Loudoun County Seeks Nominations for Prestigious Community Blue Ribbon Award Recognizing Historic Preservation

The Joint Architectural Review Board of Loudoun County, with the Town of Leesburg playing a central role in this year’s nomination process, is actively seeking submissions for its esteemed Community Blue Ribbon Award. This annual recognition celebrates exceptional projects across the county that demonstrate a commitment to historic preservation and restoration. Residents and stakeholders have until July 31 to put forward their nominations for projects completed by that date.

The award encompasses a broad range of initiatives aimed at safeguarding the county’s rich historical and cultural heritage. Eligible projects are those physically situated within Loudoun County, including its incorporated towns, and must highlight the preservation of historic resources, landscapes, or significant cultural assets. This can include a variety of undertakings, such as the harmonious addition of new elements to historic structures, comprehensive restoration or rehabilitation efforts, the adaptive reuse of historical buildings for contemporary purposes, the preservation of important archaeological sites, or any other project that demonstrably protects or enhances Loudoun County’s historical and cultural fabric. Projects located outside of officially designated historic districts are also welcome to be nominated, as are those that go beyond purely architectural considerations to preserve unique aspects of the county’s past.

Past recipients of the Community Blue Ribbon Award have included notable projects such as the renovation and restoration of the historic Douglass High School, the development of a segregation museum within Frederick Douglass Elementary School, the restoration of the Waterford Mill, and various private residential restoration initiatives. While previously recognized projects are not eligible for a second award, those that were nominated but did not win are encouraged to be resubmitted for consideration. The selection of this year’s winners will be undertaken by the members of the Joint Architectural Review Board, which comprises representatives from the Leesburg Board of Architectural Review, the Loudoun County Historic District Review Committee, and the Middleburg Historic District Review Committee. Award winners will be notified prior to an awards ceremony scheduled to take place in late September 2026.

Nominations for the Community Blue Ribbon Award can be submitted electronically through the Town of Leesburg’s official website at http://www.leesburgva.gov/blueribbonaward. For those with inquiries regarding the nomination process or award criteria, Preservation Planner Ashleigh Goedeke is available to provide assistance via email at agoedeke@leesburgva.gov. The Joint Architectural Review Board, a nationally recognized program, has been instrumental since its inception in 2008 in acknowledging over 150 exemplary architectural achievements and successful preservation endeavors across its participating jurisdictions, which include the Towns of Leesburg, Purcellville, and Middleburg, Loudoun County, and the Loudoun Preservation Society.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Town of Leesburg, Virginia

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