Near Woodbridge in Prince William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Preserving History
The King's Highway
Photographed by Kevin W., March 4, 2008
1. The King's Highway ~ Preserving History Marker
A Road to Rippon Lodge
Rippon Lodge Historic Site on Blackburn road has a long association with The King’s Highway. A segment of the road cut directly through the property when the Blackburn family lived there during the 18th century. The family depended on access to the road for mail delivery. The Blackburns owned horses and carriages for the family’s use and traveled the King’s Highway for business and pleasure. The road connected urban centers such as Boston, Philadelphia, Alexandria, Dumfries, Richmond and Williamsburg.
Judge Wade Hampton Ellis (born 1865) owned Rippon Lodge from 1924 until he died in 1948. He took a strong interest in preserving the 18th-century King’s Highway. Judge Ellis worked with the Daughters of the American Revolution to install a commemorative plaque in 1933. A newspaper notice* for the plaque unveiling described the road:
…the old King’s Highway which runs two miles through the grounds of Rippon Lodge…This highway, the oldest post road in northern Virginia, used to run from Mount Vernon to Richmond…
*The Washington Post, May 23, 1933
Erected
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Notable Places • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1862.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 38° 37.172′ N, 77° 16.671′ W. Marker was near Woodbridge, Virginia, in Prince William County. It was at the intersection of Forest Grove Drive and Rippon Boulevard (County Route 784), on the right when traveling north on Forest Grove Drive. Marker is near a small park, on the NE corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 2114 Rippon Boulevard, Woodbridge VA 22191, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area, in Northern Virginia, and in the Piedmont. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found 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 location: The Old Potomac Path (here, next to this marker); Ellis and Preservation (here, next to this marker); Supplying an Army (within shouting distance of this marker); Rippon Lodge (approx. ¼ mile away); Centuries of History
Photographed by Kevin W., March 4, 2008
2. The King's Highway ~ Preserving History Marker and the DAR commemorative marker.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Potomac Path (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Centuries of History (was approx. ¼ mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Historic Landscape (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
More about this marker. On the lower left is a modern-day picture of the Potomac Path. Its caption reads, "Sections of the King’s Highway are still visible near Rippon Lodge and in other areas in Prince William County." The photo was taken by Brandon Hanifin.
On the upper right is a picture taken at the dedication of the nearby Old Potomac Path marker. Its caption reads, "Judge Wade Hampton Ellis (left), his wife and several members of the Susan Revere Hetzel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution posed in front of their King’s Highway plaque in May, 1933. The plaque now stands near the Mary G. Porter Traditional School on Rippon Boulevard." The marker identifies the source as
Prince William County Historic Preservation Division
Credits. This page was last revised on January 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 4, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,930 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 4, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.
