Chantilly in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Houses at Walney
Ellanor C. Lawrence Park
In 1843, not one, but two houses stood at Walney that were lived in during the nineteenth century.
In April 1843, Lewis Machen, a clerk for the United States Senate, purchased the dilapidated 725 acre farm that later became known as Walney. On the property were several residential structures, including the stone house that you see in front of you, constructed in 1780, and a wooden frame house that stood just to the left of the stone house. Lewis lived at Walney with his wife, Caroline, and his three children Arthur, James, and Emmeline.
In a letter from Lewis Machen to B. Sanders in June 1843, Lewis described the property:
The place I have purchased is a large one, lying near Centreville. The soil, originally good, is greatly reduced by long cultivation and exceedingly bad management. The tenement in which I shall reside, a Virginia Cottage, [is] barely sufficient to afford shelter and enable us to sleep and eat, without exposure to the elements
Why did the Machens have two houses?
The Machens used the wooden frame house as their primary residence. Historians do not know what the house looked like, but Lewis thought it was outdated and in need of repair. In a letter to Mr. Wever, in July 1843, he wrote:
[the]ceilings are only 7 feet 3 inches high; that an incision had to be made in the floor for the insertion of the Old Family Clock; and the Stoop is a little too low for the present generation.
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The stone house used as a study and family library was also in need of repair. In a letter from Caroline Machen to Lewis in December 1843, she described a few of the repairs made to the stone house:
I have had all the boxes and the piazza moved into the stone house. The plastering is getting dry but not enough so to put up the books.
Making these houses a home.
Lewis and his family spent the following decades making improvements to the property until the Civil War began. by the end of the war, both houses still stood. However, the property was raided by Federal troops in August 1862 The property was damaged and supplies were taken, leaving the Machens with little.
It took years after the Civil War for the farm to be profitable again under James' management. James, his wife, Georgina Chichester, and their four children lived in the frame house until December 30th, 1874, when the frame house was destroyed by a chimney fire. The Machens then renovated their stone house and moved into it as their primary residence.
Erected by Fairfax County Park Authority.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Notable Buildings • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1843.
Location. 38° 51.658′ N, 77° 25.81′ W. Marker is in Chantilly, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It can be reached from Walney Road (Virginia Route 657) 0.4 miles south of Walney Park Drive, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5040 Walney Rd, Chantilly VA 20151, 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: Walney House (within shouting distance of this marker); Walney Outbuildings (within shouting distance of this marker); Walney Barnyard (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named The Walney Dairy (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named The Walney Dairy (about 400 feet away); Wipe Your Feet! (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Walney Outbuildings (about 500 feet away); Walney Ice Pond (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chantilly.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Walney Dairy (was about 300 feet away but has been confirmed missing); a different marker also named Walney Outbuildings (was about 300 feet away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on May 21, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 21, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 336 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 21, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
