Film Captures 250 Years of History

The will feature a free presentation of "Leesburg: An Exploration Through Time", on Saturday, which documents 250 years of history within the town.

Directed by Matthew Exline, of Living Stones Productions, the film highlights both the community of Leesburg residents as well as the town infrastructure.

Thomas Balch Library of History and Genealogy Director Alexandra Grisset said the documentary is a classic example of a simple idea mushrooming into something much greater than ever expected.

“Initially Deputy Town Manager Kaj Dentler, more or less, charged us with developing a history of Leesburg to use in training staff on the history of Leesburg, to orient people to what Leesburg was and is," Grisset said.

This could have been a daunting task since the town was officially founded in 1758 and a lot has happened in 250 years. The three people who made Dentler’s request become reality have moved on to other places and pursuits, but the legacy of ExLine, a graduate of Patrick Henry College, and former library staff members Stephanie Adams Hunter and Beth Schuster lives on.

Given the reactions of those who have seen the documentary as an orientation film, the library decided to periodically offer the general public a chance to watch the 50 minute film. This Saturday is one of those chances.

“Leesburg has a rich history and we realized we couldn’t do it in 15 minutes," Grisset said. "We picked the highlights and spun it into a story that tells the passing of time. We figured 50 to 55 minutes was as long as anyone wants to sit."

Grisset said the project began around 2008 and was completed in 2010. The INOVA Loudoun Laurels Founders Grant was a big help, she said, which helped when it came to funding. Images, Grisset continued, were garnered from the Library of Congress, The Loudoun Museum and Balch’s own archives.

“We do show this periodically for the public and we do show it for the staff," Grisset said. "It is not available for sale and we can’t stream it for anyone."

Grisset said the film begins with the colonial period and works its way through modern expansion. This includes the American Revolution, the Civil War, the era of dairy farms and finally the tremendous growth in residential and commercial development of today.

“It shows you that Leesburg, even though it was agricultural at times, still experienced some of the same events other areas in the United States did,” Grisset said, adding that she would prefer not to be more specific as to the content of the film.

“I’m not going to give it away," she said. "They’ll have to come and see it.”

"Leesburg: An Exploration Through Time" will be shown on Saturday, September 24 from 2 to 4 pm. The film lasts approximately one hour. The event is free and will take place at the Thomas Balch Library, located at 208 E. Market Street.