Our February 2021 Newsletter is now available
Our feature-filled newsletter for February is now available here.
Articles by LHS_Admin
The Ruse/Reed log farmhouse collapses during demolition
In our last issue, we reported on the history of the Ruse-Reed homestead on the Lovettsville Community Park site, and how the County was planning on demolishing the old farmhouse. That has now happened, more […]
Honoring Those Interred at the Mount Sinai Cemetery — Part III
By Claudette Lewis Bard This month we are continuing our series about those interred at Mount Sinai Cemetery. Among those discussed are an early civil rights activist and registered voter and several children whose short […]
The Stories behind the Stained-glass Windows at Beans in the Belfry
By Edward Spannaus I was staffing the Museum about a year ago – when we were still open – when a somewhat familiar-looking gentleman walked in. He introduced himself as Wayne Allgaier from the Brunswick […]
Linden Hall establishes conservation easement
By Bart Hodgson Linden Hall Farm, LLC is pleased to announce the recording of a Conservation Easement in the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia. In doing so, Linden Hall will join over 75,000 […]
Our January 2021 Newsletter is Here!
Our January 2021 Newsletter is now available — with news and updates about the Lovettsville Historical Society, history features on the Ruse/Reed farmstead on the Lovettsville Community Park property, more history of the Ruse family […]
The Ruse/Reed Homestead at the Lovettsville Park
By Lori Hinterleiter Kimball Anyone walking or driving recently by the intersection of East Broad Way/Milltown Road and Lovettsville Road would have noticed earth-moving equipment contouring the land in preparation for our new community […]
The Ruse Family: A Typical Story of our German Settlers
By Edward Spannaus Christian Gottlieb Ruse (1746 – 1821) and Anna Catherine Ruse (1756? – 1802) came to our attention some years ago, because they were early owners of the land on which the Lovettsville […]
Honoring Those Interred at Mount Sinai Cemetery — Part II
by Claudette Lewis Bard In December’s newsletter, we remembered several Lovettsville residents who are interred at the Mount Sinai Cemetery. As we acknowledged, there could be as many as 100 people who made that plot […]
Our December 2020 Newsletter is now out!
We have just published our December 2020 newsletter. You can get it here.
The Georges, the Johnsons, and related families in Lovettsville
We asked Sam Kroiz, proprietor of the George’s Mill Farm Store, to tell us about Charles Johnson’s relation to George’s Mill and various Lovettsville families. Charles Johnson was Sam’s third great-grandfather, a line which runs […]
Charles W. Johnson: The Spy Who Walked a Crooked Line
By Edward Spannaus The Charles Johnson who featured in the fracas following a Republican event in Waterford in November 1888 was no stranger to conflict – be it of the military or political sort. In […]
When Waterford’s (and Lovettsville’s) Politics Got Out of Hand
This story in the November issue of the Waterford Foundation newsletter caught our eye, especially the part at the end of the story about the 1888 brawl with a group of visitor from Lovettsville. We […]
Honoring Those Interred at Mount Sinai Cemetery
by Claudette Lewis Bard In our October newsletter, we featured an article entitled “Hidden History: The Mount Sinai Church and Cemetery at ‘Little Britain.’” The article chronicled the once-thriving African-American community called Guinea or […]
Our November 2020 Newsletter is now out!
Read our November newsletter here.
The Mystery of the Re-appearing Gravestones
Here’s a story you may have missed, in the absence of the Brunswick Citizen and its news coverage of “Greater Lovettsville”. We learned about this incident from the Hagerstown news source WDVM, which published out […]
Remembering Private Samuel Benjamin Timbers
In the October 2020 Lovettsville Historical Society Newsletter, there was a story entitled “Hidden History: Mount Sinai Church and Cemetery at ‘Little Britain.’” My family has a connection to the cemetery that I would like […]
Honoring Former Mayor Elaine Walker
Memorial Address for Elaine Walker Delivered by Michael Zapf on behalf of the Lovettsville Historical Society, October 10th, 2020 at the Walker Pavilion, Lovettsville Elaine Walker’s career in the administration of Lovettsville’s town government is […]
Our October 2020 Newsletter is now available!
Our October 2020 Newsletter is now available and ready for your reading enjoyment. This issue features an article on the World War II Gold Star Service Flag at New Jerusalem Lutheran Church; a new feature […]
New Jerusalem’s Gold Star Flag
New Jerusalem’s Gold Star Flag To accompany the dedication of the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument at the south entrance to Lovettsville on September 11, we thought it would be fitting to recall the story […]
Hidden History: Mount Sinai Church and Cemetery at “Little Britain”
Anyone passing through the intersection of Mountain Road and Britain Road southwest of the town of Lovettsville, would have no idea that this was once the center of a vibrant Black community, centered on a […]
Part II of “The Right to Vote: An Ancestral Story
By Claudette Lewis Bard Click here for Part I Last month, we briefly chronicled the lives of 37 African-American men whose names were included in the “List of Colored Voters Registered at Lovettsville Precinct.” […]
Our September 2020 Newletter is ready
Our September 2020 Newsletter is now available. Read it here.
Black Voter Register from 1890s Found in Museum
(Updated 1/11/2021) A few years ago, volunteers working in the Lovettsville Museum found a list of registrations of Black voters in Lovettsville, dating from 1888 to 1900. The original voter register was among a set […]
The Right to Vote: An Ancestral Story
By Claudette Bard Like many African Americans, my genealogical journey began when I watched Roots, the television mini-series that aired in 1977, which chronicled Alex Haley’s family history. I sat down a few years […]
Whose Folly, or Who’s Fawley?
During colonial times, it was common for land tracts to be given colorful names, such as “Tasker’s Chance,” “Arnold’s Delight,” “Mortality,” or “Mill’s Folly” — all of which were in nearby Frederick County, Maryland. “Folly” […]
Our August 2020 Newsletter has launched!
Our August Newsletter is now available, featuring an introduction to the Loudoun Farm Heritage Museum and the role that Lovettsville-area farming plays in the story it tells. Get the Newsletter here.
The Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum: Preserving Loudoun’s Agricultural History – East and West
Visitors from the Lovettsville area who have toured the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum in Sterling for the first time, are pleasantly surprised to find that the Western Loudoun County and the Lovettsville area are […]
“Voices of Lovettsville” — Tell us your coronavirus stories!
The Lovettsville Historical Society is sponsoring an exciting new project, called “Voices of Lovettsville,” to collect stories of our local citizens’ experiences during these extraordinary times of the coronavirus. Sheryl Frye has volunteered to lead […]
Our July 2020 Newletter is ready
Our July newsletter launches the “Voices of Lovettsville” campaign, to collect the stories of your experiences in the time of Covid-19. And our history feature story is a bit of a history mystery: discovering how […]
The Spanish Flu in Lovettsville: a sort of History Mystery
The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1919 was the worst ever in world history – except perhaps for the 14th century Black Death — taking an estimated 675,000 lives in the United States, and 50 […]
Our June 2020 Newsletter is now available!
The June newsletter provides a guide to Loudoun County online history resources, and highlights our remembrance of former Mayor and LHS Board Member Elaine Walker. History features include a Civil War story by Jim Rada, […]
In Fond Memory: Elaine Walker
The passing of former Lovettsville Mayor Elaine Walker, on May 31, marks the end of an era. Her decades-long commitment to public service, her devotion to the Lovettsville community, and her love of our […]
Secrets of Catoctin Mountain — Excerpt
James Rada was scheduled to be our speaker for the May 17 presentation in our monthly Lecture Series — which is now on hold due to the Coronavirus shutdown of public events. We asked Mr. […]
Spanish Flu Hit in Brunswick Hard in October 1918
The Spanish Flu hit the United States in three waves in 1918-19. The first, which was for the most part mild and non-fatal, broke out in March 1918, in Kansas, mostly among young men […]
LOUDOUN COUNTY PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION COALITION’S LEADERSHIP SEEKS PRESERVATION OF LOVETTSVILLE COMMUNITY CENTER
The following letter was sent to the Board of Supervisors by the Executive Committee of the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition: May 1, 2020 The Honorable Phyllis Randall Chair, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors 1 Harrison […]
“Why Do We Commemorate Memorial Day?”
Memorial Day remarks by Edward Spannaus, Lovettsville Historical Society, May 25, 2020, delivered as part of the Town of Lovettsville’s virtual Memorial Day Ceremony. The video of the entire event can be viewed here. […]
Our May 2020 Newsletter is now available!
We have just published our monthly newsletter for May 2020. Even though we are forced to close the Museum, and postpone all lectures until it is safe to meet again, there is still lots to […]
Lovettsville Alumni Association calls on Supervisors to save historic classrooms in Community Center
This is the letter sent to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors by the Lovettsville Alumni Association, asking the Board to halt the demolition of the Community Center with its classrooms from theold Lovettsville School: […]
Loudoun County: Federalist Stronghold in Virginia
By Nancy Spannaus In the Hamilton-vs.-Jefferson conflict that raged throughout America in the early Republic, there weren’t many parts of Virginia which consistently elected opponents of Thomas Jefferson, but one of them was Loudoun County. […]
Loudoun County Heritage Commission opposes demolition of Lovettsville Community Center building
The Loudoun County Heritage Commission sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors on March 31 supporting the Lovettsville Historical Society and the Lovettsville Alumni Association in their efforts to save the historic sections of […]
Stop Demolition of Community Center: LHS asks Supervisors
On April 14, 2020, Fred George, President of the Lovettsville Historical Society, sent the following letter to Catoctin Supervisor Caleb Kushner and the entire Loudoun County Board of Supervisors:
Our April 2020 Newsletter is now available!
The Lovettsville Museum and our lecture series is shut down, but history is not shut down! It is open. We continue to bring you our newsletter, in which we will point you to some useful on-line resources which you […]
Hessian Soldiers in Lovettsville
Hessian Soldiers in Lovettsville By Edward Spannaus During the American Revolution, tens of thousands of German soldiers were sent by their rulers to fight against the American colonists on behalf of the British crown. Thousands […]
Postponed: April 19 “Loudoun County: Federalist Stronghold in Virginia”
It is well-known that Alexander Hamilton’s vision of America’s future as an industrialized nation was not broadly popular in Virginia, where the opposition was led by Thomas Jefferson. But not all Virginians shared Jefferson’s […]
Our March 2020 Newletter is now available!
The March newsletter is now published. See it here.
Part II of The Journals of Dr. James A. Willard of Lovettsville
By Michael Zapf In our February 2020 Newsletter we introduced Dr. James A. Willard, who resided and practiced in Lovettsville from 1867 until his death in 1906. Two sources of information give us in-depth insights […]
March 8 Lecture: “German Immigrants, American Pioneers: The Brunners of Schifferstadt”
German Immigrants, American Pioneers: The Brunners of Schifferstadt Presented by Patricia Ogden and Boyce Rensberger Sunday, March 8, at 2:00 p.m. St. James United Church of Christ, Lovettsville, Va. The saga of one desperate German […]
Our February 2020 Newsletter is now available!
You can get it here.
The Journals of Dr. James A. Willard of Lovettsville
By Michael Zapf Readers may recall the article published on the Lovettsville Historical Society website of January 25th, 2018, “The Fascinating Story Behind Wilfred Emory Cutshaw’s Crumbling 1854 Book” which also appeared as “Gems of […]
Feb. 9 — Lovettsville 101: An Introduction to The German Settlement
Kicking off the Lovettsville Historical Society’s 2020 Lecture Series: “Lovettsville 101” An Introduction to The German Settlement Sunday, February 9, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. St. James United Church of Christ 10 East Broad Way, Lovettsville […]
Our January 2020 Newsletter is now available!
Get the full January issue here. Feb. 9: “Lovettsville 101:” An introduction to The German Settlement Rob Jones honored at LHS Annual Membership Meeting Feature article: Luther Potterfield and the Lovettsville Potterfields: A Family Divided Rev. […]
Luther Potterfield and the Lovettsville Potterfields: A Family Divided
Luther H. Potterfield and the Lovettsville Potterfields: A Family Divided By Edward Spannaus (This is an edited version of talk presented to the Lovettsville Historical Society, on Sept. 20, 2015) The Civil War […]
Rev. George Handley (1930-2019), LHS lecture series speaker
The Rev. George E. Handley, who spoke as part of the Lovettsville Historical Society’s lecture series in 2015, died on Dec. 20,2019 in Winchester. Funeral services were held at the Village at Orchard […]
Rob Jones honored at LHS Annual Membership Meeting
The first order of business at the Lovettsville Historical Society’s 2019 Annual Membership Meeting on Dec. 15, was the presentation of a donation to retired Marine Sergeant and Paralympic Bronze Medalist, Rob Jones, for the […]
Our November 2019 newsletter is now available!
Our latest newsletter is now available! See it here.
The German-American Zweitürhaus
Why does that house have two front doors? One little-known feature which gives the Lovettsville area a distinctive Germanic flavor, is the presence of a number of two-door houses – that is, two […]
November 10: “The Lost History of Potomac Marble”
“The Lost History of Potomac Marble” Presented by Paul Kreingold. Conservation Director of the Loudoun County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America. Sunday, November 10, at 2:00 p.m. When the Capitol of the […]
In Memoriam: Jimmy Spring, our “Living Legend of Lovettsville”
Jimmy Spring (above, center), who was featured in our “Living Legends of Lovettsville” presentation on Dec. 11, 2016, passed away on September 22. The 2016 event was presented before a packed house in the fellowship hall at New Jerusalem […]
Our October 2019 Newsletter is now available
Read our latest newsletter here.
The last days of the old Brunswick bridge — and other stories of our ferries and bridges
Above: Photograph from The Times-Herald, Feb. 10, 1953, courtesy of Brunswick History Commission. Automobiles are crossing the old bridge, as a construction crane is used to lower the superstructure for the new bridge, which replaced the […]
October 13: “Germanna 101: Virginia’s First German Settlement”
“Germanna 101: Virginia’s First German Settlement” Presented by Ashley Abruzzo, Germanna Foundation Sunday, October 13, at 2:00 p.m. Almost two decades before German settlers began streaming into Virginia’s Loudoun Valley and the Shenandoah Valley, the […]
“Tastings, Tales, & Tunes” at Hiddencroft Vineyards, October 17
Second Annual Tasting, Tales, and Tunes: Lovettsville Historical Society Night at Hiddencroft Vineyards Thursday Evening, October 17, 2019—7:00-9:30 p.m. Those of us who live in this region relish the unique history, culture, stories, music, foods, […]
Our September 2019 Newsletter is now available!
Get the newsletter here .
What we are losing, by demolishing the Community Center building
Many long-time Lovettsville residents spent uncounted hours playing baseball in the ball field behind the Community Center, formerly the Lovettsville School. For years, a plaque stood above the ball field, dedicating the field to […]
Sept. 22 — LHS Fundraiser and Membership Appreciation Event
Celebrating Lovettsville: Annual Lovettsville Historical Society Fundraiser & Membership Appreciation Event Sunday, Sept. 22, at 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. The Board of Directors of the Lovettsville Historical Society & Museum has announced […]
Sept. 8 — “The Shenandoah Valley’s German Heritage”
“The Shenandoah Valley’s German Heritage” Presented by Karen Good Cooper, President of the Shenandoah Germanic Heritage Museum Shenandoah County, Va. Sunday, September 8, at 2:00 p.m. When census takers asked Americans at the end of […]
Our August 2019 Newsletter is now available.
See our August newsletter here.
August 11 — Daniel Morgan: American Rifleman
Daniel Morgan: American Rifleman – The Life and Military Career of one of General George Washington’s Most Effective Commanders of the Revolutionary War Presented by Randolph G. Flood Founder of the American Revolution Consortium for Civic […]
Video: Growing Up Lovettsville, with Walter Fleming
The full video of our June 9 presentation on the Life and Times of Walter Fleming, is now available on our YouTube channel. See it now! Our thanks to Ethan Smith for editing and posting.
Our July 2019 Newsletter is now available!
Read the latest issue of our newsletter here.
History Mystery: John Axline’s Revolutionary War Service
By Edward Spannaus For some years, I have been puzzled by the oft-repeated story of Lovettsville’s John Axline in the Revolutionary War: that he alternately served in Lt. Col. Posey’s Battalion of the 3rd Virginia […]
Finding Loudoun’s Historic Cemeteries
As part of a broader effort to identify and preserve Loudoun County historic cemeteries and burial grounds, a newly-developed, interactive Loudoun County cemeteries map was unveiled at the June 4 Board of Supervisors meeting. With […]
July 14: Geniuses of the Frontier: James Rumsey and John Hall
Making Something out of Nothing: Geniuses of the Frontier — James Rumsey and John H. Hall Presented by Jim Surkamp Sunday, July 14, at 2:00 p.m. Within a forty-year span of time and within 25 […]
Ethan Smith wins LHS History Award at Lovettsville Elementary School
Above: Ethan Smith, Ed Spannaus, and Annie Smith. Ethan Smith, son of Annie and Buck Smith, won the Lovettsville Historical Award at the 5th Grade Awards Ceremony, held at Lovettsville Elementary School on June 5. […]
Our June 2019 newsletter is now available!
For our latest issue, read it here. In this issue: Lecture June 9: “A conversation with Walter Fleming” Upcoming LHS lectures and events Heritage Commission proposal presented to Supervisors 1938 WPA Historical Inventory: New Jerusalem […]
County Heritage Commission proposal would recognize Lovettsville and North Loudoun role in Civil War
On June 4, the Loudoun County Heritage Commission will present to the County Board of Supervisors, its recommendations for new monuments and memorials on the Courthouse grounds. Among the Heritage Commission recommendations are that […]
June 9: Walter Fleming — Growing Up Lovettsville
Growing Up Lovettsville: When A Farm Boy Drove the School Bus An Illustrated Reminiscence with Walter M. Fleming Sunday, June 9, 2:00 p.m. Slideshow by Becky H. Fleming Rich Gillespie, Moderator When Dr. A. B. […]
Our May 2019 Newsletter is now available
For the May issue, click here.
May 19: Eugene Scheel presents his new “American Indian Map of Loudoun County”
“American Indian Map of Loudoun County” to be presented by Eugene Scheel Sunday, May 19, at 2:00 p.m. Eugene Scheel has taught American Indian History to Loudoun County teachers for many decades, and he has […]
May 11: Author Book Talk & Signing: 1777 – Danbury on Fire!
Presented by M. H. B. Hughes at the Lovettsville Museum Saturday, May 11, at 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. M.H.B. Hughes says that her new book 1777 – Danbury on Fire! (Gatekeeper Press Nov. 2018) […]
Our April 2019 Newsletter is now available!
Our April newsletter has just been published. Read it here.
Capt. Luther W. Slater: A Life of Service
By Edward Spannaus Luther Slater is the only commissioned Union officer from the Civil War who is buried in Lovettsville. He was the highest-ranking elected officer in the Independent Loudoun Rangers, and but for […]
March 2019 Newsletter is now available
View it here.
April 7 — Book Talk on Alexander Hamilton by Lovettsville Author
Presented by Nancy Spannaus Lovettsville Museum Sunday, April 7, at 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. On Sunday April 7, Lovettsville author Nancy Spannaus will discuss and sign her new book, Hamilton Versus […]
April 14 lecture: The National Road — the Road that Built a Nation.
Presented by Tiffany Ahalt, National Road Museum, Boonsboro, Maryland Sunday, April 14, at 2:00 p.m. On Sunday, April 14, Tiffany Ahalt, the Marketing & Development Director for the National Road Museum in Boonsboro, will […]
March lecture: “’The Rebels is running over our Parents’: Recruiting Virginia Unionists into the Potomac Home Brigade”
Above: Travis Shaw Left: Potomac Home Brigade monument at Gettysburg Presented by Travis Shaw, Public Programs Coordinator at the Mosby Heritage Area Association Sunday, March 10, 2:00 p.m. On Sunday, March 10, we […]
February 2019 Newsletter is now available
Our February newsletter has just been published — accompanying the Russell Baker story, is a fascinating school petition from the 1930s by parents from Morrisonville, plus photographs, and lots of other news about upcoming history […]
Feb. 10 Lecture: “Armistead Thompson Mason Filler 1821-1897, and Linden Hall” (2/10/19)
Presented by Bart Hodgson, Co-Proprietor, Linden Hall B&B Sunday, Feb. 10 2:00 p.m. On Sunday, February 10, for the launching of Lovettsville Historical Society’s 2019 Lecture Series, we will hear the story of […]
With a smile, remembering Russell Baker
By Edward Spannaus Jan. 24, 2019–It was with sadness that we learned of the January 21 death of acclaimed columnist and humorist Russell Baker – but at the same time, it was impossible […]
On 75th Anniversary of Anzio Landing, Remembering Lovettsville’s Raymond Cooper
Today, January 22, 2019, Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, will host a series of commemorative events beginning with a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. to mark the 75th anniversary of the Allied landings at […]
Lovettsville Historical Society Announces 2019 Lecture Series
The Lovettsville Historical Society has announced the first half of its 2019 lecture series, for the months from February through June. The line-up is: February 10 – “Armistead Thompson Mason Filler, 1821-1897.” Bart Hodgson, proprietor […]
Support the Lovettsville Historical Society With A Year-End Gift
Double your impact with a tax-deductible year-end donation! Please help us to continue to preserve Lovettsville’s unique history by making a tax-deductible donation to the Lovettsville Historical Society’s Museum Expansion Fund as part of your […]
Purcellville Gazette: Lovettsville Museum Renovations Showcase New Interpretive Displays, New Sign Welcomes Visitors (11/30/2018)
Reprinted with permission from the Purcellville Gazette, November 30, 2018 Issue Photographs by Eric Wickstrom The Lovettsville Museum’s new scarlet red sign was hung on the west side of the museum that is located […]
Lovettsville History Mystery: The 1868 Fire At New Jerusalem Church
by Edward Spannaus, Board Member, Lovettsville Historical Society & Museum 150 years ago, on October 19, 1868, the congregation of Lovettsville’s largest church, New Jerusalem Lutheran Church, laid the cornerstone for a new church building, […]
Lovettsville Historical Society To Hold Annual Membership Meeting (12/9/2018)
The Lovettsville Historical Society will hold its Annual Membership Meeting at 2:00 on Sunday, December 9, at the Lovettsville Museum, 4 East Pennsylvania Avenue in Lovettsville (in front of the Town Hall). The meeting is […]
What the Heck Is This Thing #12
Can you guess what this object is — and what it does? Hint: The answer is at the bottom of this webpage. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE ANSWER … […]
Girl Scouts Enjoy the Lovettsville Museum’s First Downtown Walking Tour (11/12/2018)
The Lovettsville Museum recently hosted a field trip with Lovettsville Girl Scout Troop 70074, a large and active troop of fourth grade Junior-level Girl Scouts from Lovettsville Elementary School. The girls were working on their […]
“’Over There’ Comes to Main Street: Loudoun and the First World War, 1917-18,” Next in the Lovettsville Historical Society Lecture Series (11/18/2018)
On Sunday afternoon November 18, 2018 at 2:00 pm, the Lovettsville Historical Society will contribute to Virginia and Loudoun’s centennial commemoration of the First World War with an engaging program by well-known local historian Richard […]