Jail house life recreation one of several events during Prince William Historic Preservation Month

May is Historic Preservation Month, a nationwide event that highlights the contributions that historic preservation has made in strengthening local communities.

Prince William County is lucky to have many organizations that help preserve our community’s history, including a County Historic Preservation Division. The Prince William County Historic Preservation Division is the caretaker of nearly a dozen historic sites and properties that interpret the history of all of Prince William County’s residents from the pre-colonial era to today.

The early history of our county is best showcased at Rippon Lodge Historic Site in Woodbridge. The 1747 estate of a colonial elite, Rippon Lodge was restored in 2007 and follows the history of the building and the county as new sections were added in the following 200 years.

The common day to day life experience of a county resident in the 19th century is shown at Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre. The 4th county seat, Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre interprets this past with the 1820s Courthouse, 1850s farmhouse, 1870s church, and 1920s school house, all of which have been painstakingly restored in the past 10 years.

The story will be expanded once the 1820s jail that is currently being restored is complete later this year. On Saturday May 7, the experience of a typical resident will be recreated at Brentsville with living historians in the farmhouse, a militia muster, mock trials, and some historic craftspeople on site.

The Civil War had an unusually heavy impact on our community, which can be seen, held, and smelled at Ben Lomond Historic Site. An 1830s mansion, Ben Lomond was used as a Civil War hospital after the First Battle of Manassas. Later passing soldiers ransacked and graffitied the house, some of which can be seen today.

Two battlefield parks, Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park and Cockpit Point Civil War Park explore the other lesser known battles that were fought in Prince William County.

One of the most recent restoration projects has been the Barnes House at the Montclair Community Library. A 1790s home, the Barnes house is currently being restored to help interpret the African-American experience in the post-Civil War South. Once it is finished, it will help strengthen our community’s connection to our past.

This post is paid for by the The Prince William County Historic Preservation Division