This is the first in a series of posts on the Snowden Family and their connections to the history of our area. Of at least 5 homes occupied by the Snowdens from 1859-1949, only two are left: Wellington and Collingwood. With the sale of Collingwood to new owners in 2016, its future is uncertain.
Once upon a time, there were three brothers: Isaac, William and Stacey Snowden. They lived on a farm in New Jersey with their Mother, Rhoda Hazelton Snowden, brother John, and two sisters, Abigail and Mary Jane. The Snowdens were Quakers and likely heard about opportunities in the Mount Vernon area through the Mullica Hill Friends Meeting where they were members. In the late 1840’s, Quaker families from New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia migrated to Virginia to purchase inexpensive farm and timber lands and to work with the free black community that existed in the area around Mount Vernon. They wanted to show that slavery was not necessary for financial success. In 1859, two years before the Civil War started, the brothers left home. While it is unclear whether Isaac, William and Stacey were previously acquainted with others that moved into the Mount Vernon area, they certainly worked in concert once they were neighbors.
As they left the Quaker enclave in Harrison Township, they couldn’t have imagined the lasting impact they would have on their new home. They purchased large tracts of land that had previously been part of George Washington’s River Farm and helped forge a community that would, for a time, carry their name (Snowden, VA). Their homes would be central to the development of roads, schools, churches, postal delivery, social and business organizations, recreation, and rail and steamboat travel between Washington DC and Mount Vernon. While there are no known Snowden descendants still living in the area, evidence of their residence in our community from 1859-1949, is easily seen. Communities, roads and properties still bear their names or the names of their homes.
The Snowdens lived in at least five homes along the Potomac. Isaac and his wife Anna lived at Wellington, now the home of the American Horticultural Society. They later moved to an adjacent home, Riverview. William and his wife Elizabeth lived at Arcturus which became the guest house for a larger home, Andalusia. Stacey and his wife Sarah lived at Collingwood, which current residents of the community probably remember for its library, museum and sledding hill, open to the public until 2016. While Riverview, Andalusia and Arcturus were demolished in the later part of the twentieth century to make room for more modern homes, Wellington and Collingwood still stand. These two homes were built before the Snowdens arrived and have rich histories before and after brothers’ ownership. While both homes are listed on the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites, that distinction does not limit or restrict what a homeowner can do with their property. The current owners of Collingwood have applied for a permit to regrade the property which would involve demolition of the mansion.
There are no known pictures of his first house, Arcturus which became the guest house once this dwelling was built.
Between Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria, we are blessed with a wealth of history. In recent years, some amazing, lesser-known stories of our community have been highlighted (e.g. Beacon Field and Hybla Valley Airports, and P.O. Box 1142 at Fort Hunt). The Snowden Brothers and their homes are at the heart of more remarkable stories in our area’s history. Stories that you may not have heard…..yet.
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