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.
Lincoln Preservation Foundation Receives 2023 Commonwealth History Fund Grant
Purcellville, VA – It is with great excitement that we announce that the Lincoln Preservation Foundation is one of the eleven recipients to receive a grant from the Virginia Museum History & Culture’s (VMHC) Commonwealth History Fund. Lincoln Preservation Foundation has been generously awarded $40,000.00.
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.
One of the largest initiatives of its kind, the Commonwealth History Fund is expected to award up to $2,000,000 over its first five years. In 2022, the VMHC awarded $402,500 to fellow history organizations. Funds can be used for a variety of purposes including preservation, publications, artifact acquisition, research, conservation of artifacts and educational programming. Eligible recipients include Virginia non-profits, educational institutions, and state recognized Virginia Indian tribes. The Fund was made possible through the generosity of Dominion Energy and others.
“The Commonwealth History Fund has quickly become one of the best tools we have as your state history museum to support history education and preservation efforts taking place in your local community,” said VMHC President & CEO Jamie Bosket. “We are so very thankful for this opportunity to invest in the work of our fellow history organizations, now and for years to come.”
We are incredibly honored to be one of the eleven compelling projects chosen to receive funding from the Commonwealth History Fund. Through this amazing opportunity, we will be able to give back to our communities by implementing a project that will help us to continue telling the story of Virginia and have a lasting impact on future generations.
The Lincoln Preservation Foundation plans to use this funding to replace the original 138-year-old roof of an endangered African American church site, addressing its urgent structural issues and safety concerns. The 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 Grace Heritage Site, originally known as Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, is in the small Quaker village of Lincoln, Virginia, in western Loudoun County. Lincoln lies within the Goose Creek Historic District, a mostly rural landscape that consists of almost 10,000 acres. In 1982, the Goose Creek Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The area was first settled by Quakers who opposed slavery. It had strong Underground Railroad activity and a large Black population. Lincoln Preservation Foundation, working along with 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.
LPF Awarded Community Foundation Grant
The Lincoln Preservation Foundation is grateful to the Van Huyck Chockley Family Foundation for another grant award in January, 2023. We will continue to record and build upon the important, untold stories of our cultural history.Thank you, Van Huyck Chockley Family Foundation!
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!
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. If you would like to contribute, please reach out to us here.
