| Click here for one day trips to: Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run A History Lesson Kids Gobble Up Most agricultural recreations portray the plantations of the prosperous, a few represent the freeholders’ farms but far too few let you see the far more common dirt farmer’s homestead. This gives 20th-century visitors a distorted view of life in colonial times---we don’t see how the majority of people actually lived. This oversight is corrected at The Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run which provides a glimpse of just such a low-income farm of the 18th century. This living history farm is run the way it would have been more than two centuries ago in the 1770s. It is easy to believe that you have stepped back in time when the guide, dressed in appropriate colonial work clothes, explains that his work in the fields prevented him from putting in the board floor. The woman of the house sweeps the dirt floor with a hand-bound straw broom and says she hopes to get the board floor in soon. She is also likely to complain that the cabin was built in such a hurry the logs were not stripped and the mud mortar is crumbling where the logs meet so it doesn’t provide enough protection from the elements. The one-room cabin is surrounded by fields of tobacco and corn, which the farmer plants, hoes and harvests. Tobacco is grown in hopes of raising a little money. Subsistence crops like beans, pumpkins, squash, corn and melons feed the family. Various foods are dried, smoked or salted to make the lean wintertime a little easier. The farm has livestock appropriate to the period: chickens, hogs and horses. You can watch the never-ending tasks that made up life on a colonial farm. Soap had to be made from tallow and cloth from sheep’s wool. Animal skins were tanned to make shoes; buttons were made from bone or deer antlers. Water was fetched daily from a nearby stream and gourds hollowed out for serving bowls and utensils. Although the farmer and his wife only come in by the day, they present a masterful illusion that they actually live here and that you have stepped into a time machine and have been transported back to colonial Virginia. Just inside the entrance to the Claude Moore Colonial Farm several picnic tables invite you to sylvan spots. The farm is open April through mid-December, Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Admission is charged. During the farm season, staff present seven “Food Preservation” programs focusing on such topics as: salting fish, making cheese and butter, herbs, pickling produce, drying vegetables, smoking meat and others. They also host three 18th-century Market Fairs on the third full weekend of May, July and October. There are several other special farm family events; for a schedule call (703) 442-7557. Directions: From I-495/95, the Capital Beltway, take Exit 13, Route 193, Georgetown Pike east toward Langley for 2 1/3 miles. Turn left at the sign for the Claude Moore Colonial Farm. Back to the top Back to Free Virginia Guidebook Old Stuff Still the Right Stuff The Flying Circus is an old-fashioned barnstorming extravaganza that has recreated the halcyon days of aviation for more than 25 years. It proudly claims to have "the authenticity of a museum with amusement park thrills." All across America small towns used to look forward to the excitement of the visiting barnstorming show. Town folk would run out into yards and fields when the new-fangled flying wonders buzzed their community. The Flying Circus near Bealeton is one of the last examples of this highly popular form of entertainment. Shows are given at 2:30 P.M. on Sunday afternoons from May through October by an enthusiastic group of aviation buffs, including broadcasters, military and airline pilots. As one airline pilot said, "The Circus gives you freedom to enjoy what you're doing. At 200 feet, you can feel your speed, see the ground go rushing by under you. At 35,000, you feel like you're standing still." Many of the flyers at the Circus have rebuilt their own biplanes, planes with double wings. Among the vintage planes flying here (and seen elsewhere only in museums) are a 1940 Stearman, a Waco and a 1929 Fleet. Like the barnstormers of old, the pilots take them through all kinds of aerobatics (stunt flying). The audience gasps seeing these biplanes made of cloth, wood and wire turn somersaults, fly upside down and plummet dangerously close to the ground. Young and old are impressed when a pilot breaks a series of balloons with his plane's propeller blades. As a stunt flyer explains, "First impression is that all you have to do is hit the balloons with the airplane, which is no big deal, but if you don't slice it with the last four to six inches of the propeller, it won't pop." Another popular stunt is slicing a falling ribbon three times before it hits the ground, an incredible demonstration of the maneuverability of biplanes. The Flying Circus parachutist can land on a dime; or at least an airshow equivalent, the tiny platform directly in front of the cheering crowd. The top crowd pleaser is the wing walker. Exactly like less sophisticated audiences of the 1920s and 30s, today's visitors hold their breaths when the daredevils climb out of the cockpit. Without parachutes they stand on the wing while the plane loops and barrel rolls. The biggest applause comes when the wing walker hangs by his heels as the plane makes a low pass across the field. The tension is relieved by watching the clowns and the tethered hot air balloons. The Roaring ‘20s Barnstorming show with 15 acts lasts about 90 minutes, but visitors (picnickers included) may come as early as 11:00 A.M. when the field opens. After the show you can view the biplanes up close and talk to the pilots. For an experience you'll never forget, try a ride in one of the vintage planes. It's worth the fee, especially if you're willing to indulge in a bit of aerobatics. Passengers ride in the front cockpit and once you put on the helmet and goggles you'll feel like a flying ace. There are also hot air balloon rides. Plane models can be purchased in the wooden hanger that serves as a small museum. A stand sells snacks and cold drinks. Admission is charged. Special events, include model airplane competitions, antique car meets and the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival in mid-August. For additional information call (540) 439-8661. Directions: From I-95 at Fredericksburg take Route 17 north for 22 miles. The Flying Circus is just off Route 17 on Route 644 near Bealeton, watch for signs. Back to the top Back to Free Virginia Guidebook War and Peace Soldiers from the Union and Confederate armies met on the battlefield at Manassas more than twice. Of course, the First and Second Battles of Manassas are the occasions you read about in history books. The opening salvos on July 21, 1861, were the first of the many major battles that would be fought by the Blue and the Gray. The Confederate victory at Second Manassas gave the South the momentum to carry the struggle into the North. Manassas National Battlefield Park has an audio-visual presentation, electric map program and battlefield maps that provide details of the two pivotal battles. You can rent an automobile tour tape for the Second Battle of Manassas. The less well-known meetings are also filled with human interest and historical significance. In the years after the great struggle soldiers from both armies often visited this battlefield. They came to remember fallen comrades, reflect on the battles they survived and perhaps relive the times they could not forget. In the 1920s, before the Manassas battlefield came under the jurisdiction of the federal government, Mr. Adoniram Powell was caretaker. Mr. Powell conducted tours of the battlefield and there were occasions when veterans from both sides joined forces to help him retrace the action. Imagine the difficulty of guiding those who had fought one another and had quite different memories. During one such awkward tour Mr. Powell pointed out the land where, he said, Jeb Stuart had led his First Virginia Cavalry in a sudden and violent attack that broke through the ranks of the New York Fire Zouaves. "T'ain't so!" snorted a grizzled Union veteran. "That ain't the way it was. I was there, and I know." With trepidation because the mood of his mixed audience was unpredictable, Mr. Powell explained that according to the stories he had heard, the resplendent Zouaves retreated. The old warrior proclaimed, "We didn't retreat. We ran like hell." Mr. Powell is long gone, as are the veterans of this bitter struggle, but rangers still provide walking tours of First Manassas on the hilly ground surrounding the visitor center. During the summer months there are special programs highlighting key action during both battles. The Manassas National Battlefield Park Visitor Center is open daily, except Christmas Day. Hours are 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., extended to 6:00 P.M. in the summer months. A park entrance fee, payable at the visitor center, allows for park use and activities for seven days. The story of the first peaceful meeting between Union and Confederate soldiers at Manassas is one that is all too frequently overlooked. It was called the National Jubilee of Peace and took place on July 21, 1911, 50 years after the first confrontation. The day began with soldiers of the Blue and the Gray once again lined up facing each other. This time, instead of responding to the order to fire, they slowly closed the gap between the lines and solemnly clasped hands in friendship. The Peace Jubilee continued in town with a speech by President William Howard Taft which, according to a letter by his aide Major Archie Butt, was "a flubdub speech about the Blue and the Gray which brought tears to the eyes of veterans of both sides and smiles to the faces of politicians." At the base of the stone monument, in front of the former Prince William County Courthouse, are cannons and naval anchors (contributed by Assistant Secretary of Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt) to commemorate the Jubilee. The Peace Jubilee Monument is one of the points of interest on the tours (either walking or driving) of Old Town Manassas. There are two museums: the Manassas Museum and Rohr's Museum, adjacent to the late Mayor Edgar Rohr's old-fashioned variety store. The latter houses a collection of antique cars including a custom-made 1933 Rohr sedan, as well as a rare 1905 Paragon. Other cars are a 1917 Detroit Electric and a 1957 Thunderbird. The second floor of Rohr’s Museum has everything from toys and dolls to light bulbs and license plates. Rohr’s Museum is open 2:00 to 5:00 P.M. on summer Sundays and by appointment at other times. To arrange a visit call (703) 368-3000. The Manassas Museum interprets the history of the Northern Virginia Piedmont region with Manassas as the focal point. Exhibits feature prehistoric stone tools, Civil War weapons and uniforms, Victorian furnishings, railroad items and textiles. Two video programs, “A Place of Passages” and the award-winning “A Community at War” tell the story of the region’s development and the effects of the Civil War. Annual events include a series of outdoor living history programs in the summer and a holiday open house in early December. The Manassas Museum, at 9191 Prince William Street, is open 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Tuesday through Sunday. The museum is closed on Mondays, except federal holidays, and Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day and New Year’s Day. For information on special events call (703) 368-1873. Directions: From the Washington Beltway in Virginia take I-66 west to Manassas, Exit 47B. The Manassas National Park Visitor Center is one mile north of exit at 6511 Sudley Road, Route 234. From I-95 south of Alexandria, take Exit 152 to Route 234 into Manassas. This will take you through Old Town Manassas. You can stop at Manassas Visitor Center at 9025 Center Street for additional information and walking and driving tour brochures. Back to the top Back to Free Virginia Guidebook
Band Box Perfection The two lavish country estates, Morven Park and Oatlands, on either side of Leesburg, would appear at first glance to create a problem of choice. These grand houses are white and have columned entrance ways, but their differences are far greater than their similarities. It’s worth visiting both! Although from the outside Morven Park may suggest Scarlet O'Hara's Tara, the opulent interior is more reminiscent of William Randolph Hearst's San Simeon. The mixture of architectural styles---the Renaissance grand hall, French drawing room and Jacobean dining room---is matched by furnishings collected from around the world by the 20th-century owners, Governor Westmoreland Davis and his wife. The house the Davises purchased in 1903 has changed dramatically over the years. Originally the land was farmed by Pennsylvanians who settled in the area in the late 1700s. An unpretentious stone house was built here around 1781. In 1808 Thomas Swann acquired the land and built a Federal-style home which he enlarged after he retired. It was Swann who added the Greek Revival four-columned entrance portico. Swann named his estate after the Princeton, New Jersey home of Commodore Robert F. Stockton, who was flattered by his gesture but suggested that he add "Park" to the name because of the vast acreage (roughly 2,562 acres at that time). After inheriting his father's estate, Thomas Swann, Jr. was too involved in business and politics to spend much time at this Leesburg estate. His position as president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad made it necessary for him to spend time in Baltimore. He maintained Morven Park as a summer while living in Annapolis as governor of Maryland and in the Washington area as a five-term congressman. Despite the claims on his schedule, he still exerted a great deal of influence on Morven Park. It was Thomas Swann, Jr., who embarked on the last major building program, integrating the three separate buildings into the one imposing mansion you see today. If the exterior reflects Governor Swann, the interior reflects the taste of Governor and Mrs. Davis. They filled the house with treasures from Europe, including the 1550 Brabant tapestries that line the great hall. Their grandeur is matched by the red velvet thrones from the Pitti Palace that sit beneath them. The ornately carved dining room furniture is reflected in huge rococo mirrors. The house tour at Morven Park is just the beginning. There is a great deal more to see. The Museum of Hounds and Hunting traces fox hunting in America from George Washington's day to the present. The Winmill Carriage Collection was bequeathed to the estate. It provides a mini-history of transportation in the 18th century. Names you may only have encountered in books take on fascinating form, as you examine landaus, sulkies, breaks and phaetons as well as the more easily recognized carriages, sleighs, carts, coaches and buggies in the 70-vehicle collection, which rotates exhibits. Nature lovers will find an extensive garden. The Marguerite G. Davis Boxwood Garden has the largest living stand of boxwoods in the United States. Spring bushes and bulbs add color and in the summer months roses, dahlias and crepe myrtle bloom. Morven Park is open April through October from NOON to 5:00 P.M. weekdays and 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on weekends. It is open weekends only in November. There are special December hours; call (703) 777-2414 for details. Admission is charged. Oatlands traces its lineage back to Virginia's early days. The land was purchased by the Carter family from Lord Fairfax as part of the 11,357-acre Goose Creek Tract. George Carter, drew close to 5,000 acres in a lottery held by his father for his ten surviving children. In 1804, Carter built a post-colonial country house on his estate. George Carter married a 39-year old widow, Elizabeth Grayson Lewis, when he was 60. He died after only nine short years of wedded life. Elizabeth and their two sons briefly abandoned Oatlands at the start of the Civil War. The boys served in the Confederate army and the house served as a billet for Confederate troops. After the war the Carter family had difficulty maintaining the house. They took in boarders for a time but eventually were forced to sell the family home and 60 acres. The Greek Classical Revival house has a three-story pavilion flanked by two-story wings. In a break with tradition, it has a staircase on each end of the house rather than one in the center. Oatlands, like Morven Park, did undergo some remodeling over the first 20 years, 1804-1829. When the vogue for octagonal rooms caught on, a square-shaped room was converted to an eight-sided drawing room. One of the most distinctive features of the interior design is the elaborate plasterwork done in the 1820s. The house and garden you see today were reclaimed by Mr. and Mrs. William Corcoran Eustis after years of neglect. He was the grandson of the founder of the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. They furnished the house with American, English and French pieces. The dessert plates you'll see on the dining table once belonged to George Washington. The Eustises restored the boxwood garden laid out by George Carter, reclaiming and expanding to create what is now considered one of Virginia's finest gardens. Mrs. Eustis, in describing the garden, said it was noted for "mystery, variety and the unexpected." It is the only garden in the country to use boxwood for the pleached, or tunnel, walk. The wisteria walk is a springtime delight. Specialty areas include a rosarium and an herb garden. Oatlands is open April through late December, Tuesday through Saturday and federal holiday Mondays from 10:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:30 P.M. Admission is charged. Directions: From I-95 in the Fredericksburg area, take Route 17 northwest until it merges with Route 29/15. Turn right on Route 29/15 and continue north. Once you are beyond Warrenton, Route 29/15 divides. Take Route 15 north toward Leesburg. Oatlands is off Route 15 on the right just before Leesburg; Morven Park is off Route 15 on the left just past Leesburg. From the Washington Beltway I-495/95, take Route 7 west to Leesburg, then Route 15 south toward Warrenton. Oatlands is on Route 15, six miles south of Leesburg. Back to the top Back to Free Virginia Guidebook
A Trail of Mills One explanation for the country saying "mean as an old dog" is that it derives from the irascible temperament of the Dogue Indians who once lived in Virginia. The name Occoquan comes from a Dogue word meaning "at the end of the waters." Occoquan, at the head of the Tidewater and the foot of the Piedmont region, was established as a milling community in the early 18th century. In 1734 the Virginia Assembly chose Occoquan as the location for a public tobacco warehouse. Though its early existence was industrial, it is now a picturesque artisans' community. Ninety-seven retail shops sit within a four block square, designated a Virginia Historic District and included on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the artist-owners teach their craft as well as sell their work. For example, at the Country Shop on Mill Street, Milly Lehto teaches quilting, sells a wide selection of fabrics and quilting supplies and advises the White House on the quilts they acquire. At the Basket Case, you can learn to weave baskets or purchase locally made, creatively designed baskets. Classes are given at the Occoquan Gallery and The Undertaking Artists' Coop. The latter, originally a funeral home, is just one of several shops that, according to local lore, is haunted. In the late evening brisk steps echo through deserted corridors. Artists-in-residence call their unseen companion the conscientious undertaker. The last Native American in Occoquan is said to haunt the Occoquan Inn, one of several dining spots. A reflection of the tall Brave with long black hair is reported to have been seen in an upstairs mirror. The Dogue Indians lived in harmony with the European settlers and this shadowy reminder is said to be a peaceful presence. Most shops in Occoquan are open daily, but some do close on Monday. For more town history stop at the historic Occoquan Museum on Mill Street, open June through September. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 P.M. The museum is also open on weekends during April, May and October. While in Occoquan, also plan on visiting Prince William County's attractive Visitor Information Center, located across from the riverfront at 200 Mill Street. The center's staff will help with directions and information on attractions throughout the county and advise on accommodations and restaurants. Hours are 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Heading south on I-95 you will come to Potomac Mills (Exit 156 Dale City), billed as one of the world's largest value/outlet centers. More than 220 manufacturer’s outlets, retail outlets and traditional discounters are found inside a 1.7 million-square-foot enclosed shopping center. With prices 20% to 60% below retail and hardwood floors for easy walking through nine neighborhoods of discounts, Potomac Mills is the number one shopping magnet of Virginia. Stores included are Nordstrom Rack, JCPenney Outlet, Spiegel Outlet, Macy's, Waccamaw, The Clearinghouse, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ann Taylor Factory Store, Eddie Bauer Outlet, Zales Jewelry Outlet, Barneys New York Outlet and IKEA of Sweden which claims to be the world's largest home furnishings retailer. A food court with 15 eateries and movie theaters provide respite for shoppers. Potomac Mills Mall is open Monday through Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. and Sunday from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. For information call (800) VA-MILLS. Leaving Potomac Mills, trade the excitement of bargain-hunting for a few hours of extraordinary beauty and soul-restoring quiet as you visit Leesylvania State Park, arguably the finest waterfront access point on the Potomac. Here, at one of the state's newest parks, you'll find well-designed nature and hiking trails, excellent recreational facilities and provisions for all types of boating and fishing. Here too, history buffs will discover the ruins of "Light Horse" Harry Lee's plantation home. Lee, a renowned colonial soldier and Virginia statesmen, was also the forbearer of Robert E. Lee. Directions: From I-95 north, for Potomac Mills take Exit 156 toward Dale City. Then follow Route 784 west to Gideon Road (the first stoplight). Make a right on Gideon, then cross Smoketown Road and turn into the Potomac Mills parking lot. For Occoquan continue north on I-95 toward Washington. Take Exit 160, Route 123, which will take you into the historic town. Back to the top Back to Free Virginia Guidebook
Plus Marines and Weems-Botts Museums If the idea of hiking all day through a woodland watershed, passing only a few fellow nature lovers, appeals to you, then visit Prince William Forest Park, managed by the National Park Service. The park’s 37 miles of trails and fire roads crisscross the north and south branches of the Quantico Creek. The land now reclaimed by the forest was once farm land. Settlement in the area goes back to1756 when Scottish settlers established a port in Dumfries that rivaled any in the New World. It is from Dumfries that historians believe William Ramsay barged his home up the Potomac River to his lot in the new town of Alexandria (see selection). Poor farming practices led to soil erosion and the harbor at Quantico Creek became silted. It eventually became an unpenetrable marsh. Now whistling swans winter over along Quantico Creek at Dumfries. The land on which Prince William Forest Park stands was originally acquired by the federal government as the Chopawamsic Recreation Demonstration Area in 1934. The Civilian Conservation Corps began the process of restoring this land to its natural state. As you follow the forest trails you'll see old orchards, building foundations, overgrown cemeteries and an old pyrite mine site. Today songbirds, raptors, white-tail deer, foxes, ruffed grouse, flying squirrels, wild turkeys and beavers populate the woods. You are more likely to see signs of the beavers' presence than any of these shy animals. Throughout the woods beaver dams are under construction across meandering streams. If you have a fishing license you can try your luck catching the bass, bluegill, perch and catfish found in the park's streams. Park rangers will direct you where you can go to get a fishing license. The Pine Grove Forest Trail, at the Pine Grove Picnic Area, is paved to provide access for strollers and wheelchairs. Taped messages at audio stations tell about the animals found here. At the Oak Ridge campground, the Farms to Forest Trail shows the process of reclamation from cleared land to forest land. For park infomation and trail maps, stop at the park’s visitor center, approximately one mile past the main entrance. While in the area be sure to stop at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum across Route 1 from the park. You need no advance reservations. The Marine guard at the sentry booth will check your driver's license when you enter the base and issue you a Visitor's Pass. For many years the museum was limited primarily to Marine aviation but now the scope is broader and includes ground equipment and weapons. Currently there are three hangars open to the public: the first covering the "Early Years" of the air-ground team (1900-1941) and the second covering World War II, and a third hangar on the Korean War. Quantico's association with aviation goes back to the Civil War when hot air balloons were used for reconnaissance over the Potomac River near Quantico. Dr. Samuel Pierpont Langley launched a 25-pound, 13-foot flying model from the roof of a wooden houseboat moored in the river. He believed the water would make recovery of the craft more likely. Langley models were the forerunner of the Wright brothers' airplane. Langley did try two unsuccessful manned flights before the Wright brothers succeeded at Kitty Hawk. Langley's flying machine is on display in the main lobby of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, but the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum exhibits some of his early models in the first hangar. Included in this exhibit are a Curtiss airplane "Pusher" and World War I vintage aircraft: a Thomas-Morse "Scout" advance trainer and a DeHaviland D.H. 4B fighter bomber of the type flown by Marine pilots in France. There are also two Boeing fighter planes from the late 1920s and 1930s as well as a Stearman N25-3 primary trainer. A Wright J-5 "Whirlwind" engine on display is the same type that powered Lucky Lindy's "Spirit of St. Louis." In addition to the airplanes, there are track and wheeled vehicles, artillery, small arms, uniforms, personal equipment, photographs and art---all part of the story of the Marine Corps' air-ground attack and defense. The museum is open April through the third Sunday in November from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday and NOON to 5:00 P.M. on Sunday. It is closed on Mondays and Easter Sunday. Guided tours are provided for groups by prior arrangement; call (703) 784-2606. No guided tours begin after 4:00 P.M. One other museum in the area is the Weems-Botts Museum just up Route 1 in Dumfries. Parson Weems was a physician, preacher and traveling bookseller. In the early 1800s, Parson Mason Locke Weems wrote the first biography of George Washington. His apocryphal anecdotes, including the cherry-tree story, have become part of American folklore. Weems purchased this story-and-a-half house in 1798 to use as a bookstore. In 1802 Benjamin Botts purchased the house to use as his law office. Benjamin Botts was the youngest lawyer on Aaron Burr's defense team during Burr’s 1807 trial for treason. It is good that Botts achieved early fame for he met a tragic death along with his wife, the governor of Virginia and 162 other patrons who perished in the Richmond Theater fire of 1811. An addition to the Weems-Botts house built in the mid-1800s by the Merchant family, now houses artifacts from the Dumfries area. The museum hours are 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday. Directions: From I-95 south of Alexandria take Exit 150, the Quantico-Triangle exit. The exit sign will also indicate the turns for Prince William Forest Park (Exit 150-B) just off the interstate about 1/4 mile west. For the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum take Route 619 east for about a mile. For the Weems-Botts Museum take Exit 151 off I-95 and follow signs to the museum. Back to the top Back to Free Virginia Guidebook
Warrenton, Marshall and Sky Meadows State Park Village Vignettes A trading post at the juncture of two rural Virginia roads was the earliest community gathering spot at what would become Warrenton, the county seat of Fauquier County. When the county was apportioned in 1759, it was the frontier of English civilization in the colony. Richard Henry Lee, who proposed the adoption of a Declaration of Independence, donated 71 acres of land for the county seat. Construction on the courthouse, the first genuine public building, did not begin until after independence in 1790. The Old Court House you see today was built in 1893. The white-columned, clock-spired building is a replica of the 1841 courthouse that was adapted from the one finished in 1791. Before walking into this historic old building, be sure to take in the view from the portico of the distant Bull Run Mountains. A roster of distinguished lawyers are associated with this courthouse. The painting of John Marshall is significant because this courthouse is where he was first licensed to practice law. Another lawyer who argued cases here was Samuel Chilton, who defended John Brown. Flanking the courthouse are monuments to John Marshall and Col. John Singleton Mosby (the partisan leader is buried in the nearby Warrenton Cemetery, adjacent to a memorial marking the graves of 600 Confederate casualties). To the right you’ll also see The Old Jail Museum (open Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.), now the headquarters of the Fauquier Historical Society with exhibits on Warrenton and the county. Displays include memorabilia associated with John Marshall and military artifacts with special emphasis on the Civil War. Another exhibit focuses on canals, there is a bateau found in the Rappahannock River and an array of personal items from local residents dating from the 1700s and 1800s. Harkening to the building’s history you can see the original kitchen of the 1808 jail, an 1823 cell room and a maximum security cell room (in use until 1966) complete with prisoner graffiti. You’ll also see the exercise yard where once a three-person gallows was located. Prisoners were required to observe executions from the jail’s second story windows. There are other spots of interest to be seen on a self-guided walking tour. Be sure to allocate enough time to browse through the enticing shops along Warrenton’s Main Street. On Wednesday (7:30 A.M. to 11:00 P.M.) and Saturday (7:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.) there is a farmer’s market off Main Street on Fifth Street. Just seven miles south of Warrenton off Route 643 is the 100-acre C.M. Crockett Park with its 109-acre lake. You can enjoy it by land on the extensive nature trails or by water either by bringing your own boat or by renting a rowboat, paddle boat or canoe. If you head north of Warrenton on Route 17, you will reach the charming village of Marshall. Here, too, you can pick up a self-guided Heritage Map that pinpoints 38 points of interest in the second oldest town in the county, founded as Salem in 1797. The name was changed in 1882 to avoid confusion with another Virginia town that had the same name. The name Marshall honored the fourth chief justice of the Supreme Court, whose home, Oak Hill, is just three miles west of town on Route 55. Two churches in Marshall are of interest: the 1771 Baptist meeting house, the county’s oldest surviving colonial church and Salem Baptist Church, organized in 1872 by former enslaved African Americans. Continuing north on Route 17 leads to Paris and Sky Meadows State Park; here nature trails link up with the Appalachian Trail. The 1,862-acre park is a felicitous blend of pasture and woodlands. The Mt. Bleak farmhouse, now the visitor center, has stood here for over 150 years. The park has six hiking trails, two bridle trails, a fishing pond, picnic tables and 12 primitive hike-in camping areas. If you want to explore the rural back roads and villages of Fauquier County, pick up a copy of the Sampler which has a northern and southern driving tour. You can obtain a copy by calling the visitor center at (800) 820-1021. Directions: From I-95 take Route 17 north, then pick up Routes 15/29 north to Warrenton. Or from I-66, take Route 29 south to Warrenton. Back to the top Back to Free Virginia Guidebook
A village from another century Waterford has for diverse reasons---philosophic, economic and geographic---remained isolated over the centuries. This distancing has enabled Waterford to survive. The houses, shops, churches, schools, barns and fields all evoke a simpler way of life and preserve the unspoiled image of a 19th-century village. Waterford was settled in 1733 by Quakers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who established a community of small farms. They were soon joined by Scotch-Irish craftsmen, also from the Pennsylvania colony, whose skills were responsible for the elaborately carved interiors of many of the Waterford homes. The community remained largely Quaker, however, and few took part in the American Revolution. Those who did fight were read out of meeting (see South River Meeting House selection). After the war and on through the early part of the 19th-century Waterford prospered. Many of the homes and shops you'll see date from this period. It is interesting to discover that during the Civil War years the only organized troops in Virginia to fight for the North were the independent Loudoun Rangers, a group formed by Samuel Means, a miller from Waterford. After continued Confederate harassment, Mr. Means abandoned the Quaker principle of non-violence. He organized the fighting brigade. The town came under Union fire because of its southern location. This crossfire resulted in numerous farms being torched by both sides. Its geographical isolation left Waterford behind when the railroad brought new business to the nearby town of Leesburg. Many commercial establishments in Waterford failed because customers could buy cheaper machine-made goods “from outside.” The arrival of the railroad was a boon to the farmers, most of whom were able to expand their markets. Many of those fields are still being farmed today, and form the setting for the village. Restoration of the houses in the village was attempted on a small scale in the 1930s, but the real impetus to improvement came in 1943 with the establishment of the Waterford Foundation. For more than 50 years the foundation has been sponsoring an annual fair held the first weekend in October. It started small with the villagers gathering together to sell their handicrafts. Now it's called "the fairest of fairs." It's the oldest juried craft fair in Virginia and the three-day event is one of the best on the East Coast. More than 140 craft demonstrators take part. There is also entertainment as well as tours of 18th-and 19th-century private homes in the village. Fair time is one of the few times during the year that residents open their doors to visitors. During the fair 10 to 12 private homes can be explored. The fair admission is used to continue the foundation's renovation and restoration work and many educational programs. Efforts thus far have been successful, as you will discover. The foundation has been rewarded by having Waterford included on the Virginia Historic Landmark Register and the National Register of Historic Places. The entire village and surrounding farmland is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Although fair week in October is the best time to visit, there is one home in Waterford that operates as a bed and breakfast inn. The Pink House in the center of town was once used to billet troops during the Civil War; it now offers art, antiques and a pretty garden. To arrange a visit call (540) 882-3453. Waterford's tree-shaded streets are ideal for an old-fashioned walk. This town is not commercial, nor a museum; it's a community and visitors get a warm welcome. It's nice to know towns like this still exist. Directions: From I-95 in the Fredericksburg area take Route 17B north to the intersection with Routes 29/15. Follow this around Warrenton toward Manassas and when the road splits take Route 15 to Leesburg. At the Route 7 Bypass around Leesburg, take Route 7 north four miles to Route 9. Take Route 9 for 1/4 mile to Route 662 and turn right on Route 662 for Waterford. From the Washington Beltway take Route 7, Tyson's Corner exit and head west past Leesburg to Route 9. Turn right on Route 9 and follow above directions. Back to the top Back to Free Virginia Guidebook
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