Centreville, Virginia

Challenge of preserving Centreville’s historic sites: Preserving Centreville’s historical sites poses the challenge of finding a balance between the need to preserve history and the development responsibility to make room for new residents who want to make Centerville their home and send their kids to this community’s schools. Preservation needs to be accomplished in the context of compatibility with urban development and safety of the historical structures. The enthusiasm to embrace development and technology has put great pressure on the historic sites of Centreville. But the need to create a visually identifiable historic district and encourage tourists to notice and visit the district cannot be overstated.

Centreville Chronology:
Centreville is 300 yrs. old – recorded history of Centreville dates from 1st half of 18th century when settlement began – several names of current roads bear reference to names of towns in England.
1720 – English settlers arrived and established a thriving village called Newgate (named after the prison in England).
1792 – With post-Revolutionary economic enthusiasm, residents petitioned for name change, the Virginia Assembly authorized this village of Newgate, a town status and the name was changed to Centreville, given its central location to both Richmond and Washington, D.C.
1861 – Similar to most precincts in Fairfax County, in May 1861 Centreville voters unanimously voted for secession from the United States, earlier Virginia had seceded from the Union. By June town was occupied by Confederate troops as Centreville became the focal point for the war in Virginia, Confederate Gen. Johnston brought his force of 40,000 men to Centreville to set up winter camps, Centreville became an army camp.
Strategic importance: Position of Centreville was key in its role in the Civil War, it was close to the turnpike and railroad systems; located on high plateau; and proximity to Richmond and Washington, D.C.
1940 – Manassas National Battlefield Park was established which brought tourists from all over the country, to this part of the country.
1960 – The neighboring town of Chantilly was one of several large colonial plantations, but a large part was demolished in 1960 to make room for the Dulles Int’l Airport.
1984 – Centreville Historic District (Old Town Centreville) was established as part of Fairfax County’s mandate to preserve the country’s historic and architectural landmarks.
1990s – Town began transforming from a post-Civil War farming community, to the D.C.s suburban town.
2003 – National Air and Space Museum was opened in the neighboring area, which has brought more tourism to this area.

Reference to Places in England
Braddock Road: In 1755, the old Walter Griffin’s Rowling Road began to be called Braddock Road in hope that Major General Edward Braddock, commander of the British forces would use that route on his army’s march to Winchester.
Newgate shopping center: The area was named Newgate by the English settlers in 1768, in reference to the Negate prison of London, they used the tavern to rent the slaves for the day’s work, current Centreville area came to be known as Newgate village.
Walney Park: The original farm of 1768 was sold to Lewis Machen who named it Walney after a small island near Lancashire, England where his family had lived.

Trivia
 Centreville is located 20 miles west of Washington, D.C., and occupies an area of 13 sq. miles, with a population of 71,000 (21,000 households).
 First Battle Victory: First Battle of Bull Run/Manassas – was first major battle of American Civil War and it was was a Confederate victory.
 Early carpools: Teachers rode to their schools every day in horse/buggy (students carpooled in horse-drawn buggies).
 Internal Displacement: Many local families were displaced by the war, as they fled their homes in Centreville.
 Centerville Day: Instituted in early 1900s, it is an annual celebration held in September.
 Sports: Wildcats is Centreville Football Team.

Rajput Residence

About the House: The brick-front corner house, in the Willoughby Woods, with 2500 square feet living area, was built in 1990 with colonial architecture. It was sold by the builder, to Rajputs, through an auction in 1992, Rajputs moved to the property in September 1992. Since the initial occupancy, Rajputs have made several extensions and upgrades to the house, including a 2-level 400 sq. feet wooden deck, a finished basement that contains a gym, an entertainment room, and a utility room. The original kitchen was upgraded with blue-marble granite fixtures and tile flooring. All rooms are routinely painted with bright bold colors that give the rooms a warm glow. Rajput children have grown up in the house and have benefited from Centreville’s excellent school system.

Part I
Centreville Sites
1 Centreville Historic District (Old Town Centreville) ‘Historic District’ contains: (1) Mount Gilead House (2) St. John’s Episcopal Church (3) Harrison House (4) Havner House (5) Centreville Historic Park Architecture: (1) Mt. Gilead House -Potomac river (2) Church – Gothic-revival
2 COX Farms
40-acre farm features rural life, hay rides and Fall festivals
3 Manassas Battlefield Park, Stone Bridge, Stone House – Registered in the National Register of Historic Places Place of significant battles of the Civil War
4 National Air and Space Museum – 2003 Houses the DISCOVERY space shuttle and first airplane of Wright brothers (Kitty Hawk Flyer) Design: Tennessee marble exterior
5 Old Stone Church: Rt. 28/29 Architecture: Gothic revival
5 Ox Hill Battlefield near Chantilly Site of Battle of Chantilly
7 Sully Historic Plantation -Registered in the National Register of Historic Places
Built in 1794 during Federal period, park events reenact reconstruction of colonial life Architecture: Georgian
8 Stuart Mosby Civil War Cavalry Museum Houses the Confederate army memorabilia
9 Walney (Ellanor C. Lawrence Park)
A 678 acres estate, constructed in 1768, owner Lewis Machen named it Walney after a small island near Lancashire, England
OTHER Nearby PLACES:
Bull Run Post Office Road (its nearby area), Bull Run Regional Park Contains the Bull Run Winery
Chua Van Hanh (Buddhist monastery) Bull Run Dr. Centreville

Centreville Historic District (Old Town Centreville)
In September 1984, the Historic Commission of Fairfax County, established the Centreville Historic District, to promote the role of the district in the state’s and in the nation’s history. Centreville Historic District is the complex consisting of six structures clustered around a rectangular area (Route 28/29) formed by Braddock Rd., and Mount Gilead Rd. These structures are: (1) Harrison House (2) Havener House (3) Old Stone Church (4) Mount Gilead (5) St. John’s Episcopal Church; and (6) Centreville Historic Park –a 14-acre area covering 300 years of County history with Civil War fortifications. On the grounds of Mount Gilead are remains of trenches and fortifications constructed during the Civil War.
27th Annual Centreville Day (October 19, 2019)

Cox Farms:

In 1972 Herndon high school sweethearts Eric Cox and Gina Richard, at age 18, purchased 116 acres of land on Braddock Rd in Centreville, moving to the farm house in 1979. The farm provides the visitors a taste of rural life. Schools soon began to take classes out to the farm for pumpkins and hayrides. In 1983 Cox farms held its first Fall Festival. The business is now a popular fall attraction, with thousands of visitors attending the Fall Festival and the haunted corn maze (Fields of Fear). Eric and Gina’s son Lucas, was my daughter’s classmate at Centreville High School. The Coxs still live at the farm and have raised their 3 kids and 4 grandkids are also growing up on the farm.

Harrison House
Constructed in 1840, services for St. John’s Episcopal Church were conducted here during the Civil War when the church was used as a hospital. Directions: Corner of Braddock and Mount Gilead Rd.

Havener House:
During Civil War, it was used as an aid station and often as the Centreville Post Office. Directions: Across Braddock Rd. from Centreville Methodist Church.

Manassas National Battlefield Park, Stone Bridge, Stone House:
National Register of Historic Places

Battlefield Park: The site of two major battles (First and Second Battle of Manassas/Bull Run of the American Civil War. In July 1861, two armies clashed on the fields overlooking Bull Run. In August 1862, Union and Confederate armies converged again on the plains of Manassas. The Confederates won a solid victory bringing them to the height of their power. Stone Bridge: Originally built of native sandstone in 1825, the turnpike bridge over Bull Run was an important landmark in the Civil War battles at Manassas. Its ability to carry traffic across the steep stream gave the Stone Bridge a key role in the Civil War. The original bridge was destroyed when Confederate forces evacuated N.Virginia in 1862. In 1884, a new bridge, similar in design was built. Modern day Rt. 29 crosses the Bull Run on a bridge built in late 1960s. Stone House: Built in 1824, as a stop on the Fauquier and Alexandria, it achieved its significance when it served as a hospital during the First and Second Battles. National Park Service (Manassas National Battlefield Park authorities) provide tours and hosts programs during the year. Stonewall Jackson statue – A monument to Confederate Gen. Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson. Directions 6511 Sudley Rd, 2.9 miles west of Centreville on Rt. 29. Stone Bridge is on right past the quarry and down the road is the Stone House.
Mount Gilead:
Built in 1750 – one of the oldest houses in Fairfax county – showcases Potomac River architecture. The house takes up one-third of the Centreville Historic District. During the Civil War, Confederate General Johnston, Commander of N. Virginia, who had brought 40,000 troops from across the country (Texas rangers) used Mt. Gilead as his HQ. Directions: Rt 28/29.

National Air and Space Museum
Opened in 2003, the two locations of the National Air and Space Museum (D.C. and Chantilly) attract millions of visitors to Centreville. The Chantilly location houses the Space shuttle Discovery, the centerpiece of the museum, along with replica of the first airplane flown by the Wright brothers (the Kitty Hawk Flyer).

Old Stone Church:
Centreville Methodist Church
Church of the Ascension – Anglican Catholic
Originally built in 1855, was used as a hospital during the first and second battles of Manassas. The original structure was destroyed in the second battle. Rebuilt in 1870, the first section of the present stone church is similar to the original structure. A stone addition to the church was completed m 1945.
Directions; 13941 Braddock Rd, Centreville.

Ox Hill Battlefield Park Chantilly (Battle of Chantilly)
In 1862, 1,500 soldiers and 2 generals died on this hill, as they fought over terrain of 500 acres, fighting the Battle of Chantilly. To east of Centreville lies this Ox Hill Battlefield park on Monument Drive, so named as the monument to this battle. Only 5 acres have been set aside to remember the fighting that day which the Union army called the Battle of Chantilly. Directions: Monument Drive, across from Fairfax Towne Center shopping plaza.

Stuart Mosby Civil War Cavalry Museum
The museum houses the memorabilia of the confederate general, Stuart Mosby.

St. John’s Episcopal Church (near Mt. Gilead)
Originally constructed in 1851. One-story Gothic revival-style building with arched windows and entrance. A parish hall, built in 1954, adjoins the church, w/cemetery in churchyard. The fencing around the property evokes the Civil War connections. It was used and occupied for entire civil war as hospital and campground.

Sully Plantation (Sully Historic Site): National Register of Historic Places

Built in 1794, during the Federal period by Richard Bland Lee (Northern VA’s first Congressman and Robert E Lee’s, uncle (Robert E. Lee was confederate general in Civil War) 65 acres of plantation – spectacular reconstruction of colonial life (Georgian architecture). Includes original outbuildings, representative slave quarter and gardens. Guided tours highlight the early 19th century life of Lee family, tenant farmers and enslaved African Americans. Park events mirror colonial life. Slaves worked both inside/outside the home. Lee inherited 29 slaves from his father in 1787, slaves included blacksmith, farmers, cooks, cleaners. John Mosby also lived at the house. Kitchen and laundry were outside the main house which the slaves attended to.
Imp: several parts of the plantation were demolished in 1960 to make room for Dulles Airport. Directions: 3650 Historic Sully Way, Chantilly, (5 miles from Centerville).

Walney (Ellanor C. Lawrence Park) with Cabell’s Mill:
Constructed in 1768 by Thomas Brown, a prominent Virginia farmer. Eventually it was sold in 1844 to Lewis Machen who named it Walney after a small island near Lancashire, England where his family had lived. It was purchased in 1935 by Ellanor Lawrence as part of the 678 acres estate which included Cabell’s Mill (operated as a mill until 1916). Visitors can see a meat plank house on the property which the family used to smoke the meats. The park is a haven for nature hikes with over 4 miles of trails. Directions: 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly.

Willoughby Newton boundary stone: in Centreville library
The 1727 Willoughby Newton boundary stone is the oldest written record in Fairfax County, on loan in the Centreville Regional Library for appreciation and enlightenment of Centreville citizens.
Winery at Bull Run (within Centreville)15950 Lee Hwy, Centreville

OTHER PLACES:
Bull Run Post Office Road: one of the few places in Centreville that has retained its rural character in the present day, w/horse farms, small Fairfax County park, Southwestern Youth Assoc sports park, surrounded by woods.
Chua Van Hanh (Buddhist monastery): 7605 Bull Run Dr, Centreville, VA 20121-2504

Fairfax Courthouse: Confederate general Beauregard used the Fairfax Courthouse as his HQ. Fairfax became a haven for Union sympathizers.

Part II
History of Centreville and its role in
America’s Civil War
Centreville’s roots trace to a tiny village called Newgate. In 1740, Willoughby Newton had acquired 6,400 acres of land which he later leased to farmers. Newgate Tavern was the place where convict labor was sold (named after the Newgate Prison in England). Given the bad connotation of the prison, the locals protested for a name change, and Virginia General Assembly renamed the area Centreville in 1792. In the post-civil war period, much of the farmland of Centreville disappeared as it became a community of town houses and schools, yet the area retains its rich history shaped by the American Civil War.
Civil war devasted Centreville as both armies occupied the area given its strategic location. Traces of pre-civil war are still present in Centreville, for instance, ‘Mount Gilead Home’ on Braddock Rd. is a reminder of how Centreville was once occupied by 40,000 confederate troops, where General Johnston had set up his HQ, a short walk from the Four Chimney House. Down the road from Mt. Gilead is the Old Stone Church that housed a Methodist Episcopal congregation during the war. After the 1st and 2nd battle of Manassas, church became a makeshift hospital for the wounded soldiers. Battle of Manassas had attracted both armies to Centreville due to its high terrain and easy access to roads leading to Richmond and Washington. Once a sleepy town only known for its Newgate prison and slave rental became a scene of destruction and devastation. It continues to bear those wounds and scars.
However, with the invention of the automobile and the enterprising spirit of the people, when people began putting up new gas stations and shops, new life began pouring into this city in the 1960s. New families have replaced the ones that had fled after the Civil War. The addition of the Dulles International airport was a symbol of the many changes to come to once a farmland and later a war-torn community, the arrival of the airport added the many hotels and extended stay residences. In 1958, President Eisenhower selected the site for the airport and President J.F. Kennedy dedicated the airport in 1962. The developments continued in 2003, Centerville was chosen as a prime place to open the second National Air and Space Museum. The area has grown since the 1980s with more jobs coming into the Fairfax county.
I am hopeful that the growth will continue in Centerville as the job growth over the next ten years is predicted to be 36.7%, higher than the US average of 33.5% and the Sales Tax Rate for Centreville remains at 6.0% lower than the US average of 7.3%. Additionally, Centreville is blessed to be home to some of the most iconic of the national treasures, such as Manassas National Battlefield Park, National Air and Space Museum and Sully Plantation that feature reenactments of what life was like centuries ago.