MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS - GUESTS WELCOME!
Next meeting Monday, Jan 23, 2012, 7 PM - meet in the Virginia Room, Conference Room 214, Fairfax City Library, 10360 North Street, Fairfax
This is a working session to transcribe information in various records in developing a database of Civil War veterans buried in Fairfax County. If you have a [...]
Ambassador Scout Cameron Stewart reported on the successful conclusion of the Girl Scout Gold Star Award Project she conceived, designed and led to remember Civil War veterans buried in Fairfax County - FCCPA’s Civil War Honor Roll. Twenty-six veteran profiles were researched and written by several researchers under Cameron’s guidance. FCCPA President thanked Cameron for [...]
On Saturday April 15, 2011 at Frying Pan Park Visitor Center, Keith Young, active member of Bull Run Civil War Round Table and Civil War historian, shared the history of St. Elizabeths during the Civil War. Opened in 1855, St. Elizabeths was the country’s first federal mental health facility.
During the Civil War, the Union Army [...]
On Saturday June 12, 2010, FCCPA members took a guided tour of Congressional Cemetery led by FCCPA member and Congressional Cemetery docent, Dayle Dooley. We learned that in 1807 a burial ground for citizens in the east end of the new federal city was founded. In the first five years, 13 members of Congress, two [...]
Archaeologist and Historian Patrick O’Neil presented “Archaeology in Cemeteries: Grave Locating and Marker Interpretation” - a report and discussion of his participation and findings in a 2005 survey of Fairfax City’s Ratcliffe Cemetery. The wooded and overgrown tract required extensive probing at one-foot intervals to discover and unearth buried markers and artifacts. Careful terrain analysis [...]
Accomplished Fauquier County Cemetery Preservationists – Larry & Lory Payne - presented their work in discovering and preserving historic graves and burial grounds throughout Fauquier County. They discussed how they research, help protect and save these fading historical treasures. Lory (notoriously skilled in divining or dowsing for grave sites) offered insights into her site discoveries.
At the March 1, 2010 meeting, Lynne Garvey-Hodge presented “Weeping Weeds & Veils” – Victorian Mourning Customs, an entertaining and informative one-person character enactment and discussion of mourning customs in our area in the early 1900s.
At the May 4, 2009 meeting, FCCPA member Dayle Dooley introduced us to the Congressional Cemetery.
Congressional was the earliest national burial ground in the sense that persons from every part of the country were laid to rest there. Currently CC is 32.5 acres with 62-66,000 “residents”. It was founded April 1807 and the first burial [...]
At the April 6, 2009 meeting, Aime Wells, historical archaeologist for the Cultural Resource Management and Protection Section of the Fairfax County Park Authority presented “Historic Cemeteries: Dead Men Do Tell Tales” about the many questions cemeteries can answer for researchers. She also explained how her office works with local, state, and federal agencies to [...]
