Fairfax, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Blenheim House
Historic Blenheim
October 31, 2009
1. Blenheim House Marker
“… a brick building recently erected and fitted up in handsome style…”Richmand Daily Dispatch, August 9, 1861
In 1855, fire consumed an earlier house on this site. Owner Albert Willcoxon had no insurance; so upon finishing this house—a center hall plan vernacular Greek Revival brick house with a double chimney on each end—he took out a $2,000 insurance policy in January 1860.
In July 1861, the Union Army reportedly vandalized the new home—“demolishing the window glass” and “tearing doors from their hinges.” Other Union soldiers sought refuge and convalesced here, leaving their names, inscriptions, and evocative pictographs on the still undecorated plaster walls.
A century later, Willcoxon descendants created a comfortable country home. They removed a rear kitchen addition and added a modern kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room (removed during restoration) on the north side. The present classical-columned front porch dates to 1948.
The house acquired the “Blenheim” name around 1900. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, the house is the centerpiece of Historic Blenheim and remains a vivid reminder of the area’s rural past. The interior is currently under restoration. The second floor and attic are not open to visitors.
Erected by
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the Northern Virginia Civil War Graffiti Trail series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1860.
Location. 38° 51.313′ N, 77° 17.563′ 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: Boxwood Garden (a few steps from this marker); Willcoxon Family Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Dairy Barn Complex (within shouting distance of this marker); Historic Blenheim (within shouting distance of this marker); Blenheim (Willcoxon Farm) (within shouting distance of this marker); Grandma's Cottage (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fairfax (approx. 0.8 miles away); Historic Fairfax Elementary School (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fairfax.
More about this marker. On the right side of the marker is a photograph captioned:
Mural:
October 31, 2009
2. Blenheim House Marker
Courtesy of The Library of Virginia
On the lower left of of the marker is a photograph captioned:
Left: Blenheim’s last two private owners, Marguerite “Daisy” Van Deventer Duras (right) and her daughter Barbara Duras (left) in 1945.
On the lower right of the marker is a photograph captioned:
Right: Theodor Raefle, Private, Company K, 29th New York State Volunteers, drew the crown, the symbol of his native Prussia, in Blenheim’s attic, replicated in the Civil War Interpretive Center.
City of Fairfax Historic Collections.
Also see . . .
1. Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive Center. The City of Fairfax, Virginia (Submitted on February 18, 2021.)
2. Blenheim NRHP nomination form. Blenheim is a large farm situated in the rolling Campbell County Piedmont. The small early nineteenth-century frame house is set well back from the road and is approached by a long winding drive. The house is a long, five-bay, single-pile, story-and-a-half structure with small wings at either end and is set on a basement built of brick laid in four-course American bond. It
July 25, 2009
3. Blenheim House
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 19, 2016
4. NRHP plaque - "Blenheim" (Wilcoxon Farm) c.1857
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 19, 2016
5. Grave of Family Patriarch Rezen Willcoxen
Located in a small cemetery within walking distance of the Blenheim House.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 14, 2010. This page has been viewed 3,320 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 14, 2010. 4, 5. submitted on February 17, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
