NEWS
Fort Belvoir Convoy Bridge Accident
By Mary Lipsey and Debi DeLoose. In the late 1800’s an iron truss bridge was built to carry traffic on Ox Road (123) across the Southern Railway tracks and right-of-way…
Tragedy at Howrey Field
By Mary Lipsey, with contributions from Brian Slawski. Credit goes as well to Glenn Curtis, whose recent interview helped provide this information, and to Jim Hawkins, who recorded the interview.…
“Pull over, there’s a sign”
My husband often tells stories of the road trips taken with his parents and sisters during the 50’s and 60’s. They would pack the station wagon, hitch up the “pop…
Historic Maps of Burke, No. 1
In 1862, the United States was in the middle of a civil war. Maps were a key part of fighting an effective and strategic war. This map was created by…
Remembrances of our Fairfax County Veterans
World War I started in Europe in 1914. The United States joined the war in April 1917. For almost two years the Fairfax Herald newspaper regularly published lists of the…
Burke’s Bluesman
It’s a good time to revisit the theme of “notable people from the Burke area.” On this occasion, we’ll look at one of our most renowned musicians. John Jackson was…
Celebrating Our Regional Cryptids, Urban Legends, Folklore, and Mythology
Happy Halloween, Burke! This is not your typical BHS blog post about historical events and persons of note. Rather, it is to pose a question to you, Dear Reader: Shouldn’t…
Fairfax County Irish Residents
The early population of Fairfax County, Virginia was composed primarily of Northern Europeans, many of whom were holders of land grants or individuals designated to act as caretakers of land…
Changing Agriculture of the 19th Century in Fairfax County, Virginia
From the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia through the mid-19th century, the primary agricultural cash crop of the Commonwealth of Virginia was tobacco. The crop required large acreage (thousands of acres)…
History of Lake Accotink – Part Three
(In case you missed it, “A History of Lake Accotink- Part 1 and Part 2” can be found at https://burkehistoricalsociety.org/a-history-of-lake-accotink-part-1/ and https://burkehistoricalsociety.org/a-history-of-lake-accotink-part-2/ When we left Lake Accotink in Part 2…
A History of Lake Accotink-Part 2
(In case you missed it, “A History of Lake Accotink- Part 1” can be found at https://burkehistoricalsociety.org/a-history-of-lake-accotink-part-1/) Where did we leave the story of Lake Accotink? Ah yes. In 1922…
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) – Roosevelt’s “Tree Army” – 1933-1942 – By Mary Lipsey
In 1933 the United States elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who promised to ease the pains of the Great Depression. In 1929, the nation had suffered the worst stock market…
Clara Barton’s Career and Service at Saint Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church at Fairfax Station: by Mary Lipsey
In Baltimore, Maryland on April 19, 1861, Union soldiers of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry, who were traveling to defend Washington DC, were badly injured by Confederate sympathizers. Learning that the…
A History of Lake Accotink – Part 1
By Debra DeLoose Accotink Creek is around 25 miles in length. It begins north of Lake Accotink in the area of Fairfax City and ends at Accotink Bay where it…
Burke’s “Little Post Office”
The current post office for Burke opened in 1989 but the history of postal service and post offices in Burke goes back over 150 years beginning in 1852 with the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
History Talk on ‘Everything Burke’
Burke Connection By Steve Hibbard February 8, 2018 The Burke Historical Society presented a talk by Brian Slawski, 36, its program chair and vice president, on “Everything Burke” at its…
A Few Character’s in Burke’s History
Burke Connection By Steve Hibbard December 21, 2017 About 40 people attended a presentation by the Burke Historical Society on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, at Pohick Regional Library in Burke.…
Making History Personal at Burke History Day 2016
Burke Connection By Tim Peterson November 14, 2016 Burke — Burke History Day 2016, put on by the Burke Historical Society, was all about getting community members to become more…
Copperthite Race Track Receives Historical Marker
Burke Connection By Tim Peterson August 4, 2016 More than 100 years since Copperthite Race Track opened in Burke, harnessed race horses once again trotted back and forth on the…
Burke Historical Society begins new research education series
When Col. Blake Meyers’ (U.S. Army, ret.) mother and grandmother died…
Burke History Day: Exploring History and Legend in Depth
Dr. Kjell Lindgren speaks to the audience during the black-box video screening…
Learning About Burke History
How many people know that Burke is named after the 19th-century farmer, merchant and local politician, Silas Burke…
Students Celebrate Burke School’s 75th Anniversary
Virginia Lee Fowler Hyer is the oldest of seven girls who used to live in the “top of…
Burke School Set to Celebrate 75th Anniversary
The Burke School is turning 75. The building at the corner of Burke Lake and Lee…
New Civil War Marker Honors African-American Woodcutters in Burke
Centreville resident Debbie Robison hasn’t…
Murder Mystery Marks Annual Meeting
The Burke Historical Society marked its annual meeting on Sunday, Jan. 25, at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in…
Historic Snowstorm Revisited in Burke
It was only fitting on a snowy Sunday in late March, following a winter filled with snow days, that members of the Burke…
Taking a Trip Back in Time
If it weren’t for a group of concerned citizens in the 1950s, Burke could have very well been the site of a major airport…
Burke History Day Revisited
On Saturday, Oct. 12, grey skies and light rain didn’t put a damper on the first Burke History Day since the 1990s…
Burke: A History of Pies, Racing and Summer Fun
Burke — When Mike Copperthite dug into his family’s history last year, he struck pies. Fifty thousand of them…
Finding the Forgotten Founding Father
Say the name George Mason and most people think of the university that bears his name…