History is Fun in Fairfax County

Many consider Fairfax County and the surrounding area to be the cradle of America.  It’s true that much of our Revolutionary and Civil War history took place right here in the rolling hills of Virginia.  If you’re visiting Oakton or any of the surrounding cities in Fairfax County then you’re just steps away from some of the most significant sites in our country’s history.

For instance, George Washington lived right here in Fairfax County!  Our first president called Mount Vernon, Virginia, home.  His house and lands are now one of the most visited historic sites in America.  It’s not just a house, though!  There are lots of interactive displays, as well as a theater.  You can visit the winery and the distillery before taking a walk in the amazing gardens.

For a taste of life in the 1920’s and 1940’s, you should be sure to see Frying Pan Farm Park.  The park focuses on rural America and the many advances that we made during these times, such as mechanical balers, milking machines, and tractors.  The meeting house in the park was once used for church services as well as town meetings, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Other historic sites and museums are scattered across the county, such as the Old Town Hall in Fairfax, the Ox Hill Battlefield Park, the Freeman House Museum, the Laurel Grove School, the Claude Moore Colonial Farm, the Colvin Run Mill, and the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum.  Many homes that were pivotal to war efforts are still private residences, but you can see them from the road.  If you love history at all, in any form, then you can be certain to get your fill of it in Fairfax County.  It’s an amazing feeling, knowing that you’re walking the same soil that Civil War and Revolutionary War heroes trod.