Near Woodbridge in Prince William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Freestone Point Hunt Club
Photographed By Kevin W., February 8, 2008
1. The Freestone Point Hunt Club Marker
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 hunters were refrigerated in lead-lined ice boxes located in a shed behind the lodge. The hunters used wooden decoys and hunted from blinds along the shore, and from boats or sink boxes in the river and creeks. Hunting at the Club was good, and records indicate that 1,544 ducks and geese were taken in 1928. However, decades of uncontrolled hunting and increased pollution in the area eventually resulted in a dramatic decline in waterfowl populations. Club records clearly reflect that decline, with only 272 ducks and gees taken during the1941 season.
The Club ceased to exist in 1957, when Freestone Point was purchased for the development of
Photographed By Kevin W., February 8, 2008
2. The Freestone Point Hunt Club Marker
The amphitheater and remaining chimney are in the background.
this page online
Erected by Leesylvania State Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Natural Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.
Location. 38° 35.507′ N, 77° 14.911′ W. Marker is near Woodbridge, Virginia, in Prince William County. Marker can be reached from Daniel K Ludwig Drive. Marker is near the amphitheater in Leesylvania State Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Woodbridge VA 22191, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Freestone Point Earthworks (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee’s Woods Historic Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); "Light Horse Harry" Lee (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); "At the Point of Rock" (about 400 feet away); "A Pacific Paradise on the Potomac" (about 500 feet away); A Fight on the Potomac (about 600 feet away); Swimming in Bounty (about 700 feet away); The Freestone Fisheries (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Woodbridge.
More about this marker. At the upper left on the marker is a picture of the “Club’s lodge, as it appeared in 1985, shortly before demolition.”
At the lower left on the marker is a picture captioned, “Members of the Freestone Point Club stand by the lodge, game in hand.”
On the lower right of the marker is an artist’s rendition of a sinkbox. It is captioned, “Sinkboxes were a popular method of hunting on the Potomac.
Photographed By Kevin W., February 8, 2008
3. The Freestone Point Hunt Club Chimney
The sign behind the chimney reads, "On this site stood the lodge of the Freestone Point Hunt Club. The two story frame structure was built in the mid 1920’s by Gordon Wheelock. As duck numbers declined, so did the property’s attraction for hunting. It was sold in the early 1950’s."
Credits. This page was last revised on March 7, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,776 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 12, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.
