Things to See and Do

Civil War Attractions

Civil War Soldiers

The landscape of Fairfax County and all of Northern Virginia is dotted with Civil War sites associated with the Union Army’s four-year occupation of Northern Virginia. To protect the federal capital and insure continued access to the Potomac River, an estimated 10,000 Union troops crossed the river into Northern Virginia in May 1861.

After the Union defeat at the first battle of Manassas, federal control of Northern Virginia became ever more vital to the war effort. The City of Alexandria was transformed into a major military staging area as earthwork forts began to dot the landscape of Fairfax County. Hundreds of army camps, hospitals and military facilities were established throughout the region.

By 1862, an estimated 80,000 Union soldiers and 50,000 Confederate soldiers were encamped in Fairfax County. A wide variety of skirmishes and battles ensued, including incidents instigated by Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby and his Rangers. By the time the war ended in 1865, Northern Virginia was devastated by the four-year military occupation. For more information about Civil War sites in Virginia, visit www.civilwar-va.com.

A planned route of selected Civil War sites is available in the Itinerary Section of this Web site.

Chantilly Battlefield
(West Ox Road and Monument Drive, south of U.S. Route 50)

A modern development surrounds the small but significant Chantilly Battlefield. On September 1, 1862, following the second battle of Manassas, the only major Civil War battle to take place in Fairfax County was waged across five acres of farmland. Two Union generals lost their lives during the fierce battle in which Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson participated.

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Civil War Fort
(330 Center Street, Vienna)

The Civil War fort located next to the American Legion Post No. 180 is a rare six-point star-shaped earthen fortification with a 130-yard perimeter. Confederate and Union troops occupied the area during the war

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Confederate Cemetery Monument
(10563 Main Street, Fairfax)

Large markers denote the graves of known and unknown Confederate dead. During the Civil War, the cemetery was the site of a Union stockade.

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Dranesville Tavern
(11919 Leesburg Pike; 703-750-1598)

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Dranesville Tavern was a popular stopping place for weary travelers on Leesburg Pike.

During the Civil War, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart led a brigade-sized mixed force of cavalry, infantry, and artillery to protect a foraging expedition in the vicinity of Dranesville. Union General E.O.C. Ord, advancing on the Georgetown Pike, encountered Stuart’s cavalry. Both sides deployed as moreFairfax County Court House units arrived on the field, and an intense firefight developed. Stuart withdrew in the mid-afternoon after ensuring that his wagons were safely in the rear.

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Fairfax County Court House
(4000 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax)

This building, often seen in Mathew Brady’s Civil War photographs, was used as a Union signal post and headquarters throughout the war. The court house is still used as an annex to the modern judicial center.
(Photo, right: The Fairfax County Court House.)

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Fairfax Museum
(10209 Main Street, Fairfax; 703-385-8414)
Exhibits in the Fairfax Museum outline the rich history of the area, with emphasis on the Civil War, including an exhibit on the nearby battlefield where the Battle of Chantilly (Ox Hill) was fought in September 1862. Constructed in 1873, the building that houses the museum is the first two-story brick schoolhouse ever built in Fairfax County.

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Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
(11200 Fairfax Station Road. Museum is open on Sundays 1-4 PM and Labor Day 12-5 PM. Admission: $2-adults; $1-children)
The old Fairfax Station depot served as a Civil War supply base and became a major center for emergency treatment and transportation. Clara Barton nursed more than 3,000 men here after the battles of Second Manassas and Chantilly. She developed the initial concept of the American Red Cross based on her experiences at Fairfax Station. There were numerous skirmishes at Fairfax Station. December 28, 1862 found J.E.B. Stuart's forces driving through there on his famous raid on Burke Station. On August 9, 1864, Col. John S. Mosby and his Rangers attacked Union forces at the depot, routing and chasing them all the way to Fairfax Court House.

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Falls Church Hills
(Route 50 and Wilson Boulevard along Livingston Street)

During August and September 1861, the Falls Church hills were occupied by Confederate troops under J.E.B. Stuart. Using a balloonist with flag signals to direct their artillery fire, Union troops surprised the Confederates, who were celebrating their commander’s promotion to general. The Confederates withdrew on September 26. The Union army reoccupied the area and built addition forts on the high points. (Unmarked area)

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Fort Marcy
(Northbound on the George Washington Parkway, near Route 123)

This earthwork fort, completed in 1862, was part of the federal defenses of Washington. Now in a natural state, the fort has interlinking earthworks visible for several hundred yards. Interpretive markers, cannons and a picnic area overlook the Potomac River.

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Fort Willard
(Fort Willard Circle and Glen Drive, off Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria)

This fort site is a superb example of an earthen fortification in an unimproved state. Fort Willard’s location also provides a beautiful view of the Potomac River.

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Freedom Hill Fort/Park
(8527 Old Courthouse Road, Vienna)

A fortified picket post designed to guard federal camps from raids by Confederates such as Mosby’s Rangers. The interpretive markers are unique and outstanding.

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Freeman House/Museum
(131 Church Street, Vienna)

This historic structure in the Town of Vienna was originally intended to be a general store when it was constructed in 1859. During the Civil War, the Freeman House served as a makeshift hospital. The cellar became a stable for both Union and Confederate horses. The house is carefully restored and is a resource for historic information about Vienna.

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Lincoln’s Review of Troops
(5900 Leesburg Pike, Baileys Crossroads)

After the Union defeat at the first battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861, President Lincoln appointed General George McClellan as commander of the demoralized Union army. McClellan rebuilt the army and staged a formal military review down Leesburg Pike. Lincoln and his entire cabinet attended to watch 50,000 troops parade. At the time, it was the largest military review ever held.

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Mount Gilead House
(5634 Mount Gilead Road, Centreville)

Dating back to the 18th century, Mount Gilead House was a tavern and later winter quarters for Confederate General Joseph Johnston when more than 40,000 Southern troops camped in the Centreville area. An archeological dig on the seven-acre site is expected to unearth more about the history of the structure.

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Mosby’s Capture of Stoughton
(10520 Main Street, Fairfax; on the grounds of Truro Episcopal Church)

In a daring midnight raid on March 8-9, 1863, Confederate John S. Mosby and 30 Virginia troopers galloped into Fairfax. Union General Edwin Stoughton was taken prisoner as he lay asleep. A monument to the event stands in front of the William P. Gunnell home, where General Stoughton was spending the night.

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Inside Pohick ChurchPohick Church
(9301 Richmond Highway, Lorton)

Attended by George Washington and George Mason, Pohick Episcopal Church was completed in 1774 from plans drawn by Washington himself. The church was heavily damaged during the Civil War and has since undergone a series of renovations. Soldier graffiti remains visible on its sandstone walls. (Photo: Inside Pohick Church.)

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St. John’s Episcopal Church
(5649 Mount Gilead Road, Centreville)

Founded in 1851, St. John’s Church was used to shelter wounded troops after the battles of Manassas in July 1861 and August 1862. During the war, the church was burned by federal troops. Reconstructed in 1867, it is a one-story wood structure in the “Carpenter Gothic” style with stained glass windows.

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St. Mary’s Church
(Route 123 at Fairfax Station Road)

St. Mary’s church was built in 1858 by and for Irish immigrant workers constructing the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. After the second battle of Manassas and the Battle of Chantilly, Union and Confederate wounded were brought to the church to be cared for by Clara Barton, who later founded the American Red Cross.

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Stone Bridge
(12521 Lee Highway, Manassas)

Site of a Union diversionary attack during the first battle of Manassas, the Stone Bridge defensive force was commanded by Confederate Colonel Nathan Evans. When Evans realized the attack on Stone Bridge was a diversion, he left a small force to hold the bridge and rushed the remainder of his command to Matthews Hill. However, Evans’ force was too small to contain the Union troops and the Confederate line collapsed.

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Sully Historic SiteSully Historic Site
(3650 Historic Sully Way, Chantilly)
The ancestral home of Richard Bland Lee, Northern Virginia's first congressman, Sully Plantation was often the focus of foraging Union and Confederate armies. The Haight family owned Sully during the Civil War. Jacob Haight, a Union sympathizer, was forced to stay behind the Union line in Alexandria, leaving the protection of the house and farm to his sister and wife. Sully is a Virginia Civil War Trails Site. (Photo:Sully Historic Site.)

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Taylor’s Tavern
(Roosevelt Street and Route 7, Falls Church)

To obtain information about Confederate attacks, the civilian balloonist Thaddeus S.C. Lowe launched his balloon from Taylor’s Tavern, located on the highest ridge at the edge of Union territory. On June 24, 1861, Lowe made several tethered ascents—the first aerial reconnaissance in American military history.

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