If you’ve been to the historic Brentsville Courthouse recently, you may have noticed their new “LOVE” sign out front. We all know “Virginia is for lovers” and we’ve seen the signs posted throughout the Commonwealth, but what is the significance behind the slogan and what does the new sign at Brentsville represent?
“Not only are these pieces designed to draw attention to various sites throughout the Commonwealth, they are also a great way to showcase a site’s theme – whether it be history, nature, food or drink, and it provides a fun photo-op”, said Paige Gibbons-Backus, Historic Site Manager of the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre & Lucasville School.
The Prince William Office of Historic Preservation has been discussing a “LOVE” sign for a while now. “Every time we traveled to a historic site or attended a conference, we would see a LOVE sign and get excited. With the 200th anniversary of Brentsville, this was the perfect opportunity to add a LOVE sign to one of our sites”.
Built out of metal and PVC by Prince William County Parks and Recreation tradesmen, the sign includes a decal at the bottom to tie in the brickwork you will find around the historic Brentsville site. The hashtag #VirginiaisforHistoryLovers is also included on the sign to highlight Brentsville’s 200th Anniversary. The sign will stay up for the remainder of 2022 for the Bicentennial year.
Prince William’s Office of Historic Preservation worked closely with the Tourism Department in getting permission to use the hashtags and logos from the Virginia Tourism Corporation. The Tourism Department also played a major role in advertising the LOVE sign on the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s website and getting the word out about the new sign to the public.
