In a pivotal discussion during the January 21, 2025, meeting, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved funding measures for a new fire station in the Brentsville District, addressing a pressing need for expanded emergency services. The debate revolved around whether to utilize proffer funds—developer-contributed resources earmarked for public infrastructure—or tap into the county’s fire levy fund.

The Funding Debate

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In its Dec. 10 meeting, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved the purchase of two historic properties in Gainesville and Bristow.

The first of the properties was the Ned Distiller House at 16210 Lee Highway and the adjoining Ashe Property at 16206 Lee Highway. These properties span approximately one acre. According to county documents, the Board originally wanted to purchase Ned Distiller's house, but staff recommended the county also purchase the adjoining property due to its size.

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Braemar Park in Bristow is now open with new improvements, including a newly paved parking lot, a new playground, new fencing, newly painted courts and the conversion of a tennis court to two pickleball courts.

Prince William County staff and leaders gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 26 to celebrate the improvements funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

“We spent about $750,000 of [ARPA] funding to make these improvements and this project would not have happened without the Board’s support in appropriating that money along with funding for other properties,” Prince William County Parks Director Seth Hendler-Voss said.

The ARPA was passed by President Joe Biden in March 2021 and established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF), which provides funds and resources to state and local governments to address the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prince William County allocated $91 million and projects must be completed by Dec. 21, 2026. $8.7 million was allocated for park projects and $8.39 million was allocated for eligible sustainable park projects. Millions of dollars have been allocated to support community feeding initiatives, economic recovery initiatives, a Crisis Receiving Center and many other projects.

“As a parent, I know how important parks are. They really are essential spaces for our community. And as our county continues to develop we need to make sure we have recreational green spaces that are not only preserved but enhanced,” Board of County Supervisors Chair At-Large DeShundra Jefferson said. “The reopening of Braemar Park symbolizes the revitalizations that other parks around our county need and that we are going to get to because our kids deserve a place to run, play and truly be kids.”

Brentsville District Supervisor Tom Gordy was thankful the county is dedicated to maintaining current structures in the county.

“We look forward to seeing more opportunities like this over the next few years as we continue to update and expand the parks and recreation opportunities for Prince William County,” Gordy said.

The beautification project along Sudley Road from Rixlew Lane to Portsmouth Road was completed and commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

The project, which was funded by the Board of County Supervisors’ $500,000 allocation for such projects in fiscal year 2024, provided new landscaping to “enhance the appeal of the area.” Some of the landscaping included adding crape myrtles, knock-out roses, shamrock hollies, hydrangeas and more.

Both Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega and Brentsville District Supervisor Tom Gordy attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony because the project covers portions of each district.

“We have a lot going on here in this Sudley corridor, and this is really step one in taking and transforming this area for the good of this community,” Gordy said. “We’re looking at a complete redevelopment of the Sudley corridor all the way from the Manassas Battlefield to Godwin Drive. We have a lot of exciting opportunities for this corridor. None of this happens without the hard work of a lot of good people. … I look forward to seeing a lot more happen in the future.”

Vega said she was happy the project brought some attention to the area.

“I just want to thank everybody that played a vital role in ensuring that this project was completed,” Vega said. “So, to our staff, thank you … for their commitment in ensuring that we give folks that sense of pride and joy in the area that they live in. I’m excited that this day is finally here. I want to see more of these projects, not just here, but throughout the county.”

The Brentsville Road Interchange — which connects the Route 234 Bypass, the Prince William County Parkway, Dumfries and Brentsville roads — is now open for pedestrians and cyclists.

Opened in the Coles District, the $54.9 million project was fully funded by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The project was first considered in 2019 and under contract in 2020, according to Department of Transportation Director Rick Canizales.

Coles District County Supervisor Yesli Vega attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 25 and was excited about the new bridge.

“I always refer to my district as the heart of Prince William County. You cannot connect the east and the west without the Coles District. This is a project that has been long overdue and in the making,” Vega said.

Prince William County Trails and Blueways Council Coles District Representative Joe Marshall said he was excited about the new bridge because it now presents a safer option for pedestrians.

“Biking over this pedestrian bridge is so much better than dodging traffic coming off of a high-speed roadway,” Marshall said. “This is an awesome bridge and hopefully the first of several needed throughout the county to realize the mobility trail network in the county’s comprehensive plan. I believe my neighbors and I, and many in the county, will feel the benefits of this intersection for years to come.”

The Prince William County Office of Historic Preservation and Prince William County Parks & Recreation will host a special event at the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre. The event marks the 15th anniversary of the Centre’s appearance on an episode of the television show Ghost Hunters.

The event will occur at the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre, 12229 Bristow Road, Bristow. The evening begins with a free screening of the “Ghost Hunters” episode from 7 to 8 PM. Following the screening, there will be a ghost tour from 8 to 9 p.m. The tour costs $15 per person, and advance tickets are recommended. Tickets will be available starting August 6th at pwcparks.info/hptickets.

The Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre is on a 28-acre plot and is home to a historic preservation society. The site includes five historic buildings and several archaeological sites. Notable buildings include the 1822 Courthouse, an 1850 Jail, the 1853 Haislip-Hall House, Union Church, and the 1928 one-room Schoolhouse. Some buildings are said to be haunted, including the jail, where phantom voices have been reported, and the courthouse, where ghostly figures have been seen through the windows.

For more information, contact 703-365-7895.

The Brentsville Jail, built in the 1800s and now a historic site in Prince William County, is offering an overnight experience on Saturday, July 20, where attendees can sleep in a prison cell, take part in a mock trial, take an evening tour and listen to ghost stories around a campfire.

“Guests will take part in a mock trial where we take court cases from the 1800s and we give everyone different roles,” Paige Gibbons Backus, historic site manager at Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre & Lucasville School, said in a press release. “They go through the court case, hear the evidence and then decide if someone is innocent or guilty and we tell them if they changed history or not.”

The jail was built in tandem with the Brentsville Courthouse in the 1820s and served as the “center of law and order” for the county until 1893, the release stated. The county seat moved to Manassas, so the jail transitioned to a women’s dorm for the teacher’s college in the defunct courthouse. It was then renovated to become a private residence then the county park authority’s jail space.

Since those days, the jail has been restored by the Office of Historic Preservation to return to its original appearance. A museum is now the main occupant of the building, detailing its own history and that of Brentsville.

Up to five people can sleep in a single, air-conditioned cell and attendees will receive a light breakfast on Sunday morning, which is included in the $120 registration fee.

Authorities at Patriot High School in Brentsville were alerted to the presence of a weapon on school premises following a tip received through the See Something Say Something App.

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Prince William County Historic Preservation: “Brentsville’s Bluegrass Festival is on Saturday, September 30th from 10 am-4 pm. Tickets will go live on August 1st and can be purchased at http://pwcparks.org/bluegrass.”