Local History

J. Quintus Massie

J.Quintus Massie served as President of the Louisa County Historical Society twice, in the 1970s and in the 1990s. Born and raised in Louisa, Massie was integral in documenting local history. Massie was a key member in documenting the history of Gold Mine Baptist Church and that of early abolitionists. Massie was instrumental in retelling the story of Ralph Quarles and Lucy Langston, their three children, Charles, Gideon, and John. John famously was the first Black representative from Virginia to Congress. Massie’s family has, and continues to, steward the history of the Quarless for future generations. Here J.Quintus Massie surveys the remains of the mill operated by the family of Maria Langston, Lucy’s daughter manumitted by Ralph in 1806.

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Claudia Chisholm

In addition to serving as the Historical Society President, Claudia Chisholm was a stalwart of preservation and historical documentation for Louisa County. Co-author of the first Old Homes Places of Louisa County book, Claudia documented historic structures within the county and had a hand in restoring several too. Claudia, not a Louisa native, married Louis Chisholm in 1950 and raised their two children Randy and Brenda here. Louis and Claudia are pictured here in 1992 as part of the County’s 250th Founding Celebration.

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Crank

William Earle Crank served as the Louisa County Historical Society’s 4th President. He was born in Louisa in 1891 where he was raised. He married Phyllis Fry Collins in 1925 and raised two daughters. Crank was a lawyer and served as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for 40 years. His law office is located on Courthouse Square. Pictured here (top row, first on the left) is a young Earle Crank upon his graduation from Louisa High School in 1911.

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60TH ANNIVERSARY: LOUISA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the formation of the Louisa County Historical Society. While the Society has changed over those years, our commitment remains the same: to bring to light, preserve, and share the history of Louisa County. Founded in December of 1966, the Louisa County Historical Society was organized as a non-profit led by our first board of directors (pictured here). These founding members were critical in building the infrastructure of our organization and we are grateful for their commitment to local history!

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