but there are a few old buildings of historic interest. Among these is
the Lawton house, at one time the residence of General Lawton. This
house was the headquarters of General Longstreet when the place was in
possession of the Confederates soon after the first battle of Manassas.
What was once known as the Star Tavern, now a grocery store, is a relic
of by-gone days. It flourished in the days before the railroad came, and
was a favorite stopping place for travelers over the road from the
mountains leading past its doors to the then important mart, Alexandria.
The place was kept during the civil war by W. H. Erwin, father of our
townsmen Messrs. Walter, George and Munson Erwin.
The old big chimney house situated in the field opposite the Odd
Fellows' Hall was built in Revolutionary times and is probably the
oldest dwelling in this vicinity. It is owned by the venerable John
Lynch, who was the sexton of the Episcopal Church for so many years
before and after the civil war. Mr. Lynch is now a resident of Maryland.
[Illustration: Dr. Geo. B. Fadeley]
THE COLORED SETTLEMENT. The colored people have a settlement a short
distance south of the town limits, consisting of probably a hundred
cottages with a population of between four and five hundred. They have
a school building and three churches and many of the little cottages and
surroundings indicate industry and thrift in the occupants.
HOTELS. The Falls Church Inn, where an old Virginia welcome awaits the
way-farer, accommodates transient and regular boarders. Besides there is
the "Evergreens," a large summer boarding place which has a high
reputation. There are numerous other homes, in or near the village,
where boarders are taken for the summer months.
NEWSPAPER. Falls Church has one newspaper published weekly, called "The
Falls Church Monitor." This paper was first established by Mr. E. F.
Rorebeck, under the name of "The Falls Church News." Mr. M. E. Church is
Editor and Mr. R. C. L. Moncure, General Manager.
[Illustration: Mankin Pharmacy]
EXCELLENT NATURAL DRAINAGE. Four Mile Run, traversing the northeastern
section of the corporation, separates the main part of the village from
all that portion lying in Alexandria County and known as East Falls
Church. This little stream empties into the Potomac four miles below
Washington, whence its name. Where it breaks through the hills at
Barcroft its water-power is used for milling purposes, as in the days
when General Washington's flour mills were situated at or near the same
point. The southern section of the village is drained by Holmes' Run,
which empties into the Potomac just south of Alexandria. The two rapid
little streams named take their rise a short distance to the west of the
village and afford ample drainage for all the territory embraced within
the corporation boundaries.
RAILWAY DEPOTS AND POST-OFFICES. Indicating the wide extent of territory
covered by Falls Church, it possesses two railway depots and three
independent post-offices. The Southern Railway's East Falls Church and
West End stations are one mile apart. The electric railway also has
stations and ticket offices near those of the steam road. The Falls
Church post office is on Broad street in the center of the village. East
Falls Church post office is located at the electric railway station and
West End post office at the West End steam railway station, the former
being one-half mile and the latter about one mile distant from the main
office.
[Illustration: Mr. Charles Crossman]
STREET LIGHTS. The village streets are now lighted by kerosene lamps,
but a movement is already on foot looking toward a better system of
street lighting and it is probable that an electric light plant will be
installed for that purpose within the near future.
A BANK IS NEEDED. The organization of a bank is being considered by a
number of enterprising citizens. There is already a sufficient amount of
banking business transacted by the residents of the village, which is
now divided among the banks located at Leesburg, Fairfax, Alexandria and
Washington, to make such an institution a paying investment from the
start.
THE PARK. Crossman Park, the densely wooded hill over which the electric
road runs from East End to West End, is an attractive spot to nature
lovers. Hundreds of old chestnut trees make it a favorite resort for
picnic parties in summer and nut-hunters in the fall. It is altogether a
charming piece of woodland without undergrowth, and needs no gravelled
walks or other evidences of the hand of man to add to its present
charm.
[Illustration: Dr. J. B. Hodgkin]
Near the park may be seen the stone which marks what was at one time the
western corner of the District of Columbia. It is situated on the land
of Mr. S. B. Shaw and is only a few yards from his residence. On the
west corner is chiseled "Virginia 1791," while on the opposite corner
the words "Jurisdiction of the United States" are still quite legible.
FALLS CHURCH TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CO. The Falls Church Telephone and
Telegraph Company, of which Mr. M. E. Church is President and General
Manager, is connected with the lines of the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Company of Washington and with the lines of the Southern Bell
Telephone and Telegraph Company.
The stations on this line include Alexandria, Arlington, Ash Grove,
Bailey's Cross Roads, Ballston, Barcroft, Belaire, Bluemont,
Chesterbrook, Clarendon, Chain Bridge, Colvin Run, Dunn Loring,
Dranesville, East Falls Church, Fairfax, Fort Myer Heights, Glencarlyn,
Hall's Hill, Herndon, Hamilton, Kenmore, Lewinsville, Langley, Leesburg,
Merrifield, Oakton, Paeonian Springs, Purcellville, Round Hill,
Rosslyn, Vienna, Wiehle, and West Falls Church. All stations are
equipped with Long-Distance Metallic Circuit Telephones.
[Illustration: Mr. D. O. Munson]
In addition to the telephone line Falls Church has two Western Union
Telegraph offices besides two express offices.
CAMP ALGER. Falls Church has gained a national reputation within recent
years by reason of the establishment near the village of the camp for
volunteer soldiers at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. This
camp was one of several of the kind established in the Southern States
for the purpose of organizing an army for the invasion of Spanish
territory.
The farm of Mr. C. L. Campbell, about one and a half miles southwest of
the village was selected by the War Department for the army corps to be
assembled nearest Washington, and as soon as the contract was signed for
the lease of the property, troops from fourteen States were hurried here
as fast as recruited.
[Illustration: Mr. Henry Crocker Mr. E. F. Crocker]
The first troops on the ground were the District of Columbia Volunteers.
They were followed by those from Pennsylvania, and later came troops
from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee and
Virginia, all forming the Second Army Corps of the Spanish-American War.
The Second Army Corps was made up of the troops assembled at Falls
Church, to which Major General William M. Graham, U. S. V., was assigned
by orders of May 16, 1898. General Graham assumed command May 23, 1898,
announcing the official designation of the camp as "Camp Russell A.
Alger."
[Illustration: Mr. G. W. Mankin]
The strength of this army corps before the last of May consisted of 922
officers and 17,467 men. In June the number in camp was 1,103 officers
and 26,002 men; in July the strength of the corps was 1,183 officers and
29,747 men. In August the corps consisted of 1,347 officers and 33,755
men, the highest number in this corps before disbandment at the end of
the war.
By orders of May 24, the troops then on duty at this point were
organized into a First Division composed of three brigades of three
regiments each, and by orders of June 9, 1898, the Ninth Massachusetts
Volunteer Infantry and 33rd and 34th Michigan Volunteer Infantry were
constituted a separate brigade.
On June 9th the separate brigade mentioned was assigned as the First
Brigade, 3rd Division. On August 2, 1898, a second brigade was organized
composed of the First Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and the Third
Virginia Volunteer Infantry.
The First Brigade, consisting of the Massachusetts and Michigan troops,
left Camp Alger for Santiago de Cuba on June 22 and 24, 1898. Troops of
the Second Brigade were returned to their States for muster out on
September 7 and 8, 1898.
The tents of the provost guard pitched at the electric railway terminus
at East End with pickets posted at various street corners made Falls
Church appear like a town under martial law. Under all the circumstances
the conduct of the troops was admirable. The homes of the citizens were
thrown open to the soldiers doing picket duty in the village, and the
ladies of the place vied with each other in contributing to the comfort
of sick soldiers at the camp.
[Illustration: Mr. C. H. Buxton]
The summer of 1898 was a most eventful one in Falls Church. No such
stirring scenes had been witnessed here since the days of the civil war.
Troop trains arriving or departing, drills at camp and practice marches
through the town, martial music from many bands, reveille and taps, all
contributed to impress the town folk with the fact that the country was
at war.
FINANCES OF THE TOWN. The expenses of the town government for the year
ending August 31, 1904, was $2,188.47. The assessed valuation of the
town is $420,125, which is about 50 per cent of the real value. The tax
levy for all purposes is six mills. The levy is divided as follows: For
corporation purposes three mills; for school purposes three mills. The
total receipts for fiscal year 1904 were $2,289.20.
There is no bonded indebtedness. A number of times propositions to bond
the town for school or street purposes have been voted upon but each
time the citizens have decided against incurring any bonded debt.
[Illustration: Mr. Summerfield Taylor]
The following are the officers of the town government:
OFFICERS OF THE TOWN. George N. Lester, Mayor; Henry Crocker, Clerk;
John N. Gibson, Sergeant; R. C. L. Moncure, Corporation Attorney.
Members of Council: 1st ward, Elmer I. Crump, S. E. Thompson, G. A.
Brunner; 2nd ward, E. A. Kimball, Geo. N. Lester, Geo. W. Hawxhurst; 3rd
ward, Thomas Hillier; Wm. M. Ellison, H. C. Birge. Committees, Street
Lamp Lighting: E. A. Kimball, Thos. Hillier, S. E. Thompson. Finance:
Wm. M. Ellison, Chairman, H. C. Birge, Geo. W. Hawxhurst. Board of
School Trustees: J. W. Brown, Chairman, R. J. Yates, Clerk, J. S. Riley.
HEALTH. In the matter of health Falls Church leads. Statistics obtained
by the U. S. Census Bureau relating to the mortality rate show that out
of 341 towns and cities from which returns were received the lowest
death rate for the year ending May 31, 1900, was in St. Joseph, Mo.,
with 9.1 for each 1,000 inhabitants, followed by Portland, Oregon, 9.5,
St. Paul, Minn., 9.7, and Minneapolis, Minn., 10.08. For the same period
there were only 5 deaths in Falls Church, its population then being
1,007. The average annual death rate in Falls Church is about 9.5 per
1,000, only 57 deaths having occurred here between August 17, 1898 and
September 2, 1904, a period of a little over six years.
[Illustration: Mr. A. P. Eastman]
The death rate in the United States for 1900, according to census
returns was 17.8 per 1,000, the rate in cities where such statistics
were gathered being 18.6, and in rural districts 15.4.
For the purpose of comparison the death rate per 1,000 in the following
cities as reported by the U. S. Census Bureau for 1900 will be of
interest. Baltimore, Md., 21.0; New York, N. Y., 21.3; Washington, D.
C., 22.8; Alexandria, Va., 24.2; Norfolk, Va., 25.2; Lynchburg, Va.,
27.7; Richmond, Va., 29.7; Petersburg, Va., 31.1.
IDEAL COUNTRY HOMES. To the generosity of a nearby nurseryman the town
is indebted for its wealth of trees. When the first streets were laid
out Mr. D. O. Munson donated liberally from his nursery stock and to him
is chiefly due the credit for the present attractive appearance of the
tree-lined streets.
The conventional arrangement of the average suburban town has not been
followed in laying out the streets of this village, and even the sinuous
main avenue, lined on either side by a row of full grown maples, adds to
its charm. Beyond the town to the westward the view of rolling plain
and delightful wooded expanse greets the eye, and in the distance the
smoky Sugar Loaf looms up to beckon one to mountain scenes. In an
afternoon drive from the village to the south or west the lover of
nature may find pleasure at every turn.
The healthfulness of Falls Church is proverbial, while its charming
situation, accessibility to the city of Washington and the homelike tone
pervading every part of its area have surprised and attracted all whose
privilege it has been to visit here for the first time. The place to the
tired city man can afford all the enjoyment of retirement and
tranquillity. With an abundance of green lawns, well shaded walks and
drives, pure water, churches, good schools and the necessary stores;
what more could the seeker desire to complete his ideal of a country
home.
[Illustration: Mr. Geo. F. Rollins]
Possessing advantages imperfectly pictured herein, Falls Church welcomes
the jaded fathers and mothers from the city to the place where children
may enjoy life with nature, where the climate, conducive to refreshing
sleep, soothes tired nerves and makes life to such again buoyant with
youthful hopes and joys.
[Illustration: The Old Colonial Church.]
The original church at the Falls is said to have been built in 1709.
This is only tradition, as no satisfactory evidence has been obtained
relating to its exact location or the date when first erected.
Court records establish the fact that there was a church on the present
site of the Falls Church in 1746. On March 20th of that year John
Trammell, in consideration of the sum of fifty shillings sterling,
transferred, by deed of bargain and sale, to the Vestry of Truro Parish
in Fairfax County a certain parcel of land containing two acres "where
the Upper Church now is." John Trammell owned at that time the greater
part of the land upon which the town of Falls Church is now situated. In
June, 1745, he leased to Walter English his plantation of 244 acres
"near the head of the north of Holmes' Run extending to Four Mile Run,
excepting two acres for the use of the church."
[Illustration: Mrs. C. E. Mankin's Store]
The vestry book of Truro Parish commences about 1732. This book is in
the possession of Mr. H. H. Dodge, of Mt. Vernon, a vestryman of old
Pohick Church. Through the courtesy of Mr. Dodge, the Editor was
permitted to make a careful examination of its pages, and to copy from
the minutes of the vestry meetings therein such entries as appeared to
throw any light upon the early history of the Falls Church.
Some apparently trivial entries have been copied, such as the payment of
a sexton's salary for a number of successive years, but the name of the
sexton in such cases has an important bearing upon the subject, when it
is not improbable that the churches indicated as the "Upper Church," the
"New Church," etc., may be the church later designated as "The Falls
Church."
[Illustration: Mr. Charles A. Stewart]
In addition to religious matters, the duties of the church vestry in
these early times embraced many secular affairs. Under the direction of
the Parish Vestry tithes were collected from the land owners, and
"processioners" were appointed by them to survey and establish all land
boundaries within the parish. Such matters as related to the relief of
the poor, the medical care of the sick, charges for burial of the dead,
the maintenance of the blind, the lame, and the maimed, also of
foundlings and vagrants, now looked after by the county government, were
then a part of the duty of the vestry of each parish.
By a general law passed in the Colony in 1667, Act IV, 19th Charles II,
the right was vested in the county courts, when expedient, to set aside
and appropriate not more than two acres of land for church and burial
purposes; ministers' salaries had been fixed the year before at 16,000
pounds of tobacco, or about $650.
As early as October, 1734, John Trammell was paid by the Vestry of Truro
Parish 320 pounds of tobacco for grubbing a place for a new church, for
which Robert Blackburn had drawn plans.
[Illustration: Mrs. Charles A. Mankin]
In November of the following year, Thomas or James Bennitt was paid 150
pounds of tobacco as sexton of the New Church. Record of the payment of
400 pounds of tobacco to James Bennitt, Sexton of the New Church,
appears under date of October 6, 1740, and again May 21, 1745. On the
latter date the Vestry decided to build a church "at or near the spring
nigh Mr. Hutchinson's on the mountain road ... with doors, windows &
seats after the manner of the Upper Church." The deed from Andrew
Hutchinson to the Vestry of Truro Parish for two acres of land upon
which this new church was to be erected, recorded in Liber A. No. 1,
page 464, Fairfax County Land Records, does not show this land to have
been in the vicinity of Falls Church.
On October 12, 1747, the vestry records indicate that Mary Bennitt was
sexton of the Upper Church, supposed to be the same which was called the
New Church before this date, and that Wm. Grove was sexton of the more
recently built church on the mountain road near Mr. Hutchinson's. Mary
Bennitt's salary as sexton of the Upper Church was 400 pounds of tobacco
until 1749, when it was increased to 460 pounds. Her salary was again
raised to 560 pounds in 1752, and so continued until 1755, when James
Palmer became sexton at "Falls Church," so designated in the records.
James Palmer appears to have been succeeded by Gerard Trammell, the
Vestry at a meeting held November 12, 1759, having allowed the latter
560 pounds of tobacco as sexton of Falls Church.
[Illustration: Mrs. Annie Eells]
In February, 1749, the Vestry decided to build an addition to the "Upper
Church," and the contract for the improvement was given to Charles
Broadwater, Gent., who undertakes to complete the work by the laying of
the next parish levy for the sum of 12,000 pounds of tobacco. Mr.
Charles Broadwater was at that time one of the vestrymen, and among
those present at the meeting were George Mason and the Rev. Charles
Green. The vestry meeting held October 25, 1762, elected George
Washington a Vestryman in place of Wm. Peake, Gent., deceased, and at
the same meeting it was ordered that the sexton at Falls Church be
allowed 560 pounds of tobacco for his services.
The Vestry of Truro Parish met on March 28, 1763, at the Falls Church.
Those present were: Henry Gunnell, Wm. Payne, Jr., Church Wardens; John
West, Wm. Payne, Charles Broadwater, Thomas Wren, Abraham Barnes, Daniel
McCarty, Robert Boggers and George Washington.
[Illustration: "Eastover" Mr. Pickering Dodge]
It appears that this meeting was called for the purpose of deciding
whether to repair the old church, then greatly in decay, or to erect a
new building. It would seem that the matter of abandonment of the site
of the old church was also to be acted upon, and the erection of a new
one in a more convenient place.
The Vestry decided that the old church was too dilapidated to repair,
and resolved that a new church be built at the same place. It was
ordered that the Clerk of the Vestry advertise in the Virginia and
Maryland Gazettes for workmen to meet at the church on the 29th of
August next following, to undertake the building of a brick church, to
contain 1,600 feet on the floor, with a suitable gallery. The record of
the vestry meeting of October 3, 1763, shows that 30,000 pounds of
tobacco had been levied toward building Falls Church, and was to be sold
by the Church Wardens for the best cash price obtainable. George
Washington was not present at this meeting; but as an evidence of his
interest in the contemplated improvements he copied in his diary under
date of 1764 the advertisement published in the Maryland Gazette for
"undertakers to build Falls Church."
[Illustration: Mr. W. A. Ball]
The accounts of the Clerk of the Vestry at this date show Truro Parish
credited with 1,807 tithables at 37 pounds of tobacco each, or a total
of 66,859 pounds. The expenditures debited against this amount include
17,280 pounds of tobacco for salary of minister, 560 pounds each to the
sexton at Pohick Church and Falls Church, 500 pounds to the sexton at
Alexandria, 3,000 pounds to Clerk of Vestry, besides sundry payments
toward the support of the indigent of the parish.
The record of the vestry meeting for Truro Parish April 26, 1765, states
that Truro Parish has been divided from Colonel Washington's mill to
John Monroe's and thence to Difficult Run, the upper parish being called
Fairfax. The Parish of Fairfax in which was situated Falls Church or the
"Upper Church" and Alexandria or the "Lower Church" was created February
1, 1765, by virtue of an Act passed the previous year, being the 4th
George III. Falls Church was evidently the Parish Church, and Alexandria
"The Chapel of Ease" as indicated by the comparative emoluments of the
office of sexton.
[Illustration: Mr. T. B. Snoddy]
Earnest efforts have been made to locate the Vestry Book of Fairfax
Parish containing information relating to Falls Church after the
division of Truro Parish in 1765. This book was in charge of the rector
of Christ Church, Alexandria, at the outbreak of the civil war and is
supposed to have been lost or destroyed.
A few facts relating to Falls Church have been gathered from an address
delivered by the rector of Christ Church in 1873 upon the occasion of
the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the latter church.
The Vestry elected for Fairfax Parish March 28, 1765, consisted of the
following: John West, Charles Alexander, William Payne, John Dalton,
George Washington, Charles Broadwater, George Johnston, Townsend Dade,
Richard Sanford, William Adams, John Posey, Daniel French.
Rev. Townsend Dade, ordained by the Bishop of London in 1765, was the
first minister of Christ Church, and it is presumed that as minister of
the Parish he also officiated at the Falls Church. His salary was 17,280
pounds of tobacco, and 2,500 pounds were added to this for the
deficiency of a glebe. He served as minister until 1778.
[Illustration: Dr. T. M. Talbott]
In November, 1766, the Vestry ordered a levy to be made upon the
inhabitants of the parish of 31,185 pounds of tobacco, for the purpose
of building two new churches of brick; one at the Falls, the other at
Alexandria.
The new brick church which the Vestry decided to erect in place of the
old wooden structure was built, according to reliable information, by
Mr. James Wren, for about 600 pounds sterling. Bishop Meade states in
his book on old churches of Virginia, that a most particular contract
was made for him as also for James Parsons, the contractor for the
Alexandria church.
The mortar was to be two-thirds lime and one-third sand; the shingles
were to be of the best cypress or juniper and three-quarters of an inch
thick. The contract for building Falls Church called for a gallery, but
this was never put in.
The Alexandria church was begun in 1767 by James Parsons, 600 pounds
sterling being the contract price. Parsons failed to complete his
contract and the building was finished for an additional sum of 220
pounds sterling by Col. John Carlyle, and formally delivered February
27, 1773.
[Illustration: Mr. C. L. Blanton]
In 1770 a tract of about 500 acres was purchased from Daniel Jennings at
15 shillings per acre, and upon this in 1773 the Fairfax Vestry caused
to be erected a glebe house, or rectory, with a dairy, meat house, barn,
stable and corn house for 653 pounds sterling.
During the Revolutionary War, Falls Church is said to have been the
recruiting headquarters of Col. Charles Broadwater, one of Fairfax's
first patriots.
In 1775 there were in Virginia 95 parishes, 164 churches and chapels,
and 91 clergymen. At the conclusion of the war for Independence only 72
parishes remained, and 34 of these had been deprived of ministerial
help. Churches and chapels had gone to ruin; soldiers having turned them
into barracks or stables.