Goose Creek Historical and Cultural Conservation District Collection, 1972-1981

Access and use

Location of collection:
Thomas Balch Library
Thomas Balch Library
208 West Market Street
Leesburg, Virginia 20176
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Alexandra S. Gressitt
Phone: (703) 737-7195
Fax: (703) 737-7195

Summary

Extent:
.15 cu. ft.
Creator:
John Lewis, Winchester, VA
Abstract:
There is one box with the correspondence of John Lewis, newspaper clippings dealing with the designation of Goose Creek as a historical district, and various documents regarding the designation of historical districts.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

There is one box with the correspondence of John Lewis, newspaper clippings dealing with the designation of Goose Creek as a historical district, and various documents regarding the designation of historical districts.

Biographical / historical:

The Goose Creek Historical and Cultural Conservation District was established 7 February 1977 by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. A sixteen square mile area south of the towns of Purcellville and Hamilton, the Goose Creek Historical and Cultural Conservation District is an area originally settled by Quakers in the 1700s. Many buildings in the area, such as the Quakers' Meeting House, pre-date the Civil War, and some pre-date the Revolutionary War.

The Goose Creek Historical and Cultural Conservation District was mainly the work of John Lewis (26 June 1930-14 April 2013), a local architectural historian employed by the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission, who surveyed the land, made notes of the historic buildings, and working with the Lincoln Community League, fought the county government to get the Goose Creek area designated an historic district.

After spending two years surveying the area, Lewis approached the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors with the support of over 80 percent of the Goose Creek landowners to request historic designation. Many of the landowners belonged to families who had lived on the same land for nine generations or more. While they had worked personally to preserve the historical significance of their land, they wanted to receive official historic recognition to prevent outside companies from building structures or damming the creek in a way that would negatively impact the surrounding Goose Creek area.

The goal of obtaining such designation was to preserve important historic buildings of cultural significance from commercialization or whims of future homeowners. After two and a half years of debating, compromising, and legal inquiries, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors designated the Goose Creek area an historic district. With the designation, the Board of Supervisors set up a review board composed of two historians and three local homeowners who would approve construction of new buildings and changes to existing structures in order to preserve the historic integrity of the area.

Acquisition information:
John Lewis, Winchester, VA
Arrangement:

Box: folder

Physical description:
.