The house is in the Federal Style, characterized by Flemish bond brickwork and end chimneys.Draper acquired the rights to use this land prior to building the home from town founder Richard Ratcliffe for the consideration of $20. This practice was not common, but the two families were close enough to form a long-term lease for land that included the creation of a building owned by one party on land owned by the second. Draper taught many other aspiring physicians, including his nephew Charles Draper Williams who lived and studied under his uncle at his home. Charles Draper became an influential physician in New York.Simeon Draper passed away from cholera during an 1832 epidemic that struck the area. His widow sold her husband's medical books and equipment to pay debts. She later opened the house to borders, providing weekly and long-term tenants with meals and lodging. She sold the home in 1871 to her son-in-law, William Chapman. The property was used as a boarding house and other purposes, but was not well-preserved. As a result, the property may have been demolished had it not been for the efforts of preservation-minded citizens.  Two historic markers stand on the property, which is privately owned. Many of the outbuildings on the property have become businesses.

The Draper House is the second-oldest home in Fairfax. Photograph by Kevin W. on hmdb.org

A view of the home in 1962 shows the house in a state of disrepair. The porch was removed but the rest of the structure was preserved.

Draper House on Historical Marker Database

More Info

The second-oldest home in Fairfax, this two-story Federal Style home was completed in 1821 and first occupied by Simeon and Catherine Draper. Simeon Draper was the community physician and dentist for the Town of Fairfax, then called Providence, and used ran his practice out of the home with space for an examining room and office in addition to living quarters. The home is now private property and not available for tours. However, the Draper House is located near the oldest home in the city, the Ratcliffe-Allison House, which is often open to the public for tours on Saturday afternoons during the summer. 

Draper House

This tour begins at Fairfax's Farr Homeplace and moves west along Main Street. The tour includes stops at various historic landmarks, historical markers, and museums/visitors centers along Main.

Fairfax Virginia Walking Tour

The Farr family enjoys a storied history in Fairfax, dating back to 1797, but it was during the Civil War that the family truly made a name for itself. At the young age of fourteen years old, Richard Ratcliffe Farr sought to protect the Farr house by firing upon the Union troops. Although successful at first, the troops came back and burned down the house. The replacement of that house, finished in 1880, is the historic house that stands today. Richard Farr's grandfather acquired the land for which the historic house sits in 1797 as payment for his service in the Continental Army. When Richard discovered that Union soldiers were approaching, he placed logs across the road where the troops would have to pass, and then he hid and waited in the nearby underbrush. Supposedly, legend has it; he took the soldier by surprise when he fired on them. The soldiers, it is believed, mistook the teenager for a group of rebels, so they retreated. However, upon learning that it was Richard Farr, they returned the house and burnt it to the ground. Inspired by the experience, Richard a few years later joined Mosby's Rangers of the Confederate army (he was wounded, but survived, during a battle in West Virginia on November 19, 1864). After the war, he went on to serve as a Delegate to the Virginia General Assembly, the County Treasurer, the Superintendent of Public Instruction of Virginia, and the U.S. Marshall for the Eastern District of Virginia. As well, in 1880, he replaced the family residence with a new structure, referred to as "Five Chimneys," which stands today. The home is an example of the Georgian style with a two-story colonnaded portico.Richard's sons also went on to serve the community in various ways, including Wilson M. Farr worked as an elementary school teacher, was elected Mayor of Fairfax in 1918, and served as a Virginia Commonwealth Attorney. Wilson's brother, Richard (Dick), served in the Army during World War I, was the Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorney General, and also served as the Mayor of Fairfax from 1936 to 1941.The Farr home is one of several homes left as monuments to their family's contirbution to the city. Richard not only restored the family home, but built a cottage for his grandmother ("Grandma's Cottage"). As well, in 1915, Richard's son, Wilson, built a new residence adjacent to the Farr residence after he married his wife, Edith Wiley. Wilson originally called the home "Ballynahown" after his mother's ancestral home in Ireland.

This stately brick home was built in 1880 by Richard Ratcliffe Farr at the site of his previous home that was set aflame by Union soldiers after he fired upon the federal troops. Farr was only 14 at the time of the incident. He would go on to serve as a delegate to the Virginia General Assembly, U.S. Marshall, and Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of Virginia. The home is often referred to as "Five Chimneys" in recognition or its most unique feature, five chimneys built in the shape of a cross. 

Farr Homeplace

The Building History The two-story, brick Fairfax Public School (Old Fairfax Elementary School Annex) consists of two sections built in 1873 and 1912. The school stands as a monument to a movement away from one-room schoolhouses to uniform public education. However, the building also provides a window into racial divisions that held firm in Fairfax during the many decades following the Civil War. The building now houses the Fairfax Museum and Visitors Center. The original building, finished in 1873, served Fairfax as the town's first elementary school, as well as the first brick public school in Fairfax County. The construction of the building arrived three years after the Virginia General Assembly passed "An Act to Establish and Maintain a Uniform System of Public Free Schools." At the time of the building's construction, forty-one schools operated in Fairfax County, with forty of them existing as one-room schoolhouses. An interesting debate arose in the town and county surrounding the construction of the school. A newspaper editorial criticized the choice to fund the school as it was nicer than most kids' homes, and thus an unnecessary extravagance. Moreover, the paper worried that such a nice school for white children would possibly lead to a desire by African Americans to want the same for their children. (However, deeds of that time show that children of color during that time likely remained in one-room schoolhouses, notably a building on the west end of town. A two-story addition was added in 1912. The original building and its annex operated as a school until 1925 when the city sold the building to the Ku Klux Klan (Cavaliers of Virginia chapter), again demonstrating the role of race in Fairfax history during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, a fire in 1932 damaged the structure and forced the KKK (who mainly used it to print a local newspaper) to file for bankruptcy.  The building did not get repaired until five years later in 1937 when the Fairfax County School Board again took control of the building and returned the building to its original function as a school. By the 1950s, the county used the main building for elementary studies while the annex was used to host special education classes. During the 1970s, the building transitioned into a school administration office building as part of the Northern Virginia Police Academy. Finally, on July 4, 1992, after undergoing five years of renovations, the building became the new home to the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, which remains in place today. The museum features exhibits showcasing Fairfax and Northern Virginia history. The Fairfax Museum &amp; Visitor Center The Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center provides information on both the past and present state of Fairfax. The Museum includes artifacts from the Civil War and explains both the battles in the area and the effects that the War had on area growth. Rotating exhibits feature art, technology, or individual stories of war experiences. The Fairfax Visitor Center offers information about the current city of Fairfax. The volunteers who work at the center are able to give information to tourists on lodging, recreation, and special events in the area. The Museum and Center offer seasonal, 90-minute walking tours of the Historic District. The first stop on the tour is the Museum itself, the oldest remaining two-story brick schoolhouse in Fairfax. Built in 1873, the Fairfax Elementary School cost taxpayers $2,750. The bricks were made across the street at the Farr property. The tour continues on to several notable architectural examples in the city: the Dr. William Gunnell House (ca. 1835), Fairfax County Courthouse (1800), and the Ratcliffe-Allison House (1812). This tour explains how the city of Fairfax was shaped through architecture and personal history. Historic Fairfax City, Inc. (HFCI), the advisory board to the City of Fairfax Office of Historic Resources, manages the operation of City-owned properties. It is a non-profit organization that helps raise funds for building preservation. Proceeds from the walking tour go to these preservation efforts. Outside the Historic District are properties that showcase the 19th-century rural heritage of the area, and its 20th-century transformation into a Washington, D.C. suburb. You can visit the 1859 Blenheim farmhouse, famous for inscriptions left by Union Soldiers during its occupation. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the annual Fairfax Civil War Day is hosted at Blenheim. Also nearby is the Tastee 29 Diner, which is also listed in the NRHP.

The Fairfax Public School (Old Fairfax Elementary School Annex) consists of two sections built in 1873 and 1912. The school stands as a monument to a movement away from one-room schoolhouses to uniform public education. However, the building also provides a window into racial divisions that held firm in Fairfax during the many decades following the Civil War, including once functioning as the home to a newspaper published by the Klu Klux Klan. Today, the building is home to the Fairfax Museum and Visitors Center. 

Fairfax Museum & Visitor Center

The house is in the Federal Style, characterized by Flemish bond brickwork and end chimneys. Draper acquired the rights to use this land prior to building the home from town founder Richard Ratcliffe for the consideration of $20. This practice was not common, but the two families were close enough to form a long-term lease for land that included the creation of a building owned by one party on land owned by the second. Draper taught many other aspiring physicians, including his nephew Charles Draper Williams who lived and studied under his uncle at his home. Charles Draper became an influential physician in New York. Simeon Draper passed away from cholera during an 1832 epidemic that struck the area. His widow sold her husband's medical books and equipment to pay debts. She later opened the house to borders, providing weekly and long-term tenants with meals and lodging. She sold the home in 1871 to her son-in-law, William Chapman. The property was used as a boarding house and other purposes, but was not well-preserved. As a result, the property may have been demolished had it not been for the efforts of preservation-minded citizens.   Two historic markers stand on the property, which is privately owned. Many of the outbuildings on the property have become businesses.

The Ratcliffe-Logan-Allison House, commonly called Earp's Ordinary, was built in two phases sometime between 1805 and 1813. The vernacular brick building stands as the oldest residence in the district (although by 1820, the home also served as a stagecoach stop). The Ratcliffe family, notably Richard, proved significant in creating the city of Fairfax. Even before the city's creation, the influential family enjoyed a storied history; Richard Ratcliffe's father was known to have dined with George Washington.  Richard Ratcliffe, the son of John Ratcliffe and Ann (Smith) Moxley, was born in Fairfax County in roughly 1751. John and Ann appear to have been a contemporary of both George Mason and George Washington. Indeed, Washington once recorded in his diary, "Mrs. Ratcliffe and her son came to dinner." While Washington enjoys the nickname "Father of Our Country," it can be said that Richard might well be "Father of Fairfax," although he mainly created the city through deals that benefited him financially. From 1771 until his death in 1825, Richard Ratcliffe served variously as the Fairfax County sheriff, coroner, justice, patroller, overseer of the poor, constable, commissioner, jail inspector, elections superintendent, candidate for the Virginia General Assembly and designer and developer of Providence -- now known as Fairfax.Richard was an educated man, born and raised during an era when the United States separated from Great Britain and developed into a nation. Before the Revolutionary War commenced, in 1771 and at the age of 21, Richard took the job of Fairfax Country Deputy Sheriff, which would be the start of a public-service career that would span more than half of a century. Richard did not serve in the Continental Army or militia during the Revolutionary war, but he did supply the army with provisions. One year into the war, Richard married Louisiana "Locian" Bolling, and the two of them went on to raise nine children.   By the mid-1790s, Richard Ratcliffe owned nearly 3,000 acres of land in the Fairfax area, much of it located in what is now the Downtown Historic District of the City of Fairfax. Meanwhile, complications related to the creation of Washington D.C. and the inclusion of nearby Alexandria into the federal district placed the Fairfax courthouse outside its new legal boundaries.  In 1794, the Virginia governor named Richard as Fairfax County Court Justice. Four years later, the General Assembly directed the Fairfax County Court to find a new location for a new courthouse near the center of the county. In 1799, Richard Ratcliffe offered four acres to the county for one dollar. Richard's offer seems generous, but he owned all the land around the four-acre courthouse lot. Not long after the courthouse opened, Richard opened his Brick Tavern directly opposite the new courthouse.  Richard also benefited from the initial construction as it was almost immediately deemed too small. In March of 1800, the Court, of which Richard still served as a justice -- ordered the acquisition of an additional six acres. Richard, who also worked as deputy county surveyor, laid out a town around the new courthouse. By 1802, a turnpike served the new land from Alexandria, built and managed by the Little River Turnpike Co; it is believed by many that Richard owned stock in the company.   In 1805, the General Assembly of Fairfax County officially created the Town of Providence, mainly located on the land provided by Richard, and served by the turnpike. In 1874, Providence transitioned to the city of Fairfax, although it did not become an independent city until 1961.

The Ratcliffe–Logan–Allison House, also known as Earp’s Ordinary, is a historic home located in Fairfax, Virginia, completed in 1810 with an addition finished in 1830. It is the oldest residence in Fairfax, although it also served as a stagecoach shop. The house mainly stands as a monument to Richard Ratcliffe who donated the land now known as Fairfax, and benefited economically in doing so. He served in various public service jobs for more than fifty years for the city and county, starting before the U.S. Revolutionary War. 


Ratcliffe–Logan–Allison House (A.K.A. Earp's Ordinary)

The Virginia Room's collection of photographs includes over 100,000 images, each indexed to assist researchers and some available digitally. The library's collection is especially strong with regard to the Civil War, with copies of Union and Confederate records. Historical newspapers in the collection, availaible on microfilm, date as far back as the colonial period and include The Virginia Gazette (1736-1780), the Pennsylvania Genealogical Catalogue (Chester County 1809-1870), and South Carolina newspapers (1732 - 1780). Researchers also have access to genealogy and other primary source databases when visiting the Virginia Room. As with other archives and special collections repositories, the holdings of the collection may be used on-site in the Virginia Room, on the second floor of the Fairfax County Public Library. Among the manuscript collections in the library's holdings, many of which have archival finding aids online, are personal papers, organizational records, scrapbooks, cemetery records, oral histories, school yearbooks, city directories and telephone books, and government documents. Notable manuscripts include papers by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Mason. Library staff maintain research guides and subject files to aid researchers in their work, particularly in genealogy. The Virginia Room is supported by the Friends of the Virginia Room volunteer group, founded in 2009.

Located within the Fairfax County Library is the Virginia Room, a local history center that holds one of the most comprehensive collections in the region of materials related to Northern Virginia history and genealogy. The library holds original and microfilmed records from the leading families and founders of Virginia, as well as original manuscripts from churches and county officials, city and school records, cemetery surveys, photographs, newspapers, and a wealth of other historical resources. The Virginia Room staff also supports the exploration of history through online research guides and other resources.

Virginia Room-Fairfax County Library

Built in 1900 by Joseph E. Willard, a wealthy resident and the son of a Confederate spy. Willard served in the Virginia government for roughly fifteen years, including as Lieutenant Governor. He followed that role by becoming U.S. Ambassador to Spain. He donated the home to the city; it remains a focal point for social activity in Fairfax. Joseph E. Willard Fairfax found itself caught in the proverbial middle of the Civil War with Confederate troops positioned in the western section of Fairfax County and Union soldiers quartered in the northern and eastern parts. Two battles also took place near the town in 1861 and again in 1863. As such, loyalties remained elusive. Willard's mother, who had been "commissioned" by J.E.B. Stuart as his honorary aide-de-camp, with the rank of major in the Union Army, had been arrested for passing information to the Confederates. She met her future husband in jail; Union officer, Major Joseph C. Willard secured her release from prison after seven months.Joseph Willard, however, enjoyed a much less tumultuous relationship with his local community, and nation. Willard served for eight years in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1884 to 1902, which he followed by becoming the nineteenth Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. However, he failed in his bid to become Governor in 1906. After losing the election, Virginia General Assembly elected him a commissioner of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, a position he held until 1910. Three years later, in 1913, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Willard as the United States Ambassador to Spain. He continued to serve as an ambassador throughout World War I, often having to deal with exceptionally sensitive situations between Spain and Germany, as well as the role Spain played in its support of the U.S., England and France. He continued in his role as ambassador until shortly before his passing in 1921.  The Old Town Hall Both of Joseph Willard's brothers died in infancy, leaving Joesph as his father's only heir and only beneficiary to his father's wealth. Willard commissioned the construction of the building in 1900 and subsequently presented it to the town as a gift in 1902, the same year Willard became Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. The home mainly enjoys neo-classic (or classic-revival) design, but also with Federal-style features, such as the fanlight window over the front doors and the round-headed gabled dormers. The structure stands as an imposing building in the town, notably due to its large columns. The hall immediately became the center of Fairfax's social life and has become a popular spot for weddings. Additionally, Old Town Hall's second level is home to the Huddleson Library andt the Fairfax Art League.

Born from a marriage between a Union Major and a Confederate spy, the Virginia House of Delegates representative and Fairfax resident, Joseph Edward Willard, commissioned the construction of this building in 1900 and donated it to the city of Fairfax in 1902.  Willard went on to serve as Virginia's Lieutenant Governor from 1902 to 1906 and later as U.S. Ambassador to Spain in 1913. The building has served as social gathering space for more than a century. As well, the building is now home to the collections of the Hudleson Library and the Fairfax Art League. The building was renovated in the 1980s and 1990s, and holds a number of special events throughout the year. 

Old Town Hall

Counties and county courts were the basic unit of local government during Virginia's colonial era. As such, when Prince William County was partitioned to create Fairfax County in 1742, the Governor in Council in Williamsburg gave the following order (as recorded in his official Journal): <blockquote>Saturday, June ye 19th, 1742. . . .</blockquote><blockquote>ORDERED that the Court-house for Fairfax County be appointed at a place call'd Spring Fields situated between the New Church and Ox Road in the Branches of Difficult Run, Hunting Creek and Accotinck [sic].[3]</blockquote> This early courthouse, located according to the order, was probably a log structure built on a stone foundation. The courthouse was soon moved to Alexandria, where it remained during the Revolutionary War. In 1798, it was relocated to the center of the county to be more convenient for citizens and better for business and commerce (and also because Alexandria had been incorporated into the United States' new national capital). James Wren was the architect for this new courthouse, which was constructed in 1799. Upon its completion, the first order of business was to record the will of Corbin Washington, the nephew of George Washington. This courthouse, located in what was originally known as Providence, later Fairfax Court House, and, finally, Fairfax City, served the Circuit Court until the 1980s and the Juvenile Court until 2008. During the Civil War, the Fairfax County Courthouse changed hands several times between Union and Confederate forces. At first, Fairfax County aligned itself with the Confederacy, and citizens ratified the secession ordinance. Confederate troops soon after positioned themselves around the courthouse; the first Confederate officer death of the Civil War occurred when Captain John Quincy Marr was shot on June 1st, 1861, during the first Battle of Fairfax Court House. The courthouse came under Union control only July 17th, but was only held for five days, as the federal forces abandoned it in their retreat from the First Battle of Bull Run. Jefferson Davis visited the courthouse to meet with his generals and review troops in late September-early October 1861. Shortly thereafter, the rebel forces retreated to Centreville, abandoning Fairfax Court House. However, Union forces did not retake it until March 1862. The courthouse ultimately ceased all legal function and became a military outpost. On September 2nd, 1862, during the early stages of the Union retreat from northern Virginia and subsequent Confederate campaign in Maryland, cavalry under General Fitzhugh Lee took Fairfax Court House and held it until they joined the rest of the rebel army on September 10th. The courthouse remained in Union hands for the rest of the war. However, the troops were still harassed by Confederate raids, the most famous of which was conducted by Colonel John S. Mosby and his Rangers in March 1863. In addition, during "Stuart's Ride" through Prince William and Fairfax Counties into Maryland in June and July 1863, some of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry skirmished with a small Union force (the 11th New York Cavalry, also known as "Scott's 900") near Fairfax Court House on June 27th before moving through and sacking the town; this became known as the second Battle of Fairfax Court House. The courthouse interior was in dire need of renovation at the end of the war; this work continued until around 1900. The benches in the courtroom were moved there from the Jerusalem Baptist Church sometime in the post-Civil War era. Another renovation was completed in 1920. The 1854 Clerk's Office was destroyed in 1930-31 to make space for an annex on the south side of the courthouse. A center section and identical wing were built between 1951 and 1953. The interior of the courthouse was practically rebuilt for the second time between 1964 and 1967, leaving only a single beam and two columns from the original structure. Today, the Fairfax County Circuit Court Historic Records Center is located in the Historic Courthouse. It houses records from two centuries following the county's creation in 1742. These records include George and Martha Washington's original wills. In addition, on one Friday each month, the Circuit Court uses the Historic Courthouse to conduct civil motions. The Italianate-style jail was completed in 1885 (with two later additions), after a fire destroyed its 1802 predecessor. It was used until 1953, when it was made redundant by a jail addition to the main courthouse. The old jail was afterwards used for a series of different county offices.

The Fairfax County Historic Courthouse is one of the oldest buildings in Fairfax. Since it was constructed in 1799 to serve as the government seat of Fairfax County, this courthouse has been the focal point of public affairs. It was central in events ranging from local civil disputes and legal matters to the Civil War, changing hands several times between Union and Confederate troops. Much like other courthouses in early America, the Fairfax Courthouse was necessary for the economic, social, and political growth of the town and county. What makes this courthouse exceptionally historically important, however, was the role it played during the Civil War. The Fairfax County Historic Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It is now home to the Fairfax County Circuit Court Historic Records Center; in addition, on one Friday each month, the Circuit Court uses the Historic Courthouse to conduct civil motions. The jail, located behind the courthouse, was built in 1885 and added to the National Register in 1981.

Fairfax County Historic Courthouse and Jail

<h4>The Ford House, Spies, and Marriage</h4>
Antonia Ford was born in Fairfax in 1838 to the prominent merchant and passionate secessionist Edward. R. Ford. By the time the Civil War started, she was a young and attractive dark-haired lady, well received in both Washington and Virginia society. In 1861, Union troops overran Fairfax and the Battle of Fairfax Courthouse took place not far from the Ford home. Antonia’s brother Charles served under Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart’s Horse Artillery, and the Ford family was long friends with Stuart and his scout, Colonel John Singleton Mosby. As such, Stuart visited the Ford’s frequently before the Union takeover.
After a skirmish, Union forces ran Confederates from Fairfax and the Ford Home became a boarding house for Union soldiers. Using her wit and charm, as well as her beauty, Antonia was able to obtain valuable information from the Union soldiers in her home. She then reported this information to Stuart’s troops. As such, Stuart penned the following commission (which was later found in the Ford home):
<blockquote>"TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; KNOW YE: &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; That reposing special confidence in the patriotism, fidelity and &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; ability of Antonia J. Ford, I, James E. B. Stuart, by virtue of the &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; power vested in me as brigadier general in the Provisional Army of &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; the Confederate States of America, do hereby appoint and commission &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; her my honorary aide-de-camp, to rank as such from this date. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; She will be obeyed, respected and admired by all true lovers of a &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; ---- nature. Given under my hand and seal at the headquarters of &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; the Cavalry Brigade at Camp Beverly the 7th October, A. D., 1861, &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; and the first year of our independence. &nbsp; &nbsp; (signet ring seal)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; (signed) J. E. B. Stuart &nbsp; &nbsp; (X true copy)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; (signed) L. L. Lomax"1</blockquote>












From 1862 to 1863, the Fords became further embedded with Union officials while Antonia and her father relayed information to the Confederates. In fact, Antonia was often seen riding with Union General Edwin Stoughton. After a Union party at the Ford residence on March 7-8, 1863, Confederate Colonel John Singleton Mosby and two dozen raiders slipped into Fairfax and, without a shot being fired, Mosby captured Stoughton as well as two captains and 30 prisoners. Antonia and her father were thereafter put under strict suspicion and investigation by the Federals for this capture, and counterspy Frankie Abel befriended Antonia. On March 16th, Antonia was searched and the commission, as well as Confederate money, was found in the home. She was thereafter arrested and taken to the Old Capitol Prison in Washington DC.&nbsp;
The arresting officer was Union Major Joseph Willard, who while acting as provost marshal in Fairfax, had fallen in love with Antonia. After seven months in prison, Antonia’s health was failing and Joseph persuaded her to sign a loyalty oath to the Union. He then successfully arranged her release and, a year after Stoughton’s capture, they were married in 1864. She later died in 1871, supposedly due to the effects of her confinement in the prison, and Joseph never remarried and lived as a recluse until his death in 1897.2

The Ford Building in downtown Fairfax is part of the city’s historic district and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built circa 1835, this Georgian Revival home (now a commercial building) holds high regard for its historic role in the growth of Fairfax and for the many events that it endured. The Ford Building was also the site of one of the most famous espionage and love stories coming out of the Civil War. 

Its most iconic resident, Antonia Ford, served as a Confederate spy following the Union occupation of Fairfax in 1861. For the information that she gave, Antonia was designated as an honorary aide-de-camp in October 1861. However, in 1863, she was betrayed by a Union counterspy, arrested, and incarcerated in Washington DC. She was released from the Old Capitol Prison soon after but was re-arrested in Fairfax by Union Major Joseph Willard, who she fell in love with and later married. 

Antonia Ford and the Ford Building

The Dr. William Presley Gunnell Home is a Southern Colonial-style house built around 1835. Dr. Gunnell owned it by 1860. He was born in Fairfax County around 1820 and was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Initially impressed into service as a Union surgeon, he escaped and joined the Confederate army. On the night of March 8th-9th, 1863, twenty-nine Confederate soldiers led by John Singleton Mosby made their way through Union lines to raid Fairfax. Although a small contingent of Union soldiers had been monitoring the perimeter around the town, there were no Confederate armies in the immediate area and the region was thought secure. Brigadier General Edwin Stoughton, who had set up his headquarters in the Dr. Gunnell House, had not assigned any of his men to guard the property overnight. It is also reported that the Union officers had been partying that evening. This made it possible for Mosby and his men to make their way through Union lines undetected; the entire contingent of Union soldiers was caught by surprise. Mosby, claiming to be from the 5th New York Cavalry, made his way into the Dr. Gunnell House and forced a staff officer to bring him to Stoughton's bedroom. Mosby slapped Stoughton on the back to wake him up. Several versions of the following conversation have been reported, even by Mosby himself. The most famous, written by Mosby in Belford's Monthly, is that he asked, "General, did you ever hear of Mosby?” Stoughton answered, "Yes, have you caught him?" Mosby responded, "No. I am Mosby - he has caught you."[6] Mosby included a different version in his memoirs: "[Stoughton] asked in an indignant tone what all this meant. I told him that he was a prisoner, and that he must get up quickly and dress. I then asked him if he had ever heard of 'Mosby', and he said he had. 'I am Mosby,' I said. 'Stuart's cavalry has possession of the Court House; be quick and dress.'"[5] Mosby not only captured Stoughton, but also two Union captains, thirty men, and fifty-eight horses, before he and his band returned to Confederate lines. Stoughton was disgraced; after he was released, he never commanded again and ultimately died in 1868 at age thirty. Abraham Lincoln was said to have remarked that, "he didn't mind the loss of the brigadier as much as the horses, for I can make a much better general in five minutes, but the horses cost one hundred and twenty-five dollars a piece."[4] Supposedly, Confederate spy and Fairfax resident Antonia Ford was involved in planning the raid - a Secret Service investigation resulted in her arrest. While Mosby himself later denied her connection, he may have done this for political reasons. She was held in a federal prison for several months, afterwards marrying Union Major Joseph Willard, the officer who had arrested her. After the war, Dr. Gunnell eventually moved to Waco, Texas, where he continued practicing medicine until his death in 1875. His Fairfax home was bought by Zion Episicopal Church, now Truro Anglican Church, in 1882 for use as a rectory; it is still used as an office by the church today. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the City of Fairfax Historic District in 1987.

This two-story brick home in Fairfax was constructed in 1835 and is best known as the location of one of the most interesting captures of an officer in the Civil War. The home belonged to Dr. William Presley Gunnell but was being occupied by Union Brigadier General Edwin Stoughton and his men. While they slept on the night of March 8th-9th, 1863, later-Colonel John Singleton Mosby, known as the Gray Ghost of the Confederacy, led a contingent of twenty-nine soldiers silently through a gap in the Union lines and moved undetected into Fairfax. There they captured many Union officers, including General Stoughton, who woke to the site of Mosby next to his bed. Dr. Gunnell moved to Waco, Texas, after the war, and, in 1882, his Fairfax home was purchased by Zion Episcopal Church - now Truro Anglican Church - for use as a rectory. It remains an office building for the church today. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as part of the City of Fairfax Historic District.

Home of Dr. William P. Gunnell and "Gray Ghost's Coup" of 1863

Streetcars, known as electric railways, operated in Northern Virginia starting in 1888 with the establishment of the Washington, Arlington &amp; Falls Church Railroad (WA&amp;FC). Similar to other streetcar lines, the Arlington-Fairfax Electric Railway faced increasing competition from automobiles in the 1920s and again in the 1930s. As a result, the streetcar line ceased operation in 1939. This electric freight and streetcar line was one of many lines that connected northern Virginia to major railroads via Washington. The first streetcar line between Mt. Vernon and Alexandria was completed between 1890 and 1892. Within years, numerous other lines were operating in the area-competing and connecting with each other in a way that led to fortunes being created and lost based on the existence (or lack thereof) of other lines. After more than a decade of "ruinous" competition, many cities subsidized the creation and operation of streetcar lines. A second round of government support occurred in the 1920s, owing to several streetcar lines going bankrupt due to the rise of privately-owned automobiles. Local governments organized Arlington &amp; Fairfax after the W-V went bust, with the intention of gaining control of the WA&amp;FC line. However, the company lost the right to travel into Washington D.C. in 1932, and the Arlington &amp; Fairfax streetcars subsequently abandoned service to that area. Detroit's Evans Products Company, a railway and automotive industry supplier, purchased the company in 1936, replacing trolleys with auto-railers the over the course of the next year. Auto-railers had the ability to travel both by rail or by road. Evan's buses traveled to Rosslyn by rail, but were blocked from crossing Georgetown's Key Bridge by road owing to complaints by Capital Transit. The auto-railers ceased operation in 1939.

This historic marker designates the place where Arlington's trolley met the Arlington-Fairfax railroad line. The local trolley line was supported by the city government after attempts to create a privately-owned streetcar line failed. The trolley line started at the present-day corner of Route 123 and Main Street and traveled northeast through the county to the town of Vienna. The marker is near the original starting place of the Arlington-Fairfax rail line, completed in 1904. The railroad connected Fairfax and Washington until 1939. A railroad depot was located near this location but was later destroyed by fire, an event that convinced railroad managers to continue the track to the present location of Chain Bridge Road.   

Fairfax Virginia Walking Tour

Draper House

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information