A New Nook for Books in Leesburg

Last September, Allen Robinson and his wife Nancy were walking through downtown Leesburg and wandered past a beautiful old building at 13 Loudoun St. that was for rent. This caught their eye, as they had only recently moved to the town and happened to be looking for a new business opportunity.

Even though they had never been in the retail book business, they immediately thought it would be a “neat old building to use as a bookstore,“ Allen Robinson said.

The couple did their homework by calling a Realtor, conducting some research and looking at comparable prices in the historic downtown.

After some due diligence, their first instincts proved valid and they rented the building and moved in. In November 2011, was officially founded.

“We really wanted to be in historic Leesburg and this location was best suited for a used bookstore,” Robinson said.

The building had recently been restored and was in great condition, so they were able to move right in. Previously it held an engineering office and prior to that, a shop called , a thrift store that is now located on Market Street.

Robinson said he and his wife have always been book collectors and had amassed quite a large number of books—from grandparents and great-grandparents—for as long as they can remember.

“Business so far has been steady," Robinson said. "December was a great month for us and we hope it will get busier this spring."

The store sells a variety of used and well-cared for books, which include a variety of genres. There are also a number of new books, which have been written by local authors, many of which will be featured during upcoming book signing events. Among them will be local author Dr. David C. Miles, who wrote "The Four Pillars of Employable Talent."

Other upcoming signings will include Courtney Mann, author of “Wide Sky, Narrow Path: A View from the Trail” and the "special authors" of the book "The Tail of Two Corgies," Merlin and Razz.  

The business also sells art from local artisans, handmade jewelry, mosaic bird houses, stained glass pieces, cutting boards and more. They also sell some things they have collected from their travels, including when they lived in Hawaii for 10 years.

“We have a lot of ideas for the future, including inviting local musicians and artists in and participating in Leesburg’s First Friday," Robinson said. "Now that we have this great spot, we are thinking of fun ways to use it and we are looking forward to it." 

Books and Other Found Things is located at 13 Loudoun St, SW, Leesburg. They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. Call 703-777-6221.

Business hours are Tuesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 to 7 p.m.