The Story
Leesburg, Virginia's formation is deeply intertwined with America's colonial history. Let's go into it!
Following the 1722 Treaty of Albany, the Iroquois abandoned all lands east of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the colony of Virginia. Colonists moved into the area that would become Loudoun County. A small settlement emerged at the intersection of the Carolina Road (now Highway 15) and the Potomac Ridge Road (now Highway 7).
In 1757, the Assembly of Virginia selected it as the location for the Loudoun County courthouse. An Act of Assembly in 1758, formed the town and named it Leesburg, after the Lee family.
It became a commercial crossroads for Shenandoah Valley farmers to move their goods to merchants in Alexandria and Georgetown.
During the War of 1812, faced with the British invasion of Washington, D.C.; the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other official documents were protected in a vacant Leesburg house.
The Act of Incorporation of the Town of Leesburg was signed in 1813, allowing elected officials to pass laws governing the town.
