Burke’s Famous Architect
By Brian Slawski One of the pleasures of studying Burke’s history is discovering how many notable and interesting individuals have lived in our ostensibly small and sleepy stretch of Fairfax County. Any list of these individuals would surely include Walter Macomber. Walter Mayo Macomber was born February 25, 1894, in Revere, Massachussetts, just outside Boston. […]
Burke in the War of 1812 – The Coffer Brothers Dash to D.C.
Burke was rural and sparsely populated in the early 19th century. The 1810 Federal Census counted only 13,111 people in the entirety of Fairfax County. “Burke” was part of the Providence District; the “Burke” name was still decades away. The Coffer family settled in Burke through a 378 acre land grant to Francis Coffer in […]
The Story of Ravensworth
Historian John Browne speaks to Burke Historical Society. Burke Connection Last Sunday, March 31, the Burke Historical Society hosted historian John Browne at the Pohick Regional Library where he spoke to about 50 guests about his new book, The Story of Ravensworth – from the period of 1685 to the Civil War. “It fascinated me […]
Beautifying, Preserving Marshall Cemetery
Historic Burke family grave has been target of vandals over the years. Burke Connection By Mike Salmon Members of the Marshall family, Burke Historical Society and student history group broke out the weed trimmers and shovels to beautify and preserve the Marshall Cemetery in the older part of Burke on Saturday morning, sharing local history […]
Burke Has a Heart of Gold Somewhere
Burke Connection By Mike Salmon In 1799, a 17-pound nugget of gold was found near Charlotte, N.C., starting the lesser known East Coast Gold Rush, that spread into Virginia. As the years passed, and gold coins were produced in Charlotte, the east coast gold belt that stretched from the Harpers Ferry area to the Piedmont […]
Memories of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad
Burke Connection By Steve Hibbard A few dozen people attended the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum’s special exhibit called “Memories of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad” on Sunday, Sept. 23. With 17 poster displays, it also featured original artifacts from the railroad – coupling equipment, a drawbar spring, track pieces, an old brake shoe – as […]
Burke Centre Festival: A Day of Community Fun
Burke Connection By Steve Hibbard Despite the intermittent rain, the crowds were steady at the first day of the 41st annual Burke Centre Festival on Sept. 8 at the Burke Conservancy Festival Grounds. (read more)
Native American Speaker Highlights History, Fights Stereotypes
Burke Connection By Mike Salmon Burke — Karenne Wood gave a presentation for the Burke Historical Society on July 15. Hollywood and the retail world planted a seed for the stereotypical Native American, and it has been exploited more in commercial products and sports as well. (read more)
Ten Years of Community and Learning at Burke Centre Library
Burke Connection By Mike Salmon When the derecho struck on a summer day a few years ago, the Burke Centre Library became more than just a place to read and browse the internet. Since the library was the only building with electricity in the area, the library stayed open, and Burke residents flocked there to […]
Lost Towns of Fairfax County
Burke Connection By Steve Hibbard The Pohick Regional Library was packed for the Burke Historical Society’s 45-minute talk on “Lost Towns of Fairfax County,” presented by Heather Bollinger of Aldie and Jeff Clark of Fair Oaks, on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018. The focus was on once-vibrant communities that have since faded from view. The towns […]