Prince William County Office of Historic Preservation

Prince William County Office of Historic Preservation The Office of Historic Preservation is a division of Prince William County Parks & Recreation
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The Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism is dedicated to the preservation of Prince William County's historic resources. The Office of Historic Preservation serves as the stewards of County-owned historic structures, cultural and natural resources, historic landscapes, and artifacts. We build community identity alongside our local partners by telling the story of the people of Prince William County.

Happy first week of school to Prince William County students! Today Prince William County has more than a hundred large ...
08/27/2026

Happy first week of school to Prince William County students! Today Prince William County has more than a hundred large schools and learning centers. Back 100 years ago, it was a very different story. Schools were segregated and many of them were only one-three rooms with many grades taught together by only one teacher.

Interested in learning more about what school was like? Join the Prince William Office of Historic Preservation and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History for an open house on Saturday, September 19th from 11AM-3PM to explore the one room school at Lucasville. Enjoy some ice cream, explore hands-on crafts and activities, and speak with local historians to learn about Northern Virginia’s African American history!

Lucasville School is located at 10516 Godwin Drive, Manassas, VA 20110. Admission is free and ice cream is available while supplies lasts. For more information, call 703-365-7895.

Image Credit: The interior of the Lucasville Schoolhouse.

Happy National Dog Day from Rippon Lodge Historic Site! This image is from the collection shows Admiral Richard Blackbur...
08/26/2026

Happy National Dog Day from Rippon Lodge Historic Site! This image is from the collection shows Admiral Richard Blackburn Black (center), last owner of Rippon Lodge, standing on a front lawn with another gentleman (left, unknown) and who we believe to be Douglas Black, the admiral's son, on the right. In the center in front of the three of them is a young husky.

Join Rippon Lodge Historic Site commemorate Admiral Black's service and the greatest generation at World War II Days on September 12 & 13, from 11 am – 3 pm. daily; FREE, donations welcome.

Commemorate the 164th anniversary of the Battle of Kettle Run with us this Thursday evening at Bristoe Station Battlefie...
08/25/2026

Commemorate the 164th anniversary of the Battle of Kettle Run with us this Thursday evening at Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park. Staff will lead a tour focusing on the movements, actions, and soldiers of the New York Excelsior Brigade, which suffered heavy losses during the battle. Learn more about who these men were, what they did at Kettle Run, and how the battle affected their lives after August 27, 1862.

This hike is free. Registration is not required. It will begin at 5 pm in the parking lot of Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park.

10501 Tenth Alabama Way, Bristow, VA. (703) 366-3049.

This summer, intern Marcella Circle began an oral history project to collect the stories of Prince William County's Viet...
08/24/2026

This summer, intern Marcella Circle began an oral history project to collect the stories of Prince William County's Vietnam War veterans. Circle interviewed four veterans from the Prince William County Historical Commission, and eventually these interviews will also be sent to the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project. This project will likely span years, and we're currently in the process of identifying more Prince William veterans to interview. For more information about the project or to recommend an individual, please call 703-792-1731 or email [email protected].

Image: Roll of Honor Memorial at Freedom Park; courtesy of Prince William County.

The fig tree at Rippon Lodge historic site is exploding with fruit. These naturally sweet tasty treats are a late summer...
08/23/2026

The fig tree at Rippon Lodge historic site is exploding with fruit. These naturally sweet tasty treats are a late summer delight. The tree continually produces large amounts of fruit, even after being trimmed back every year.

Figs in the 18th Century were a delicious food that was enjoyed by all levels of society.

Below is a fig receipt (18th century word for recipe)
Roasted Figs with Honey

Ingredients

▢4 figs
▢4 tsp honey runny honey
▢1/2 orange zest and juice
▢2 tbsp Greek yogurt tp serve
Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C/350F
Quarter the figs from the stalk downwards but don’t cut right
through, let them open like a flower
Place them on a baking sheet
Add a pinch of the orange zest and a teaspoon of honey to the centre of each fig
Squeeze the orange juice all over them
Bake for 10-15 mins, basting half way through with the juice
Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Bug and Bird Day at Rippon Lodge Historic Site starts at 10am today. We've moved most of the activities inside the histo...
08/22/2026

Bug and Bird Day at Rippon Lodge Historic Site starts at 10am today.

We've moved most of the activities inside the historic house and on porches due to the potential rain.

We look forward to seeing you. $5 per person. Under 6 are free.

In 1806, the United States began construction on its first interstate highway from Cumberland, MD at the upper reaches o...
08/21/2026

In 1806, the United States began construction on its first interstate highway from Cumberland, MD at the upper reaches of the navigable Potomac through the mountains to the Ohio River. It would keep going west until 1838 when, having reached the Illinois capital of Vandalia, the project was abandoned. Cost played a role, but looming larger was the spreading railroad and waterway network capable of carrying bulk goods for less.

Prince William County had few major roads in this time period, although Virginia underwrote the cost for many private turnpike companies to improve local roads. From 1802 to 1811 the Little River Turnpike had been built from Alexandria to Aldie (in Loudoun County) as a surfaced, macademized road (see below). The Fauquier and Alexandria Turnpike was incorporated in 1808 by citizens in Fauquier and Prince William counties to take advantage of this commercial route. Their road built between 1812 and 1818 would connect Warrenton via Buckland to Fairfax Court House, a route today followed by US 15 from Warrenton to Buckland and US 29 from Buckland to Fairfax. It would be heavily used by farmers and businesses, including the Buckland distillery, in times of peace, and a major artery for soldiers during the Civil War.

Why talk about these roads now? Well, 100 years ago in August 1926 the American Association of State Highway Officials in concert with the Bureau of Bulic Roads (today the Federal Highway Administration) were developing a new plan to reshape the national road system that would create our numbered US highways today! Over the next few months leading up to the adoption of the Numbered Highway System, we'll be highlight elements of PWC's historical connections to our developing national road system on Fridays!

Image Caption: Workmen break rocks to macademize the Frederick-Hagerstown Turnpike near Boonsboro, Maryland. Macadem was a system of grading, sloping, and using compressed finely broken gravel to form an all-weather road surface popular for highway construction in the 1800s. Painting by Richard Schlecht for the National Road Heritage Foundation.

Mark your calendars for a fall Brentsville Bluegrass Concert on Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 5:30-7:30PM! Bring you...
08/20/2026

Mark your calendars for a fall Brentsville Bluegrass Concert on Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 5:30-7:30PM!

Bring your chairs, kick up your heels and enjoy some Bluegrass from Big Howdy Bluegrass at the Brentsville Courthouse public lot! Before the concert starts, self-guided tours of the grounds will be available.

Admission is FREE. Food and beverages from Catfish on Wheels will be available for purchase. Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre is located at 12229 Bristow Road, Bristow, VA 20136. For more information, please call 703-365-7895.

Image Caption: Big Howdy Bluegrass

Crossing our fingers that the rain stays away on Saturday, August 22 for Rippon Lodge Historic Site's Bug and Bird Day e...
08/20/2026

Crossing our fingers that the rain stays away on Saturday, August 22 for Rippon Lodge Historic Site's Bug and Bird Day event. Join us as we explore the wonders of nature found every day at the historic site. Take a guided walking tour with our volunteer birder, crafts and games for the children, and meet staff from PWC Virginia Cooperative Extension, and more.

Program is 10am to 1 pm, $5 per person, kids under 6 free. Advanced ticket purchase recommended at https://pwcparks.info/hptickets

Join us this Saturday from 2:00-3:00pm at Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park for the children’s program, Battle o...
08/18/2026

Join us this Saturday from 2:00-3:00pm at Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park for the children’s program, Battle of Kettle Run for Kids through Toys and Games. Your child will learn about the battle through interactive activities such as hiking, toys, musket drills, artifacts, and more. Recommended for ages 6-15. Adults must be able to participate with children. This is a FREE program.

Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park
10501 Tenth Alabama Way, Bristow, VA
703-366-3049

Address

17674 Main Street
Dumfries, VA
22026

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

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