Author and Historian Tom Evans, a resident of the corridor, researched the Civil War action along Hunter Mill road in the early 1970's. He also searched many sites along the road looking for artifacts and evidences of the actions for which he found documentation. Tom has graciously allowed us to photograph and display part of his collection here.
View the Collection here.
History
The Hunter Mill Defense League serves a scenic Fairfax County, Virginia, community that is twenty miles from the nation's capitol, near Vienna and Oakton, Virginia. The community is connected by an historic 7.5 mile, tree-lined roadway. Hunter Mill Road sets a tranquil tone and sense of pace for area residents. Its essential winding path through wooded glades and gently rolling hills remains unchanged since the 1600s, when it was a prominent ridge trail used by Native Americans. During the County's colonial period, it became the market road for many leaseholds and some large estates located along its way. It was the site of major troop encampments during the Civil War. The road was named for George Washington Hunter, a prominent landowner and miller, who established the prosperous Hunter's Mill on the banks of Difficult Run stream.
Modern residential development has been at very low density and sensitive to the prevailing rural landscape. Those who live in the Hunter Mill Road corridor take pride in their natural and historic surroundings. They have traditionally demonstrated an unusually high degree of civic participation and community spirit.
Cartersville Baptist Church
History Project
Hunter Mill Road Eligible for Nomination to Virginia and National Registers
Vienna/Oakton, VA- At a recent meeting, the State Review Board for Historic Preservation in Virginia declared that a Hunter Mill Road Historic District is eligible for nomination to the Virginia and National Registers. This action signals that a formal nomination may be submitted and that projects involving federal funds must now be reviewed to determine their impact on historic resources.
The History Committee of the Hunter Mill Defense League submitted a preliminary request for Historic District designation to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in September 2001. The Committee has collected photographs, interviews, court documents, book and newspaper accounts which describe the history of the road since colonial times. On the 7.2 mile roadway, there are more than fifty points of interest with heritage value.
In 1966, Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act and created the National Register of Historic Places to officially recognize structures, sites, objects, and districts that embody the "historical and cultural foundations of the nation." Since 1966, there have been nearly 100,000 listings on the National Register, with several thousand in Virginia alone. Listing on the national or state registers informs owners, local planners, and government agencies of the existence of an historic resource. However, it places no restriction on use of private property or construction of public projects. Benefits of registry listing include Federal and State Rehabilitation Grants and Tax Credits for owners of historic buildings. When a formal nomination for an historic district is submitted, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources advises all property owners and invites their full participation in the review process.
Cartersville Baptist Church historic marker
Recent History News
On July 10, 2006, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously supported the Hunter Mill Road Special Task Force’s recommendation to approve the Area Plan Nominations that included adding language to the Comprehensive Plan for each of the four magisterial districts bordering Hunter Mill Road (Dranesville, Hunter Mill, Sully, and Providence). The language acknowledges that official’s actions have been taken to recognize the historic significance of Hunter Mill Road. The new language in the Comprehensive Plan identifies that Hunter Mill Road has been designated a Virginia Byway. One can note the blue signs burdening the road. Also, the new language states that Hunter Mill Road corridor has been determined to be eligible for listing in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
HMDL History Committee, under the direction of Chairman Michael Park, was successful in placing Cartersville Baptist Church on the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Places. Please drive by the Church located at 17, Hunter Mill Road, and examine the historic marker placed there by the Fairfax County History Commission. On June 12, the Church members, friends and neighbors celebrated the Church’s 143rd anniversary.