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A History of the Organization:
1995: A group of concerned local citizens formed an organization to promote the education of and public awareness and appreciation for the historic, cultural, and natural resources of our unique region.
"Whether one is interested in the Native American era, the 18th, 19th, or 20th Centuries, we have in this area a virtual living museum filled with history. It is an open classroom that can be used to broaden knowledge and appreciation of our region's culture, history, and architecture" - First Meeting in 1995
The goal of the organization was to bring awareness to the fascinating and important historic events that have taken place here to foster a citizen appreciation of our extraordinary historic landscape and build increasing support for its preservation for future generations. The motto for the mission became, “Preservation Through Education.”
Founding members, including Childs Burden, the late Janet Whitehouse, Margaret Littleton, Marc Leepson, Gayle DeLashmutt, and others worked to secure support from municipalities that represent the landscape between the Bull Run and Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Their hard work led to the official designation of the "Mosby Heritage Area," comprised of Loudoun, Clarke, Fauquier, Warren, and Prince William counties. John Singleton Mosby was chosen because he is a very well known historic figure in our area whose operations during the Civil War overlap with the historically rich geographic region they were working to protect.
John Singleton Mosby was a Confederate Cavalry Officer (Colonel of the 43rd Virginia Cavalry, later dubbed “Mosby’s Rangers) who led a group of guerilla rangers that harassed the Union Cavalry in this five-county region. Mosby lived in Warrenton for some years after the Civil War, and spoke openly about slavery as the cause of the War. He later befriended President Ulysses S. Grant and worked for reconciliation and campaigned for Grant's election. Mosby went on to become the Ambassador to Hong Kong and continued working for the Federal Government for thirty-eight years.
It was determined to name this Heritage Area for one of the most famous personages associated with the five counties: The Mosby Heritage Area Association.
May 29, 1995: Inaugural event with keynote speaker David McCullough at Notre Dame Academy, Middleburg.
2003-2004 School Year: Educator Rich Gillespie begins MHAA’s Local History Programs in the Schools
2015: The Atoka Preservation Society disbanded and gifted the Caleb Rector House and Angus Brown House to MHAA
The organization became known for its widely popular Civil War Conference, but their programs covered a variety of diverse topics in their first twenty-five years. In 2016 they updated their logo to reflect the different historical time periods to make the broad scope of their mission more clear. In 2018 they launched a campaign to work with the Willisville Community to research its incredible history as a Freedmen's village which led to it becoming the first African-American village in Loudoun County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They named 2019 the “Year of John Marshall,” and held events throughout the year to highlight the amazing work of the Chief Justice. Other offerings have included everything from symposiums on President James Monroe to the history of Stage Coach travel in the area.
2019: MHAA Reaches 50,000 Students
2020: 25th Anniversary
As part of their 25th Anniversary celebrations, the Board of Directors thoroughly reviewed how their organization could ensure the continued protection of the area's extraordinary landscape and its history in the next quarter-century. After extensive discussions, they decided to respectfully retire their name and adopt one that more accurately captured the broad scope of their mission to highlight all the diverse history, from the time of the Native Americans through the twentieth century, that has taken place in the Heritage Area.
The organization was renamed the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association (VPHA)