Leesburg in Loudoun County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Douglass Community School

Photographed by Craig Swain, February 2, 2008

1. Douglass Community School Marker

Inscription. Before the construction of this high school, there were no schools beyond 7th grade for black students in Loudoun County. Late in the 1930s, the parent-teacher associations of various black schools formed the County-Wide League to raise money to build a high school. The league hired well-known civil rights attorney Charles H. Houston to help persuade county officials to allocate funds for the new school. In 1941 the league succeeded in obtaining a loan of $30,000 from the State Literary Fund. Named for Frederick Douglass, the noted black abolitionist and orator, the school still serves the county today.

Erected 2007 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number F-35.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1941.

Location. 39° 6.59′ N, 77° 33.242′ W. Marker is in Leesburg, Virginia, in Loudoun County. It is at the intersection of East Market Street (Business State Highway 7) and Sycolin Road (County Route 643), on the right when traveling west on East Market Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 407 East Market Street, Leesburg VA 20175, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area

and in Northern Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Douglass High School (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Douglass High School (within shouting distance of this marker); Charles Craven Lynched, 31 July 1902 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Daniel, Hankerson, Knox Building (about 300 feet away); Tribute to the County-Wide League (about 300 feet away); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (about 600 feet away); Barack Hussein Obama (about 600 feet away); Tuskegee Airmen (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Leesburg.

Also see . . . Douglass Community School. A short history and listing of principals. (Submitted on February 2, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Photographed by Craig Swain, February 2, 2008

2. Douglass Community School Marker

Douglass Community School Today image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, February 2, 2008

3. Douglass Community School Today

Credits. This page was last revised on January 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,373 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 2, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.