Tag: history
History Commission documents Confederate place names in Fairfax County
A report by the Fairfax County History Commission on Confederate names in the county offers exhaustive details on the origin of John Marr Drive in Annandale and reveals a couple of communities in the Annandale area – Broyhill Crest and Ravensworth – with many streets named for Confederate military leaders. The Fairfax County Board of … Continued
Explore a Park: Luria Park is a green oasis on the edge of Holmes Run Stream Valley Park
This is the third article in the Annandale Blog’s Explore a Park series. The previous stories were about Manassas Gap Park in Annandale and Lillian Carey Park in Bailey’s Crossroads. Luria Park is a 5.3-acre neighborhood park at 7624 Holmes Run Drive in the Holmes Run Acres neighborhood in the Falls Church area of Mason District. It’s … Continued
Coming soon: Bunnyman Brewing, named for a local legend
Eric Barrett and Sam Gray at the Bunnyman bridge in Clifton. Sam Gray and Eric Barrett grew up in Northern Virginia hearing about the Bunnyman urban legend, so when they decided to open a brewery on Guinea Road where the alleged Bunnyman attacks took place, the name was a no brainer. They hope to open … Continued
Explore a Park: Lillian Carey Park
This is the second piece in our series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The first one was about Manassas Gap Park. Lillian Carey Park is a 13-acre, wooded park at 5921 Summers Lane, in Bailey’s Crossroads. It is adjacent to Holmes Run Park. Features – Tennis/pickleball courts, a picnic shelter, and a playground. Access – The best … Continued
Explore a Park: Walk through history in Annandale’s Manassas Gap Park
This trail follows an old railroad bed. This is the first in a series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. Manassas Gap Park and Historic Site is a 13.3-acre park between Hummer Road, Little River Turnpike, and Annandale Road. Features – A straight trail runs along the southern edge of the park from Royce … Continued
Happy anniversary to the West Annandale Fire Station
An old photo of the West Annandale Fire Station. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department] Happy 50th anniversary to West Annandale Fire Station 23 at 8914 Little River Turnpike. The Annandale Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) hosted a dedication for the new fire station on Nov. 14, 1970. At the time it was called the Guinea … Continued
Tour of Oak Hill, the oldest house in Annandale, will be virtual this year
The annual tour of historic Oak Hill won’t be held this year, due to the pandemic. Instead, Fairfax County is presenting a virtual tour, beginning at noon on Nov. 1. Oak Hill is the oldest house in Annandale. It was constructed around 1790 on the Ravensworth Tract by Richard Fitzhugh, a descendant of one of the … Continued
They built the road they would be forced to walk: a brief history of Little River Turnpike
By James Albright, from the Living Life in 4D blog From my front porch, looking over my garden, I can see the two blocks to the intersection of my street with the Little River Turnpike here in Lincolnia. I typically walk there once a day or so on my way to the local coffee shop … Continued
Fairfax County board votes to remove Confederate monument
The John Marr monument at the courthouse. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 9-0 on Sept. 15 to remove the county-owned Confederate monument from the Judicial Complex in Fairfax. Supervisor Pat Herrity (Springfield) abstained. The monument includes an obelisk commemorating the death of John Quincy Marr, the first Confederate officer killed during the Civil … Continued
School board renames Lee High School for John Lewis
Lee High School [Fox5] The Fairfax County School Board voted July 23 to rename Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield after the late U.S. Congressman John R. Lewis. The new name will be effective for the 2020-21 school year. “The board heard from students, teachers and staff members, families, and the community about the … Continued
Holmes Run watershed in Falls Church is the site of a colonial plantation and military base
This was the site of the Dulin farmhouse in the 1700s. The wooded area along the upper section of Holmes Run near Providence RECenter in Falls Church was once a part of a slave-holding plantation in the 1700s. The Camp Alger military base was there in 1898. And in the 1920s, it was the site … Continued
Fairfax County to review Confederate place names
John Marr Drive in Annandale is thought to be named for the first Confederate soldier killed in the Civil War, although there is no evidence that John Marr had a connection to Annandale. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on June 23 approved a request by supervisors Dalia Palchik (Providence) and Walter Alcorn (Hunter Mill) … Continued
Library is collecting COVID stories
Historians will one day study the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and your personal story of how you got through the pandemic can be a part of that history. The Fairfax County Public Library’s Virginia Room is collecting materials that will help future generations understand what it was like to live in Fairfax County during … Continued
Large property in Seven Corners could be developed
The Febrey-Lothrop house. [ARLnow] The Febrey-Lothrop House, a vacant home with a fascinating history on a 9+-acre lot in Arlington adjacent to Seven Corners, could be headed to the market soon, ARLnow reported on March 4, although it is not currently for sale. The property, at 6407 Wilson Blvd., which includes a couple of outbuildings, … Continued
Springdale community celebrates Black History Month
A few of the family photos on display at the Black History Program at Bailey’s Community Center. Residents of the historically black community of Springdale in Bailey’s Crossroads celebrated their heritage at a Black History Month program at Bailey’s Community Center Feb. 22. The program honored the history and life of the community with music, … Continued