Programs
The Hillsboro Preservation Foundation (HPF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve, protect and honor the legacy of our greater Hillsboro region and community. The Board of Directors fulfill the foundation’s mission through projects, events and fundraising.
Landmarks & Landscapes
Protection and preservation of The Gap’s landmarks and landscapes, and the enhancement of vibrant and context-sensitive public art and spaces within historic Hillsboro, are essential to the area’s quality of life and long-term sustainability. Active efforts to achieve this mission include the recent restoration and rededication of Hillsboro’s iconic historic marker in tribute to the birthplace of the mother of the Wright Brothers, Susan Koerner Wright, and the creation of Hope’s Garden, a respite for reflection and the arts, within a now vacant Town-owned property.
projects includE
Old Stone
School
Built in 1874, Hillsboro’s Old Stone School now serves as Hillsboro Town Hall, a community center and charming event venue.
Hope’s
Garden
A community garden for children, native plants, and lovers of the arts, music, and live performances in downtown Hillsboro.
Legacy Farm markers
Historic markers recognizing the contribution made by generations of farm families to preserving farmland and open space.
susan koerner Wright memorial
A historic marker to honor Susan Koerner Wright, the mother of the two brothers, who was born in Hillsboro in 1831.
DONATE DIRECTLY
You can directly donate to one of our Landscapes and Landmark projects. Choose the project in the dropdown on the Donate page.
Arts & Culture
The HPF is dedicated to partnering with the Town of Hillsboro to support and uplift the arts and culture of The Gap, to enhance our community and celebrate our local artists.
Hillsboro’s Eat, Drink & Be Literary!, is where great minds gather in The Gap. In the Chautauqua Movement tradition of intellectual inquiry and exploration, culture, music and verse, the Hillsboro ‘salon’ experience at the historic Old Stone School offers an annual series of stimulating and entertaining evenings with writers, actors, historians and thought leaders, along with locally sourced and prepared food and drink.
Gardens in The Gap is a springtime celebration of the Hillsboro area’s formal, rustic and historic gardens and The Gap’s 250-year heritage as the center of a robust and bountiful agriculture region. Garden tours, lectures and presentations, high teas, plant and gardening demonstrations and an arts and crafts festival, along with locally sourced foods and beverages, offers visitors and area residents a weekend of activities.
Hillsboro’s Music in The Gap has become one of the region’s most popular summertime outdoor concert series. The June-through-August free Friday night concerts bring an eclectic array of musical genres and performers from across the mid-Atlantic to The Gap Stage. The relaxed and festival-like family-friendly concerts include locally produced wines, beers and foods.
The Hillsboro Holiday Homes Tour features a guided walking tour of historic properties along Hillsboro’s Main Street decorated for the holidays, with musicians, carolers and period actors at stops along the tour route. A Holiday Craft Market with the local artists and crafters at the Old Stone School provided great holiday shopping options.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Eat Drink
& Be Literary – 2024
A stimulating conversation with an author or speaker.
Gardens
in The Gap – 2024
Music
in the Gap – 2024
An outdoor concert series featuring a variety of musicians and genres of music.
Hillsboro Homes Tour 2024
A guided walking tour of 5 historic properties along Hillsboro’s Main Street decorated for the holidays.
DONATE DIRECTLY
You can directly donate to one of our Arts & Culture projects. Choose the project in the dropdown on the Donate page.
Neighbors in Need
Preserving community includes a commitment to nurturing our bodies and spirits in good times and bad here in the Gap and across the globe. We organize and coordinate relief events to help those in need. The critical importance of marshalling resources to support our neighbors in need has never been clearer than after the worldwide pandemic, during which the Hillsboro Preservation Foundation organized area efforts in support of the foodbank Mobile Hope and, through its COVID Relief Fund, distributed more than $20,000 to families in need across The Gap.
The HPF continues to support Neighbors in Need, locally and regionally.
PROGRAMS Include
Mobile Hope
Food Drives
An effort of area organizations and residents to collect non-perishable food and personal items for delivery to Mobile Hope.
DC Council Workforce Program
Provided a grant to support DC’s Workforce Investment Council job readiness program.
DONATE DIRECTLY
You can directly donate to one of our Neighbors in Need projects. Choose the project in the dropdown on the Donate page.