Pages of History for All to See

Documents Dating to County's Beginnings Being Set Out at Courthouse

Many of the historic documents were on view at the courthouse Friday. Above, 15-year-old Thomas Barcham of Middleburg reads a will book from the mid-18th century. (By Richard A. Lipski -- The Washington Post)

Hundreds of court documents dating to the 1700s will be on display at the Loudoun County Courthouse in Leesburg on several dates this year in honor of the county's 250th anniversary.

The marriage certificates, death registers, wills and other documents held by the Circuit Court clerk's office offer a glimpse into the daily lives of those who lived and worked in Loudoun, including prominent historical figures, said John Fishback, the court's manager of historic records.

"They're in wonderful condition," Fishback said. "We are very fortunate for that."

Among the courthouse's most prized possessions is a deed signed by George Washington, who served as a trustee for a land purchase by the Mercer family in Aldie. Another is the Virginia General Assembly order that allowed the western portion of Fairfax County to become a separate county, called Loudoun, in 1757.

Both documents will be on display May 19 during the countywide celebration of the anniversary.

Loudoun is one of only a handful of Virginia counties whose records were not destroyed during the Civil War or other disasters, Fishback said.

Historians credit George K. Fox, Circuit Court clerk through the mid-19th century, for that good fortune. One day in 1862, court officials received word that the Union Army was approaching from the north. Knowing that the invading Yankees often destroyed court records, a judge ordered the clerk to remove them from the courthouse and take them to a safe place.

Fox loaded the documents -- contained in leather-bound books and bundles tied in red ribbon -- into several wagons and drove them to Campbell County in southern Virginia. There, legend has it, he stored them in a dry cave known as the Devil's Kitchen, Fishback said.

Fishback said Loudoun historians have researched this legend and discovered three caves called the Devil's Kitchen in the Lynchburg area. But "none would have been big enough to hold a couple wagon loads of records," he said.

Regardless, the documents were returned in good condition, "without the loss of a single paper, or so much as the rubbing of the bindings of the books," according to an excerpt from the Aug. 9, 1865, edition of the Democratic Mirror newspaper.

The anniversary celebration began Friday evening, when dozens of visitors perused marriage certificates, death registers and other documents that give a taste of Loudoun family life in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The next event will be May 4 from 6 to 9 p.m., when the courthouse will display documents related to black history.

After gaining their freedom, former slaves were required to register with the courts in a catalog of "Freed Negroes," Fishback said. As a result, the county has meticulous records on black residents, including details about their names and physical descriptions, he said.

The day-long program May 19 will start at 10 a.m. and include historical lectures, a round-table discussion with two former clerks and presentations by historical reenactors.

The final events, both from 6 to 9 p.m., are a session for genealogy researchers Oct. 5 and a display of records related to residents' military service Nov. 2.

All activities take place at the county courthouse at Market and King streets in Leesburg.