Fairfax, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Historic Blenheim
July 25, 2009
1. Historic Blenheim Marker
A family farm, a Civil War encampment site, and a country home, Historic Blenheim now welcomes visitors to explore its landscape and many stories.
Over 200 years ago, family patriarch Rezin Willcoxon moved here from Prince Georges County, Maryland. By the Civil War, his extended family owned most of the acreage along todays Old Lee Highway. A labor force, including a small number of African-American slaves, aided the familys growing prosperity.
During the Civil War, Union soldiers camped and convalesced here, interrupting life for the Willcoxons, and leaving behind signatures and pictographs on the farmhouse walls. Preserved by Willcoxon descendants until the last family owner died in 1997, the evocative power of these writings prompted local citizens to lobby to save Blenheim as an historic site.
The City of Fairfax purchased the c.1859 Blenheim House and surrounding 12 acres for $2.2 million in 1999 and undertook a process of stabilization, conservation, and restoration that continues today. Completion of the Civil War Interpretive Center in 2008 ensures that the process of discovery and education at Blenheim will continue for many future generations.
Erected by City of Fairfax, Virginia. (Marker Number 1.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed
this page online
Location. 38° 51.323′ N, 77° 17.598′ W. Marker is in Fairfax, Virginia. It can be reached from Old Lee Highway. The marker is located at the Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3610 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax VA 22030, 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: Blenheim (Willcoxon Farm) (a few steps from this marker); Dairy Barn Complex (within shouting distance of this marker); Blenheim House (within shouting distance of this marker); Boxwood Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Willcoxon Family Cemetery (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Grandma's Cottage (about 300 feet away); Old Baptismal Area (approx. 0.8 miles away); Fairfax (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fairfax.
More about
October 31, 2009
2. Historic Blenheim Marker
City of Fairfax Historic Collection
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 19, 2016
3. Historic Blenheim
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 19, 2016
4. Civil War Artwork
Drawn on the attic wall in the Blenheim House.
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 19, 2016
5. Grave of Family Patriarch Rezin Willcoxon On The Right
Historic Blenheim in the background.
July 25, 2009
6. Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim
Credits. This page was last revised on January 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2009. This page has been viewed 2,476 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 18, 2009. 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 17, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 6. submitted on November 18, 2009. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
