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For the first time since 2016, the Loudoun Preservation Society last week teamed up with the county’s Joint Architectural Review Board to spotlight some of the exemplary efforts to preserve, restore or repurpose the county’s historic resources.

The joint BAR, which includes representatives from boards of architectural review boards in Loudoun County, Leesburg, Purcellville, and Middleburg, presented 13 awards in five categories. LPS presented grants to eight organizations to support ongoing preservation projects. 

Before a roomful of conservation-minded property and business owners, architects, and builders at Kalero Vineyard & Events on Sept. 22, LPS President Allen Cochran applauded their dedication for protecting Loudoun’s historic buildings. 

He also highlighted the need to do even more. 

He used the history of one of Loudoun’s most well-known farms as an example, a story he termed a monumental preservation failure. 

“Any small success I have had in my business has come from monumental amounts of failure. And I have failed monumentally, but I was smart enough to learn from them and hopefully we didn’t make too many more mistakes and we were able to go on,” said Cochran, a stonemason and restoration expert.

He told the story of Arthur Godfrey, a New York City kid who grew up with a passion for flying and an aptitude for radio. Although the Navy and the Coast Guard kept him out of the pilot’s seat and in the radio room, his success as a radio and television broadcaster led him to own a 2,000-acre farm west of Leesburg—and a DC-3 airplane in which he commuted from the landing strip he built just east of town to his studio in New York City.

As his health began to fail, Godfrey looked for a way to preserve his farm. Similar to the challenge faced by many farm families, Cochran said he sought someone who could afford to buy the land and maintain it. That coincided with the arrival in town of a Saudi prince, who bought the farm for $6 million. Four years later, in 1983, Godfrey died.

“He went to his grave thinking that he did the best that he could do for that farm. And at the time, he did, because after all one of the 10 richest men in the world bought it. What else could he do?” Cochran said. “What he didn’t know is that six years later the prince would get tired of being a Virginia gentleman farmer and he would put the farm up for sale—for $10 million.”

It was developed into an upscale golf course community.

“The sad part of this is, Mr. Godfrey didn’t have the tools available to him that we have tonight. We have the ability to put these farms in easement and protect them. Just because they are in a protected easement doesn’t’ mean that you’re giving up all your money. There is still a little bit of development and there’s nutrient credits and water conservation credits. They’re lots of opportunities to protect these lands that are still open,” he said. 

“There’s opportunity for all of us here to protect what we’re here to protect,” Cochran said. “What we should learn is that, at the end of the day, let’s not go to our graves thinking we did the best that we could do when there is still more that we can do. I’m so glad there are some many people here who care about it.”

The program also included a tribute to builder Paul Reimers, a preservation leader and longtime Leesburg BAR member, who died in July.

“There was hardly a greater friend to Leesburg’s historic district than Paul. His analysis of what probably amounted to hundreds if to thousands of cases on the Leesburg BAR and his stewardship of the several resources he owned in historic Leesburg, Paul’s fingerprints can be seen throughout Leesburg’s downtown and in other areas in this beautiful county,” said Town of Leesburg Preservation Planner Laura Murphy. She noted that five of his projects previously won Joint BAR awards and another was added that night. 

2022 Joint Architectural Review Board Awards

Below are the winning projects and the Joint Architectural Review Board comments about them.

The Purcellville Mural—commissioned by Discover Purcellville          

The 29-by-9 foot “Welcome to Purcellville” mural painted on the side wall of the Purcellville Family Restaurant in the center of town depicts images of important landmarks. The mural contributes to the visual character of the streetscape and anchors the downtown business district.  The mural was commissioned by Discover Purcellville, a nonprofit, responsible for community events and a number of successful community art projects including painted wine barrels, painted benches and most recently “Word on a Fence.”  

Adaptive Reuse and Rehabilitation: 

28-32 S. King Street, Leesburg—Senor Remons, Sunflower Shack, Brick and Mortar, and Echelon Wine Bar.        

The corner of Loudoun and King Streets in Leesburg was once the site of the magnificent Leesburg Opera House.  When the Opera House was demolished in the mid-20th century, it served as the catalyst for the creation of the Old and Historic District, Loudoun County’s oldest dedicated historic district.  Unfortunately, after the loss of the opera house, a low single story mid-century retail building was constructed and stuck out as a gap in the historic King Street streetscape for many years. In 2017 and 2018, Bill Camack of Cloverdale LLC purchased the property and began a plan to rehabilitate the building into several new retail spaces. By substantially altering the façade of this building to create new spaces, increased fenestration and traditional detailing, Mr. Camack and his team took the predecessor to the Opera House and created a new-old space that is a much better fit for this historic corridor.

130 20th St., Purcellville—Former rescue squad building

The former Purcellville Volunteer Fire Station was constructed in 1950 in the center of Town and served as an active fire station until 1971. The building was later used for various commercial uses. The property was purchased in 2015 by Select Property Management who undertook a major exterior and interior rehabilitation which transformed the building while maintaining the character defining form and features. The rehabilitation includes a raised brick patio to provide an outdoor gathering space and added French doors with side lights in the former vehicle bay doors that provide light and natural ventilation to the building which is used a fitness studio.  

301 E. Washington St., Middleburg—Masters of the Foxhounds Association

In Middleburg, a circa-1820 Federal style former residence underwent a significant preservation effort beginning in 2016. Although it appears to have been constructed in two separate phases, it is a good example of an early-nineteenth century Federal style home that is one of the few remaining late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth century stone homes in Middleburg. The converted structure now houses the offices, meeting spaces and library for the MFHA. The JARB is pleased to award Masters of Foxhounds Association for its significant preservation efforts along with their excellent signage.

207 S. King St., Leesburg—KM Digital office, former Coca-Cola bottling plant

The property at 207 S. King St. has worn many hats since it was constructed in the 1920s.  It was the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, a service station, an office building, and today it serves as the headquarters for KM Digital.  Chris Mizerak and Michael Keene purchased the property last year and began a dedicated journey to restoring what many may have looked at as an eye sore. These two designers saw the diamond in the rough.  After successfully completing the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit process with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, KM Digital restored the bottling plant with sensitive updates which retain the industrial past of this building while maximizing its new potential as a new office space in the heart of the Old and Historic District.  

209 E. Washington St. Middleburg—private home

Located in Middleburg the circa-1820 building is an excellent example of an early-19th century Federal style townhome that was enlarged in the mid-19th century. Most recently used as a country inn, the structure now functions as an office building after having undergone extensive interior and exterior renovations and restorations. We are pleased to recognize the Catawba Corporation for its detailed and thoughtful restoration project that maintained the historic integrity of this contributing structure that has dramatically enhanced the Town of Middleburg.

40273 Fairfax St., Waterford—private home

This was a historic structure that many would have submitted for demolition. Abandoned for years with no power, heat, or running water, our applicants instead saw potential and lovingly rehabilitated the house, with a respectful and discrete addition. This is a beautiful example of what we all hope our review process and guidelines will encourage in our historic communities. 

40139 Main St. Waterford—private home

At a property that is already famous in Waterford for its charm, this small but elegant new accessory structure adds to an amazing garden that backs up to Phillips Farm. To our committee, it exemplifies the respect for scale, detailing, and site considerations that can make contemporary interventions feel as if they have always been a part of historic property. 

330 W. Market St., Leesburg—private home

The Edward Nichols House, also known as Hillcrest, in Leesburg is a unique blend of Colonial Revival and Queen Anne architecture and serves as one of the most architecturally significant turn of the century residences in Town.  The house was built in 1899 for Edward Nichols and designed by Lemuel Norris of Washington DC.  Several historic dependencies remain and are listed with Hillcrest in the National Register of Historic Places. To help preserve the unique two-story laundry house, the owners Randy and Teresa Minchew, together with their builder, the late Paul Reimers, designed custom storm doors for the second-floor loft. The new doors allow the beauty and detailing of the historic loft doors to remain visible as well as functional, note the herringbone pattern of the doors inset panels. The installation of the custom doors preserves the character of the loft while allowing for contemporary reuse of the laundry house as a home office.

The first of several details to highlight on King Street is the building at 13 S. King Street. For many years the retail entrance to the building was located within the alleyway which leads to the Town of Leesburg’s parking garage.  In 2018, the Leesburg BAR reviewed an application to relocate that entry to the King Street façade. As with most preservation commissions, the BAR was cautious about allowing a major alteration to a primary façade without due diligence. But the applicant, Christina Gatsby, jumped in to research the property and found historic photos of the original entry way on King Street.  With this documentary evidence, the Board approved her request to install a new doorway in the same approximate area as the original entry. The new half-lite door pays thoughtful attention to the historic brick surrounding the door and blends itself once again into the historic fabric of King Street.

24 S. King St., Leesburg—Sidebar Coffee

SideBar is recognized tonight for their sensitive and innovative approach to a new “walk up” coffee service window in place of the previously incongruous plate-glass window right along the sidewalk. The new window filled the existing opening with a custom double hung, simulated divided lite window which offers a contemporary yet compatible design for the historic building as well as a bit of whimsy for coffee lovers in Leesburg. SideBar also successfully highlights the small niche in the building that leads to its patio and outdoor dining space to create a sensitive and contextually appropriate oasis in the District.  

1 N. King St., Leesburg—Rebellion restaurant

The newly opened Rebellion Bourbon Bar & Kitchen at 1 N. King St. in Leesburg is recognized for its newly installed operable windows along Market Street. Located at perhaps the most prominent corner in town at the intersection of King and Market streets, this building was constructed in the 1830s in the federal style. In the 20th century, the windows along Market Street were removed and the openings covered with false shutters. The award recipient discovered the original framing during their rehabilitation of the building and installed new custom wood windows back to the façade. In addition to its windows, Rebellion is also recognized for its innovative signage which blends traditional carvings with the contemporary vibe you’d expect from a Bourbon bar.

218 Cornwall St. Leesburg—private home

Completed in three phases, the renovation and restoration at 218 Cornwall St. NW in Leesburg has been a labor of love for the owners, Mark and Wanda Salser. The transformation of the property began with small additions for a mudroom, a new detached garage appropriately sited to support the house, and a complete restoration of the interior of the structure.  Then in 2017, a larger addition to the west side of the house was completed along with the restoration of the two-story historic barn on site. Finally, in 2022 the owners completed the most recent addition—a modest expansion for an eat-in kitchen. The Salsers have dedicated their ownership of this property to its restoration while simultaneously making sensitives changes to suit the evolving needs of their family and ensuring that the historic buildings on site will continue to be relevant for many generations to come.  

2022 Loudoun Preservation Society Pump-Priming Preservation Grants 

The following grants were awarded during the program:

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Middleburg: $2,500 to support the repair of windows in the 1842 church. There are twelve windows needing repair; they will implement repairs in two-window phases, each costing $12,113 using local area craftsmen who have worked on the church before. 

Friends Of Grace Multicultural Center, Lincoln: $2,250 to help install a safety handrail system at the entry to the building that is in keeping with the 1880s nature of the church. 

Loudoun Clerk of the Circuit Court: $1,000 to support the continued digitization of court records with a focus on the 1757-1968 coroner’s records, Medical Register of Loudoun Doctors 1901-80, and records of base-born children 1757-1872 to assist in 18th, 19th, and 20th century research. 

Lucketts Ruritan Club: $1,375 in support of efforts to preserve the Mount Pleasant Church at Scattersville.

Morven Park: $1,250 in support of efforts to replace crumbling stucco from three outbuildings. The grant will help hire a documentation firm to use photogrammetry to create rectified scaled images of each building’s exterior wall.

Philomont Village Foundation: $1,000 to assist with efforts to seek National and Virginia Historic Register status for the village. 

Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area: $750 to support printing a new version of the Historic Loudoun Scavenger Hunt to be distributed to students when VPHA education staff goes into schools to do their local history programming.

Waterford Foundation: $2,500 to help preserve its Bond Street Tanyard, a 1.5-acre parcel that includes a 19th century bank barn and icehouse.  SHARE ONWhatsAppFacebookTwitterLinkedInGoogle+Pin ItEmailBuffer Related

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