A quiet, rural Lincolnia is remembered by a long-time resident
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| The old Carter store. |
Few Lincolnia residents know what their community was like when it was still a rural enclave, before it became choked with strip malls, subdivisions, and traffic.
Third-generation Lincolnia resident Jill Gerald, 79, remembers. At a presentation on Lincolnia in the Olden Days at the Mason Government Center in August, Gerald spoke about the old farms, country stores, and her family’s roots long before Shirley Highway was built.
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| Jill Gerard’s mother’s house. |
Her father was born in Lincolnia in 1885. Her mother moved across the road in 1900 when she was 2 years old.
They went to a one-room schoolhouse near what is now the intersection of Interstate 395 and Route 236. The school only covered five years, and the older kids taught the younger ones.
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| The original Lincolnia Methodist Church. |
Gerald and her twin brother were the youngest of nine children – the four oldest ones were born at home.
Her parents bought their house in 1924, and Jill lived on that property for 77 years and now lives nearby.
Gerald’s mother’s cousin worked at a chicken hatchery where Landmark Plaza is now. “The women’s job there was de-beaking the baby chicks so they wouldn’t hurt each other,” she says.
She remembers going to Howard’s Store on Columbia Pike, across from the Discount Zone gas station, where local farmers bought feed and straw. The building had a lunch counter, tables and chairs, gas pumps out front, and the owners’ living quarters in the rear. The store was owned by Jill’s uncle Harry. He had one of the first TVs in the area, and a crowd gathered there to watch boxing and wrestling matches.
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| Lincolnia Elementary School in 1950. |
Gerald attended Lincolnia Elementary School on N. Chambliss Street. Part of that building was preserved when Lincolnia Senior Center was built on that site.
Each student was given a vitamin at lunch, she recalls. As a clinic aid in the seventh grade, she was responsible for making sure the cot had clean sheets and cleaning up the blood after accidents, such as the time a globe fell on a girl’s head.
Schools and churches had a close relationship back in the day, she says. The church didn’t have running water so it held dinners at the school and church softball teams used the school field.
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| The first-grade class at Lincolnia Elementary School in 1950. |
A little white church on Lincolnia Road near the post office was torn down when Shirley Highway was built in the early 1950s, and Gerald remembers that when the congregation moved to a new building, church members carried everything – the pews, Bible, cross, communion items – as they walked to their new home.
The area between Columbia Pike and Braddock Road was originally settled by former slaves and had stayed a predominantly black community for decades, as “everything was segregated back then,” Gerald notes.
That community had its own school and small white church, which had been expanded over the years and is now the large, brick Mount Pleasant Baptist Church on the corner of Lincolnia Road and Columbia Pike. A historic marker was installed there a year ago.
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| Trucks at the chicken farm where Landmark Plaza is now. |
When Gerald was in school, black students were bused to a segregated high school in Manassas, and later were sent to the all-black Luther Jackson High School, which is now a middle school.
“Segregation ended in 1962 but everybody didn’t comply with it right away,” she says.
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| Twins Jack and Jill (the future Jill Gerald) feed the family chickens. |
Gerald remembers the Dowden family, who lived in an old house on Fairfax Parkway where what is now the Parklawn community. Sarah Foster Dowden attended the one-room school and helped teach the younger children. Later, they built a brick house across from the dam on Columbia Pike. Mr. Dowden was a justice of the peace in Groveton and also gave dogs rabies shots.
The Clark House, which is now owned by the Fairfax County Park Authority and was rotated to its current position overlooking Barcroft Plaza, used to be Clark family’s farmhouse. The Clarks owned a large dairy farm where Parklawn is now.
There was no trash pickup when Gerald was a child. People burned their trash and kids played in the garbage dump in a small area in the future Parklawn community. The rest of that area was a field with cows.
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| A worker at the chicken farm. |
There used to be a chapel and social hall on the site of the cemetery near the senior center, and students from the Episcopal seminary used to walk there to preach. Gerald’s parents, grandparents, husband, and son are buried there.
Several years ago, there was a plan for townhouses on that property, but Fairfax County purchased the land in 2012 for use as a burial ground for indigents.
Lincolnia was originally known as Lebanon, Gerald says. The residents wanted to rename it for President Lincoln, but there already was a town in Virginia called Lincoln, so they settled on Lincolnia.
Gerald went to Fairfax High School for the eighth and ninth grades, then transferred to Annandale High School when it opened in 1955. An older sister graduated from Mount Vernon High School; two others went to Fairfax High School. One of her older brothers worked at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria when it produced torpedoes for World War II.
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| Jill Gerald (right) and her daughter Debi Gerald. |
Gerald recalls shopping at Landmark Plaza when there was a Grand Union grocery store (where Total Wine is now), an S. Klein department store, Sterling Hardware, and a greeting-card store called Magellan’s.
Landmark Plaza will be evolving again soon, when Giant opens in the space formerly occupied by Shopper’s. The new Giant is expected to open before Thanksgiving. Hobby Lobby is expected to open in the upper level in spring 2019.
More comprehensive changes are coming to Lincolnia. A task force is drafting recommendations for amending the comprehensive plan to allow for more density, more coordinated development, and transportation improvements.
28 responses to “A quiet, rural Lincolnia is remembered by a long-time resident”
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OMG, it really is a dump!
I cannot believe the article says that Parklawn was once a garbage dump. No wonder my trees keep dying. Well Parklawn was certainly a reversal, just has me concerned that it was built on top of a dump. I think its time to pay Larry Clark a visit.
Very cool!
So interesting, Jill. I wish I could have been there to hear your presentation. Thanks for sharing this.
Fascinating! Thanks so much for sharing!
It's fun to drive by some of the old homes and imagine them as the farm houses they were. Thanks for sharing.
Usually progress turns out things for the better, but not in Mason. How I pine for the past. These photos depict Annandale as a once charming place to live.
Yesterday's charm could be today's podunk. People don't move to Northern Virginia for something quaint.
Annandale is a great place to live right now!
I've lived in Annandale for 15 years. Just last year, my wife and I decided to buy a home in Annandale. We considered other parts of northern Virginia. But, we genuinely love Annandale, and decided to stay here.
I agree Matt
Very cool to see my great grandmother, Sarah Foster, referenced in this article. I grew up in that brick house across from the damn!!
I love that property. I noticed that there was a leasing sign out a few months ago and was hoping that the property would not fall into the wrong hands. It had been so well maintained in the past, it looked like a small park.
Dowdens are great people. Believe they moved because of multiple break-in attempts due to the seclusion. Also, the more recent smell of sewage from the sewer line by the creek.
I love these articles. It's always interesting to learn about this area before it became heavily developed. My home was built in the late 1950s on a lot that had previously been part of the Chanel farm. Does anyone know where I can find information about the Chanel family? – Sparky
Wonderful story Jill. You are an exceptional story teller. I learned so much. Certainly missed not being there. thank you for continuing to tell the Lincolnia Story.
Wow!!! This was an excellent article! I'd love to learn more about Linconia! It's a special place and now, even moreso, that I've learned some of he history. Thank you!!!!
Great recollections, Jill! I thoroughly enjoyed this article and was sorry I wasn't able to attend your presentation. I, too, am a long time resident of this area, having grown up as Dinah Bonham on Edgemoor Lane. While I didn't know a lot of what you shared, I do remember walking down Lincolnia Road and saying hi to Mr. Cassidy as he sat on his porch. Your Dad, right? Such a nice man. Thank you so much for sharing your memories!!!
1. The Parklawn area was not a dump. There was a big hole in the field that was part of the Clark property. It was in an area between the rear of the Barcroft plaza and Parklawn school. I don't know if it was a sinkhole or if someone dug it but I think that is what some people used as a dump.
2.There used to be a couple of old frame farmhouses in the area where the Lutheran church currently sits on Lincolnia rd. after being abandoned for a while, the fire dept set at least one on fire one Saturday and used it for practice and training. The event drew a respectable crowd of onlookers.
3. where the discount zone gas station currently sits at Col Pike & Lincolnia Rd, there used to be an old building, the left side of which was a shell gas station owned by a man named Cecil Weatherholtz. The right side was a little country store owned by a man named Fairfax. I don't remember or probably never knew his first name. Everyone just called him old man Fairfax. Local kids, myself included, used to pick up coke, pepsi, RC bottles and turn them in to him for 2 cents each. Some were muddy and dirty but he would take them anyway as long as they weren't broken. 5 bottles were worth a dime at a time when cokes and candy bars were a nickel and you could still buy penny candy.
T.R. Hopkins
Thanks for article. Loved reading it. My dad worked as manager of sterling hardware. Was it sterling carter back in the day. It was when the hardware and IGA market were the only stores there. The hatchery was also there. Remember the little chicks. My mom worked there for a bit giving chicks vaccines. We lived on Barnum lane. Attended Lincolnia elementary school until we were moved to Parklawn. Brought back so many memories. Thanks again Debbie Ball Brubaker
Love the article! My grandparents (Lewis and Ethel Carter) started Grassy Knoll Hatchery (the chicken hatchery mentioned in the article) in 1920 and later Sterling Hardware, which was named after my father, Sterling Carter. I have pictures of the hatchery with the hardware store attached. My grandparent's house was on the same property and once Mom and Dad married in 1950, they built a stone house right next door to my grandparents. My grandfather died around 1957 and my grandmother sold the land. Sterling Hardware remained in the new shopping center until about 1980 and the hatchery was moved to Charlottesville in 1958. I remember many trips to the hardware store from Charlottesville in the 1970s and have been trying to find out where it was located for the past few years. You solved the mystery with this article. Thank you!
Denise Carter
[email protected]
Hi Denise. Well your dad was my dads boss at the hardware store.His name is Giles Ball. Worked at the store in 1950s to early 1960s. Loved going to the hardware store. Dad bought me a lunch box from there I vividly remember. Would love to see pictures you have.
Debbie Ball Brubaker. [email protected]
I grew up on Brookside Drive; my parents lived there from 1969-1999. Our address was Lincolnia Station (22312). I always wondered if ‘Station’ referred to a rail road station or just the post office. Does anybody know?
I lived in the third house from the light at Braddock and Lincolnia. Our property covered land from Lincolnia rd to Brookside Dr. Went to Thomas Jefferson and graduated in 1972. All of everyone’s comments bring back such great memories.
i went to lincolnia school back in 1950 i am in school picture second from left second row from bottom remebering old school
Lincolinia Park is a hidden gem – lets keep it that way 🙂
My name is Doug Reed, and My Mom and Dad and I moved from Waynesboro VA in 1942. We lived in a house on Rt 236 directly across from Beauregard st next to Veach’s Store. In 1944 we moved to Beauregard st to a house where the Wendy’s was located. I went to Lincolnia Elementary (which was right across the street) from 1947-1950. I always loved the area and have fond memories of my grandfather coming to get his car serviced at the garage next to the school on the corner. I bought my first house in Parklawn in 1965, my second house in 1971 in Heywood Glen, my children (3 boys) attended Queen of Apostles, Parklawn Elementary, Thomas Jefferson High, and Lake Braddock.
I found Jill’s remarks while thinking about and looking for something about Veach’s. At age twelve or thirteen there were three or four of us who spent part of each Tuesday (I’m pretty sure that was the day) during the summer “working” at Sterling Hardware when the Purina truck delivered. We helped unload (thinking back, we were mostly in the way) and for our efforts we received a quarter apiece. When we finished work, we made our way up the road to Veach’s where each quarter became a moon pie and a TruAde. It was the only place with air-conditioning and with few other customers coming in to eat during the afternoon, we became masters of the art of making a moon pie and orange drink last for a few hours while we sucked up the cool air.
I come back to this article every now and again. when I first “discovered” it in 2020, I didn’t know that Jill Gerald is my cousin! Jill and I have since met in person and I love her! 🙂
My Lincolnia area family members are the Clarks, Crumps, Richards, Carters, Jacobs, Estes, Hospitals and “by marriage” families are the Howdershells, Popkins, Klocks, Mitchells and others. I’ve met people on the internet who remember my parents, grandparents and great grandparents and even met the son of Mary Margaret Lewis Pence. Mary Margaret worked for the newspaper and wrote a column about Lincolnia. She kept everything and her son donated her large collection of Lincolnia memorabilia to the Virginia room at the Fairfax County Library.
I have MANY old pictures and have struggled to figure out the names of some people in these pictures. If you have relatives who were in Lincolnia/Fairfax County or in any way associated with Grassy Knoll Hatchery, Sterling Hardware, the Lincolnia Methodist Church or any long time families in the area (those above plus the Veachs and the Lewises), please contact me. I would love to trade info and pictures. My email address is [email protected].