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Museums...
Only 15 minutes from the historic Manassas Battlefields, Fauquier County is rich in Civil War history.
Check out these
museums and historic sites for yourself, take a guided tour, or research your own
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4243 Loudoun Avenue, The Plains, Virginia 20198
phone (540) 253-7488
fax (540) 253-5126
e-mail: aaha@infionline.net
website: www.aahafauquier.org
In addition to the research facility which holds thousands of files for
genealogical
research, this community museum's exhibits hold valuable
photographs and artifacts,
important to Fauquier County's local history,
as well as our Nation's history.
Check out the Virtual Museum online at
the above web address.
Hours of Operation:
Mon - Sat (10am-3pm) and Sundays/Evenings by appointment
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This new museum, currently under construction, is scheduled to open late-2010.
The Cold War Museum will fill a substantial void in the interpretation of post-WWII history.
The Museum's goal of educating current and future generations about this critical period
in international relations seeks to fulfill a unique role in the study of history.
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This new museum, currently under construction, is scheduled to open mid-2010.
Work began at this historic site in 1999 with an archaeological excavation,
exposing
the stone foundation of a church, laid in the 1750s, in the form
of a Greek cross.
Known as the Elk Run Anglican Church, its first rector,
the Rev. James Keith, was
the grandfather of Chief Justice John Marshall.
The church fell into disuse sometime
after 1803 as the much of the
population moved to other areas. Until now, the only
recorded description
of the church was made by Bishop Meade who, in 1857,
wrote that it was
a "substantial brick church, cruciform, I bleieve. I am not certain
that the roof
was on it when I first saw it in 1811. Its walls continued for many years
after this and I saw them gradually disappear during my annual visits to
the conventions."
The new museum will allow visitors to walk around the foundation unit,
learn about
the history of the church and surrounding area, and view artifacts
found during the
excavation.
For more information, visit www.elkrunchurch.org.
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phone (540) 423-1700
e-mail: foundation@germanna.org
website: www.germanna.org
Germantown was Fauquier County’s first permanent settlement. It was
founded by German miners brought to the Rappahannock River valley by
Alexander Spotswood,
then lieutenant governor of Virginia, in the early
1700’s to excavate iron ore found on
his property.
As the name suggests,
it was home to a large group of German immigrants
whose names survive
in the County today. Common Fauquier names such as Fishback,
Rector,
Kemper, and Hitt all date back to this early settlement.
The modern-day boundaries of this settlement are Meetze Road along the
northeast
and Germantown Road along the southwest. The population of
Germantown shifted
around during the 1800s, following the popularity of
the new Warrenton Road.
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26 Main Street, Warrenton, Virginia 20186
phone (540) 347-7785
This small museum, located on historic Main Street in Old Town Warrenton, features
changing exhibits which focus on life beginning in the mid-1700's through the Civil War
and the war's aftermath.
Hours of Operation:
Fri & Sat (12pm - 5pm);
Sundays (1pm - 5pm).
Closed on major holidays.
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14421 Gold Dust Parkway, off Rte. 17, Goldvein, Virginia 22720
phone (540) 752-5330
e-mail: southparks@fauquiercounty.gov
website: www.goldvein.com
Since the park and museum area are fairly new, the Fauquier
County Parks and
Recreation Department is only beginning to
acquire interpretive resources, including
artifacts, photos and
paintings. Eventually the Gold Mining Camp area will consist of
outdoor wayside exhibits, indoor exhibits in the Mess Hall and
Living History programs
at the park, as well as outreach programs
to the community. Presentations are available
to community, civic
and scout groups.
Gold Panning Workshops are also available by appointment -
ideal for groups.
Hours of Operation:
Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat (9am-5pm);
Closed on major holidays.
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Located next to the Courthouse in Old Town Warrenton at:
14 Main Street, Warrenton, Virginia 20186
phone (540) 347-5525
website: www.fauquierhistory.org
Warrenton's former jail is a singular example of the state's early county
penal
architecture. The complex includes the 1808 brick jail, converted to
the jailer's
residence
and
completed in 1823, and the parallel stone jail
with its high-walled
jail-yard. Located
next to the courthouse, the jail
provides a telling picture of conditions
endured by inmates
of such
county facilities.
Hours of Operation:
Tues - Sun (10am-4pm;
Closed on major holidays.
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4447 Weston Road, Casanova, Virginia
phone (540) 788-9220
website: www.historicweston.org
Weston, an early-American treasure, is one of Fauquier County’s most
completely preserved nineteenth-century farmsteads. The property goes
back to Robert “King” Carter’s land grant, while the present-day 7,500
square foot farmhouse, originally a
2-story log cabin, was built by the
Fitzhugh family sometime around 1817. A classic
example of an early
Virginia working farm, Weston retains its rare collection of ten
original
agricultural and domestic outbuildings: log kitchen, smokehouse,
overseer ’s
cabin; dairy, corn crib, blacksmith shop, tool shed/workroom,
two barns and a stable.
Today, Weston stands on 10 of its original 440
acres. The old house and its outbuildings
are surrounded by giant oaks,
sweeping lawns, woodlands and cornfields.
Weston is maintained by the Warrenton Antiquarian SocietyTours by appointment:
Call (540) 788-9220.
School groups are welcome.
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