2006.0165

Processing Information

Processed by Lisa Dezarn, 26 April 2008.

Historical Information

In the 1750's Leesburg emerged as a small settlement at the crossroads of the Carolina and Alexandria Roads, two major trading routes. It was recognized as the county seat for Loudoun in 1758 by the Virginia General Assembly. When the British marched on Washington, D.C. in 1812, the town served as a temporary capital. During that time, many important archives were brought to Leesburg for safekeeping including the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. During the Civil War, the town was recognized by both the Union and the Confederacy for its strategic position. Throughout the Civil War, both Union and Confederate troops marched through the area and the town changed hands over 100 times. Leesburg was also the site of the Battle of Balls Bluff in 1861. Throughout the years, Leesburg has been visited by a number of prominent figures including George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Herbert Hoover, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Harry Byrd. Additionally, both Westmoreland Davis and George C. Marshall lived in the area. Leesburg's picturesque and well-preserved Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. The town continues to serves as the seat of government for one of the nation's fastest growing counties in the nation.

Scope and Content

Fran Poston was born in Leesburg and raised in Loudoun County. Her family has a long history here having been in the area for over 200 years. Poston has had an interest in photography throughout her life and is a part-time professional photographer. The photographs in this collection were taken as a collaborative effort with Mary Fishback, who used a number of images in her book, Images of America: Leesburg . Poston also took photographs that Fishback used in Loudoun County People and Places . The photographs in this collection were taken in 2003 to document Leesburg in that year. Some of those photographs were reproduced in Mary Fishback's Images of America: Leesburg , which provides a brief summary of notable people and events in the history of the town.

Related Material

Fishback, Mary. Leesburg. Images of America. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2003. 975.528 FIS

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

Fishback, Mary. Leesburg. Images of America. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2003. 975.528 FIS

Poston, Fran, interview with Lisa Dezarn, April 2008.

Smith, Kathryn Gettings, Evelyn D. Causey, and Edna Johnston. Exploring Leesburg: Guide to History and Architecture . Leesburg, Va: Town of Leesburg, 2003. 975.528 SMI

Town of Leesburg. "History." http://www.leesburgva.gov/about/History/ (accessed 26 April 2008).

Other Finding Aid

Past Perfect Catalog records

Technical Requirements

None