How do heroes inspire us? The Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to Leesburg on August 9, 1825 was a big event for many, but it left an indelible mark on young Thomas Balch. That day, an estimated eight to ten thousand people lined the streets of Leesburg to welcome Lafayette during his celebrated farewell tour of the United States. As part of the welcome for him at the Loudoun County courthouse, Lafayette was met by four-year-old Thomas Balch. According to The Genius of Liberty, the boy delivered “a very neat address, in a manner that delighted the General.” Lafayette “seized the hand of the little orator and expressed his satisfaction.” It was a small gesture, but one that left a lasting impression.
That moment helped spark in Balch a lifelong interest in Franco-American history. As an adult, he moved to Paris to write the first history of French involvement in the American Revolution—in French. The book, The French in America during the War of Independence of the United States, 1777-1783, would later be translated by his children, who also helped establish the Thomas Balch Library in Leesburg to honor their father’s commitment to historical and genealogical scholarship. Today, the Town of Leesburg operates Thomas Balch Library, where historical and genealogical collections are available to all researchers.
In August 2025, to celebrate the Bicentennial of Lafayette’s visit to Leesburg, Thomas Balch Library will feature The French in America during the War of Independence… in an exhibit. Visitors to the library can learn not only about the discoveries Balch made in researching the French contribution to American Independence, but also learn more about Lafayette and the lasting legacy of his visit to Leesburg in 1825.
The exhibit will be on view in the Mercer Room during the library’s operating hours: Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday from 2 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, please call 703-737-7195 or email .
