About Fauquier County Map of Fauquier  

 
 

Born in England in 1703
Lt. Governor of the Colony of Virginia
from 1758 until his death in 1768

Son of Dr. John Francis Fauquier
who relocated from France to Britain
to work with Sir Isaac Newton.

Friend to Thomas Jefferson,
Francis Fauquier was considered a
"Renaissance Man" with expertise in
both science and industry, and
interests in the arts and charity.

A sympathizer with the colonists,
Lt. Governor Fauquier was one of the
most popular of the royal governors.

 

  
Francis Fauquier, Lt. Governor
of the Colony of Virginia 		 
 
 
     
   

Steeped in equestrian tradition, and surrounded by wineries and vineyards, today
Fauquier County is known for being at the heart of hunt and wine country. Famous for
its horse farms and beautiful rolling land at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,
Fauquier offers contrast as both a natural haven and gateway to bustling Northern
Virginia and the D.C. Metropolitan Area.

Towns & Villages in Fauquier County

Fauquier has three incorporated towns, including The Plains, Warrenton,
and Remington, and many small historic villages.

A little history

Dating back to the 17th century and the beginnings of our country, the area we now
know as Fauquier County was listed in 1608 as part of the Northern Neck of the
Colony of Virginia by Captain John Smith, explorer and leader of the Jamestowne
Colony. Named after Francis Fauquier, Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Virginia
from 1758 to 1768, Fauquier County was founded from a section of land previously
considered Prince William County.

The rich Civil War history in Fauquier County can be experienced through several
different self-driven tours, guided tours, museums, and historical trail markers. Although no major battles were fought in Fauquier County, a number of skirmishes involving infantry and cavalry did occur.

After the second Battle of Manassas, which took place just 10 minutes from Fauquier by today's travel standards, over 1,800 wounded soldiers were brought to Warrenton to makeshift hospitals set up in Warrenton's businesses, churches and homes. Union General McClennan said farewell to his troops as Commander of the Army of the Potomac in 1862, from the balcony of the Warren Green Hotel which still stands today.

Other interesting facts

  • In 1909 Warrenton experienced a major fire that destroyed close
    to half its structures, including the county courthouse
  • Wallis Warfield Spencer, the future Duchess of Windsor,
    set up residency at the Warren Green Hotel to get her first divorce
  • President Teddy Roosevelt (1901-1909) rode horseback from Washington
    to Warrenton and back in one day to prove such a trip was possible
  • The John Kennedy family came to Fauquier for recreation during
    their years in Washington
   
      For more history...
Visit our Historical Attractions page
Notable Residents
 

 
   
 
  • John Marshall
    born in Fauquier County in 1755, was the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from
    1801 to 1835, helped shape American constitutional law and make the Supreme Court a center of power

  • Nancy Hanks Lincoln
    born in Fauquier County in 1784, was the mother of President Abraham Lincoln; she was baptized in Broad Run
    Baptist Church which still retains her baptismal record

  • Turner Ashby
    born in Fauquier County in 1828, was a Confederate cavalry general during the Civil War; he achieved prominence
    as Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's cavalry commander in the Shenandoah Valley; Turner Ashby was killed in
    battle in 1862

  • James Markham Marshall Ambler
    born in Fauquier County in 1848, was a soldier in the Confederate Army, and a physician on the Artic exploring ship,
    the U.S.S. Jeanette

  • Colonel John Singleton Mosby
    known as the "Gray Ghost", Mosby was a Colonel in the Civil War, and lived for a time in Fauquier County, in what
    is now the Town of Warrenton; he was noted for his lightning quick raids and his ability to successfully elude his
    pursuers (the Union Army) and disappear (like a ghost); an interesting man who, while a student at the University
    of Virginia in Charlottesville, served time in prison for shooting a fellow student, was known for his hot-tempered,
    lively personality

    After fighting in the First Battle of Bull Run, being promoted to First Lieutenant, being captured by the Union Army
    and imprisoned in the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C., Mosby formed and commanded the 43rd Battalion,
    Partisan Rangers of the 1st Virginia Cavalry, also known as Mosby's Men.

    Mosby was laid to rest in Warrenton Cemetery, and Mosby's home in Warrenton is now a museum and education
    center open to the public:
    The John S. Mosby Museum & Education Center
    173 Main Street, Warrenton, Virginia 20186
    phone: 540-351-1600
    website: www.mosbymuseum.org

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