Elaine E. Thompson notes in “Courage, My Soul,” Historic African American Churches and Mutual Aid Societies (pg. 3) that between 1864 and 1900 thirty African American churches came into existence in Loudoun County. According to Ms. Thompson:

These early churches were the center of community life, and were the strongest institutions over which African Americans had control. They fostered a sense of ethnic identity and common interest. Here the members were treated with respect, given titles of authority and taught things not made available to them in the majority community. They were led spiritually and given hope for a better life, not only in eternity, but here and now.

In 1866, a young man, Leland Warring, influenced by a great Christian movement in Fauquier County, Virginia, felt himself called by God to preach. Soon Reverend Warring saw a need for a Baptist church in the Loudoun County town of Middleburg. With only eight members, he organized the church in 1867; he and the members soon built a wooden structure, featured in the photograph on the left. That church stood until 1913, when the members constructed a new place of worship. The photograph on the right is of the present-day Shiloh Baptist Church, still located in Middleburg.

To find out more about the history of African Americans in Middleburg, click here.