Lincoln Preservation Foundation
Our Mission
The Lincoln Preservation Foundation (LPF) is a non-profit corporation founded in 1999 by residents concerned about the future of the Goose Creek Historic District (GCHD); a 10,000-acre tract of land that includes working farms, historic schools, churches and other sites, walking tours, private residences, small businesses, and wildlife habitat in western Loudoun County. Here, modern day ways of life co-exist with centuries old history. We work together with other conservation and preservation organizations.
The mission of the Lincoln Preservation Foundation is to document and preserve the culturally diverse heritage of western Loudoun County Virginia's Goose Creek Historic District, anchored by the early 18th Century Quaker village of Lincoln. We seek to record and build upon the often untold stories for future generations, while protecting and preserving the buildings, environment, cultures, and features that enable its rural character and time-honored way of life.
Grace Heritage Site Restoration: The Saving Grace Project
The Lincoln Preservation Foundation and the Friends of Grace are currently raising funds to restore this historic African American church landmark. Please read about our collaboration at the link above. The photo below captures one of Grace Church’s congregants, Katherine Shorts Gibson, in 1929. She was a member of the Grace Church and one of the last officers of the Loudoun County Emancipation Association in Purcellville. Based on oral histories like those told by Mrs. Gibson, the vibrant story of the local African-American community will be saved.
2024 Community Foundation Grant:Van Huyck Chockley Family Foundation
The Lincoln Preservation Foundation is grateful to the Van Huyck Chockley Family Foundation for another grant award in January, 2024. We will continue to record and build upon the important, untold stories of our cultural history.Thank you, Van Huyck Chockley Family Foundation!
Lincoln Preservation Foundation Receives 2023 Commonwealth History Fund Grant
Purcellville, VA – In 2023, the Lincoln Preservation Foundation was one of eleven recipients to receive a grant from the Virginia Museum History & Culture’s (VMHC) Commonwealth History Fund. LPF was awarded $40,000.00 which was used to replace the original 1885 roof of the Grace Heritage Site, originally known as Grace Methodist Episcopal Church.
The VMHC, in partnership with Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources (DHR), awards grants to history organizations and projects throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia through its Commonwealth History Fund. There are several key selection criteria to be considered for the grants, including the significance of the project or resource, its impact on its community and the Commonwealth, the focus on historically underrepresented topics and communities, and the need for funding and urgency of the project.
The Grace Roof Reconstruction Project is a critical step forward in completing the bricks-and-mortar restoration of the historic structure and will allow interior work to begin. The Lincoln Preservation Foundation, working alongside the descendant community, is dedicated to saving this important landmark and cultural resource. The Grace Heritage Site is a Loudoun County treasure that, despite the test of time, still has much to teach us about the African American story.
More information on The Commonwealth History Fund can be found at VirginiaHistory.org/HistoryFund.
African American War Veterans' Project
We are working on a local African-American war veteran commemoration. We welcome submissions for this effort. Please tell us about your Loudoun County African-American war vet by contacting us here. We would like names, service info, photos, and burial locations for those who have passed. Thanks for your contributions!
