Friends, neighbors, and members of the Unison Preservation Society (UPS) Board of Directors gathered at the historic Unison Store on Sunday afternoon to present the Society's highest award, Outstanding Citizen of the Year, to local friend and benefactor, Dr. Betsee Parker.

As stated by UPS: "This award acknowledges those who have been exceptional in preserving, promoting, loving, and serving the greater community of Unison." Reserved for recognition of exceptional merit, this is only the fifth time this honor has been awarded.

According to the plaque presented on Sunday afternoon, Dr. Parker is being recognized: "For preserving the Unison Store and Huntland; Restoring Huntland's main house, gardens, stables, and kennels; and Supporting the historic Middleburg and Piedmont Hunts."

In his remarks, Harry Bigley, President of UPS, summarized the four criteria now being used by the Board of Directors to find and recognize those who have "made contributions to the Village of Unison and the surrounding countryside." According to Bigley, these four categories of contribution are: "Land conservation, preservation, and easements; Heritage and historic preservation; Equestrian participation and leadership; and Community leadership."

"I am pleased to note," said Bigley. "Dr. Parker is being recognized this year for having made contributions in all four categories!"

Land Conservation, Preservation, and Easements

Since purchasing Huntlands in 2007, Dr. Parker has been working with a local preservation group to put all of the historic estate, 600+ acres, into conservation easement.

Heritage and Historic Preservation

After doing in-depth research on the original buildings, built in 1834 by William Benton (master builder of Oak Hill for President James Monroe) and enlarged in 1911 by New York architect William Hagga for financier Joseph Thomas, Dr. Parker began meticulous restorations of Huntlands' main house, gardens, stables, kennels, and original slave quarters.

Located on Foxcroft Road between Middleburg and Unison, the original antebellum estate was built with bricks made on the estate at the Pot House at Pot House corner. William Benton became so well known for his bricks and masonry that these same bricks were used to build Oak Hill, Spring Hill (now called Benton), the Unison Methodist Church, the "brick house" at Foxcroft School, Dinwiddie Farm, and the Emmanuel Church parsonage in Middleburg.

Equestrian Participation and Leadership

An accomplished horsewoman herself, Dr. Parker currently sponsors riders on the show circuit, riding both horses and ponies that she owns. An avid competitor, last fall she broke the record for the number of horseshow championships won by a single owner at Pennsylvania's prestigious Devon Horse Show.

Her Huntland team then won Junior Hunter, Regular Confirmation Hunter, Large Pony Hunter, and High Performance Hunter Championships at Pennsylvania National Horse Show, seven Championships at our own local Upperville Colt and Horse Show, and won twice in a row the Upperville Hunter Derby, the prestigious Eve and Paul Fout Handy Hunter Stakes, and Grand Champion Hunter.

Dr. Parker is also a strong supporter of both the Piedmont Hunt and the Middleburg Hunt. The connection between Unison, the Piedmont Hunt, and Huntlands goes back more than a century. At a meeting around the pot-bellied stove at the old Unison Store, it was agreed that the hounds of the Unison Farmers Hunt would join the older Piedmont Hunt (actually the oldest hunt in America). The combined pack, it was further agreed, would be housed at new kennels at Huntlands. In 2011, after restoring Huntland old kennels, Dr. Parker held a foxhound puppy show as part of the 100th anniversary of the construction of the kennels. The Middleburg Hunt Puppy Show will continue on an annual basis.

Community Leadership

Last, but certainly not least of Dr. Parker's many acts of leadership and generosity to the Unison Community, was the recent purchase of the Unison Store and the gifting of it to the Unison Preservation Society with the mission of preserving it as a community center for as far as we can see into the future.

In 2000, the Unison Store was derelict and bankrupt. The Unison Preservation Society and the Unison Village Historic District were created to save it. Working with Paul Hodge, Mayo Brown, and others, local builder Coe Eldredge purchased the store and completely restored it using state and federal rehabilitation tax credits available to buildings in historic districts.

When, earlier this year, it was time for the Unison Store to find a new owner, Dr. Parker purchased the store and gave it to UPS. This very generous act, in concert with an endowment started by local donors, the Unison Store and the land around it—the Unison Village Green--will be preserved forever as the center of the historic village.

Dr. Parker received her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College and her M. Div in Hebrew and Hebrew Bible from Harvard. She also has two Pathology Doctorates and worked in NYC at Ground Zero and the collapsed South Tower of the World Trade Center. She served for 22 years as an active Episcopal minister in both England and the U.S.

In 1998, Dr. Parker married Irwin Uran. Their daughter, Rosie, is also an avid young rider who has competed at Warrenton, Upperville, and Devon on her pony, Rainbow Connection.

After the tragedy of the Twin Towers in 2001, Dr. Parker volunteered for the Office of the Medical Examiner of New York City. She worked closely with fellow responders in the recovery effort at Ground Zero for many months. As with other responders, she has suffered health consequences from this service.

Dr. Parker joined the Chairman's Council of the National Sporting Library in Middleburg in 2003 and served on committees for the John H. Daniel's Fellowship and the Museum of Sporting Art. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Upperville and Loudoun Horse Shows.

Her international philanthropies include major projects in Africa, Sri Lanka, India, and Haiti. She has recently been appointed to a subcommittee of the United Nations with Undersecretary Jan Eliasen presiding, which is a think tank for African sustainable developments projects.

Previous recipients of the UPS Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award have been Anna Beavers, June Craun, Paul Hodge, and Mayo Brown.

Unison Heritage Day

Each year the Unison Store and the Unison village Green are the site of Unison Heritage Day, a fun-filled day for friends, family, neighbors, and visitors from all over the area to share a Fall festival of Bar-B-Q, live music, occasional reinactments, and fresh-shucked oysters. This year Unison Heritage Day will be Saturday, October 26, from 12:00 to 5 p.m.