On Daniel K Ludwig Drive 1.9 miles south of Neabsco Road, on the right when traveling east.
(Panel 1)
After occupying Alexandria for five days, the British withdrew down the Potomac River in early September 1814. To “annoy or destroy” the British ships, Americans established two gun batteries on opposite shores, about six miles . . . — — Map (db m237355) HM
“At the point of rock,” the translation of the American Indian word Neabsco, describes clearly the high bluff of land in front of you known as Freestone Point. The location of Freestone Point is indicated on maps from the 18th Century and was an . . . — — Map (db m233928) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive west of Blackburn Road when traveling west.
Rippon Burials
Few grave stones remain in the Rippon Lodge burying ground, but many unmarked graves are beneath the ground. Blackburn and Atkinson family members were buried here for decades, but the locations of most individual graves are . . . — — Map (db m285413) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west. Reported missing.
Rippon Lodge is among the oldest known homes in Prince William County. It is built on land that was first settled in the 17th century.
The original portions of the house were built circa 1747 by Richard Blackburn, a carpenter from Ripon, . . . — — Map (db m285408) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive 0.2 miles west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west.
One of the oldest known dwellings in Prince William County, Rippon Lodge was built on land first settled in the 17th century.
The original house was built circa 1747 for Richard Blackburn, an English colonist, land owner, and carpenter from . . . — — Map (db m285407) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west.
Here Lieth the Body of
Collo. Richard Blackburn
Who Departed this Life
July the 15th 1757
In the 52d. Year of his Age
He was born in Rippon in England from whence he came to Virginia, where he acquired a reputable charracter, was . . . — — Map (db m285415) HM
On Neabsco Road at Kenilworth Court, on the right when traveling west on Neabsco Road.
After the Confederate victory at Ball’s Bluff in October 1861, the Union and Confederate armies settled into winter camps between Washington and Richmond. Confederate forces withdrew from Fairfax County to Prince William County and defended a . . . — — Map (db m233910) HM
On Blackburn Road at Admiral Black Drive, on the right when traveling north on Blackburn Road.
During his 1609 exploration of the Potomac River. Captain John Smith encountered many groups of Native American peoples. Among them were the Doeg. also rendered in English as the Dogue. Taux. and Tauxenent, who occupied the area from the Northern . . . — — Map (db m285406) HM
Near Blackburn Road, on the right when traveling east.
The waters of Neabsco Creek and Potomac Rivers have been home to people for over a thousand years. Some of the first to settle here were the Doeg tribe of the Algonquian Indians. The Doegs inhabited the area across the river and the modern counties . . . — — Map (db m308152) HM
Near Blackburn Road, on the right when traveling east.
When Native peoples lived here prior to European contact, Neabsco Creek was a thriving watercourse. Oceangoing ships sailed down the creek and many plants and animals called this waterway home. Much changed after John Smith sailed
here in 1608. . . . — — Map (db m308151) HM
On Forest Grove Drive (Virginia Route 1396) at Rippon Boulevard ( Route 1392), on the right when traveling north on Forest Grove Drive.
The King's Highway was one of the few roads in the early United States to receive Federal funding. This road connected urban centers such as Boston, Philadelphia, Alexandria, Dumfries, Richmond, and Williamsburg. A better road allowed the safe . . . — — Map (db m285402) HM
On Richmond Highway (U.S. 1) north of Neabsco Road, on the right when traveling south. Reported missing.
Nearby are the sites of a fort ordered built in 1679, and of the oldest tomb found in the county, that of Rose Peters—1690. Iron mining was begun here as early as 1784. Remains of a colonial furnace, foundry, and mill have been discovered. . . . — — Map (db m237420) HM
A Fight on the Potomac took place here on September 25, 1861. According to Confederate Sgt. Wilmot Walter Curry, his unit was ordered to construct a battery at Freestone Point in order to deflect attention from larger, more permanent batteries . . . — — Map (db m233929) HM WM
The Freestone Fisheries played an important role in Leesylvania’s past. Their successful operation, given the plentiful numbers of fish in the Potomac, provided a significant income to the successive proprietors of the Leesylvania estate. The Lee . . . — — Map (db m233921) HM
Near Daniel K Ludwig Drive. Reported permanently removed.
On August 22, 1861, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee issued orders to blockade the Potomac River by building a series of artillery positions that would command the sailing channel. One of these positions was on the grounds of his ancestral home, . . . — — Map (db m286965) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m233927) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west. Reported missing.
The landscape you see before you has changed quite a lot since the house was built in the 18th century. Situated on Neabsco Creek and the Kings Highway (now Route 1), the site allowed Richard Blackburn easy access to move hisgoods to market. . . . — — Map (db m285409) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive 0.2 miles west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west.
This historic landscape has transformed a great deal since the construction of the Lodge for Richard Blackburn in the 18th century.
Situated between the bank of Neabsco Creek and the King's Highway, (Route 1), the site originally had . . . — — Map (db m285470) HM
Near Daniel K Ludwig Drive 2.3 miles south of Neabsco Road, on the right when traveling east.
This artifact was found buried here. It likely served to help pull boats and or nets from the river as part of the fishing activity that occurred here for over 100 years. — — Map (db m233922) HM
Near Neabsco Road 0.1 miles west of Kenilworth Court, on the right when traveling west.
This amphitheater offers visitors and students a starting point for their tour of the Julie J. Metz Wetland bank. The primitive nature of this seating area provides a gathering place for groups visiting the Wetland bank, without disturbing the . . . — — Map (db m233913) HM
On Vantage Drive just west of Elizabeth Burbage Loop, on the right when traveling east.
Welcome to Kings Highway Historic Site! Enjoy a walk along one of the few remaining stretches of this ancient path, here or nearby at the intersection of Rippon Boulevard and Forest Grove Drive.
There are several other Prince . . . — — Map (db m285403) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive 0.2 miles west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west.
Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820) moved to Virginia from England in 1796. He is best known for his work on the United States Capitol. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson summoned him to Washington to complete the . . . — — Map (db m285410) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west. Reported missing.
Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820) moved to Virginia from England in 1796. He is best known for his work on the United States Capitol. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson summoned him to Washington to complete the building, . . . — — Map (db m285411) HM
The Lee and Fairfax Family Cemetery is located on this ridge top overlooking the Occoquan Bay. The Lees established the cemetery with the death of Henry Lee II on August 15, 1787. His wife Lucy Lee, the only other member of the Lee family to be . . . — — Map (db m237354) HM
This is the burial site of Henry Lee (d. 1787) and his wife Lucy Grymes (d. 1792). They were married in 1753, and their home, Leesylvania, stood on the ridge to the east. Henry Lee was County Lieutenant and Presiding Justice of Prince William County . . . — — Map (db m233908) HM
On Daniel K Ludwig Drive 2.4 miles east of Neabsco Road.
Trail Details
Leesylvania State Park lies on a small peninsula on the Potomac, rich with American history. This moderate hike loops through fascinating historical ground, including the Fairfax and Lee family homesteads. The easy-to-follow . . . — — Map (db m233925) HM
On Neabsco Road 0.1 miles east of Macedonia Drive, on the left when traveling east.
Located along the Potomac River between Nebasco and Powells creeks and extending inland to include lands west of U.S. Route 1, this vast tract was patented in 1658 by Gervais Dodson. Henry Lee II (1729-1787) inherited the acreage upon his father’s . . . — — Map (db m237295) HM
On Cardinal Drive (U.S. 1) south of Neabsco Road and Cardinal Drive, on the right when traveling south. Reported missing.
This historically important property was part of a land grant dating back to 1658 and was the site of “Leesylvania,” the home of Henry Lee II (1729–1789). The Neabsco Iron Foundry, which was located nearby, furnished “pig iron and shot” to the . . . — — Map (db m237296) HM
On Neabsco Road (County Route 610) at Daniel K. Ludwig Drive, on the right when traveling east on Neabsco Road.
This 508-acre park was donated to the Commonwealth in 1978 by Daniel K. Ludwig and was opened on June 17, 1989. The park, whose name means “Lee’s Woods,” is the ancestral home of the famous Lee family of Virginia. The land, which was patented in . . . — — Map (db m233906) HM
Henry Lee III
"Light Horse Harry"
1756 - 1818
1776 - 1781
Cavalry Commander
1779
Awarded Congressional Medal
1786 - 1788
Member, Continental Congress
1791 - 1794
Governor of Virginia
1799 - 1801
Member, U.S. Congress . . . — — Map (db m237419) HM
Near Daniel K Ludwig Drive 2.1 miles south of Neabsco Road.
This mill wheel was donated by Jesse Baldwin and Lewis Wilkins to Leesylvania State Park. It was originally found in Neabsco Creek west of the Interstate 95 bridge. It most likely came from the Taylor Family Foundry and Mill operations (1730-1830) . . . — — Map (db m233920) HM
Near Vantage Drive just west of Elizabeth Burbage Loop, on the right when traveling east.
People have lived along Neabsco Creek and the Potomac River for thousands of years. Numerous different peoples likely lived here before European contact. By the 1500s, the Doeg tribe inhabited the area across the river in Maryland as well as the . . . — — Map (db m285404) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west.
Latrobe’s Visit
Architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764 – 1820) was Thomas Blackburn’s friend. Latrobe visited Rippon Lodge in July, 1796. He described his stay in his journals and drew the property.
On July 11, Latrobe stood on the . . . — — Map (db m285471) HM
On Neabsco Road (County Route 610) at Richmond Highway (U.S. 1), on the right when traveling west on Neabsco Road.
Situated along the nearby Neabsco Creek, the Neabsco Iron Works began operation by 1737. Directed by John Tayloe of Richmond County and succeeding family members, the ironworks evolved into a multifaceted antebellum industrial plantation, which . . . — — Map (db m233915) HM
Near Neabsco Road 0.3 miles west of Kenilworth Court, on the right when traveling west.
Wealthy planter John Tayloe founded Neabsco Ironworks near here in 1747. Within five years, Neabsco was producing 600 tons of pig iron yearly, dominating a 9,000-acre tract of land bounded by the Occoquan and Potomac Rivers. In pre-revolutionary . . . — — Map (db m233914) HM
On Forest Grove Drive at Rippon Boulevard (County Route 784), on the right when traveling north on Forest Grove Drive.
The Old Potomac Path
Originally an Indian Trail and traversed by early settlers, it later became the first coach and post road between Northern and Southern Colonies, and was called
The King’s Highway
General Washington often stopped . . . — — Map (db m285472) HM
"A Pacific Paradise on the Potomac," suggests the type of atmosphere that existed at Freestone Point in July, 1957. The S.S. Freestone, a gambling ship, was the main attraction of an exciting new recreational resort. Even though it was illegal to . . . — — Map (db m233924) HM
Near Vantage Drive just west of Elizabeth Burbage Loop, on the right when traveling east.
Moving an army in 1781 wasn't easy. It took hundreds of wagons and ships to move the French and American armies from New York to Virginia in an attempt to trap the British under General Cornwallis at Yorktown. Crossing Prince William County, the . . . — — Map (db m285397) HM
Near Daniel K Ludwig Drive at Neabsco Road, on the right when traveling east.
In the late 1950s a large scale gambling resort was planned for Freestone Point. The original scheme boasted a luxury hotel, a golf course and country club, marinas, white sand beaches, swimming pools, tennis, and amusement park and more. Much of . . . — — Map (db m233919) HM
Near Daniel K Ludwig Drive 2 miles south of Neabsco Road, on the right when traveling east.
These two bioretention cells, completed by volunteers in June 2005, are designed to filter run-off from the parking lot, thereby decreasing the pollution entering the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. The drawing below shows how a bioretention cell . . . — — Map (db m233918)
On Richmond Highway (U.S. 1) 0.1 miles south of Dale Blvd and Rippon Blvd, on the right when traveling south.
To the east is the only preserved segment of the Potomac Path, the earliest north-south route in northern Virginia. Following an ancient Indian trail, the road, later known as the King's Highway, assumed great importance for overland travel between . . . — — Map (db m285416) HM
Near Forest Grove Drive north of Rippon Boulevard ( Route 1392), on the right when traveling north. Reported missing.
The King’s Highway was the first north-south route through Virginia. The road began in Boston and ended in Williamsburg. It may have followed one or more trails that American Indians used before European colonization.
The route was first . . . — — Map (db m285474) HM
On Daniel K. Ludwig Drive, on the right when traveling east.
Efforts began in 1864, but it wasn’t until July 2, 1872, with the aid of the Pennsylvania Railroad, that this section of rail line opened for service. The crossing at Powell’s Creek was 1,100 feet in length and constructed of heavy timber supplied . . . — — Map (db m233909) HM
The railway line that lies between Neabsco and Powells Creek was completed in 1872 by the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railroad. This was no easy taks considering the steep terrain, which required numerous deep cuts and fills to maintain a gentle . . . — — Map (db m233907) HM
On Blackburn Road at Admiral Black Drive, on the right when traveling south on Blackburn Road.
Noted for his craftsmanship on the first Falls Church and other structures for prominent landowners, to include the Washington family. Richard Blackburn (1710-1757) built Rippon Lodge as his main estate house circa 1747. Richard's son, Thomas . . . — — Map (db m285405) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive 0.3 miles west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west.
House built about 1725 by Richard Blackburn. Later residence of his son Col Thomas Blackburn friend and comrade in arms of Gen. Washington who often visited here. Also family home of Mrs. Bushrod Washington (Ann Blackburn) and Mrs. John Augustine . . . — — Map (db m285412) HM
Near Blackburn Road at Admiral Black Drive, on the right when traveling north.
Across from each other on Neabsco Creek stand two colonial estates that were once some of the largest farms in the region. To the south is Leesylvania, property of the Lee family from 1675 until 1825. The first Lee to live on the plantation, Henry . . . — — Map (db m308222) HM
On Daniel K Ludwig Drive 1.8 miles south of Neabsco Road.
Seasonal Encampments for river fishing were set up at this place the Native Americans called Yosocomico, meaning “within the enclosure”. These temporary villages were situated on the shoreline at good fishing spots that the Indians returned to year . . . — — Map (db m233917) HM
Near Admiral Black Drive west of Blackburn Road, on the left when traveling west.
Numerous graves are located within the Rippon lodge cemetery. The slate tablets, carved stones and slabs are neatly arranged. But some of these markers are placed on mounds that may not be graves or stand where burials do not exist.
Martin . . . — — Map (db m285414) HM
Near Forest Grove Drive near Rippon Boulevard ( Route 1392), on the right when traveling north.
Few armies in the 1700s had dedicated soldiers whose sole job was for moving supplies, ammunition, equipment, and personal belongings on any scale. Wagon drivers, teamsters, and other personnel involved were typically contractors hired for a . . . — — Map (db m285401) HM
Near Daniel K Ludwig Drive 2.3 miles south of Neabsco Road, on the right when traveling east.
(panel 1)
Swimming in Bounty
When John Smith and his crew reached the Potomac River in July 1608, they were amazed by the abundance of fish, having seen “neither better fish, more plenty, nor more variety” anywhere.
Virginia . . . — — Map (db m233923) HM
Near Blackburn Road, on the right when traveling east.
Native Americans and European settlers used Neabsco Creek to travel throughout the region. Traveling in small boats on the creek and into the Potomac proved cheaper and faster than
traveling on land. The creek remained deep enough for fairly large . . . — — Map (db m308190) HM
On Neabsco Road 0.1 miles west of Kenilworth Court, on the right when traveling west.
(left panel)During the War of 1812 the young United States was embroiled in conflict with Great Britain. From 1812 to 1815 Americans fought to protect their rights and economic independence. They faced superior enemy forces . . . — — Map (db m233911) HM
On Daniel K. Ludwig Drive 0.3 miles east of Neabsco Beach Way.
(Panel 1)
During the War of 1812 the young United States was embroiled in conflict with Great Britain. From 1812 to 1815 Americans fought to protect their rights and economic independence. They faced superior enemy forces on the . . . — — Map (db m237353) HM
