Confederate Street Names To Be Considered For Removal in Loudoun

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Many Confederate names and symbols may be on their way out in Loudoun County. At a meeting this week, the Board of County Supervisors voted to continue a plan to remove symbols tied to segregation and the Confederacy.

In September, the supervisors will receive a more detailed plan about the cost associated with changing the names of roads and removing certain other symbols. In an inventory compiled by the county, 12 total names are being considered for removal.

The identified Confederate and segregationist symbols include Confederate Court, Early Avenue, Fort Johnston Road, Hampton Road, Harry Byrd Highway, Jackson Avenue, Jeb Stuart Road, John Mosby Highway, Lee Drive, Longstreet Avenue, Pickett Road, and the Mosby Heritage Area. The county's inventory did not include any names tied to the school system, as Loudoun County Public Schools conducts its own review.

See also: Charlottesville To Remove Confederate Statues From Parks Saturday

The county is still considering other names submitted by the public. The inventory also did not include certain roads that had an unclear origin, such as Lee Court in Sterling Park. "Staff has not conducted significant research on all possible items that could be included in the inventory, so it is possible that other items may be appropriate to add," the board's action item said.

At Tuesday's meeting, At-Large Chair Phyllis Randall spoke passionately about removing the symbols. "I have no trouble at all with finding every nook and cranny named after a segregationist or confederate of a slave owner and changing that," she said. "That is not an issue for me one bit."

Still, Randall wanted to be clear that she was not trying to rush to remove the names, as others expressed concerns about the cost and public input. "If I live in Round Hill and I wake up tomorrow morning and found out that the board voted to change the name of my street, with no discussion, I'd be upset."

In September, the board will receive an evaluation of the cost associated with the changing the names. In the interim, they will also continue to receive public input about possible effect on constituents.

In a closing statement, Vice Chairman Koran Saines, who is Black, expressed his reasoning for wanting to remove the symbols. "If segregationists had their way, Supervisors Randall, Glass and I would be second class citizens in an apartheid society," he said. "What message does it send by having so many things named after confederates and segregationists."