BGuthrie Photos: VA -- Leesylvania State Park

VA -- Leesylvania State Park:

Bruce Guthrie Photos Home Page: [Click here] to go to Bruce Guthrie Photos home page.

Recognize anyone? If you recognize specific folks (or other stuff) and I haven't labeled them, please identify them for the world. Click the little pencil icon

underneath the file name (just above the picture). Spammers need not apply.

Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

Accessing as Spider: The system has identified your IP as being a spider.
IP Address: 3.17.74.9 -- Domain: Amazon Technologies
I love well-behaved spiders! They are, in fact, how most people find my site. Unfortunately, my network has a limited bandwidth and pictures take up bandwidth. Spiders ask for lots and lots of pages and chew up lots and lots of bandwidth which slows things down considerably for regular folk. To counter this, you'll see all the text on the page but the images are being suppressed. Also, some system options like merges are being blocked for you.
Note: Permission is NOT granted for spiders, robots, etc to use the site for AI-generation purposes. I'm sure you're thrilled by your ability to make revenue from my work but there's nothing in that for my human users or for me.
If you are in fact human, please email me at guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can check if your designation was made in error. Given your number of hits, that's unlikely but what the hell.

Help? The Medium (Email) links are for screen viewing and emailing. You'll want bigger sizes for printing. [Click here for additional help]

[1] LEE_130210_001_STITCH.JPG

[2] LEE_130210_002_STITCH.JPG

[3] LEE_130210_003_STITCH.JPG

[4] LEE_130210_004_STITCH.JPG

[5] LEE_130210_005_STITCH.JPG

[6] LEE_130210_006_STITCH.JPG

[7] LEE_130210_007_STITCH.JPG

[8] LEE_130210_008.JPG	[9] LEE_130210_015.JPG	[10] LEE_130210_021.JPG
[11] LEE_130210_026.JPG	[12] LEE_130210_032.JPG	[13] LEE_130210_036.JPG
[14] LEE_130210_043.JPG	[15] LEE_130210_047.JPG	[16] LEE_130210_052.JPG
[17] LEE_130210_058.JPG	[18] LEE_130210_063.JPG	[19] LEE_130210_068.JPG
[20] LEE_130210_073.JPG	[21] LEE_130210_079.JPG	[22] LEE_130210_085.JPG
[23] LEE_130210_090.JPG	[24] LEE_130210_096.JPG	[25] LEE_130210_102.JPG
[26] LEE_130210_107.JPG	[27] LEE_130210_113.JPG	[28] LEE_130210_117.JPG
[29] LEE_130210_121.JPG	[30] LEE_130210_127.JPG	[31] LEE_130210_131.JPG
[32] LEE_130210_137.JPG	[33] LEE_130210_142.JPG	[34] LEE_130210_149.JPG
[35] LEE_130210_154.JPG	[36] LEE_130210_160.JPG	[37] LEE_130210_165.JPG
[38] LEE_130210_171.JPG	[39] LEE_130210_178.JPG	[40] LEE_130210_182.JPG
[41] LEE_130210_187.JPG	[42] LEE_130210_192.JPG	[43] LEE_130210_201.JPG
[44] LEE_130210_205.JPG	[45] LEE_130210_215.JPG	[46] LEE_130210_221.JPG
[47] LEE_130210_226.JPG	[48] LEE_130210_231.JPG	[49] LEE_130210_237.JPG
[50] LEE_130210_242.JPG	[51] LEE_130210_249.JPG	[52] LEE_130210_256.JPG
[53] LEE_130210_261.JPG	[54] LEE_130210_272.JPG	[55] LEE_130210_278.JPG
[56] LEE_130210_284.JPG	[57] LEE_130210_294.JPG	[58] LEE_130210_300.JPG
[59] LEE_130210_311.JPG	[60] LEE_130210_317.JPG	[61] LEE_130210_322.JPG
[62] LEE_130210_332.JPG	[63] LEE_130210_338.JPG	[64] LEE_130210_344.JPG
[65] LEE_130210_350.JPG	[66] LEE_130210_356.JPG	[67] LEE_130210_360.JPG
[68] LEE_130210_366.JPG	[69] LEE_130210_371.JPG	[70] LEE_130210_380.JPG
[71] LEE_130210_390.JPG	[72] LEE_130210_396.JPG	[73] LEE_130210_401.JPG
[74] LEE_130210_407.JPG	[75] LEE_130210_412.JPG	[76] LEE_130210_428.JPG
[77] LEE_130210_439.JPG	[78] LEE_130210_451.JPG	[79] LEE_130210_459.JPG
[80] LEE_130210_462.JPG	[81] LEE_130210_467.JPG	[82] LEE_130210_480.JPG
[83] LEE_130210_483.JPG	[84] LEE_130210_494.JPG	[85] LEE_130210_498.JPG
[86] LEE_130210_504.JPG	[87] LEE_130210_509.JPG	[88] LEE_130210_513.JPG
[89] LEE_130210_520.JPG	[90] LEE_130210_531.JPG	[91] LEE_130210_533.JPG
[92] LEE_130210_539.JPG	[93] LEE_130210_545.JPG	[94] LEE_130210_551.JPG
[95] LEE_130210_557.JPG	[96] LEE_130210_561.JPG	[97] LEE_130210_567.JPG
[98] LEE_130210_575.JPG	[99] LEE_130210_579.JPG	[100] LEE_130210_584.JPG
[101] LEE_130210_589.JPG	[102] LEE_130210_597.JPG	[103] LEE_130210_602.JPG
[104] LEE_130210_608.JPG	[105] LEE_130210_619.JPG	[106] LEE_130210_624.JPG
[107] LEE_130210_630.JPG	[108] LEE_130210_636.JPG	[109] LEE_130210_647.JPG
[110] LEE_130210_653.JPG	[111] LEE_130210_660.JPG	[112] LEE_130210_670.JPG
[113] LEE_130210_682.JPG	[114] LEE_130210_691.JPG	[115] LEE_130210_696.JPG
[116] LEE_130210_708.JPG	[117] LEE_130210_714.JPG	[118] LEE_130210_721.JPG
[119] LEE_130210_726.JPG	[120] LEE_130210_732.JPG	[121] LEE_130210_738.JPG
[122] LEE_130210_744.JPG	[123] LEE_130210_756.JPG	[124] LEE_130210_763.JPG
[125] LEE_130210_769.JPG	[126] LEE_130210_776.JPG	[127] LEE_130210_786.JPG

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. LEE_130210_015.JPG: Slavery at Leesylvania: The Lees, like the majority of southern plantation owners, used slave labor to operate their vast farms. The Lees were considered southern liberals and they, like many of the Country's founding fathers, felt that slavery would wither and die as it became an economic and political burden. Henry Lee II of Leesylvania typified these beliefs. In 1766 he introduced a bill in the Colonial legislature to tax the slave trade out of existence. The bill was passed but vetoed by King George III. Henry Lee owned fifty-five slave at the time of his death. A partial list of the slaves at Leesylvania is recorded in the portion of his will, shown below. Many more years would have to pass before slavery would finally be abolished during the Civil War.
2. LEE_130210_021.JPG: Henry Lee II: Henry Lee II, the third son of Henry and Mary Bland Lee, was born in 1729. He grew to maturity at Lee Hall in Westmoreland County and attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, graduating with a law degree. He inherited his father's land at Freestone Point at the age of eighteen in 1747, later renaming it Leesylvania Plantation. Henry Lee married Lucy Grymes at Williamsburg on December 1, 1753. Lucy, of Shirley Plantation on the James River, was considered "the lowland beauty" and she could count a youthful George Washington as one of her admirers. The young couple moved to Freestone Point shortly after their marriage. Henry Lee spent the next few years building a residence for his family, consolidating and managing his plantation and entering politics. Henry and Lucy Lee raised five boys and three girls at Leesylvania. The plantation was known for the excellent productivity of the land and the fine tobacco raised there. Henry Lee held many legal and political positions during his lifetime. He was appointed deputy attorney for Prince William County in 1754, justice of the peace in 1755, and became a military officer in 1756. Henry Lee II represented Prince William for many years as a Burgess, and served in the Virginia Conventions of 1774, 1775, and 1776. He was the County Lieutenant for Prince William and was very active in that position during the Revolutionary War. The Lees were prominent in colonial society and entertained frequently. Their guests often included their friend and Potomac neighbor, George Washington, and his wife Martha. Henry Lee died in August of 1792 and the Mansion house burned shortly thereafter.
3. LEE_130210_032.JPG: Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III: Henry Lee was born at Leesylvania on January 29, 1756. He was sent to The College of New Jersey (Princeton) and graduated at the age of seventeen. In 1776 he served as a Cavalry Commander in the Revolutionary War and was commissioned as a Captain of the 5th Troops on Continental Light Dragoons. The Continental Congress awarded Lee a Congressional Medal for Valor in 1779. He earned the nickname "Light Horse Harry" by virtue of his swift, daring attacks against the British. Bold, dashing and heroic, Light Horse Harry Lee was a confidant of George Washington and was one of the finest cavalry officers of the Revolution. He was a member of the Confederation Congress from 1785 to 1789, and the Virginia General Assembly from 1788-91. 1795-96, 1798-99. He was elected Governor of Virginia in 1791 and served until 1794. Lee was a member of the United States Congress from 1799 until 1801. Following Washington's death on December 14, 1799, Lee was requested to pay tribute on behalf of Congress to George Washington. Lee then penned his famous tribute to his life long friend and mentor "First at war, first at peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Henry Lee III died on March 25, 1818 at Cumberland Island, the Georgia plantation owned by his former comrade-in-arms, General Nathaniel Greene.
4. LEE_130210_036.JPG: Charles Lee: Charles Lee was born at Leesylvania in 1758 and entered The College of New Jersey (Princeton) in 1770 at the age of twelve. He graduated with a B.A. in 1775, and a M.A. in 1778. After leaving Princeton, he studied law in Philadelphia. As a prominent resident of Alexandria, Lee served as Clerk of the Common Council and Trustee of the Alexandria Academy. He was George Washington's personal attorney and served as Attorney General of the United States from 1795 to 1801 appointed by George Washington and re-appointed by John Adams. Lee was also a member of the defense team for Aaron Burr's famous treason trial. Charles Lee built a summerhouse in Fauquier Country near Warrenton in 1802. He called the retreat "Leeton Forest." It was to this house that he moved permanently in 1814, dying there in 1815. Charles Lee was buried at Leeton Forest, but his grave was disturbed during the Civil War. His tombstone was later moved to Warrenton Cemetery.
5. LEE_130210_043.JPG: Richard Bland Lee: Richard Bland Lee was born on January 20, 1761. In 1784, at the age of 23, he established himself politically when he was elected to serve in the Virginia Assembly. He was elected again in 1789 to serve as the first U.S. Congressman to represent northern Virginia. His vote made the difference in confirming the establishment of the nation's capital on the banks of the Potomac. In 1794, Lee married Elizabeth Collins and the couple moved to Sully, a plantation in western Fairfax County. The house is a museum today. Richard Bland Lee served as a commissioner to adjust claims arising from the War of 1812. He shared in the supervision of the restoration of the White House, the Capitol and several other buildings burned by the British. In 1819, he was appointed by President Monroe to serve as judge of the Orphans Court of the District of Columbia; he held this position until his death in 1827.
6. LEE_130210_047.JPG: Theodoric Lee: Theodoric Lee was born on September 1, 1766. He was interested in agriculture and was responsible for farming operations at Sully Plantation which he and his brother, Richard Bland Lee, had inherited. Theodoric oversaw both of their shared during his brother's absence to Congress in Philadelphia. Sully is in western Fairfax County and is now a museum. Theodoric married Catherine Hite on April 20, 1793 and together they had four children. In April of 1795, Theodoric sold his land in Fairfax County and moved to Jefferson County, Virginia, now Jefferson County, West Virginia. He went on to leave with a daughter, Mrs. Gales, at "Eckington," her home in Washington, DC. He died in 1849 at the age of 83.
7. LEE_130210_052.JPG: Edmund Jennings Lee: Edmund Jennings Lee was born at Leesylvania on May 20, 1772 and later graduated from the College of William and Mary. He married his second cousin Sarah Lee in about 1796. Sarah was the youngest daughter of the renowned Senator and statesman from Virginia, Richard Henry Lee. Edmund Jennings Lee was intimately engaged with the day to day affairs of Alexandria as a member of the Common Council, 1809-1810; as mayor of Alexandria, 1815-1818; and as Clerk of the U.S. Circuit Court, 1818-1837. Lee was a prominent member of the Episcopal Church and he was very involved in its restoration in Virginia. As mayor he was instrumental in preserving the burial grounds for Christ Church from the encroachment of civic development. His most notable legal accomplishment concerned the church as well. He was responsible for saving 516 acres of church land in Arlington County, referred to as the Glebe, from state confiscation. His wife Sarah died at the Lee-Fendall House in Alexandria on May 8, 1837. He died at his home in Alexandria on May 30, 1843.
8. LEE_130210_063.JPG: The Uniform of Lee's Legion: Notified in 1780 that Washington had selected him to command the 1st Continental Dragoons, "Light Horse Harry" personally designed a uniform for himself and his unit for about 300 men. One month later, Lee's Legion was ready to enter the war. Because the uniforms that Lee designed were similar in appearance to those of the British calvary [sic], his troops, on occasion, were mistaken for their enemy counterparts. In one such instance, he eliminated the entire troop of British recruits who were looking for their cavalry commander, Tarleton. Lee loved his uniform. According to observers of the time, he was a flamboyant and dashing figure, somehow managing to be a "dandy" even in the deepest swamps, with his plumed helmet, green jacket, white breeches, and knee boots. Although various other uniforms have been identified as those of Lee's Legion, it was the one which he had designed himself that he chose for his "mustering out" ceremony when he left the military.
9. LEE_130210_079.JPG: The Lee Coat of Arms: The Lee Coat of Arms, shown in the front of this volume, is the Arms of the Lees of Shropshire, created 1641. Coats of Arms very similar to it are used by the Lees of Langley, co. Salop (bart. extinct 1660), who were descended from Richard Lee, High Sheriff of Salop, 1479; the Lees of Coton, co. Salop; and many others. Numerous other branches of the Lee family have Coats of Arms resembling it. This is the most widely used of all Lee Coats of Arms and has been in existence for many centuries. It is described in Burke's General Armory, Burke's Landed Gentry, Burke Peerage And Baronetage, Crozier's American Armory and other reliable works on heraldry, in some cases accompanied by illustrations and pedigrees. It is the arms of the Lee family of Virginia, and has been used for generations by their descendants and by many other American branches of the Lee family.
10. LEE_130210_096.JPG: Freestone House: Freestone Point, at Leesylvania, was named for the large sandstone formation on the Potomac River, at the mouth of the Neabsco Creek. Stone cut from this formation was used extensively throughout the area for construction. Apparently, the stone was free for the taking, thus the name "Freestone." The piece of sandstone displayed here was taken from Freestone Point. In 1825, Henry Fairfax built a home at Leesylvania and named it Freestone House. Shortly after the Civil War, the home burned and was rebuilt by Henry's son, Colonel John Walters Fairfax, who lived in the house until his death in 1908. In 1908, Freestone House burned again. Today all that remains is a single brick chimney. This ink drawing depicts the ruins of the home as it appeared shortly after it burned. Although no original drawings or photographs of Freestone House exist today, artist J. Robert Burnell has rendered this conceptual watercolor, based on evidence from the ruins and an investigation of typical architecture of the period.
11. LEE_130210_102.JPG: Henry Fairfax: Henry Fairfax was born across the Potomac in Charles County, Maryland, on September 29, 1774. At the age of seventeen, he moved to Dumfries and soon after to Baltimore to start his career as a merchant. Upon his return to Dumfries, he established himself as an exporter of Tobacco. In the War of 1812, he served the young country as a Captain in the 36th Virginia Regiment. His fleet of ships was also used by the Navy during the War. In September of 1824, he purchased Leesylvania from Alfred Lee, son of Charles, for $9,600. He and his third wife, Elizabeth, soon built a residence here called "Freestone." They died one month apart in the fall of 1847 and are buried in the family graveyard at Leesylvania. The graveyard is visible today along the Park's historical trail. Henry's children, John and Martha, inherited the property from their father.
12. LEE_130210_127.JPG: In 1825, Henry Fairfax, a wealthy shipping merchant, purchased the plantation from the Lees. His son, John Walter Fairfax (shown) inherited the property in 1847 and later went on to serve the Confederacy with distinction as an aide to General James Longstreet of the Army of Northern Virginia. Colonel Fairfax returned to "Freestone," his boyhood home in 1875. The remains of the house, including a chimney, can be seen on the park's history trail.
13. LEE_130210_131.JPG: A Brief History of the Railroad Line Between Alexandria and Quantico, Virginia: Interest in creating an all-rail route between Richmond and Washington, DC let to the organization of the Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railway (A&F) in 1864. This company proposed to build a railroad from the south end of the "Long Bridge" over the Potomac River at Washington DC, to Fredericksburg and a connection with the existing Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad (RF&P). However, little work was done on the A&F until the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) invested heavily in it. Subsequently, work on the line proceeded quickly and a railroad of about 32 miles in length, with its southern terminus at Quantico, was opened for service on July 2, 1872. The RF&P, meanwhile, had extended its line northward from Brooke, Virginia, on their line line about nine miles north of Fredericksburg, to Quantico. The Alexandria & Fredericksburg remained in operation as such until 1890. During its last fiscal of operation, the A&F carried 614,307 passengers, 559,186 tons of freight and generated a net profit of $18,852. Between 1890 and early 1960's, the rail line went through a series of modifications and ownerships. In the 1960s, the railroad industry began to change in an effort to reduce costs and thus remain competitive with other forms of transportation. These changes amounted to a series of corporate mergers. In 1991, all of the rail lines between Washington, DC and Richmond came under one ownership, with the corporate merger that formed CSX Corporation.
14. LEE_130210_154.JPG: Infrequent Service: When the Civil War began in 1861, the federal government shut down mail service to the Southern States and discontinued accepting existing Union postage. The Union printed new stamps and stationary to prevent anyone in the South from sending mail into the North. Any mail sent from a northern state to a southern state was returned to the sender. The Confederate States of America printed their own postage and refused to accept letters with Union stamps on their envelopes. Postal service in the Confederacy between soldiers and their families was unreliable and slow due [to] constant troop movement. It could take several weeks for letters to be delivered.
15. LEE_130210_160.JPG: Precious Paper: Soldiers in the field had to purchase paper, stamps, envelopes, ink and pens from sutlers. Sutlers were merchants who followed armies to sell goods at their encampments. They were able to charge high prices for their goods because they did not have to compete with other merchants. With prices so high for writing materials, soldiers filled every inch of empty space and reused old letters so they could continue to write home when they ran short on money.
16. LEE_130210_165.JPG: A War in Letters! Communication between the home front and the battlefront during the Civil War During the Civil War, the only way for soldiers to communicate with their family and friends was through letters. Letters were a way to check on someone's well-being, catch up on important family and local affairs, and a way to share wartime experiences. The high level of letter writing that took place during the war provides historians with an excellent source of information for studying the past. Letters sent between soldiers and family can tell us about the culture, politics, fashions, and events that took lace in the words of people who lived during the Civil War.
17. LEE_130210_171.JPG: Passing Time: For soldiers, the act of writing letters gave them something to do with their time when they were encamped and bored. Letter writing was also a way for soldiers to share their experiences with their friends and family on the homefront. Everyone was eager for a taste of home life which led soldiers to share their personal correspondence with their comrades. When letters would arrive at camp, groups would gather to listen as they were read aloud even if they did not know the person who sent the letter. Dear Father and Mother, I wish to let you know that I am well... Most letters written during the Civil War start off by telling the reader how the writer is doing. During a war and at a time when illness was frequently fatal, this was the most important information that a letter contained. Following this information would be well wishes for the health of the reader, answering any questions from a previous letter, and an accounting of recent events. Frequently a writer would do their best to reinforce the reader's faith that they had not been abandoned by family, friends, or God. Letters would often recall moments of past joy or comedy shared by both the writer and reader. During holidays, soldiers often wrote home about the traditions they missed and how they celebrated the season in camp. Family would send their soldiers baked goods, warm clothes, and letters telling them about the celebrations at home in order to share the holiday with their absent soldier.
18. LEE_130210_182.JPG: Mill Wheel: This mill wheel was donated by Jesse Baldwin and Lewis Wilkins to Leesylvania State Park. It was originally found in Neabsco Creek west of the Interstate 95 bridge. It most likely came from the Tayloe Family Foundry and Mill operations (1730-1830) located in Prince William County. Henry Lee II along with his wife Lucy Grymes Lee occupied Leesylvania Plantation from 1753-1792. They would have used the services of the Taylor Mill during that time to process their corn and wheat into ground flour and meal.
19. LEE_130210_201.JPG: "Pleasureland of the East" In the late 1950s, a large scale gambling resort was planned for Freestone Point. The original scheme boasted a luxury hotel, a golf course and a country club, marinas, white sand beaches, swimming pools, tennis, an amusement park and more. Much of this fourteen million dollar vision was forgotten with the demise of the gambling ship in 1958. Existing facilities were utilized and others added in the early 1960s when the resort was converted into a recreational area. Featured here were three swimming pols, a ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, go-kart racing, pony rides, a boardwalk and pier, a model train ride, and over a mile of white sand beach.
20. LEE_130210_215.JPG: The Freestone Fisheries played an important role in Leesylvania's past. Their successful operation, given the plentiful numbers of fish in the Potomac, provided a significant income to the successive proprietors of the Leesylvania estate. The Lee family conducted business in the fishing industry until they sold the property to Henry Fairfax in 1825. The fisheries at Freestone Point remained in operation until the end of the nineteenth century. Remains of the Civil War era fish houses, pictured below, can still be seen on this shoreline. George Washington described the high quality of the Potomac river fishery in the following quote: "A river well-stocked with various kinds of fish at all seasons of the year, and in the spring with shad, herrings, bass, carp, perch, sturgeon, etc. in great abundance...the whole...is one entire fishery."
21. LEE_130210_226.JPG: Iron Pulley Wheel: This artifact was found buried here. It likely served to help pull boats and or nets from the river as part of the fishing activity that occured here for over 100 years.
22. LEE_130210_249.JPG: "A Pacific Paradise on the Potomac," suggests the type of atmosphere that existed at Freestone Point in July, 1957. The S.S. Freestone, a gambling ship, was the main attraction of an exciting new recreational resort. Even though it was illegal to either gamble of sell liquor by the drink in Virginia at this time, activity on the S.S. Freestone was protected from Virginia law by mooring in Maryland waters. The S.S. Freestone featured 200 slot machines on her deck, a finely furnished restaurant on the second, and on the third deck a cocktail lounge, in Hawaiian d�cor, featured live music and dancing. Formerly an excursion steamer, the ship had been retrofitted as a floating casino. Special opening day ceremonies held on July 20, 1957, included events such as the live music of Johnny Long and his Orchestra, water ballet, water skiing exhibitions, raced by sailing craft, fireworks and a beauty contest to crown the Queen of Freestone Point.
23. LEE_130210_261.JPG: "At the point of rock," the translation of the American Indian word Neabsco, describes clearly the high bluff of land in front of you known as Freestone Point. The location of Freestone Point is indicated on maps from the 18th Century and was an important landmark to river pilots when navigating the Potomac. Freestone Point was actively quarried during colonial times. The sandstone was easily cut and transported by boat long the river. The abundant supply of inexpensive building material available at this site led early colonists to perceive it as almost "free stone." Sandstone quarried from the point was used as the foundation material for the manor house and other buildings of Henry Lee and his wife Lucy Grymes Lee when they settled here and established the Leesylvania Plantation around 1750.
24. LEE_130210_284.JPG: Freestone Point Earthworks Blockading the Potomac On August 22, 1861, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee issued orders to blockade the Potomac River by building a series of artillery positions that would command the sailing channel. One of these positions was on the grounds of his ancestral home, Leesylvania, also known as Freestone Point. For the next six months, military and political attention focused on the crucial Potomac River passage to the Union capital, Washington, D.C. The Virginia shore presented several prominent bluffs for artillery sites to control river traffic along a six-mile front. The northernmost battery at Freestone Point was used a decoy while more effective batteries were built down river at Possum Point, Cockpit Point and Evansport. On September 25, 1861, Union gunboats from the Potomac Flotilla spotted activity at Freestone Point. They fired on the point to disperse the workers and in turn were fired upon by the Confederates. This action lasted most of the afternoon with little damage inflicted by either side. Sgt. Walter Curry of the Washington Mounted Artillery of Hampton's Legion noted in his diary that "...as soon as the eleventh shot was fired, our Guns opened on the Lincolnite men of war which were floating majestically on the Broad Potomac." By December the Confederates had effectively closed the Potomac to commercial traffic. The impending spring movement by the Federals forced the Confederates to assume better defensive positions along the Rappahannock River. Thus the Confederate blockade of the Potomac ended on March 9, 1862. The Gun Battery is preserved at Freestone Point. This and other historical sites can be viewed along Lee's Woods Trail.
25. LEE_130210_294.JPG: Henry Lee III "Light Horse Harry" 1756 - 1818 1776 - 1781 Cavalry Commander 1779 Awarded Congressional Medal 1786 - 1788 Member, Continental Congress 1791 - 1794 Governor of Virginia 1799 - 1801 Member, U.S. Congress Father of General Robert E. Lee, C.S.A Henry Lee III was born nearby at the Mansion House of "Leesylvania Plantation" Erected by the Prince William County Historical Commission in observance of the American Revolution Bicentennial 1976
26. LEE_130210_311.JPG: This monument was moved here by the Woodbridge Rotary Cub, Virginia Power Volunteers, October 1990
27. LEE_130210_322.JPG: The Freestone Point Hunt Club was established in 1926 by a group of businessmen from New York. The large waterfowl populations found along the Potomac, and the proximity of the railroad made Freestone Point both attractive and accessible to hunters from distant cities. In 1928, the Club was purchased by Gordon Wheelock and Percy Chubb and became known as the Wheelock Hunt Club. Members of the Club maintained a comfortable two-story frame lodge at Freestone Point. Waterfowl taken by the hunters were refrigerated in lead-lined ice boxes located in a shed behind the lodge. The hunters used wooden decoys and hunted from blinds along the shore, and from boats or sink boxes in the river and creeks. Hunting at the Club was good, and records indicate that 1,544 ducks and geese were taken in 1928. However, decades of uncontrolled hunting and increased pollution in the area eventually resulted in a dramatic decline in waterfowl populations. Club records clearly reflect that decline, with only 272 ducks and gees taken during the1941 season. The Club ceased to exist in 1957, when Freestone Point was purchased for the development of a waterfront resort. Gradually, the lodge fell into disrepair, and today all that remains is this chimney, located at what is now the park's amphitheater.
28. LEE_130210_344.JPG: A Fight on the Potomac took place here on September 25, 1861. According to Confederate Sgt. Wilmot Walter Curry, his unit was ordered to construct a battery at Freestone Point in order to deflect attention from larger, more permanent batteries downriver. The diary of Sgt. Curry recounts the event, beginning on September 20, 1861: "Today a detachment from the Washington Mounted Artillery was sent down to Freestone Point for the purpose of erecting a Battery. The Battery will contain the two Rifled six-pounders from our battery and an eleven foot long thirty-pounder known as "Long Tom" which was captured at Manassas plains. It is a very handsome piece." Finally, on September 25, 1861, the day of the event: "This morning about 10 o'clock the enemy opened fire upon our Battery. Ten guns were fired by the enemy before our Battery opened. Several shot and shell struck out Battery but no damage done – as soon as the eleventh shot was fired, our guns opened on the Lincolnite men of war which were floating majestically on the Broad Potomac. No one was hurt on our side, although there were some narrow escapes."
29. LEE_130210_371.JPG: Civil War Naval Cannon 32 Pounder This artillery piece is similar to those used by the Confederate Army to blockade the Potomac River from October 1861 to March 1862.
30. LEE_130210_459.JPG: Stop 5 Fairfax House Circa 1825
31. LEE_130210_467.JPG: The Fairfax Family has been a part of Leesylvania history since 1825, when Captain Henry Fairfax purchased the nearly two thousand-acre property from Alfred Lee, the grandson of Henry Lee II. The home that Henry brought his family to was built in 1803, about 500 yards east of the original Lee home. Henry, along with his third wife Elizabeth, lived and raised seven children here from 1825 until their deaths in 1847. They are buried in an enclosed cemetery located along Lee's Woods Trail. The property, with an assessed value of $16,253 in 1849, including twenty-four slaves, was willed to his two children, Martha and John Walter. John inherited the portion of the plantation property that is now Leesylvania State Park. in the early 1850s, he married Mary Jade Rodgers and moved to Oak Hill in Loudoun County. He and his wife lived at Oak Hill until after the Civil War. During the Civil War, John Walter Fairfax joined the Confederate army and became an important member of General James Longstreet's staff. In 1877, shorted after his wife's passing, he returned to Leesylvania and rebuilt his father's residence. Fairfax lived here until his death in 1908, his home burning shortly thereafter.
32. LEE_130210_483.JPG: Barn foundation, c 1825
33. LEE_130210_498.JPG: Leesylvania Plantation became a part of the Lee family legacy upon the marriage of Laethin Corbin to Richard Lee II in 1675. The name "Leesylvania," meaning "Lee's Woods," was appropriately given to the heavily wooded peninsula by Henry Lee II and his wife Lucy Grymes. In about 1750, Henry chose a site high on this ridge overlooking the Potomac to build his home. Though very little remains of the original structure, it is thought to have been similar to Rippon Lodge, a neighboring home built around the same time. Although Henry had many political obligations, his primary duty was to the plantation. Here he oversaw farm and fishery operations until his death in 1787. The home burned not long after, around 1790. The location of the Plantation along the Potomac, and the difficulty of lengthy travel made for greater interaction between neighboring plantation owners. Among these neighbors was a certain George Washington of Mt. Vernon, about fourteen miles upriver. His diary records numerous visits to Leesylvania Plantation, beginning on October 19, 1768: "Set off on my Journey to Williamsburg and reached Colo. Henry Lees to Dinner." Again on October 30, 1769, with his wife Martha and daughter Patsy: "Set out on my Journey to Williamsburg and reached Henry Lees to a Late Dinner." Finally, on the 27th of November, 1772: "Set off from Fredericksburg and reached Colo. Henry Lees where we lodged." Leesylvania Plantation remained in the Lee family until 1825, when it was sold by Alfred Lee to Henry Fairfax. The legacy of the Plantation continues. In addition to the name, a few of Lucy's flowers, including daffodils and daylilies, still bloom in the surrounding woodlands.
34. LEE_130210_509.JPG: The Lee Home Site: In the late 1950s, a road was built here which cut through this ridge. The ruins of the plantation home of the Lee family were destroyed. Only one corner of teh home's foundation survived.
35. LEE_130210_520.JPG: Homestead Foundation Walls are up top
36. LEE_130210_557.JPG: Escaped Gardens: Over 200 years ago, the Lee family garden contained the ancestors of many of the plants that now grow here wild. These, along with the native plants, provided many of their needs. A short stroll in this wild garden will introduce you to some of these.
37. LEE_130210_567.JPG: The Lee and Fairfax Family Cemetery is located on this ridge top overlooking the Occoquan Bay. The Lees established the cemetery with the death of Henry Lee II on August 15, 1787. His wife Lucy Lee, the only other member of the Lee family to be buried here, died shortly after in 1792. The Virginia Journal and Alexandria Advertiser noted Lee's passing with an obituary: "Died on the 15th Instant, at the seat of Mr. Richard Bland Lee in Loudon County (sully Plantation), Hon. Henry Lee, Senator for the District of Fairfax and Prince William, in the fifty-eighth year of his age, thirty of which have been assiduously devoted to the service of his Country." Captain Henry Fairfax, who purchased the plantation from the Lees in 1825, and his third wife Elizabeth are buried in the enclosed portion of the cemetery. Captain Fairfax passed away on the sixth of October in 1847. Elizabeth died a month later in the same year. The Lee family stones have long since disappeared. They were replaced with a bronze plaque donated by the Society of the Lees. The Fairfax headstones were relocated in 1969 to Union Cemetery in Leesburg, alongside the tomb of their son John Walter Fairfax. Their remains still rest within the enclosed cemetery.
38. LEE_130210_584.JPG: This is the burial site of Henry Lee (d. 1787) and his wife Lucy Grymes (d. 1792). They were married in 1753, and their home, Leesylvania, stood on the ridge to the east. Henry Lee was County Lieutenant and Presiding Justice of Prince William County for many years. He also represented the county in the House of Burgesses, the Revolutionary Conventions, and the State Senate during the years from 1758 until 1788. Among their eight children born at Leesylvania were "Light Horse Harry" Lee, Revolutionary War hero, Governor of Virginia, and father of Robert Edward Lee; Charles Lee, Attorney General of the United States; Richard Bland Lee, the first Congressman for Northern Virginia; and Edmund Jennings Lee, Mayor of Alexandria. Erected by the Society of the Lees of Virginia, 1985
39. LEE_130210_597.JPG: The railroad cut
40. LEE_130210_602.JPG: A Railroad Runs Through It The railway line that lies between Neabsco and Powells Creek was completed in 1872 by the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railroad. This was no easy task considering the steep terrain, which required numerous deep cuts and fills to maintain a gentle grade along the line. Over the years, this resulted in several landslides and train derailments. The first year of its operation, the Alexandria Gazette reported one such event, "Owing to the washing of the A&F Railroad, the passenger and baggage car of the train due here yesterday evening from Quantico ran off the track in a deep cut at Freestone Point. A repair train was sent down immediately and the track is now in good order again." An incident that occurred at about the same time recalls an attempt to stabilize tracks along a slide. A temporary timber trestle was constructed and secured to trees further up the hill. Delayed by the incident on the way to Fredericksburg, P.T. Barnum, along with his circus, commented that he had been all over the United States, but this was the first railroad he had ever seen tied to a tree.
41. LEE_130210_653.JPG: Seasonal encampments for river fishing were set up at this place the Native Americans called Yosocomico, meaning "within the enclosure." These temporary villages were situated on the shoreline at good fishing spots that the Indians returned to year after year. The Coastal Plain Region offered saltwater and freshwater rivers, bays and creeks. In addition to resident fish species, many more migrated here from the Atlantic Ocean each spring to spawn. Among these were herring, shad, and striped bass. The Indians could catch and store large numbers of these fish to support themselves. The fish were smoked or dried, preserving the meat for use throughout the year. Members of the Lake Woodland culture were indigenous fisherman, using what was provided by nature to supply themselves with tools. Nets were made of willow branches skillfully braided together. Lacking iron to make hooks, they fashioned them from bone or wood. Several methods of catching fish were used including spearing, bow and arrow, netting and trapping. Another interesting method was night fishing. A fire was built on a raised deck in the center of the canoe. One person would tend the fire, while a person on each end of the boat would spear fish that surfaced, attracted by the light.
42. LEE_130210_744.JPG: The River Farm at Leesylvania Plantation was located on the land which fronted the Potomac River between Neabsco and Powells Creeks. Colonial agriculture sustained itself primarily on the economically viable crop of tobacco. Tobacco, known as "apoke" to the Indians, and "tob" to early settlers, flourished in the sandy, fertile soils of the Coastal Plain Region. The farm's waterfront location provided access to merchant shipping from Europe. A lucrative trade with these merchants ensured tobacco's status as the dominant crop of not only the region, but the entire Colony of Virginia. When the Lee Family resided here in the 1700s, production of tobacco and maintenance of the plantation was accomplished by a workforce of up to fifty-five slaves. They worked from December until September in order to complete the difficult cultivation process. First, seeds were sown and allowed to bud. In August, after ripening, the plants were cut and hung upside down to dry. Finally, after about six weeks, the leaves were stripped and packed in large wooden barrels calls hogsheads. These would be rolled to waiting ships for transport to overseas markets.
43. LEE_130210_786.JPG: Leesylvania State Park This 508-acre park was donated to the Commonwealth in 1978 by Daniel K. Ludwig and was opened on June 17, 1989. The park, whose name means "Lee's Woods," is the ancestral home of the famous Lee family of Virginia. The land, which was patented in 1658, was the home of Henry Lee II and Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III, father of General Robert E. Lee. Nearby Freestone Point was the site of a Confederate artillery emplacement which successfully blockaded the Potomac River during the Civil War.
Wikipedia Description: Leesylvania State Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Leesylvania State Park" is located in the southeastern part of Prince William County, Virginia. The land was donated in 1978 by philanthropist Daniel K Ludwig.

History:

At the time of early English settlers, Leeslyvania was believed to be the site of an Algonquin village, overlooking Neabsco Creek.

Henry Lee II settled on the land from 1747 until his death in 1787. He and his wife had eight children at their home, including Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, Revolutionary War hero and future father of Civil War general Robert E. Lee. George Washington mentions visiting the Lee House three times in his diaries. In 1825 the property was sold to Henry Fairfax, and later passed to John Fairfax in 1847. The land was also used as a small Confederate force and gun emplacement during the Civil War.

Today, only a small corner stone of the Lee House remains. The house and it's path were completely bulldozed in the 1950s to make way for a road. A restored chimney of the Fairfax House remains. Henry Lee II and his wife, along with Henry Fairfax and his third wife are buried on the property. The sites and the cemetery are accessible by trail.
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].