Walking History: Leesburg, VA with Loudoun Museum Executive Director Joe Rizzo

In this very special episode we are joined by the Executive Director of Loudoun Museum, Joe Rizzo, for an in-depth discussion of the history of Leesburg, Virginia, a town almost 300 years old, and all the important events that took place here. Joe once and for all settles the question of whether or not Leesburg was the capital of the US during the War of 1812, discusses the incredibly significant visit of the Marquis de Lafayette in 1825, and much more. After our discussion I visit the locations Joe and I talked about and tell you which ones are the best to visit during your tour of this quintessentially historic American town.

Want to jump ahead in the episode?

Interview Begins: 2:00
Lafayette's Visit: 10:15
Loudoun Museum: 27:25
Touring Leesburg, VA Today: 33:00

It was a real pleasure speaking to Joe Rizzo, and he gives a truly deep history of the town, from it's roots in the early 1700s to modern times. He discusses why it was created where it stands today, who the town was actually named after, the influence of Nicholas Minor on the creation of the town, the controversy over whether or not it was considered the capital of the US during the burning of Washington in 1814, the Marquis de Lafayette's famous visit in 1825, the divisions, military engagements and battles that took place here during the Civil War, and much more.

Interested in touring Leesburg with an eye towards its history? After the interview I visit some of the most interesting places Joe and I talked about and tell you what you can expect to find when you go there today, including walking the exact route the Marquis de Lafayette (with James Monroe and John Quincy Adams in tow!) took to the adoration of 10,000 onlookers, Civil War sites, and visit some famous gravesites for all you haunted tours fans out there. I also talk about some of the other great historic sites Leesburg and the surrounding Loudoun County have to offer, including the Marshall House, Morven Park, and of course Joe's own Loudoun Museum, a  wonderfully curated museum dedicated to local history that I can't recommend highly enough.

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The Educator Podcast is hosted, produced and edited by Matt Douglas. For more information on him and his work please visit lifecoachingsd.com or follow him at lifecoachingsd on Instagram. This episode was recorded on in June and July, 2021.