Loudoun resident Donna Bohanon was on the Loudoun County Heritage Commission that successfully campaigned for the renaming of the Loudoun County Courthouse in honor of African American lawyer and Civil Rights leader Charles Hamilton Houston. She is a public historian, instructor and education associate and chairs the Black History Committee for the Friends of Thomas Balch Library.

 

LoCo Favorites

Favorite place to eat in Loudoun?

I’m obsessed with the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Skewer Salad at Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg and I like everything at Thai Deelish in Ashburn, especially the Duck Noodle Soup.

 

Favorite place for a craft beverage?

I recently had the spiced mulled wine at Fabbioli Cellars and in summer I like the wine slushies at Quattro Goombas Winery.

 

Best hidden gem in Loudoun? 

I love history and learning local history so the Thomas Balch Library. It’s a great place for events and research, especially if you’re learning about family history and genealogy.

 

What's a must-see place for an out-of-town visitor? 

As a historian, I strongly recommend our numerous museums and historic sites throughout the county. Check out the Visit Loudoun website for the places that spark your interest.

 

Favorite event in Loudoun to go to?

We have so many to choose from. Last year, I attended Tracy Hamlin’s Sweet Jazz Festival, and it’s my new favorite. I’ve also attended and enjoyed many events sponsored by all the historic organizations in Loudoun.

 

What's a fun fact to share about Loudoun?

After the Civil War, African Americans established up to 30 communities in the county. Places not just with homes but with churches, cemeteries, schools, business and social organizations- all to sustain themselves during Reconstruction and Jim Crow. 

 

Diving into Black History

 

Who was Charles Hamilton Houston and where was he from?

He was born in Washington, DC, and became Dean of Howard University Law School and the NAACP Legal Counsel. In 1933 he led the defense in the Commonwealth of Virginia vs. George Crawford at the Loudoun County Courthouse, a case that brought attention to all-white juries and the systematic exclusion of African American jurors. The story was national news. Two years later the Supreme Court ruled biased jury selections unconstitutional. One of the lawyers on his team was a young Thurgood Marshall who went on to become the first Black justice on the United States Supreme Court.

 

When was the campaign to rename the courthouse for him launched?

The Loudoun County Heritage Commission established a subcommittee in 2017 to review ways to commemorate the full history of the courthouse grounds. Recommendations, which included nominating it for National Historic Landmark recognition and renaming it, were brought to the Board of Country Supervisors. (Both have been achieved).

 

February is Black History Month. How should Loudoun residents commemorate the history here?

Many ways! Visit the Black History Committee’s art exhibit “Black Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution” in the Mercer Room of the Thomas Balch Library through February and March. Also look online for Black History events at Oatlands Historic House & Gardens.

 

What other projects honoring Black history should Loudoun residents be aware of?

Loudoun’s African American community has always honored its history. One early example is the annual Emancipation Day celebrations in September that started in the late 1800’s and continue to this day. One of the Black History Committee’s recent projects was a partnership with members of the village of St. Louis, the former (village of) Willard and George Mason University to research the history and capture the stories of the people who established those two historic African American communities. It is our way to continue honoring Black history in Loudoun.