On January 8th, the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area was thrilled to host our annual Heritage Hero awards ceremony at Buchanan Hall in Upperville, VA. Since 2007, we have awarded the distinction of “Heritage Hero” to local citizens and organizations who have made an important contribution or lifetime of contributions to the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area. These citizens exemplify a true understanding of the historic resources of the region and show a deep commitment to preserving them. Their selfless efforts as stewards make them Heritage Heroes. In addition to our Heritage Hero award, we were proud to give our Public Educator of the Year award on the same evening.
The 2023 honoree was Betsee Parker. Dr. Betsee Parker has a long and distinguished career as an avid preservationist and philanthropist spanning many years. She is an honors graduate of Wellesley College and Harvard University and is an ordained Episcopal minster. She is also the 17th Baroness of Lochiel, Scotland. In addition to her philanthropy in Virginia Piedmont, she has been an active philanthropist worldwide. Her work has supported numerous charities in the United Kingdom, and she has played key roles in projects throughout Africa working on several development and humanitarian initiatives. She has also given major support to charities in Haiti, among several other countries.
Locally, Dr. Betsee Parker has been an outstanding preservation leader as part of her efforts to protect and steward numerous historic properties in the Virginia Piedmont. Dr. Parker’s efforts include the restoration of the historic Huntland Estate, on Pot House Road, which encompasses the main house, gardens, stables, kennels, and original quarters of enslaved people. The estate includes 150 acres. When land surrounding the Huntland Estate came on the market, Dr. Parker acted swiftly to purchase the acreage to block the possibility of any housing development plans. She also made the conservation purchase of the nearby Farmer’s Delight estate. Farmer’s Delight, located on Mountville Road, is the older of the two houses, dating back to pre-Revolutionary America. The house itself was built in the 1790s by Colonel Joseph Flavius Lane. Dr. Parker kept the home’s historical nature intact and preserved acres of priceless ecological habitat on the grounds as well. Dr. Parker was also a leader in multiple other crucial preservation efforts in our area. To name a few, she was instrumental in developing and funding the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Upperville Colt & Horse Show Grounds, she ensured the preservation of the historic General Store in the village of Unison by donating the building to the Unison Preservation Society, and she facilitated the donation of the historic Allen House on the east end of Middleburg to the Middleburg Museum Foundation.
The Public Educator of the Year award is given each year in recognition of a person or group for their commitment to sharing the history of the Heritage Area with a wider audience. The award was given to two honorees for their work in 2023. The first honoree is Danyael Graham, a long-time educator and the current Social Science Supervisor for Loudoun County Public Schools. Since taking on the role as Supervisor Danyael has worked closely with community organizations, including VPHA, to bring local history to students throughout the county. She has been instrumental in connecting teachers to VPHA staff and making schools aware of the historic resources available in the Heritage Area. The second 2023 award recognized the Waterford Foundation. Since 1943 the Waterford Foundation has worked to protect and preserve the village of Waterford and the surrounding landscape. The village has become an important educational resource, providing countless students with the opportunity to explore an intact 19th century village. In 2023, the Foundation worked to create an extensive new field trip program during which hundreds of middle school students learned about the complex history of the Reconstruction era through the experiences of Waterford’s citizens.
VPHA Chair Steven Price and 2023 Heritage Hero Dr. Betsee Parker
VPHA Director of Education Travis Shaw and 2023 Public Educator of the Year, Danyael Graham
VPHA Director of Education Travis Shaw and 2023 Public Educator of the Year, the Waterford Foundation