Politics & Government
A Look at Leesburg During the Civil War
A walking tour on Saturday, March 10, will explore how the Civil War years unfolded in Leesburg.
What was it like to live in Leesburg during the Civil War?
That question will be the focus of a walking tour that will take place in downtown Leesburg on Saturday, March 10, from 10 a.m. until noon. The tour is sponsored by the Thomas Balch Library.
Historian Richard Treat Gillespie, director of education for Northern Virginia’s Mosby Heritage Area, will lead the tour.
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“Leesburg was a significant Army base for Confederate soldiers guarding the frontier,” Gillespie said, pointing out that the town was situated in a key geographic location just two miles from the Potomac frontier dividing the Confederate and United States.
According to Gillespie, Leesburg had 1,500 residents during the Civil War. Most of the town was situated in a small area bounded by North and South Streets, Church Street on the east, and Liberty Street on the west.
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Gillespie estimated that “well over 50 percent” of the buildings in downtown Leesburg, mostly private residences, date back before the Civil War. “Some of them have evolved over time,” he added, so the buildings may not look exactly as they did during the 1860s.
Two historic churches on Market Street will be among the stops on the tour. Gillespie said that the Methodist church building was used as a hospital during the war, with “sub-flooring put right over the top of the pews.” The Presbyterian Church was also popular with troops, he said.
“We’ll go on a circuit to follow a chronology of the Civil War,” Gillespie said. This “chronological tour” will enable participants to see the evolution of experience for people in Leesburg over the course of the War.
The tour will provide several spots for participants to sit down while they learn about Leesburg’s history. In addition to the churches, the tour will include three skirmish sites, the courthouse lawn, “the best street in town,” Harrison Hall where General Lee stayed, and the Episcopal cemetery.
The tour, which is free of charge, will leave the parking lot of the Thomas Balch Library at 10 a.m. this Saturday.
