Photo courtesy Carla Christiano
Taking a Road Trip Through Prince William’s History By Carla Christiano
I
Photo courtesy Carla Christiano
love a road trip. In the last year though, because of COVID19, my road trips haven’t gone much beyond a few local stores. So, when the chance arose to discover Prince William history through historical markers, I gassed up my old Honda and hit the road. After more than 400 miles, a couple of tanks of gas and a dog-eared Prince William County Historical Marker Guide, I discovered a lot about this place I’ve called home. Maybe you can too.
About the Markers In Prince William, we are surrounded by the stories that appear in the history books. Yet every year, more and more places at the center of those stories are disappearing. To ensure those stories aren’t lost, the city of Manassas, the town of Occoquan, local organizations, the county and even the state have erected historical markers. These markers also “are intended to promote a greater appreciation for Prince William’s rich heritage,” according to Jim Burgess, the Prince William County Historical Commission member responsible for the marker guide and other Commission publications. One of the oldest such programs in the country is Virginia’s historical highway marker program, now overseen by the Virginia
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July 2021 prince william living
Bristoe Station Historical Markers along Bristow Road
Department of Historic Resources. Begun in 1927, its goal is to “present history where it actually happened.” Prince William has a number of these silver and black markers lining local roads. The earliest dates from 1928 and commemorates the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), where Robert E. Lee commanded Confederate troops to victory weeks before the more famous Battle of Antietam. That marker was placed beside Lee Highway (now Route 29) only a few months after it became one of the first to be paved in the area, connecting Arlington to Warrenton,
