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Historic Sites

Visiting the historic sites in Prince William County is a captivating journey through time, where you can walk in the footsteps of those who shaped America's past. Each site holds a unique story, allowing you to immerse yourself in the rich history of the region and gain a deeper appreciation for the events that unfolded there.

Revolutionary War

Belmont Bay (Colchester Ferry)

  • 530 Harbor Side Street

Colchester Ferry was a key crossing point over the Occoquan River near Belmont Bay in the 18th century. With the lack of developed bridges, ferries and fords…

Dumfries Courthouse

  • intersection of South Fairfax Street and Duke Street

Prince William County built its third county courthouse on this site in 1762. This courthouse served as the county seat until 1822 when a new courthouse was…

King’s Highway

  • 2201 Vantage Drive

Two traces of the vital colonial travel artery survive today and are available for hiking. Native Americans created this path close to the Potomac River in…

Leesylvania State Park

  • 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Drive

Lee’s Woods is a more accurate name today than it likely was when the original manor house was built in the 1750s by Henry Lee II. Lee used enslaved labor for…

Locust Shade Park

  • 4701 Locust Shade Drive

The King’s Highway, which passed through modern-day Woodbridge, Dumfries, Triangle, and Quantico Marine Corps base in the 18th century, played a significant…

Occoquan/Mill House Museum

  • 413 Mill Street

Occoquan is a town closely linked to the river that shares its name. Water provided the native people who lived in the area a bounty of food and living space…

Neabsco Creek Boardwalk

  • 15125 Blackburn Road

Neabsco Creek was reshaped by the colonial era industry dependent on its waters. To the Dogue people it had been a pantry, with all kinds of fresh food right…

Prince William Forest Park

  • 18170 Park Entrance Road

Inland from the seaport at Dumfries, the road came down through Dumfries and rose from a ford on Quantico Creek near the modern I-95 bridges before it entered…

Rippon Lodge

  • 15520 Blackburn Road

Rippon Lodge is a colonial-era home and farm located along Neabsco Creek. In the 18th century, waterways were crucial for transportation and trade, serving in…

Weems Botts Museum

  • 3944 Cameron Street

Mason Locke Weems, better known as “Parson” Weems, was a 19th century writer and book agent. He authored several works on the Revolutionary War era, including…

William Grayson’s Tomb

  • 2338 West Longview Drive

William Grayson (b.1736) was one of Prince William County’s most distinguished politicians and soldiers during the Revolutionary War era. Grayson was extremely…

Wolf Run Shoals

  • Wolf Run Shoals Road

Once one of the Occoquan River fords, today the impoundment of the reservoir has covered up the shoals, or sandbanks, that made it possible to cross here. The…

Civil War & Civil Rights

Barnes House

  • 5049 Waterway Drive

Built in 1797, in Independent Hill, the Barnes house is typical of an average Prince William County residence at the turn of the 19th century. Moses and Nancy…

Ben Lomond Historic Site

  • 10321 Sudley Manor Drive

Ben Lomond is an antebellum farm that served as a Confederate hospital during the American Civil War's Battle of First Manassas. The house was referenced in…

Buckland

  • 6275 Vint Hill Road

The Battle of Buckland Mills was fought here on October 19, 1863. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s Confederate calvary routed Gen. Judson Kilpatrick’s Union calvary in…

Lucasville School

  • 10516 Godwin Drive

In 1870, Virginia's Legislature established a statewide system of free public schools for all citizens. The Manassas District School Board authorized an…

Neabsco Regional Park

  • 15125 Blackburn Road

In May 1691 Benjamin Lewis filed a complaint against William Harris in Stafford County court (at the time the area containing PWC was part of Stafford). Lewis…

Military Heritage

Medal of Honor Theater

  • 1775 Semper Fidelis Way

The Giant Screen Certified Medal of Honor Theater located in the National Museum of the Marine Corps features stadium seating for 369 and offers a one of a…

The Marine Shop

  • 300 Potomac Avenue

The Marine Shop carries everything Marines and their families need or want. All purchases support active duty Marines through the Marine Corps Association &…

Tun Tavern

  • 1775 Semper Fidelis Way

Legend has it that The Marine Corps was founded in 1775 at the original Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. The décor of the Tun Tavern Restaurant at the National…

Other Historic Sites

Old Manassas Courthouse

  • 9248 Lee Avenue

The Old Manassas Courthouse located at the intersection of Grant Avenue and Lee Avenue in Old Town Manassas is the fifth County courthouse and County seat in…