| Virginia (Prince William County), Aden — Colonial Road |
| | The road bed here follows the south branch of the Dumfries Road, in use before 1740, which crossed Cedar Run at Tacquet’s Ford. This route connected the Port of Dumfries with Red Store, now known as Warrenton, and interior settlements beyond. Dower House was built about 1775 on Effingham Plantation. The main house, built later by Col. William Alexander, great grandson of John Alexander, for whom
the city of Alexandria is named stands a short distance to the south. — Map (db m2260) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Aden — G-17 — Second Prince William County Courthouse |
| | In 1743, the second Prince William County Courthouse was built near here along Cedar Run, replacing the first county courthouse in Woodbridge. After the creation of Fairfax County, the Cedar Run location, owned by Philemon Waters, became the center of Prince William County. The court remained here only until 1759, when it moved to Dumfries after the creation of Fauquier County. Henry Lee, father of Governor Henry (“Lighthorse-Harry”) Lee, and grandfather of General Robert E. Lee, . . . — Map (db m2487) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Antioch — Antioch Church |
| | Organized April 22, 1837, the nineteen original members of Antioch Baptist Church worshipped in a small log building until the stone church was erected in 1842. Baptisms were held in the creek behind the church. In 1901, the congregation tore down the stone church because of structural damage and erected the present building. The Women's Missionary Society acquired the adjacent log house in 1926 and deeded it to the church in 1957. In 1962 the church was closed due to a dwindling congregation, . . . — Map (db m1472) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Antioch — Hopewell Gap — Mountain Pass and Mosby's POW Camp |
| | During the Civil War, this narrow pass in the Bull Run Mountains was a strategic avenue for military movements. On August 28, 1862, during the Second Manassas Campaign, Confederate Gen. James Longstreet directed Gen. Cadmus Wilcox’s division through the gap to outflank Union Gen. James B. Ricketts’s division at Thoroughfare Gap. Wilcox’s troops bivouacked that night at Antioch Church after learning that Ricketts had already withdrawn. A few weeks later, Confederate Gen. Richard S. Ewell, . . . — Map (db m11834) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Batestown — Little Union Baptist Church |
| | In Memory of
John and Mary Thomas
Sept. 1901
Little Union Baptist Church
[Original Cornerstone]:
Little Union Baptist Church
Estb. 1903 — Map (db m7305) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Bethel — Old Bethel Church |
| | In 1850, the people of this area decided to build a church where the Word of God could be preached and expounded. Burr and Emsey Glascock donated the land and were the main leaders. Private donations by the people of the community were a large factor in accomplishing the work. After the Civil War, the church needed extensive repair because it had been used as a hospital and horse stable by troops of both armies. Bethel which means “House of God” has faithfully served as a meeting . . . — Map (db m2332) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville - ”The houses generally are in ruin …” |
| | Brentsville was the Prince William County seat during the Civil War. In response to John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859, the Prince William Cavalry (Co. A, Virginia Cavalry) was formed here on the courthouse lawn in January 1860. The ladies of Brentsville made a flag and presented it to the company. Other Confederate units from Prince William County, such as the Ewell Guards (Co. A, 49th Virginia Infantry), were organized and drilled here.
Like many Virginia towns, . . . — Map (db m2781) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville - County Courthouse |
| | This building was constructed by 1822 as Prince William County’s fourth courthouse. The County seat was moved to Brentsville from Dumfries to centralize its location within the county. The Courthouse design is typical of 1800s Virginia courthouses. The front wall is of “Flemish” brick bond while other walls are of “common bond” laid brick. The building sits on the town’s highest ground, stressing its importance.
(caption beside small picture on left) . . . — Map (db m2797) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville - County Jail |
| | Built by 1822 with the Courthouse and Clerk’s Office, the Prince William County Jail, or gaol, was larger than most jails built in Virginia at that time. Debtors, runaway slaves, thieves and murderers awaited trial here in timber-lined rooms. Initially, nearby taverns provided the inmates’ meals. Later records refer to a Jail kitchen.
The Jailer or Sheriff supplied and maintained the Jail using local tax monies and fees that prisoners paid. Occasionally the Jailer personally funded the . . . — Map (db m2796) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville - One-Room School |
| | (caption of upper, left picture) The Brentsville School as it appeared ca. 1940.
Lucy Walsh Phinney Collection, Gift of Steve and Cynthia Phinney in Memory of Lucy Phinney
This school was built in 1928 over the original location of the County Clerk’s Office. It operated until 1944. The one-room building served local white children in grades one through five. Before its construction, children attended school in the Courthouse.
The first teacher was Lucy Mae Motley who, like . . . — Map (db m2827) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville - The Gallows |
| | The County gallows was located in this area. The gallows was erected when needed then disassembled. It was a grim symbol of the ultimate price of lawbreaking. Gallows were widely used in America to execute the convicted.
In 19th-century Virginia, the courts’ jurisdiction was in flux regarding capital punishment. By 1828, capital punishment cases involving white persons were tried in the circuit courts. Slaves and free blacks could still receive capital punishment from the county courts. . . . — Map (db m2746) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville - The Public Lot |
| | (caption of upper, left picture) Prince William County’s surveyor, Thomas Nelson Jr., recorded this plat of Brentsville on November 30, 1822. The Public Square is outlined in red. The Courthouse, Jail, and Clerk of the Court’s Office were constructed on this parcel.
Prince William County Deed Book #8, 1820-1823, page 348
The Public Lot was the center of any county seat. Public Lots were to be “planted with trees and kept as a place for the people of the county to . . . — Map (db m2828) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville - Union Church |
| | Brentsville Union Church was built ca. 1880. The church sits on a lot deeded to The Trustees of the Union Church in 1871 by George M. Goodwin, who owned Tavern Square. It was erected “for the use of the Congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church south, the Presbyterian Episcopalian, the New and both branches of the old school Baptist Churches, worshiping in Brentsville”.
(caption of picture in lower left) On June 21, 1871, the Alexandria Gazette solicited . . . — Map (db m2761) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville – 1822 Tavern Site |
| | Brentsville – 1822 Tavern Site
If you had stood in this spot between 1822 and about 1900, you would have seen a large structure to your right, bustling with activity. This is the site of the Brentsville Tavern, also know as the Brentsville Hotel. You would have also seen the Courthouse and the Jail. Before the Civil War, the Clerk’s Office would also have been visible.
As you walk along this path, you’ll discover how archaeology helps us learn more about the buildings once located . . . — Map (db m2778) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville – 1822 Tavern Site |
| | If you had stood in this spot between 1822 and about 1900, you would have seen a large structure to your right, bustling with activity. This is the site of the Brentsville Tavern, also know as the Brentsville Hotel. You would have also seen the Courthouse and the Jail. Before the Civil War, the Clerk’s Office would also have been visible.
As you walk along this path, you’ll discover how archaeology helps us learn more about the buildings once located in the Tavern Square and the people . . . — Map (db m2812) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville – Clerks’ Office |
| | Built by 1822 with the Courthouse and Jail, the Clerk’s Office was located here. The three buildings created a symmetrical design within the Public Lot. The Clerk’s Office was built to be “…26 feet by 16; pitch 18 feet; walls of the foundation 2 feet thick and of stone; those above 22 ½ inches of brick; scantling of good oak and to be covered with slate”. * This building was meant to be fireproof. Legal business was usually conducted inside the Clerk’s Office or in local . . . — Map (db m2813) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville – Outbuildings |
| | Tavern Activities
The Brentsville Tavern depended on many people working in numerous buildings. Outbuildings likely included a dairy, a smokehouse, a laundry, and housing. The November 22, 1828 Alexandria Gazette described the lot as “…well improved, with every necessary out building…”.
Archaeologists located evidence of outbuildings including a cellar and the Tavern addition. They also recovered hundreds of artifacts dating from the mid-to-late 19th century. . . . — Map (db m2811) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville – Tavern Square |
| | Well Improved…
The Brentsville Tavern was among many buildings on the Tavern Square. Owner Thomas Hampton’s 1828* notice read:
SALE OF VALUABLE PROPERTY AT BRENTSVILLE, PRINCE WILLIAM C.H., VA. On Thursday the 18th day of December next…the subscriber will offer for sale at public auction…that well known Tavern Stand, “THE BRENTSVILLE HOTEL” adjoing the public square. The lot containing three acres of ground well improved, with every necessary out . . . — Map (db m2779) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville – The Tavern |
| | The Brentsville Tavern was a substantial building. It served a variety of people- from Magistrates to farmers. A notice in the November 22, 1828 Alexandria Gazette advertising the sale of THE BRENTSVILLE HOTEL described the Tavern:
…a comfortable main building in which there are 15 rooms and four large passages. Two of said rooms have been well fitted up as a store and counting room with a large cellar underneath, and is doubtless the best mercantile stand in the place. Also his . . . — Map (db m2809) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — Brentsville –Tavern Cellar |
| | Here, you can see the edges of a large depression. It is located inside ropes that mark the Tavern’s foundation. This feature was one of two cellars underneath the ca. 1822 Tavern building. These cellars were beneath two rooms that flanked the central passageway.
When owner Thomas R. Hampton advertised the sale of the Brentsville Tavern in 1828, he noted that two rooms “…have been well fitted up as a store and counting room with a large cellar underneath…”. * This may be the . . . — Map (db m2810) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Brentsville — John W. Hall Home |
| | In 2000, this ca. 1830 “log cabin” home was moved to the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre from the Braemer area in Gainesville to save it from demolition. It was the home of John William Hall (1840-1931) who was a Civil War veteran. In 1924, Hall rented the cabin to Mr. and Mrs. Grover Bailey and their children, Wilford, Hazel, and Wade. The family moved after Hall sold his cabin and farmstead in 1928.
(caption under picture in lower left) This sketch shows the . . . — Map (db m2732) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Bristoe — Confederate Cemeteries |
| | During the late summer of 1861, Confederate troops from Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia camped in the vicinity of Bristoe Station. Typhoid, measles, and other contagious diseases quickly swept through these camps decimating many of the regiments. The colonel of the 6th North Carolina wrote that his regiment averaged about one per day in deaths. Each regiment established its own separate burial ground. Military homage was paid by comrades discharging a musketry . . . — Map (db m4358) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Bristow — G-20 — Battle of Bristoe Station |
| | In the autumn of 1863, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, with Lt. Gen. A. P. Hill’s III Corps in the lead, pursued Maj. Gen. George G. Meade’s Union army as it withdrew towards Washington. On the afternoon of 14 October, Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren’s II Corps, Meade’s rear guard, took a strong defensive position along the railroad embankment to meet an impetuous attack by elements of Hill’s corps from the northwest. The Confederates were repulsed with heavy casualties (about . . . — Map (db m782) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Bristow — Brentsville |
| | Fourth seat of the Prince William County government. Courthouse, jail, Episcopal Chapel, and White House were built in 1822 on land originally part of the Brent Town tract confiscated from Robert Bristow, a Tory, in 1779.
♦ St. James Church of Dettingen Parish (now Hatcher’s Memorial Baptist), was built in 1847 on the site of the old chapel.
♦ During the War Between the States Col. Mosby operated in this area.
♦ In 1893 the county seat was moved to Manassas. — Map (db m780) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Bristow — Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park |
| | Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park is one of Prince William County's most treasured open spaces. This peaceful landscape features over 2.7 miles of walking and equestrian trails. Wildlife abounds in the fields, woods and ponds. Evidence of people who occupied this land remains in the park's road traces, buildings, and cemeteries. This land endured significant military activity during the Civil War. Soldiers camped here in 1861 and 1862. Federal and Confederate armies clashed here at the . . . — Map (db m20177) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Bristow — E-54 — Road to the Valley |
| | By the first quarter of the 1700s, revisions to the road laws in the colony mandated more convenient travel routes over land. In conjunction with new settlement pushing west through the Piedmont region to the Blue Ridge, a series of old Indian trails and new roadways slowly became interconnected and developed into a regional transportation system. Construction began about 1731, and by 1759 this road extended northwest through Prince William County from Dumfries and crossed the Blue Ridge . . . — Map (db m781) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Broad Run — Thoroughfare Gap — A “Dark, Gloomy Cleft” — Mosby’s Confederacy and Second Manassas Campaign |
| | The gap to your left between Biscuit Mountain (the northern promontory of Pond Mountain) on the south and Mother Leathercoat Mountain on the north, described as “that dark, gloomy cleft” in an 1862 issue of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, was the site of several Civil War skirmishes. The most significant action, August 26-29, 1862, is described on the adjacent markers and illustrated on the map. Although technically a Confederate victory, the confrontation illustrated for the . . . — Map (db m606) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — 13th New York Infantry — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 30, 1862 3:15 p.m. 1st Brigade (Roberts), First Division (Morell) Fifth Corps (Porter), Army of the Potomac, USA 13th New York Infantry ("Rochester Regiment") Col. Elisha G. Marshall "The Rebel infantry poured in their volleys, and we were scarcely a dozen feet from their muzzles of their muskets. Oh, it was terrible! For twenty minutes the shattered regiments held the slope swept by a hurricane of death, and each minute the bullets hummed like swarming bees, and then those yet . . . — Map (db m18310) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — 19th Indiana Infantry — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 28, 1862 7:00 p.m. 4th Brigade (Gibbon), First Division (King) Third Corps (McDowell), Army of Virginia, USA 19th Indiana Infantry Col. Solomon Meredith "The enemy was secreted under cover of a fence and did not make their appearance until we had approached to within 75 yards. Immediately upon our halting the enemy fired. Three different times they came up at a charge, but the 19th stood firm. They fell back to their fence each time." -Col. Solomon Meredith — Map (db m8430) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — 21st Georgia Infantry — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 28, 1862 7:15 p.m. Trimble's Brigade, Ewell's Division Left Wing (Jackson) Army of Northern Virginia, CSA 21st Georgia INfantry Capt. Thomas C. Glover "The fence being reached, the work of death commenced at short range. From this fence we poured volleys into the enemy for 30 or 40 minutes, when orders were given to fix bayonets and charge. The Federals held their lines until we were so close that the blazes from their guns seemed to pass through our ranks. Then they fled and the . . . — Map (db m18298) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — 24th New York Infantry — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 30, 1862 3:15 p.m. 1st Brigade (Sullivan), First Division (Hatch) Third Corps (McDowell), Army of Virginia, USA 24th New York Infantry ("Oswego Regiment") Maj. Andrew Barney "Those of us on the embankment were too few to even attempt to drive out the Confederates on the other side, and accordingly lay as flat to the slope as we could, crawling occasionally to the top, and discharging our muskets, held horizontally over our heads. Bullets were pouring in from the infantry beyond us. . . . — Map (db m18317) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — 26th Georgia Infantry — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 28, 1862 7:15 p.m. Lawton's Brigade, Ewell's Division Left Wing (Jackson) Army of Northern Virginia, CSA 26th Georgia Infantry Maj. Eli S. Griffin "We were ordered in just after dark. We marched steadily across an open field for about 400 yards, over which the balls were flying by the thousands. When we reached a fence the men were ordered to lie down. We poured volley after volley into the enemy. Then General Lawton ordered the brigade to change. The Yankees did fearful execution; . . . — Map (db m18358) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — 2nd Wisconsin Infantry — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 28, 1862 7:00 p.m. 4th Brigade (Gibbon), First Division (King) Third Corps (McDowell), Army of Virginia, USA 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Col. Edgar O'Conner "Rebel infantry poured from the woods by the thousands. We were precisely on the brow of the hill in an open field. For an hour and fifteen minutes the most terrific fire imaginable was kept up; the hill top, the valley, and the wooded side of the hill beyond was a continuous sheet of flame. Darkness came on, the stars came out, and . . . — Map (db m8467) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — 76th New York Infantry — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 28, 1862 7:15 p.m. 2nd Brigade (Doubleday), First Division (King) Third Corps (McDowell), Army of Virginia, USA 76th New York Infantry ("Cortland County Regiment") Col. W.P. Wainwright "Waving their colors defiantly, the rebels advanced from the woods to charge upon Gibbon's brigade to our left. Gibbon's men did not run. Those western men are not easily scared. They stood still and fired as fast as they could. We gave the Rebs a crossfire, thinning their ranks and prostrating their . . . — Map (db m18278) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 30, 1862 3:30 p.m. 3rd Brigade (Butterfield), First Division (Morell) Fifth Corps (Porter), Army of the Potomac, USA 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry Capt. Thomas F. McCoy "The whole brigade went back pell mell together. It is probable that as many men were lost in the retreat as in the advance." - Capt. Amos Judson — Map (db m18314) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — Company B, 4th U.S. Artillery — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 28, 1862 6:30 p.m. 1st Division (King), Third Corps (McDowell), Army of Virginia, USA Company B, 4th U.S. Artillery Capt. Joseph B. Campbell Six 12-pounder Napoleons "Campbell's pieces came up on the gallop, these fences along the pike being torn down to let them pass into the field. With shells bursting about them, they were placed in position and began to reply rapidly from the knoll from where I had first caught sight of the enemy's guns. - Brig. Gen. John Gibbon — Map (db m17476) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — Dying in Line — Second Battle of Manassas — Day One - August 28, 1862 |
| | At Brawner Farm there was little maneuvering. Union and Confederate infantry stood in parade-style lines fifty yards apart. At that range they could not miss. The soldiers fired volley after volley for two hours, with only a few fence rails and ruts in the field for cover. Even after sundown the shooting continued; men aimed at the muzzle flashes. Next morning Capt. W.W. Blackford, one of Jeb Stuart's officers, described the Union position, "marked by the dark rows of bodies stretched out of . . . — Map (db m8402) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — First Brigade — (The Stonewall Brigade) — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 28, 1862 7:00 p.m. Jackson's Division (W. B. Taliaferro) Left Wing (Jackson) Army of Northern Virginia, CSA First Brigade (The Stonewall Brigade) Col. William S. Baylor 2nd Virginia 5th Virginia 4th Virginia 27th Virginia 33rd Virginia "Here one of the most terrific engagements that can be conceived of occurred. Our troops held the farmhouse while the enemy held the orchard. To the left our men stood in the open field without shelter of any kind. For two hours and a half, without . . . — Map (db m8465) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — First Brigade — (The Stonewall Brigade) — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 30, 1862 3:15 p.m. Jackson's Division (Starke) Left Wing (Jackson) Army of Northern Virginia, CSA First Brigade (The Stonewall Brigade) Col. William S. Baylor 2nd Virginia 5th Virginia 4th Virginia 27th Virginia 33rd Virginia "The Federals came up in front of us as suddenly as men rising up out of the ground. Our commander, Colonel Will Baylor, seeing that our line was about to falter, ran and took the flag. Waving it, the gallant Baylor dashed forward ahead of the brigade . . . — Map (db m18300) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — Fourth Brigade — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 30, 1862 3:15 p.m. Jackson's Division (Starke), Left Wing (Jackson) Army of Northern Virgina, CSA Fourth Brigade Col. Leroy A. Stafford 1st Louisiana 10th Louisiana 2nd Louisiana 15th Louisiana 9th Louisiana Coppens' Battalion "The Federal line advanced in perfect order, as if on dress parade, instead of as if marching on to death. The line was permitted to advance until we could read the expressions on every man's face. The fatal word "Fire!" was given by Colonel Nolan. When the . . . — Map (db m18333) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — Jackson Strikes — Brawner Farm: The Battle Begins — Second Battle of Manassas - Day One - August 28, 1862 |
| | Union troops were approaching from the west, raising a long cloud of dust on Warrenton Pike. They did not suspect any Confederate infantry in the area and paid little attention to a lone cavalryman trotting back and forth along this ridge. The horseman was Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Though Maj. Gen. John Pope's army had been hunting Jackson, Jackson had chosen the time and place to fight. He ordered up artillery to the left of the farmhouse and the Confederates . . . — Map (db m8458) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — Jennie Dean |
| | Jennie Dean (1852-1913) was born in slavery near here. A pioneer in the advancement of education and religion among the black citizens of Prince William County and neighboring counties, Miss Dean founded the Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth in 1894 and Mount Cavalry Baptist Church in 1880. The Manassas Centennial Commission proclaimed her Woman of the Century. She is buried in the church cemetery nearby. — Map (db m7618) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — Second Battle of Manassas — August 28-30, 1862 |
| | (1) Route of Jackson's Turning Movement Lee dispatched Stonewall Jackson on a daring raid to cut Pope's communications before Pope could receive massive reinforcements. Marching nearly 25 miles a day, Jackson burned the supply depot at Manassas, then positioned himself behind an unfinished railroad grade to await the arrival of General Lee with Longstreet's wing. Pope moved to crush Jackson. (2) Second Manassas August 29, 1862 As his units arrived, Pope attacked Jackson. A spirited bayonet . . . — Map (db m17475) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — Second Brigade — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 30, 1862 3:15 p.m. Jackson's Division (Starke), Left Wing (Jackson) Army of Northern Virginia, CSA Second Brigade Col. Bradley T. Johnson 21st Virginia 48th Virginia 42nd Virginia 1st Virginia Battalion "We were fighting now as I never saw it done, we behind the railroad bank and the cut, which made a splendid breastwork, the enemy crowded in the field, their men falling fast, as we could plainly see." - Pvt. John Worsham 21st Virginia Infantry — Map (db m18306) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — Shooting Gallery — S.D. Lee's Artillery — Second Battle of Manassas - Day Three - August 30, 1862 |
| | From here, Confederate gunners had a clear view of Porter's attack - the most formidable onslaught of the three days. There were few trees between S.D. Lee's Battalion and the nearest Union columns a third of a mile away. As thousands of bluecoats swept across the field, Colonel Lee's men jumped to their guns and opened fire. The heavy bombardment, a rain of whizzing shell fragments, kept reinforcements from crossing the field, and helped ensure Union defeat at Deep Cut. When the first group . . . — Map (db m8459) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Catharpin — Sudley Methodist Church |
| | The site for the first church, a small brick building, was donated by Landon Carter of Woodland in 1822. During the battles of Manassas (Bull Run), it was used as a field hospital by both the North and the South, but was so badly damaged that it was razed and a frame church built in its place. The second church was struck by lightning in 1918 and burned. The present church was dedicated in 1922. The annual Sudley Church bazaar has been a gathering place for friends and neighbors for decades. — Map (db m874) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dale City — Benita Fitzgerald Drive |
| | Named in honor of Benita Fitzgerald,
Olympic Gold Medalist – 100 Meter Hurdles,
XXIII Olympiad – 1984 •
Pan American Games Champion – 1983 •
U.S. National Champion – 1983 and 1986.
Benita was born in Warrenton, Virginia on July 6, 1961 and attended Prince William County schools until her graduation from Gar-Field High School in 1979. She attended the First Mount Zion Baptist Church, was a member of the Dalelites, the Dale City Lassie League, the Gar-Field . . . — Map (db m2333) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — “Camp Fisher” Civil War Campsite |
| | The 2nd & 11th Mississippi Infantry Regt’s. (C.S.A.) camped here from Oct 1861 to Mar 1862. They named their camp in observance of the 6th North Carolina’s Camp Fisher (1 Mile to the NW). The 6th N.C. was the first Reg’t. to establish quarters in the Montclair area and named the site in honor of their fallen commander Col. Charles F. Fisher (KIA at ‘First Manassas’). The extended camps formed part of a Confederate Division in the Dumfries area (Ref. 1861–62 Blockade of the Potomac River). — Map (db m3820) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Carey M. Perkinson |
| | This building is dedicated to
Carey M. Perkinson
for his years of service
to the
Dumfries-Triangle Vol. Fire Dept.
& Auxiliary
and the
Dumfries-Triangle Rescue Squad
August 1993 — Map (db m7396) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Colonial Dumfries - Williams Ordinary |
| | Williams Ordinary is believed to have been built in the 1760s, although the exact construction date is unknown. The building’s symmetrical façade features header bond, a brick pattern rarely found in Virginia. This building was one of the most prominent structures in colonial Dumfries and reflected the port town’s importance and wealth.
While the building is known as Williams Ordinary, records are unclear as to whether local tavern keeper George Williams occupied this structure during the . . . — Map (db m3297) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Dumfries - Love’s Tavern |
| | Dumfries, an important Potomac River port chartered in 1749, became strategically significant in the autumn of 1861 when Confederate forces built batteries along the Potomac River nearby to blockade Washington, D.C. Gen. William H.C. Whiting, commanding Confederate forces, established his headquarters here at Love’s Tavern (Williams’s Ordinary) while winter camps were erected around Dumfries. After the Confederates evacuated the town in March 1862, Col. Charles Candy’s Federal troops moved in. . . . — Map (db m3207) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Dumfries Cemetery |
| | At this location stood the Quantico Chapel, a log church, serving the first settlers of Overwharton Parish ca. 1667 — Map (db m7301) |
| Virginia (Prince WIlliam County), Dumfries — E 82 — Dumfries Raid |
| | On 26 December 1862, Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuard led 1,800 cavalry out of Fredericksburg on his third and last major raid. Stuart divided his column and on 27 December launched a two-pronged attack on Dumfries, a major Union supply base. The garrison thwarted the Confederate cavalry commanded by Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee and Brig. Gen. W. H. F. ("Rooney") Lee despite the efforts of Stuart's legendary horse artillery. Stuart continued the raid through Occoquan, Burke's Station, Fairfax Court House, . . . — Map (db m2177) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Dumfries Rest Area |
| | Dedicated May 11, 1965
by
Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson — Map (db m7398) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Graham Park |
| | Just east of this location along the Quantico creek was the plantation known as Graham Park. This property was patented by John Graham (1711-1787) who came to Virginia from Scotland about 1733. Graham is known as the founder of Dumfries since the town sprang to life from 60 acres taken from his plantation in 1749. He was a successful merchant, Trustee of Dumfries, and county clerk. — Map (db m519) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — E 83 — History of Dumfries |
| | Dumfries, first settled in the early 18th century, became in 1749 the first town in Prince William County chartered by the House of Burgesses. It soon grew in wealth and importance as a major port, rivaling Alexandria, Baltimore, and New York in tonnage shipped. The town's status as a center for the sale and shipment of tobacco despite its inland location on a creek, reached its peak in the 1760's. In 1762 the county court moved to Dumfries, where it remained for 60 years. Ironically, the soil . . . — Map (db m520) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — In Memory — Anderson |
| | In Memory of those
who sacrificed their
lives in defense of
our country — Map (db m7303) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Montclair Veterans Flagpole |
| | Dedicated to the brave Montclair residents who served our country in Operation Desert Storm. — Map (db m7395) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — G-18 — Neabsco Mills Ironworks |
| | The Neabsco Mills Ironworks complex, under the ownership of three generations of the Tayloe family, of Richmond County, operated between 1737 and 1828. Located near this site, it was one of the longest continually operating ironworks in present-day Northern Virginia. The 3,000-acre iron plantation, which was worked by resident free laborers, indentured servants, and slaves, was a multifaceted operation. The workers produced not only pig and bar iron for sale at home and export to Great Britain, . . . — Map (db m2105) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Potomac Path |
| | The Potomac Path, or King’s Highway, was a major transportation route linking the northern and southern colonies in colonial America. Following an ancient Indian trail, the road assumed great importance for overland travel between the colonies and in the early days of the Republic. Washington and Rochambeau traveled this route to Yorktown in 1781 as did the French Army on its return the following year. — Map (db m5365) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Prince William County Court House |
| | Dumfries - 1760–1822. Forty yards southerly of this spot stood the third court house of Prince William County. The brick in this monument came from the foundation of this old court house, and was donated present owners of said court house lot. — Map (db m2274) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Quantico Church |
| | This site was the location of the 1745 stone church and the frame edifice of the Dettingen Parish in the twentieth century.
Here lies the mortal remains of the Dumfries pioneers, from 1667. — Map (db m7296) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — E 53 — Revolutionary War Campaign of 1781 |
| | The roads through Prince William County were important routes for the Revolutionary War campaign of 1781. In April, the Marquis de Lafayette passed through the county on the King's Highway with a portion of Gen. George Washington's Continental Army. During July, Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne and his troops marched through the region of the Carolina Road and joined Lafayette at Rapidan. In September, the cavalry and baggage wagons of the French and American armies took the King's Highway to Yorktown. . . . — Map (db m522) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Rippon Lodge |
| | Built by Richard Blackburn of Ripon, England circa 1745, Rippon Lodge was home to many noted individuals including Colonel Thomas Blackburn, a former aide to General George Washington, Judge Wade Ellis, a Federal Judge in Washington, D.C., and Admiral Richard Blackburn Black, known for his exploration of the South Pole. Additions to the house in 1800 and 1924 have transformed the original seven room colonial house into the seventeen room house we know today. — Map (db m5366) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Troop Movements and Camp |
| | Prince William militia opened a road nearby in preparation for the Yorktown Campaign of 1781. French and American cavalry, wagon trains, and cattle unable to use the ferry at Woodbridge, traveled this road, fording the river at Wolf Run Shoals on the way to Dumfries. The same road was used by Confederate and Union forces, and the 6th N.C. Infantry quartered near here during the winter of 1861–1862.
— Map (db m2166) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Weems Botts Museum |
| | The Weems-Botts House offers a fascinating history on Virginia’s oldest chartered town and two of the more colorful personalities to have lived here: the Rev. Mason Locke Weems and attorney Benjamin Botts. Weems, biographer of George Washington, was the creator of the famous cherry tree myth. Educated as a cleric, Weems actually made the core of his living as a bookseller and author of almanacs, and initially used the museum building as a bookstore. By contrast, attorney Benjamin Botts used the . . . — Map (db m5371) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Weems-Botts House |
| | Weems-Botts House
Dumfries, Virginia
Marked by Bill of Rights Chapter, NSDAR
October 6, 1996
Also on the house:
This Property has been
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior — Map (db m2360) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — William Grayson Bandstand Memorial |
| | Erected by
The Prince William County
Historical Commission
in observance of the
American Independance Bicentennial
1976 — Map (db m2362) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Williams Ordinary |
| | Built in the form of an eighteenth century mansion, neither a construction date nor a builder for the Ordinary is known. It has been suggested that it was built around 1765 by James Wren because of the many stylistic parallels between it and the Christ Church in Alexandria, one of Wren’s best-known works. During colonial times, the Ordinary was known as Williams Ordinary. Over the years it was also known as Love’s Tavern and the Stage Coach Inn. During the Civil War, the building was used as a . . . — Map (db m5368) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Dumfries — Willoughby Tebbs |
| | Revolutionary War Soldier
Willoughby Tebbs
2 LT, QM, Grayson's Regt, VA
1759 - 1803
Placed by
Bill of Rights Chapter, NSDAR
May 2002 — Map (db m6129) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Gainesville — Buckland Mills Battle — Custer's Position |
| | (Preface): On October 19, 1863, 12,000 Confederate and Union cavalry clashed at the Battle of Buckland Mills in the last large-scale Confederate victory in Virginia. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, screening the Confederate infantry’s march to Culpeper County, blocked Union Gen. H. Judson Kilpatrick’s advance at Buckland, then withdrew west. Union Gen. Henry E. Davies’s brigade pursued Stuart while Gen. George A. Custer’s brigade occupied Buckland. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee suddenly attacked Custer from the . . . — Map (db m19785) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Gainesville — C 31 — Bull Run Battlefields |
| | Just to the east were fought the two battles of Manassas or Bull Run. — Map (db m2013) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Gainesville — C 28 — Campaign of Second Manassas |
| | On 25 Aug. 1862, Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson with half of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia began a wide flanking march around Union Maj. Gen. John Pope’s Army of Virginia on the Rappahannock River near Warrenton. Jackson first marched west toward the Shenandoah Valley, then turned back east to strike Pope’s railroad supply and communication lines. On the afternoon of 26 Aug., Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart joined Jackson near Gainesville to protect his right flank. . . . — Map (db m2012) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Gainesville — Lee, Longstreet and Jackson Meeting |
| | This marker erected by the Haymarket Agricultural Club, indicates the spot where General R.E. Lee, General Longstreet, and General Jackson, met on August 29th, 1862, about 12.30 P.M. As certified by Lieut. Col. Edmund Berkeley, sole survivor of the meeting, who served that day on General Longstreet's staff by special order. — Map (db m536) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Gainesville — C 33 — Rock Fight |
| | In Aug. 1862, during the Second Battle of Manassas, Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s command occupied an unfinished railroad grade northeast of here, including “the Dump,” a gap in the grade heaped with construction stone. On 30 Aug., the Federals attacked, the 24th New York Infantry almost broke through. Out of ammunition, Confederates there and at Deep Cut to the west, began hurling rocks. Some startled Federals threw stones back before retreating . . . — Map (db m2014) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Gainesville — 27 C — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | The center of Lee’s army rested here on August 30, 1862; Jackson was to the north of this road, Longstreet to the south. Late in the afternoon, after Jackson had repulsed Pope’s assaults, Longstreet moved eastward, driving the Union forces facing him toward Henry Hill. Jackson advanced southward at the same time — Map (db m2263) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Gainesville — The Shirley Cemetery |
| | This small family cemetery is the final resting place of Richard O. (1802-1857) and Susan (1813-1880) Shirley and possibly several of their six children.
Richard Shirley was a farmer and tavern keeper who owned approximately 400 acres of land near Gainesville on the Warrenton Turnpike, modern day Route 29. — Map (db m2168) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Gainsville — Buckland |
| | The town of Buckland, named for William Buckland, Architect, was chartered in 1798 with streets and lots on both sides of Broad Run near the mill of John Love. Tranquility, future site of Buckland Hall nearby, was John Love’s seat. This property was transferred in 1853 to Richard Bland Lee, nephew of Lighthorse Harry Lee of Leesylvania. Buckland Tavern, now restored as a dwelling, served during the early 19th century as a refreshing stop on the Alexandria-Warrenton Turnpike. — Map (db m1083) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Haymarket — Ambush at Ewell’s Chapel — His Men Quickly Scattered |
| | Acting on good intelligence, Union Gen. George G. Meade ordered a trap set here for Maj. John Singleton Mosby and his band of partisan rangers on the morning of June 22, 1863. With a small detachment of the 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry exposed as bait, a company of the 14th U.S. Infantry hid in the rear of Ewell's Chapel and along a farm lane that entered the Old Carolina Road near the chapel. Coming from the Bull Run Mountains and passing through the Ewell Farm, Dunblane, Mosby and about 25 of . . . — Map (db m1562) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Haymarket — Colonial Roads |
| | The town of Haymarket, chartered in 1799, owes its location to the junction of the Old Carolina Road and the north branch of the Dumfries Road at the site of the Red House. The Carolina Road developed from the Iroquois hunting path which was abandoned by the Indians after 1722 when they were forced by treaty beyond the Blue Ridge. The Dumfries Road was in use as a major trade route between the Potomac and the Shenandoah Valley before 1740. — Map (db m766) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Haymarket — Haymarket During the Civil War — “Pass Around Their Army Without Hindrance” — Gettysburg Campaign |
| | On June 25, 1863, Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart and about 5,000 of his cavalrymen approached
Haymarket. They acted on orders from commanding Gen. Robert E. Lee, who was on the western side of the Bull Run Mountains marching north to invade Maryland and Pennsylvania. He directed Stuart to “pass around their [U.S.] army without hindrance” to screen the Army of Northern Virginia from observation as it crossed the Potomac River. Stuart took the intended
route north through Haymarket . . . — Map (db m1551) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Haymarket — Haymarket During the War — Civilian Hardships |
| | Throughout the Civil War, Haymarket and its residents endured the consequences of occupying an important geographical location. Marching armies
passed through the town during the First and Second Battles of Manassas,
the engagement at Thoroughfare Gap, the “Buckland Races,” and numerous
other cavalry engagements. Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee, Thomas J.
"Stonewall" Jackson, James Longstreet, J.E.B. Stuart, Joseph E. Johnston, and P.G.T. Beauregard, as well as U.S. Gens. George . . . — Map (db m768) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Haymarket — F 14 — Simon Kenton’s Birthplace |
| | Near Hopewell Gap, five miles west, Simon Kenton was born, 1755. Leaving home in 1771, he became an associate of Daniel Boone and George Rogers Clark in Indian fighting. He won fame as a scout and as one of the founders of Kentucky. Kenton died in Ohio in 1836. — Map (db m106) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Haymarket — 63 — The Carolina Road |
| | The Carolina Road, earlier an Indian hunting path, roughly approximating Route 15 at this point, derived its name from trade between Frederick, Maryland, and Georgia. Later the road was used by settlers emigrating to western lands. Because of notorious gangs of thieves besetting travelers the road was also known as Rogue's Road. Its most famous traveler was Lafayette who rode triumphantly by here on August 24, 1825, on his way to Oakhill, home of ex-president Monroe. Nearby Burnside, Waverly, . . . — Map (db m105) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Kopp — Belle Haven Baptist Church |
| | December 20, 1885 – September 30, 1945
Property donated by Thomas Woolfenden, Sr. who moved from Baltimore in 1880, after serving three years in the Civil War, to Prince William County and he named it wonderful Prince William County.
Belle Haven Church is named after Isabelle Woolfenden. The foundation of the Belle Haven School is directly across the street.
At the time of Thomas Woolfenden’s death at the age of 86, he owned approximately a thousand acres of Prince William County. . . . — Map (db m2904) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Kopp — Range 14 Training Complex |
| | Dedicated to the Memory
of
Eric Paul Bertaud
Second Lieutenant, USMC
Company D, The Basic School
February 20, 1970 - July 29, 1993 — Map (db m4173) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — "A Pacific Paradise on the Potomac" |
| | "A Pacific Paradise on the Potomac," suggests the type of atmosphere that existed at Freestone Point in July, 1957. The S.S. Freestone, a gambling ship, was the main attraction of an exciting new recreational resort. Even though it was illegal to either gamble of sell liquor by the drink in Virginia at this time, activity on the S.S. Freestone was protected from Virginia law by mooring in Maryland waters. The S.S. Freestone featured 200 slot machines on her deck, a finely furnished restaurant . . . — Map (db m5334) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — "At the Point of Rock" |
| | “At the point of rock,” the translation of the American Indian word Neabsco, describes clearly the high bluff of land in front of you known as Freestone Point. The location of Freestone Point is indicated on maps from the 18th Century and was an important landmark to river pilots when navigating the Potomac.
Freestone Point was actively quarried during colonial times. The sandstone was easily cut and transported by boat long the river. The abundant supply of inexpensive . . . — Map (db m5333) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — "Light Horse Harry" Lee |
| | . . . — Map (db m5303) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — A Fight on the Potomac |
| | A Fight on the Potomac took place here on September 25, 1861. According to Confederate Sgt. Wilmot Walter Curry, his unit was ordered to construct a battery at Freestone Point in order to deflect attention from larger, more permanent batteries downriver. The diary of Sgt. Curry recounts the event, beginning on September 20, 1861:
“Today a detachment from the Washington Mounted Artillery was sent down to Freestone Point for the purpose of erecting a Battery. The Battery will . . . — Map (db m5290) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — A Railroad Runs Through It |
| | The railway line that lies between Neabsco and Powells Creek was completed in 1872 by the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railroad. This was no easy taks considering the steep terrain, which required numerous deep cuts and fills to maintain a gentle grade along the line. Over the years, this resulted in several landslides and train derailments. The first year of its operation, the Alexandria Gazette reported one such event, “Owing to the washing of the A&F Railroad, the passenger and . . . — Map (db m5252) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — Freestone Point Earthworks — Blockading the Potomac |
| | On August 22, 1861, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee issued orders to blockade the Potomac River by building a series of artillery positions that would command the sailing channel. One of these positions was on the grounds of his ancestral home, Leesylvania, also known as Freestone Point. For the next six months, military and political attention focused on the crucial Potomac River passage to the Union capital, Washington, D.C. The Virginia shore presented several prominent bluffs for artillery . . . — Map (db m4820) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — Powells Creek Crossing |
| | Efforts began in 1864, but it wasn’t until July 2, 1872, with the aid of the Pennsylvania Railroad, that this section of rail line opened for service. The crossing at Powell’s Creek was 1,100 feet in length and constructed of heavy timber supplied by the Troth and Willis lumberyard located on Neabsco Creek next to the park entrance. White and black oak, poplar, gum, and beech provided all of the wood necessary for bridges between Quantico and Washington. The line eventually came under the . . . — Map (db m5251) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — The Freestone Point Hunt Club |
| | The Freestone Point Hunt Club was established in 1926 by a group of businessmen from New York. The large waterfowl populations found along the Potomac, and the proximity of the railroad made Freestone Point both attractive and accessible to hunters from distant cities. In 1928, the Club was purchased by Gordon Wheelock and Percy Chubb and became known as the Wheelock Hunt Club.
Members of the Club maintained a comfortable two-story frame lodge at Freestone Point. Waterfowl taken by the . . . — Map (db m5332) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — The Lee and Fairfax Family Cemetery |
| | The Lee and Fairfax Family Cemetery is located on this ridge top overlooking the Occoquan Bay. The Lees established the cemetery with the death of Henry Lee II on August 15, 1787. His wife Lucy Lee, the only other member of the Lee family to be buried here, died shortly after in 1792. The Virginia Journal and Alexandria Advertiser noted Lee’s passing with an obituary: “Died on the 15th Instant, at the seat of Mr. Richard Bland Lee in Loudon County (sully Plantation), Hon. Henry Lee, . . . — Map (db m5254) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Leesylvania State Park — The Lee Family Cemetery |
| | This is the burial site of Henry Lee (d. 1787) and his wife Lucy Grymes (d. 1792). They were married in 1753, and their home, Leesylvania, stood on the ridge to the east. Henry Lee was County Lieutenant and Presiding Justice of Prince William County for many years. He also represented the county in the House of Burgesses, the Revolutionary Conventions, and the State Senate during the years from 1758 until 1788. Among their eight children born at Leesylvania were “Light Horse Harry” . . . — Map (db m5328) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Manassas — "...Like a Stone Wall" — First Battle of Manassas |
| | On the brow of the hill Brig. Gen. Bernard Bee was desperately trying to rally his men when he caught sight of Thomas J. Jackson with fresh troops here at the edge of the pine thicket. "Look!" Bee shouted. "There stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!" The nickname spread rapidly through the Confederate Army and throughout the South. "Stonewall" Jackson was on his way to becoming a legend. Jackson's Line You are standing in the center of Stonewall Jackson's line . . . — Map (db m8304) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Manassas — “The Unfinished Railroad” |
| | These cuts and fills are what remain of the Independent Line of the Manassas Gap Railroad. The Independent Line was constructed in the mid-1850s to connect Gainesville, 5 miles to the west, with Alexandria, 25 miles to the east. After completing the grade, the Manassas Gap Railroad Company ran out of money. No tracks was ever laid. — Map (db m658) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Manassas — 10th New York Vol. Infantry — National Zouaves |
| | Erected by the State of New York, to commemorate the patriotic services of the 10th Reg't New York Volunteers National Zouaves Mustered into the U.S. Service April 27th 1861. Reorganized as a Battalion, April 27th 1863. Participated in 23 battles and campaigns, including the surrender of the Confederate Army at Appomattox, Va. April 9th, 1865. Here, August 30th 1862 the Regiment assisted in resisting the assault of a superior force of the enemy, losing nearly a third of its number, one . . . — Map (db m9836) |
| Virginia (Prince William County), Manassas — 15th Alabama Infantry — Second Battle of Manassas |
| | August 30, 1862 3:15 p.m. Trimble's Brigade (Brown) Ewell's Division (Lawton) Left Wing (Jackson) Army of Northern Virginia, CSA 15th Alabama Infantry Maj. A. A. Lowther "On the right the Federals were in an old field in plain view, and the 15th Alabama got in some deadly work at a right oblique. The Federals just simply jammed up against the embankment opposite the right of the 15th. They were so thick that it was impossible to miss them. What a slaughter! What a slaughter of men that . . . — Map (db m18360) |