Evening star., 1952-09-14
lis Economy Has Kept
Leesburg Prosperous
For Two Centuries
By George Kennedy
Stog Stoff 0oryespondenf

A1EOoO1LG, td., SCPG. 10
Here Is q town where everybody
knows everybody-at least by
sight. On their way to the post
office they have time to stop and
pass the time Of day with one
another outside the iron fence of
Court House Square where the
bronze Confederate soldier with
fixed bayonet seems to guard the
past.
It is a town where every turn
presents ivy-covered brick walls at
the edges of old-fashioned gardens
shaded by splendid trees. It is a
town with its own economy which
has kept it prosperous for more
than two centuries.
It doesn't want to become q
Washington suburb.
Fear Population Rise.
The leading citizens of Leesburg
have feared an increase in popu-
lation for their community like
most women fear putting on
weight. They were relieved when
the 1850 census figures were pub
ished. Leesburg's population was
recorded at 1899. an increase Of
one over 1910.
But the writing is on the wall.
Leesburg is only 36 miles from
Washington on Route and the
bottleneck at Falls Church has
been opened up with a newly
paved wide highway through that
town.
A big subdivision has been laid
out in Loudoun County where
Broad Run crosses the Leesburg
Pike Route . and more than
200 lots have been sold. More such
ventures seem certain to follow.
Torn Between Two Ideas.
LeeSburg Is torn between two
ideas about its future. There are
the expansionist forces that domi-
nate most communities. the busi-
ness men who want to do more
business. And there are those who
want to see the town remain
much as it is. with constant i'm
provement in its appearance in
stead Of enlargement of its size.
Powell Harrison, young sixth
generation son of LeeSburg, who
heads Colonial Leesburg, an Or
ganization devoted to restoring the
18th century appearance of the
town. said:
I'VE know that growth is inevi-
table. We propose to control ii"
150-Year-Old Homes.
There is much to be done. The
town is full Of brick structures and
stone houses $50 and more years
old. Many Of them have lost their
antique appearance through 10Th
century modernization. The little
brick structures built for law Of
fees about the court house and
still so used are charming.
There are reminders of the 18th
century days when Leesburg was
. frontier town. jumping of
place for the West. There are
neat white houses in Market street
that have very thick walls. Their
clapboard exterior has been nailed
onto the original log cabin con-
Struction.
The opponents Of change have
the political power which they
can exercise when 1t comes to al
showdown. as they did in a vote
on changing to the county exec
utive plan. It was soundly de-
teated. Some Of the opponents
now wonder if it probably wasn't
q pretty good plan at that. But
1t was proposed by newcomers
who neglected to sell it to the
leaders Of the community first.
Tight Zoning Ruling.
The board of supervisors re-
Gently passed a zoning regulation
for the county requiring that Is
per cent Of the land in any fu-
ture subdivision be dedicated to-
public USE" Loudoun County is
determined that it is not going
to have any construction projects
that will deteriorate into rural
Slums.
Northern Virginia has had
two invasions." said one of Lees
burg's prominent citizens. And
he wasn't referring to the 1905.
"The first Of these 10th CEN
tury invasions," he said, was the
wealthy Yankees. They took over
Warrenton and Middleburg, the
so-called horse country Lees
burg pretty well withstood that
invasion. The town is still run
by Virginians.
TITS this second invasion that
we have most to fear from-the
movement Of Washington people
In this direction that became
formidable after World War IL"
Loudoun County has its hunt.
Judge j. r. H. Alexander, who
was master of foxhounds for a
time, was known as the only fox
hunting juriSt in the country.
People Love Their Town.
The Leesburg people love their
town and some of the wealth
that has been brought to it has
been the fortunes natives of Lees
burg made in the centers of COM
merce and industry.
There was E. B. White who
made a fortune in the Midwest
and returned to be president Of a
Leesburg bank. And there was