Although Middleburg has population of only 673, it is quite a renowned site in the United States. In 1863, the town was a place of two combats between Confederate troops and the Union Army’s cavalry. In the early 1900s, Middleburg grew popular among enthusiasts of horseback riding and foxhunting and eventually received the title of the Nation’s Horse and Hunt Capital. That’s why the horse and the fox had become the main candidates to be depicted on a new town logo.
The rebranding was initiated in 2018 by the Town Council hoping that some refreshments of the Middleburg’s image will improve the economic situation by attracting new businesses and visitors. However, the renovation was dragged out as the town’s authorities failed to continue working with the design agency Native Collaboration, and then the Red Thinking team were hired.
Although Red Thinking had presented a sketch with a horse, there were lively discussions in the Town Council about what the Middleburg’s new logo should look like. Some council members were saying that the fox would be an appropriate symbol for the town as there has always been a strong association between Middleburg and the fox. The others were advocating for the horse, pointing out that the town has many sites dedicated to horses including the racetrack that attracts many people, and numerous stables located across the town. Apart of this, the horse symbolizes power and rapid motion, hence active development and progress.
Finally, the Town Council has approved with a majority vote the logo with the horse jumping over a stone wall. Middleburg’s new badge has an interesting design with the horse that looks, as one of the councilmen said, “origami-ish” due to the cuts in its body, as well as the all-caps serif lettering “Middleburg Virginia”. It will be officially presented in early 2020.
