Leesburg Culture
Leesburg is not only a beautiful place to live or visit but also a cultural hub that attracts and inspires many talented people from different backgrounds and fields. Some of the most influential people who have lived or worked in Leesburg are:
- James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, owned a farm near Leesburg called Oak Hill.
- John W. Tolbert Jr., Leesburg’s first African American mayor, was also a civil rights activist and educator.
- Margaret Mercer, an abolitionist and educator, founded Belmont Academy, one of Virginia’s first schools for girls.
- William H. Rinehart was a sculptor who created many works of art for prominent figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Robert E. Lee.



