On May 18, 1946, a band of civic-minded local citizens met to officially launch a daunting undertaking. With Daniel C. Sands serving as Chairman of the meeting, the first Board of Directors approved the draft Certificate of Incorporation of the Middleburg Community Center, which was approved by Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge J.R.H. Alexander on May 19, 1946. The dream of Mrs. Howell E. Jackson, of Middleburg's Bull Run Stud Farm, its goal was to provide the widely scattered citizens of Loudoun and Fauquier Counties the cultural and civic amenities enjoyed by those in more urban areas. While the town of Middleburg had only 606 citizens, due to its strategic location halfway between the county seats of Loudoun and Fauquier, Middleburg served as the commercial, agricultural, and social hub for a much larger constituency. The founding Certification of Incorporation states that the purpose is "to conduct a Community Center as a place of meeting for those engaged in all type of welfare work, education, recreation and any and all activities of a similar character; (and) to encourage community spirit and civic work." The bevy of activity over the next few years shows that "community spirit and civic work" were already well underway in Middleburg.

Architectural renderings were prepared, reviewed, and revised by the late local architect William B. Dew, Jr. Construction commenced on the site of Mrs. D.N. Lee's stables at 300 West Washington Street, but the project was not without challenges as building costs exceeded the original estimate, sky rocketing from $.50 to $.60 per cubic foot. However, the citizens were galvanized behind the Jackson's vision. In the summer of 1947, 798 questionnaires catalogued the activities of interest to 459 families a total of 1,757 persons, living in 36 different areas from Haymarket to The Plains, and from Aldie to Bluemont. They wanted movies, theater, dancing, bowling, swimming, baseball, lectures and entertainment, cooking classes, arts and crafts, playgrounds, children's picnics, parties and nature trips, a place for organizations to meet and for people to relax. This was an energetic and ambitious community and a generous one to boot. Between 1946 and 1949, $470,499.37 was raised from generous benefactors, such as the Jacksons and from individual gifts of $1.00 and up.

In its first full year of operation, the Middleburg Community Center was the site of 470 events, ranging from conferences and meetings to concerts and exhibits. Its bowling alley and swimming pool was the hub of winter and summer social life for the active set. A total of 70,952 participants engaged in activities at the Community Center in 1949 alone, while the town's population still hovered just over 600. By the end of 1999, the cumulative number of Community Center visitors reached 2,742,032, while the town population remains comfortably below 700. Not all of these visitors came for rest and relaxation. Over the years the Community Center has occasionally sheltered those temporarily dislodged from their homes by acts of nature, such as the severe flooding of 1972.

A focal point for social, cultural, and educational activities for residents from Bull Run to the Shenandoah Valley, the Middleburg Community Center is a truly unique enterprise, created, operated, maintained, and owned by the citizens who use it. Loudoun County Parks, Recreation & Community Services conducts numerous programs for citizens young and old. Preschool is held for children ages 2 to 5, Kid's Club after school program. Children's classes include Gymnastics, Ballet, Art, Tea Parties, and Karate. Dance classes, Yoga, Dog Obedience, Watercolor, Photography, Parents Night Out, Tumbling and Gymnastics, Creative Crafts, Summer Camps, Swim Lessons, Horseback Riding Lessons, Mom and Me Classes, and trips to local attractions are all available for adults. There is something for everyone and all are welcome to participate in the wide range of activities.

A rotating Board of Directors governs the Center, which has been ably managed for the past 20 years by Joanne Cole. Along with her staff, Joanne coordinates all of the Community Center operations, including facility rental for the scores of weddings, private parties, seminars, and meetings that occur each year. Over the years, many of the region's notable residents have served on the Board, giving generously of their time and energy. While revenue-generating events produce some operating income, it is the gifts of local citizens, organizations, and businesses that sustain the Center. The Annual Giving Campaign, the Holiday Dinner and Ball each December, and the Mardi Gras Celebration and other fund raising efforts have raised more than $2,000,000 over the years, almost one dollar for each of the participants in Community Center Events.

When you next pass by the graceful edifice at 300 Washington Street, take pause to reflect on what the Middleburg Community Center represents. It is a monument to all of those who conceived, created, and continue to maintain and manage this stronghold of community spirit, the citizens of Middleburg and its surrounding countryside, past, present and future.