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- The Fort Hunt Fortress
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Author Archives: Tammy Mannarino
Visit to Wellington (River Farm) on the Way to War
On April 17, 1862, William H. Snowden boarded the steamboat John A. Warner for a trip down the Potomac River. He was traveling for business….with the Union Army. While he was raised in the Quaker tradition, at the first sign … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Black Walnut, Broad Creek, George Washington, River Farm, Snowden, Trees, Wellington
Tagged A.R. Waud, Alexandria, VA, American Horticultural Society, Arlington Cemetery, Fort Worth, John A. Warner, Mount Vernon District, Peninsula Campaign, River Farm, Wellington, William H. Snowden
2 Comments
The Hunter Family of Cedar Hill
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Fort Hunt, Fort Hunt Park, George Washington, Potomac, Snowden, Trees, Waynewood
Tagged Alexandria Market House, Cedar Hill, Jane Frances Hunter, Margaretta Holstein Hunter, Marilyn Geiger, Neck Road, Potomac Lane, Rachael Pocahontas Hunter, Red Cedar, Sheridan's Point, Snowden School, St. Paul's Cemetery, William Hunter
10 Comments
Waynewood Swim Team: Going Strong After Six Decades
On July 14, 1960, a mere 10 days after the grand opening of Waynewood Pool, Robert Lemmon pitched his idea to the Waynewood Recreation Association (WRA). He wanted to create a swim team. The Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) was … Continue reading
Heirs of River Farm
Published in the Mount Vernon Gazette March 31, 2021 On October 15, 1785, George Washington’s favorite nephew married Martha Washington’s favorite niece. George Augustine Washington was the son of George Washington’s youngest Brother Charles, the founder of Charlestown, West Virginia. … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, George Washington, Mount Vernon, Pohick Church, River Farm, Wellington
Tagged Anna Maria Washington, Anthony Whiting, Charles Augustine Washington, Fanny Bassett, George Augustine Washington, George Fayette Washington, River Farm, Tobias Lear, Walnut Tree Farm, Wellington, Wellington at River Farm
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Waynewood Summer: A Sixty-Year Tradition
At this time 60 years ago, both the Waynewood Citizens’ Association (WCA) and the Waynewood Recreation Association (WRA) were preparing for their first summer of official activities. They were, for the first time since the WCA’s inception in 1958, moving … Continue reading
Wildflower and Weed: Purple Dead-Nettle Makes Its Annual Appearance
Perhaps you have admired these purple wildflowers growing in swaths along the George Washington Memorial Parkway and other roads in our area. You may also have cursed them as a persistent weed that crops up in your lawn as a … Continue reading
Love Local History? Explore a Yearbook!
On-line archives house yearbooks from the Mount Vernon area and beyond! Last fall, in pursuit of a local history lead, I entered the West Potomac High School (WPHS) Library. I was looking for copies of the Fort Hunt High School … Continue reading
A Bride, A Groom and 23 Children – 60 Years Later
Bill and Gail Chapman are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary this year, but they’ll be missing some of those who were present at the celebration 60 years ago, namely news cameramen, reporters and Bill’s 6th grade students from Waynewood Elementary.
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Belle Haven, Belle View, Route 1, Waynewood
Tagged Col. Hallock Walmsley, Ethel Walmsley, Fairfax County Public Schools, Gail Gresham Chapman, Gertrude Gimelli, Huntley-Brinkley Report, Joseph Gimelli, Movietone News, River Road Baptist Church, Waynewood, Waynewood Elementary, William Boyd Chapman, Willow Oaks Country Club
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Who Built Collingwood in Alexandria, VA?
Local tradition, a 1937 Works Progress Administration report on the structure, and the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) hold that
Telephone Exchange Names in Alexandria, Northern Virginia
In the early days of telephone usage, central offices were built to serve subscribers within a small local area. Telephone exchanges were groupings of numbers assigned to a central office for switching. These telephone exchanges were given names that often … Continue reading
The Snowden School on Fort Hunt Road: a School Built by a Community and a Community Built by a School
This is the third in a series of posts on the Snowden Family and their contributions to our community. Previous articles can be found in the archives on the right hand side of the page. On the morning of Tuesday, … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Collingwood, Dennis McCarty, Mount Air, Pohick Church, River Farm, Snowden, Wellington
Tagged Aggie Finks, Mildred Finks, Mount Vernon District School Board, Nevitt Family, Snowden School, St. Luke's Episcopal Church
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Stacy H. Snowden: Mount Vernon Supervisor
This is the second 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. … Continue reading
Wellington, Riverview, Andalusia, Arcturus and Collingwood: The Snowden Brothers and their Homes
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. … Continue reading
John Smith’s Travels on the Potomac River
John Smith is usually remembered for his leadership role in establishing the Jamestown settlement as well as his often-legendary connection to Pocahontas. Many are unaware that before he became the third President of the Jamestown colony, he and fourteen men … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Dogue Creek, Great Hunting Creek, John Smith, Mount Vernon, Potomac, Tauxenent
Tagged Dogue, Grist Mill, Little Falls, Nacotchtank, Namassingkent, Piscataway, Taux, Tauxemont, Tauxenent
5 Comments
Harrison Dodge: Superintendent of Mount Vernon & Vestryman of Pohick Church
On May 19, 1937, Harrison Howell Dodge passed away suddenly from a cerebral hemorrhage. This would end his 52 year tenure as the Superintendent of the Mount Vernon Estate, a record of service that stands today. On May 21st, following … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, George Washington, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Harrison Howell Dodge, Mount Vernon, Pohick Church, Trees
Tagged Charles Cecil Wall, Edith Roosevelt, Elizabeth Knowlton Dodge, Henry Ford, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison
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Wisteria in the Mount Vernon Area: Devastatingly Beautiful
When George Washington purchased 3 wisteria plants for his Mount Vernon estate in March 1792, William Bartram delivered them with a detailed description that could be read as a friendly warning. Bartram, a naturalist who inherited his father’s nursery, describes … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, George Washington, GW Rec Center, Invasive species, Mount Air, Mount Vernon, Trees, Wisteria
Tagged American wisteria, Chinese wisteria, Fort Hunt Rd, GW Parkway, Japanese wisteria, Telegraph Rd, Wisteria floribunda, Wisteria frutescens, Wisteria sinensis
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Lilacs: A Mount Vernon Area Favorite since 1732
The Custis and Washington Families both cultivated lilacs in their gardens. John Custis (1678-1749), the father of Daniel Parke Custis (Martha Washington’s first husband), was an avid gardener. Custis traded plants and corresponded with notable horticulturists of the time. His … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Dennis McCarty, John Custis, Lilac, Mount Air, Mount Vernon, pruning
Tagged Common Lilac, Persian Lilac
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Historic Trees at River Farm
“I have made up my mind and am making my arrangements to take up my residence at the Walnut–tree farm this fall,” wrote Tobias Lear to George Washington on September 8th 1797. Lear was Washington’s personal secretary and the residence he was referring to … Continue reading
Forsythia’s Big Year
Forsythia is both revered and despised, often for the same reason. It is everywhere because it’s easy to grow. Those who love it, welcome it’s blooms as a first sign of Spring. Its staying power this year certainly reflects the … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Forsythia, pruning
Tagged Alexandria, Forsythia, pruning, William Forsyth
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Cell Phone Tower at GW Rec Center
It looked like Christmas in April. Crates full of artificial branches sat beneath the previously installed section of the monopole. Workmen spent the majority of Wednesday on the George Washington Recreation Center driveway assembling the top section of the … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Cell Tower, GW Rec Center
Tagged Stealth Concealment Solutions Inc.
2 Comments
St. John’s Church, Broad Creek, MD
George Washington attended Services here, the sign says as you walk along the path to St. John’s Episcopal Church, also called Broad Creek Church. This year is the church’s 325th anniversary. In 1692, the Church of England established thirty parishes … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Broad Creek, St. John's Church
Tagged Addison Family, Broad Creek Church, Walter Dulany Addison, Warburton Manor, William H. Snowden
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See the Trees, Recite the Poem
There’s still time. A.E. Housman published his poem in 1896, well before the Mayor of Tokyo gifted the city of Washington, DC 3,000 cherry trees, but his message is universal. It doesn’t depend on time or location. You don’t have … Continue reading
Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, River Farm, Trees
Tagged A.E. Housman, Alexandria, American Horticultural Society, Cherry Blossoms, Mount Vernon
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