Prior to the Civil War, the southern section of the Waynewood neighborhood in Alexandria, VA was owned by the Hunters, one of the many Northern families that migrated to the Mount Vernon District in the mid-nineteenth century to apply modern farming techniques on land once owned by George Washington. In 1854, William and Margaretta Hunter arrived from Pennsylvania with their impressive crop of 7 Children (4 boys and 3 girls) spanning ages 3-17. They built a home and called it Cedar Hill referring to the abundance of Red Cedar trees (Juniperus virginiana) in the area.
The 1860 census records that the family owned 410 acres. The property tax book shows that they owned 5 horses, 1 vehicle, 10 cattle, 10 hogs and 1 clock. Yes, prior to 1863, clocks were taxed at a rate depending on how long they ran without winding! Using current landmarks, we can loosely say that Cedar Hill was bounded on the West by Stratford Landing and Fort Hunt Elementary schools, on the South by Danewood Dr. and Fort Hunt Park, on the North by Old Stage Rd. and Waynewood Boulevard and on the East by the Potomac River.
From period maps and aerial photographs, the Cedar Hill farmhouse appears to have been located within what is now the loop of Dalebrook Drive and Danton Lane. Potomac Lane was once the Hunter’s private drive connecting the Neck Road (Fort Hunt Road) to their residence. It must have been a bustling, noisy home at the time, but the older children were soon off on their own. Of note, the eldest girls, Jane Frances and Rachael Pocahontas Hunter were married to local men in a double wedding ceremony at the home in October 1866.
William farmed the land and worked with neighboring families (Baker, Snowden, and Thompson) to build the Snowden School on Fort Hunt Rd. Attendance records from the years 1872-1878 indicate that at least one of the Hunter children was educated there. Margaretta (or Margaret) became a fixture at the Alexandria Market House and City Hall which still stands at Courthouse square in Old Town. She was a regular attendant sitting on her bench in the first-floor market stalls “through winter snows and summer heat.”
Over time, the Hunter boys found mates as well. Benjamin married Mary Ann Dearborn on October 19, 1876 and John and James married a pair of sisters who lived on the historic Mount Eagle estate in December 1881 and May 1882, respectively. The Hunter children and other relatives threw Margaret a surprise birthday party at Cedar Hill in honor of her 64th Birthday in June 1882. The Alexandria Gazette reported on the event adding that “Mrs. Hunter’s many friends in this city join with her relations and friends in the country in wishing her many more years of happiness.”
Unfortunately, Mrs. Hunter passed away less than two years later. Her husband and children continued on without her, staying involved in community fairs and other events. In 1888, William had a 140 foot well driven at Cedar Hill to feed a 3000 gallon tank. He was apparently so enamored with the quality of the water and the workings that he issued an invitation to neighbors to come and see it. Longtime Waynewood resident, Marilyn Geiger recalled that when she was young, a well opened up in her yard. Investigating further, they found a few items including a coal-heated clothes iron!
William Hunter passed away in February 1892 before work had begun on the construction of the coastal artillery defenses at nearby Fort Hunt. The Hunters were buried at St. Paul’s Cemetery in Alexandria City. Descendants of the Hunter family remained in the area—but that’s another story.
10 Responses to The Hunter Family of Cedar Hill