The Arlington-Fairfax Line connected Fairfax with
Washington D.C. from 1904-1939 and briefly terminated near this location until 1908 when it was
extended to the courthouse after the original
station was destroyed by fire. The new stop . . . — — Map (db m76716) HM
During the First Battle of Manassas, amid the smoke of combat, troops found it difficult to distinguish between Union and Confederate flags. Generals P.G.T. Beauregard, Joseph E. Johnston and Quartermaster General William L. Cabell met near here in . . . — — Map (db m101514) HM
Blenheim, built for Albert and Mary Willcoxon about 1859, contains some of the nation’s best-preserved Civil War soldier writings. More than 110 identified Union soldiers, representing units from New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, West . . . — — Map (db m21077) HM
The City of Fairfax — since its settlement in the 1700s — has been at the heart of Northern Virginia's government and business activities. Home to more than 20,000 residents and 23,000 business and government employees, Fairfax is an independent . . . — — Map (db m197034) HM
Dedicated to all Service Members who served in all wars, and especially to those who gave their lives in order that our great nation will always remain
“The Land of the Free
and the Home of the Brave.”
Dedicated
20 June 1991 . . . — — Map (db m178655) WM
From Fairfax to
Appomattox
1861 - 1865.
Erected to the memory of the gallant sons of Fairfax, whose names are inscribed on this monument; but whose bodies lie buried on distant battle-fields; and to the memory of their 200 unknown . . . — — Map (db m218373) WM
It was erected to the memory of "the gallant sons of Fairfax whose names are inscribed on this monument but whose bodies lie buried on distant battlefields and their 200 unknown comrades whose remains are at rest under this mound." — — Map (db m218374) HM
“The outlook for agriculture in Fairfax is dismal.”County Agent R.B. Davis, Jr., 1946
Why was Davis so pessimistic? As he wrote, Blenheim owner Marguerite “Daisy” Duras’s diary cows were setting production records. . . . — — Map (db m25842) HM
It was in this house that Ranger John Mosby captured the Union area commander Brig. Gen. Edwin H. Stoughton, in bed, the night of March 9, 1863. — — Map (db m6233) HM
Built by Dr. Samuel Draper, this house probably served as his office and examining rooms. Many of the buildings adjoining the house were constructed as out-buildings. — — Map (db m6298) HM
Built by Dr. Simeon and Catherine (Wilkinson) Draper on a lot leased from town founder Richard Ratcliffe, this is the second oldest home still standing in the Old Town Fairfax Historic District. Catherine's sister was Matilda Wilkinson, the . . . — — Map (db m8226) HM
The home was built on top of the Manassas Gap Railway right-of-way which was the railway started before the Civil War. This railway construction was disbanded during the Civil War. The house was renovated in 1992 by Dr. Johnson A. Edosomwan. — — Map (db m6296) HM
On June 1. 1861, the first major skirmish of the Civil War occurred on the main street of Fairfax Court House. In the pre-dawn hours 50 men of Co. B, Second U.S. Cavalry, led by Lt. Charles H. Tomkins, rode into town firing their weapons. As . . . — — Map (db m626) HM
The Fairfax Herald was established in 1882 by Capt. S. R. Donohoe, who, in 1904 moved it to this small, one-story frame structure. The Herald remained in operation until 1966. — — Map (db m129153) HM
The Fairfax Rosenwald School or “Fairfax Colored School” was constructed in 1925–26 on this site. It replaced an earlier African-American school on Main Street east of the Fairfax Cemetery. In 1917, Julius Rosenwald, president of . . . — — Map (db m29482) HM
This was the home of Antonia Ford, imprisoned as a spy following Ranger Mosby's night capture of the local Union commander, Brig. Gen. Edwin H. Stoughton, March 9, 1863. A search of the house had revealed an honorary aide-de-camp commission to . . . — — Map (db m6366) HM
General Michael Corcoran died at the W. P. Gunnell House near here on 22 Dec. 1863 after being thrown from a runaway horse on Ox Road, a quarter mile to the south. Corcoran headed all area Washington Defense Department forces at the time. Corcoran . . . — — Map (db m76725) HM
Margaret Conn Willcoxon Farr, known as "Grandma Farr" lived in "Grandma's Cottage" from about 1867 until her death in 1904. At that time, the house stood at its original location at the northeast corner of Main and North Streets. A sister of . . . — — Map (db m197422) HM
Harold Skeins, Sr. grew up in a small town in Marmet, WV. After enlisting in the U.S. army, Harold ended up in Fairfax City, where he met his wife Patricia (Pat) and raised their family.
As far as anyone can remember Harold always carried a . . . — — Map (db m197290) HM
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, . . . — — Map (db m24662) HM
This is the oldest, two-story, brick public school house in Fairfax County. Bricks were made from a clay pit on the Farr property across Main St. The original portion of this structure, the rear, was built for then considered exorbitant cost of . . . — — Map (db m6303) HM
The first skirmish of the Civil War occurred on Main Street June 1, 1861. Ex-Governor, "Extra Billy" Smith, a civilian, ran from this house to take charge of the Warrenton Rifles. Their commanding officer, Capt. John Quincy Marr, had been killed, . . . — — Map (db m6258) HM
Cuts and fills of the Independent Line of the Manassas Gap Railroad are visible along this line and at various places through Fairfax County to Sudley Ford on Bull Run. Running north of the Little River Turnpike from Annandale and along North Street . . . — — Map (db m132720) HM
During his March 1863 raid, Ranger John S. Mosby searched here, with no success, for the Union mercenary Col. Percy Wyndham who had called Mosby a horse thief. Mosby had replied that the only horses he had ever stolen had Union troopers on their . . . — — Map (db m168981) HM
Here on the night of March 8th, 1863, Col. John Singleton Mosby with 29 Confederate soldiers penetrated the Union lines of 3000 men and captured in the brick dwelling north of this spot Brig. General Edwin H. Stoughton, U.S.A., with 100 prisoners . . . — — Map (db m6246) HM
Col. John Singleton Mosby formed the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry “to weaken the armies invading Virginia by harassing their rear.” Near midnight on 8 March 1863, he led his horsemen undetected through Union lines to disrupt communications . . . — — Map (db m5086) HM
In the late 1950s, the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission and a group of citizens from several local jurisdictions came together to protect Northern Virginia's rich heritage of woods, meadows, lakes and streams from the threat of . . . — — Map (db m197049) HM
Local residents recall the period through the 1930s when Mount Calvary Baptist Church regularly conducted baptismal services in the Accotink Branch, in the pool formed at its confluence with the Tussico. White-robed candidates were immersed by the . . . — — Map (db m173605) HM
This building opened in 1935 as the first 4-year "Fairfax High School," becoming the largest consolidated high school in the county as the Oakton and Clifton High Schools were closed. It closed in 1972 when the new school opened on Old Lee Highway. . . . — — Map (db m115864) HM
Joseph E. Willard, who served as lieutenant governor of Virginia and minister to Spain, built Old Town Hall and gave it to the town in 1900. He was said to have been the most influential political figure in Fairfax County at the turn of the century. . . . — — Map (db m6361) HM
Peyton Anderson of the Rappahannock Cavalry was severely wounded on picket duty 122 ft. N.W. of this spot May 27, 1861.
The first soldier of the South to shed his blood for the Confederacy. — — Map (db m129267) HM WM
Pozer Garden honors Kitty Barrett Pozer, who owned the adjacent historic Ratcliffe-Allison House from 1927 until she bequeathed it to the City at her death in 1981. Mrs. Pozer had a lifelong interest in horticulture and was the Washington Post's . . . — — Map (db m129149) HM
Richard Ratcliffe (1752–1825) and wife Locian (1760–1826) are believed to be buried in this family cemetery along with their sons John, Samuel, Robert and Charles, and members of their respective families. Most tombstones found today are traceable . . . — — Map (db m76715) HM
This is the oldest house in the City of Fairfax and the first city-owned building to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places (1973). The oldest section of the house, the eastern portion, was built by Richard Ratcliffe around 1812 to . . . — — Map (db m6261) HM
"Richard Ratcliffe was a prominent area businessman and public spirited property owner. Through his efforts, the City of Fairfax, then known as the Town of Providence, began to grow and prosper in the late 18th century. In 1799, Mr. Ratcliffe sold . . . — — Map (db m197288) HM
On the knoll 70 yards NE of this marker, stood the home of Richard Ratcliffe (1751-1825). The mansion was on his 600-acre "Mount Vineyard," part of a 1714 land grant of 1,930 acres to George Mason II. In 1798 Ratcliffe donated 4 acres to the east of . . . — — Map (db m101513) HM
On this site stood the home of Richard Ratcliffe (1751-1825). The mansion was on his 600-acre "Mount Vineyard," part of a 1714 land grant of 1,930 acres to George Mason II. In 1798 Ratcliffe donated 4 acres to the east of Mount Vineyard for the . . . — — Map (db m197292) HM
Dedicated to the gallant and victorious men and women who participated in the Battle of the Bulge, World War II, 16 Dec 1944 thru 25 Jan 1945, in Belgium and Luxembourg. The greatest battle was fought by the United States Army, Presented by the . . . — — Map (db m178641) WM
This charming 1892 Queen Anne Victorian House was the residence of Mary C. (Litchfield) Sauls from 1892 to 1920. After Mary's death, Mary's son, Hugh Grafton Sauls (1876-1948) and his wife Clara May (Ferguson) Sauls (1875-1972) continued to occupy . . . — — Map (db m129150) HM
Victorian Square Addition was completed in 1986 by the Lewis Family Associates adding additional retail shops and professional offices to 10389 Main Street. — — Map (db m129151) HM
The 100-foot-wide Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park (W&OD Trail) features a 45-mile asphalt trail for walking, running, skating, bicycling and other activities and a 33-mile, parallel, gravel bridle path for horseback riding and . . . — — Map (db m197050) HM
Whiteheads Mercantile & Post Office served as the grocery store and post office for the Town of Fairfax from 1895 to 1902. It was then purchased by Hugh Grafton Sauls and his brother Charles William Sauls and became Sauls Brothers Grocery from 1903 . . . — — Map (db m129152) HM
Rezin Samuel Willcoxon purchased this parcel of land c. 1806. He and his wife, Betsey DeNeale Willcoxon (1780-1845) lived here with their 10 children. Rezin's gravestone (far left) notes his service as a captain of cavalry unit in . . . — — Map (db m197420) HM
The clash at Ox Hill ended the Second Manassas Campaign. A small force of 6,000 Union soldiers had battled to a stalemate a much larger Confederate force of 17,000 of whom about 10,000 were engaged. In little more than two hours, the Confederates . . . — — Map (db m167070) HM
A courier with an urgent request galloped up to 1st Division, III Corps commander Major General Philip Kearny on the Warrenton Turnpike. General Stevens’ division had intercepted Stonewall Jackson’s column on the Little River Turnpike and was in . . . — — Map (db m15163) HM
On September 1, 1862, Confederate forces under the command of Major General Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson moved across and to the southwestern edge of this site to engage Union forces determined to prevent a glancing movement on demoralized Union . . . — — Map (db m110) HM
The Battle of Chantilly (Ox Hill) took place here 1 September, 1862. Union General John Pope's Army, retreating after defeat by Lee at Second Manassas, clashed with Jackson's divisions which were attempting to prevent Pope from reaching Washington. . . . — — Map (db m55932) HM
Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's wing of the Army of Northern Virginia reached here 1 Sept. 1862. Jackson's march from the battlefield of Second Manassas turned the position of Maj. Gen. John Pope's army at Centreville and threatened the . . . — — Map (db m115) HM
The boulders and quartz stone beside this fence mark the location where Union General Isaac Stevens fell with the flag of the 79th New York “Highlanders” during the initial Union assault. Here, Stevens’ troops threw down the fence and drove Hay’s . . . — — Map (db m15168) HM
Burke’s Station, four miles south, was raided by Stuart’s cavalry, December, 1862. Stuart telegraphed to Washington complaining of the bad quality of the mules he had captured—a famous joke. — — Map (db m618) HM
After the Civil War, a small community of African Americans lived on Route 654, now known as Zion Drive. The Wrights, Hamiltons, Whites, and Pinns were farmers and laborers. In 1904, David R. & Sarah F. Pinn donated an acre of land to build Little . . . — — Map (db m57234) HM
At different times, Union and Confederate forces occupied the Fairfax County Courthouse at this important crossroads. The flag of each side flew from its cupola during the war, and the building suffered damage.
On April 25, 1861, the Fairfax . . . — — Map (db m43134) HM
If you had been here on a court day before 1861, you would have witnessed all levels of Virginia society. Crowds of men and women gathered at the courthouse as court justices negotiated county business and settled debts between all classes, . . . — — Map (db m218378) HM
American Revolution 1775 - 1783
Alexander, George •
Ashford, George •
Athey, Benjamin •
Benter, William •
Bryant, William •
Carlyle, George W. •
Chapin, Benjamin •
Clark, Thomas •
Curtis, Charles •
Custis, John P. • . . . — — Map (db m218411) WM
This building is on the National Register of Historic Places. George and Martha Washington’s wills were recorded here and still remain in this complex. Confederate President Jefferson Davis reviewed strategy in the tavern across the street with his . . . — — Map (db m6259) HM
During the Cold War a ring of Nike anti-aircraft missile sites defended the nation’s capital, reminiscent of the perimeter of forts that protected it during the Civil War. Just east of here was located the launch control equipment for one of the . . . — — Map (db m2093) HM
In the early morning hours of 1 June 1861, a detachment of Co. B, Second Cavalry, entered the Town of Fairfax Court House and engaged the Warrenton Rifles in the first land conflict of organized military units in the Civil War. The skirmish resulted . . . — — Map (db m21451) HM
While General Stevens’ division attacked the Confederates on this side of Ox Road, part of General Jesse Reno’s division entered the woods east of the road to protect Stevens’ flank and probe the Confederate line. Reno’s two leading regiments . . . — — Map (db m182241) HM
In July 1915, John and Mary Ballard deeded a 50x100-foot lot on their farm to six trustees, three from Virginia and three from New Jersey, General Kearny’s home state. The small lot was reserved for monuments to any Confederate or Federal soldier . . . — — Map (db m167071) HM
The history of this small granite monument, marked simply “Kearny’s Stump,” is a mystery. According to tradition, a tree stood here at the time of the Ox Hill battle that subsequently became known as the “Kearny Tree.” It was said to be either . . . — — Map (db m15172) HM
Senderos de la Guerra Civil en Virginia. El 1 de Septiembre de 1862, una intensa tormenta agregada a los violentos sonidos de la batalla que ocurría aquí. El intento del ejército de la Unión, que estaba retirándose . . . — — Map (db m182222) HM
Luther P. Jackson High School, opened in 1954, was the first and only high school in Fairfax County created to serve the African-American community. The school was named after Luther Porter Jackson, a prominent historian, educator and founder of the . . . — — Map (db m176) HM
The Independent Line of the Manassas Gap Railroad ran through this area. Conceived to extend the Manassas Gap Railroad to Alexandria, grading on this part of the line began in September 1854. Financial problems stopped the work in May 1857. In . . . — — Map (db m528) HM
Following the Battle of Ox Hill (Chantilly) on 1 Sept. 1862, Gen. Robert E. Lee pondered his options and strategy. Encouraged by Confederate victories and Federal disorganization, Lee acted quickly to continue the offensive. On 3 Sept., Lee's Army . . . — — Map (db m111) HM
This stone marks the scene of the opening conflict of the war of 1861–1865, when John Q. Marr, Captain of the Warrenton Rifles, who was the first soldier killed in action, fell 800 ft. S. 46 W. Mag. of this spot, June 1st, 1861. — — Map (db m620) HM
The original “gaol” (1802) burned down in 1884. The Alexandria jail was used until this building was completed. The last jailer, Mr. William F. Lowe, and his family lived in the front quarters of this building until 1954. The structure is of the . . . — — Map (db m6256) HM
This small park is the last remnant of Fairfax County’s only major Civil War battlefield. The Battle of Ox Hill, also known as the “Battle of Chantilly,” lasted but a few hours on the afternoon of September 1, 1862. Here, some 6,000 Union troops . . . — — Map (db m182229) HM
Union Loyalists at the Stewart Farm Eleanor Stewart and her son Charles, who lived in a house on this site during the Civil War, were Union Loyalists in an area dominated by Southern supporters. Their neighbors called them “Yankees.” Proud of . . . — — Map (db m53662) HM
The historic Reid-Ballard House once stood 140 yards west-northwest of this marker. The original log structure was built by Joseph Reid before the Revolution on land inherited by his wife, Barbara Walker Reid. The house and land passed to succeeding . . . — — Map (db m3216) HM
Honoring those patriots who served and died advancing the cause of American Independence
1775 - 1783
Alexander, George •
Ashford, George •
Athey, Benjamin •
Benter, William •
Bryant, William •
Carlyle, George W. •
Chapin, . . . — — Map (db m218414) WM
The Confederate victory at Second Manassas (August 28-30, 1862) forced Union General John Pope’s Army of Virginia to retreat to the heights of Centreville. To dislodge Pope from his strong Centreville positions, Confederate General Robert E. Lee, . . . — — Map (db m15618) HM
Acting to protect Pope’s line of retreat along the Warrenton Turnpike, Brigadier General Isaac Stevens, commanding the 1st Division, IX Corps, seized the initiative and ordered an attack. With storm clouds threatening and artillery fire booming . . . — — Map (db m15160) HM
This early 20th-century photograph of the “Chantilly” battlefield was published by Fairfax County in 1907. The photo was taken from a vantage point a short distance ahead and to the right, beyond the park. It shows the pasture of the old Reid . . . — — Map (db m15162) HM
The Battle of Ox Hill (or Chantilly) was fought here, in rain and storm, on September 1, 1862. It was a bloody aftermath following the Second Battle of Manassas (August 28-30) where the Union Army under Gen. John Pope was defeated and driven across . . . — — Map (db m212829) HM
As a rainy darkness enveloped the battlefield, Major General Philip Kearny rode eastward to investigate the reported gap in the Union line. Reigning up in the pasture, Kearny became alarmed that Stevens’ division had abandoned that part of the . . . — — Map (db m15165) HM
The Legend Story of the First Prayer Wheel
As it was told: "To Bodhisattva Naga King, those who see or hear about the Dharma wheel, talk about it, even think about it or touch it, will soon be separated from the sufferings of the . . . — — Map (db m197301) HM
During the Ox Hill battle, the Confederates established temporary hospitals at locations along the Little River Turnpike. Afterward, they moved most of their wounded 2.5 miles west to a field hospital at the Chantilly House and plantation. . . . — — Map (db m182223) HM
Balzer, Michael A.; Barone, Sandro N.; Beauchamp, Ernest M.; Bessor, Bruce C.; Blair, Thomas G., Jr.; Blodgett, Douglas R.; Bonnet, C. Christopher; Bown, Charles E., Jr.; Browne, Ray B.; Buckley, Victor P.; Byrne, Paul R.; Carkin, Harvey M.; . . . — — Map (db m218377) WM
War Dogs
Always Faithful
War Dog Monument
Given to Fairfax County
Virginia
June 2011
Deployed
World War II
Korean Conflict
Vietnam War
Gulf War
Iraq War
Afghan War
Erected by The National War Dogs Monument Inc. - . . . — — Map (db m74125) WM
The Battle of Ox Hill (Chantilly) was fought across 500 acres of Fairfax County farm fields and woods. Today, the 4.9-acre Ox Hill Battlefield Park preserves the last remaining ground of the historic battlefield. Examine this photograph and see . . . — — Map (db m182220) HM
Brig. Gen. Isaac I. Stevens, USA: • Born North Andover, Massachusetts, 1818 • West Point 1839 • Corps of Engineers • Mexican War, wounded, 1847 • Post war, US Coast Survey • Resigned US Army, 1853 • Appointed first governor of Washington . . . — — Map (db m182217) HM
This sacred World Peace Sand Mandala was created in January 2019 of Drikung Dharma Surya Center by Tibetan Buddhist monks of the Labrang Tashi Kyil Monastery in Dehradun, India.
The sand mandala is constructed my millions of grains of . . . — — Map (db m197295) HM
A tribute to the men of Fairfax County who died in the spirit of loyalty served their country in the World War
1917 - 1919
Died in Service
Thomas L. Brady •
James F. Carper •
Clarence M. Dawson •
William I. Deardorff •
Howard . . . — — Map (db m75471) WM
1941 - World War II - 1945
Flavious B. Allder, Richard R. Arnold, James V. Barron, Harry L. Baughman, Leland E. Belgard, Charles E. Besley, James N. Brett Jr., Thomas W. Bridges, Corbin B. Bryan III, Daniel C. Budd, Alex E. Campbell, Richard . . . — — Map (db m218376) WM
A state road work camp located in the vicinity of this site housed 199 German prisoners of war from July to November 1945. It was one of seven work camps in the commonwealth of Virginia. Prisoners worked on local farms to alleviate the labor . . . — — Map (db m128385) HM
Union Soldiers
4th Maine, 2nd Brigade (Birney), Kearny’s Division:
Pvt. Lorenzo E. Dickey, Co. A, Age 21: At Chantilly, received gunshot would in right thigh. Taken to a field hospital “in the vicinity of the battleground” where . . . — — Map (db m15620) HM