These notes are part of a series of research reports on the historic
and architectural landmarks of Fairfax County, Virginia, prepared
pursuant to a resolution of the Board of County Supervisors calling
for a survey of the county's historic sites and buildings.
Green Spring Farm was selected in 1967 by the Fairfax County
Historical Landmarks Preservation Commission as a subject to be
researched, and was later incorporated into a successor research
program sponsored by the Division of Planning in cooperation with the
Fairfax County History Commission.
The authors of this report wish to acknowledge with special thanks the
assistance of the following: Mr. and Mrs. John Mosby Beattie, Admiral
Beverly Mosby Coleman, Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Straight, Mr. and Mrs.
John Quast, Mrs. Victor Fahringer, Mrs. Gwen Hempel, Mrs. Don Ritchie,
and Mrs. Edith Moore Sprouse.
The authors also extend their thanks to the Honorable Thomas P.
Chapman, former Clerk of the Fairfax County Circuit Court, and the
Honorable Franklin Gooding, present Clerk of the Fairfax County
Circuit Court, for assistance in making available court records of the
clerkships of various members of the Moss family. The Honorable George
R. Rich, Clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates and Keeper of the
Rolls of the State, furnished information on Robert Moss's term as a
Delegate from Fairfax County. Thanks are extended to the staff of the
National Archives who located and made available for examination the
military and civil service records of Fountain Beattie.
Many helpful suggestions on the interpretation of data concerning the
history of agriculture in Northern Virginia were provided by C.
Malcolm Watkins, Chairman of the Department of Cultural History, and
John T. Schlebecker, Curator of the Division of Agriculture and Mining
of the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of History and Technology.
Details of the architectural history of the mansion house were
furnished by Walter Macomber, who was in charge of the 1942
renovation, and David Condon, AIA, who designed the additional work
done in 1960. Mr. Condon also provided both information and
architectural plans for the Tobey House and the Spring House. The
authors' sincere thanks are extended to both these gentlemen.
Finally, the authors wish to acknowledge the efficient and valuable
help that they, as part of the county's historical research project,
received from the staff of the Fairfax County Headquarters Library.
N.N.
R.D.N.
Fairfax, Virginia
April 22, 1970