In January 2010, this cemetery was surveyed at the request of a Realtor who had found a grave marker on a Great Falls property she was trying to sell. The marker was inscribed “Little Ray.” Through library research, the realtor found that Little Ray belonged to the Orrison Family Cemetery, three miles away. The marker will be returned to the cemetery when the ground thaws.
Update. In early August 2010, Little Ray Whaley’s head stone was returned to the cemetery. Surveyors located the foot stone “R. W.”, not mentioned in earlier surveys, and considered this possibly the foot stone for “Little” Ray. They placed the head stone near the foot stone.
Another missing marker, Eileen Hummer, has not been located. The surveyors found several bases for grave markers with no head stones. Many of the markers in the cemetery were damaged and/or lying on the ground. Martha Cecelia Orrison’s marker was lying on the ground and broken into four pieces. Several markers were leaning and in danger of falling.
It appears that the cemetery was larger at one time. Members of several families are buried there – Orrisons, Higgs, Hummers, Bussards and Whaleys. Through census research, it was found that most of these families are related.
Joseph Orrison operated a dairy farm here from 1845 until his death in 1875. The farm was about 800 acres until Joseph sold 250 acres in 1865. He set aside land for a cemetery. Research completed by the local homeowners’ association states that at one time there were 20 headstones in the cemetery. Today, there are seven.
Confederate Private John Webster Orrison, son of Joseph and Jane. E. (Whaley) Orrison, was buried on the farm.
Lucy Higgs, wife of Benja. F. Higgs, is buried in the cemetery. In the 1880 census, farmer Benja F. Higgs’ household included his wife, children, servant and mother-in-law, Jane E. Orrison. Thus Lucy and John Webster Orrison were siblings.
Eileen E. Orrison Hummer (marker missing) was the second wife of Braden Ezra Hummer. Her brother was John W. Orrison and her sister was Lucy Higgs.
Confederate Private Braden E. Hummer’s first wife was Laura T. Whaley. After the Civil War, Hummer purchased the Langley toll house on Georgetown Pike and added a general store at that location. He and John Webster Orrison were both in Co.A., 35th Btln. Va Cav.
Little Lillie and Little Ray were children of M.J. and J. W. Whaley.
Other observations by the surveyors:
- Lucy Higgs and “OMB” have the same poem/epitaph except for identifier “sister” or “husband.”
- Landscaping stones around trees might have been moved from where they originally marked graves.
- The foot stone “J. O.” could be the foot stone for Joseph Orrison who donated the land or for his son John Webster Orrison.
- Jane E. Orrison’s maiden name was Whaley, which may explain why Little Lillie and Little Ray Whaley were buried in the cemetery.
- Neighbors interviewed, especially children, described the cemetery as being “haunted.”
Photos of Orrison Family Cemetery
County Survey Record
The Fairfax County Cemetery Survey identified a slave cemetery located about 200 feet west of the Orrison Family Cemetery – County Survey Record: Orrison Slave Cemetery
