Local Events

The Middleburg Library Advisory Board is pleased to announce the sixth event in its Local Book and Author Series: A talk and question-and-answer session by the co-authors of the new book, A Path Through Willisville, Carol Lee and Lori Kimball.

This event is FREE and open to all!

The book is a history of the historic Western Loudoun County African American community of Willisville, which in 2019 became the first village of its kind listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the county.

“This will be a unique opportunity to hear the uplifting story of how local preservationists, including many descendants of the early, pre-1860 Willisville families, joined together to preserve the community’s heritage and advocate for and protect the historic character of the village,” said MLAB President Kathryn Baran. “This promises to be a celebration and a learning experience for anyone interested in historic preservation and African American history.”

Carol Lee, a longtime Willisville resident, chairs the Willisville Preservation Foundation. Lori Kimball, who works as Senior Manager of Programs and a researcher of the enslaved community at Oatlands in Leesburg, is a member of the Black History Committee of the Friends of the Thomas Balch Library, co-author of “The Enslaved Community of President James Monroe with a Focus on Loudoun County, 1784-1849.”

Lori Kimball will begin the evening with a lively talk on A Path Through Willisville, after which she and Carol Lee will take questions, and then sign copies of the book.