From the earliest period of European settlement, artisans and craftsmen were essential to the development of communities in the colonies, producing wares for survival and for comfort. Colonial Loudoun County benefited from the Tidewater region of Virginia, from Pennsylvania, New York, Europe and England, each bringing their traditions, tools, and technical skills. The region's natural beauty, abundant resources, and ideal location between mountains and the Potomac attracted frontiersmen and farmers, merchants and manufacturers, entrepreneurs and artists.

Utilitarian and decorative goods were produced to trade and sell, including farm tools, furniture, guns, carriages, caskets, pots, and woven coverlets. More limited in quantity than the practical necessities, luxury items such as silver spoons and embroidered samplers were prized for their beauty and enhanced the quality of daily life.

The 19th century brought railroads and mass production of everything from plows to pottery, improving vital agricultural operations and increasing trade in the region. Furniture makers and Leesburg's F. W. Shafer's pottery were among the firms that produced wares throughout the tumultuous decades before and after the American Civil War.

The Loudoun Museum takes pride in highlighting the creative residents of the county who contributed to the artistic and cultural development of the county - past and present. Today, an ever-growing, eclectic community of craftsmen and artists continues to find inspiration and opportunities in Loudoun County, joining the long tradition of craftsmanship and artistry that began in the 18th century with silversmiths Stephen Donaldson and Caleb Bentley.

Visit the Loudoun Museum and see silver, needlework, furniture, pottery, and woodwork from the 18th century through the present. Contemporary Loudoun craftsmen represented include wood turners Chip Lloyd and Tom Boley, needle artists Kara Laughlin and Betsy Morgan; potters David Norton, Richard Busch, Joan Gardiner, Pat Miller, Bruce Bucklin, and Eric Trueblood.

The Loudoun Museum gratefully acknowledges the lenders to this exhibition: Tom Boley, Bruce Bucklin, Richard Busch, Joan Gardiner, Fred Johnson, Kara Laughlin, Chip Lloyd, Pat Miller, Betsy Morgan, David Norton, and Eric Trueblood.