Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Alexandria, Mt. Vernon, and Accotink Turnpike

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 11, 2019

1. Alexandria, Mt. Vernon, and Accotink Turnpike Marker

Inscription. The Virginia General Assembly incorporated the Alexandria, Mt. Vernon, and Accotink Turnpike Company in March 1856. The road passed here on its roughly nine-mile route from Alexandria to Accotink Creek. Its founders included local slaveholders as well as antislavery Quakers who had established a free-labor community for black and white families nearby. The turnpike facilitated travel to Mount Vernon and improved farmers' access to urban markets. During World War I the U.S. Army paved a portion of the road to accommodate heavy traffic to Camp A. A. Humphreys (later Fort Belvoir). A segment of the old turnpike became part of U.S. Route 1.

Erected 2017 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number E-145.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Religion & Religious Structures • Roads & Vehicles • War, World I. In addition, it is included in the Quakerism, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1856.

Location. 38° 42.676′ N, 77° 8.622′ W. Marker is in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It is at the intersection of Richmond Highway (U.S. 1) and Belvoir Road, on the right when traveling

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north on Richmond Highway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 202 Belvoir Rd, Fort Belvoir VA 22060, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area

and in Northern Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Belvoir (a few steps from this marker); Fort Belvoir (a few steps from this marker); Woodlawn Quaker Meetinghouse (approx. ¼ mile away); The Woodlawn Historic District (approx. ¼ mile away); Potomac Connections (approx. half a mile away); Necessary (approx. half a mile away); Dairy (approx. half a mile away); Brown Barracks (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Belvoir.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 11, 2019

2. Alexandria, Mt. Vernon, and Accotink Turnpike Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 15, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 697 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.