Centuries of Change is a progressive series of three exhibitions that tell Loudoun’s stories from its settlement by European colonists, through eight wars, to that of a rural county struggling to accommodate a booming suburban population.

Centuries of Change 2007: The Lure of Loudoun - Dynamic Changes in the Emerald County is a compelling exhibition of one of the nation’s fastest growing counties. This exhibit narrates the swift progression of a once-pastoral region toward an increasingly urban future.

Beginning with the geologic factors that created the fertile soils cultivated by early Native American farming societies, this exhibit displays Loudoun County’s history through the rapid and radical changes wrought by European settlement, colonial and civil warfare, agrarian development, and the explosive suburban growth of recent decades.

Growing from 20,000 residents in 1945 to more than 241,000 today, long-time and new Loudoun County residents have encountered a myriad of challenges. In the face of such unparalleled expansion in population and development, however, Loudoun communities persist in valuing and preserving their rich pastoral heritage.

In 2008, the Centuries of Change exhibition will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Town of Leesburg.