Fairfax County History

Civil War in Virginia

• American Civil War Museum
  Includes the Museum of the Confederacy — Appomattox, which houses the world's largest collection of Confederate military and civilian artifacts.
• Civil War Resources from the Virginia Military Institute Archives
  Includes a roster of students from 1839-1911, a photo archive of student portraits and a guide to manuscripts.
• CivilWar@Smithsonian
  View the Smithsonian's collection of Civil War artifacts. The site includes historical information, timeline, and bibliography.
• Fort Ward
  Alexandria's Fort Ward was one of a ring of Union forts built to protect Washington during the Civil War.
• Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
• Manassas National Battlefield Park
• Richmond Daily Dispatch, 1861 – 1865
  A searchable index linked to full-text articles. Includes news from Fairfax and Northern Virginia. Via University of Richmond.
• The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War
  This site compares a Northern and Southern community during the Civil War using a digital archive of primary sources: maps, photographs, and letters. A project of UVA.

Virginia's Colonial Era

• Colonial Williamsburg
  • Colonial Williamsburg
    The official site for tourists, students, and teachers. Includes facts about Colonial historic trades and crafts, tours of buildings and sites, and articles.
  • Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Digital Library
    Search and view a digitized collection of rare books, manuscripts, and research reports from John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. A highlight is an index to The Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) with images of more than 8,000 pages of the newspaper. The digital library also includes the Williamsburg Research Report Series, a manuscript collection, and selected York County probate inventories.
• Jamestown
  • History of Jamestowne
    Preservation Virginia and the National Park Service describe the archaeology and history of Jamestowne. Includes a timeline of events and a list of early settlers.
  • Jamestowne Society
    Study Jamestown's history, leaders, and government. Includes a list of Virginia colonial ancestors.
  • Virtual Jamestown
    This site from UVA includes information on Jamestown settlers and the Virginia Company, maps, muster rolls and more.

Historic Sites and Museums (Local Area)

• Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
  Fairfax Station Railroad Museum includes history of the surrounding neighborhood, historic St. Mary's Church, and Clara Barton.
• Great Falls Park
  Great Falls Park includes waterfalls, the historic Patowmack Canal site, and nature trails.
• Gunston Hall Plantation
  The plantation home of patriot George Mason. The site includes the Mason family cemetery.
• Lucy Burns Museum and Workhouse Arts Center
  This museum and art center are built on the site of the former Lorton Workhouse Prison. The museum describes 91 years of prison history, including the story of suffragists and other civil rights leaders who were held there.
• Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
  The site includes the former home of Maggie Walker, with most of the original furnishings. Walker was a community leader, entrepreneur, and the first African American woman in the US to start a bank. The website includes a virtual tour of her home.
• Manassas Museum
  The museum displays interpret Northern Virginia Piedmont history through artifacts, documents, and images. The site includes a link to information about the Manassas Industrial School / Jennie Dean Memorial.
• Pope-Leighey House
  A Frank Lloyd Wright house on the grounds of the Woodlawn Plantation.
• Stratford Hall Plantation
  Visit the Lee family home. Includes a special section for students.
• Virginia Department of Historic Resources
  The DHR oversees the Virginia Landmarks Register of properties listed on state and national registers of historic landmarks, and historical highway markers for the entire state. Site also includes information on how to nominate new historic sites and markers.
• Woodlawn
  The Federal era home of Eleanor "Nelly" Custis Lewis, granddaughter of Martha Washington.