This mural was made possible via a generous grant from Toll Brothers, capturing the evolution of the region. It contributes to both the Library building and its permanent collection of Loudoun history. The project was initiated by the Friends through volunteer groups, including the Theme Committee composed of local historians, and the Artist Selection Committee, both led by local artist Ann Noel.
Panel 1: The First Frontier depicts the original inhabitants and early European colonization.
Panel 2: The Golden Age of Agriculture illustrates the revolution in transportation (turnpikes, canals, and railroads), as well as wheat, Loudoun’s staple agricultural product and center of community life.
Panel 3: A Country Divided: War, destruction, and readjustment highlights the battle at Ball’s Bluff, the burning of Loudoun Valley, and the rebuilding and adjustment after the Civil War.
Panel 4: The Urban Frontier highlights the advent of electricity and automobiles as agents of revolutionary change, the racial divide from lifestyle to education, expansion, and the Dulles Airport.
Paintings by William Woodward. Photos by Neil Steinberg of Photoworks.
A book entitled “A Loudoun County Story” was published in conjunction with the project and is available at Thomas Balch Library.
The Artist
William Woodward, a renowned artist and professor won the contract to create the mural through a competitive selection process that involved 300 artists. The Selection Committee chose William Woodward for his talents and experience, which aligned with the nature of the project. Pictured below is William Woodward.
Woodward grew up in Washington D.C., and earned his B.A. and M.A. from American University. Woodward taught and directed the Fine Art program for graduate students at The George Washington University. His most recent commissions include a mural at the Lincoln National Monument in Washington, D.C. Woodward has several decades of experience in creating narrative art. He was also selected to paint “The Greatest Show on Earth,” now in the permanent collection of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida.
