Centreville has a rich history
that encompasses critical events and changes of the colonial, Civil War, and early 20th century.
The
Centreville area was occupied by the Tauxenet, also known as the Dogue, Indians in the period immediately proceeding colonialization
by the English. Captain John Smith on visited the main town of the Tauxenet near the mouth of the Occuquan
River in 1608. In the fall and through the winters, the residents of larger villages along the river broke
up into smaller groups that could more readily hunt and gather in upland woods, such as the Centreville area. The historical
record reveals little about the lives of the Tauxenet, but archaeological evidence of Taux and earlier use of the land
has been found throughout the Centreville area. As a people, the Taux were lost to the diseases and warfare that followed
English settlement of Virginia, but a handful of individuals trace thier lineage to the Tauxenet today.
Recorded
European settlment in the Centreville area began in the 1720's as land along the main waterways was claimed and
settlement of Shenandoah Valley and Ohio began. The Mountain Road (Braddock Road) was an important route connecting
ports on the Occoquan and the Potomac to the western interior. Tobacco was "rolled" down to the river towns, and
both people and goods travelled westward. Centreville began as a crossroads village where a general store
and a tavern, named Newgate, were built. The village was known by the name of the tavern. As the road network and
village enterprises developed, local landowners petitioned the state to formerly charter a town. Newgate village was
renamed and became the town of Centreville in 1792. Town founders hoped it would become a center for trade and manufacturing.
At least two tanneries would operate in town, along with blacksmiths, carpenters, coblers and wheelwrights.
During
the American Civil War (1861-1865), Centreville became famous for its role in the Battles of First and Second Manassas. It
also figured in the Bristoe Campaign. Centreville was heavily fortified by the Confederates in the winter of 1861-62.
Diseases such as measles spread rapidly and the decision was made to house the soldiers in huts for the winter rather than
tents. Union soldiers occupied the Centreville fortifications after the Confederates left in the spring of 1862. Between the
need for clear views of the surrounding territory, clear lines of sight for guns, and huts and firewood for soldiers,
the area was nearly denuded of trees.
Many buildings in Centreville were also destroyed during the
war, incuding Saint John's Episcopal Church, which was rebuilt on the old foundations after the war. The Old Stone Church
was used as a hospital for the battles of First and Second Manassas. All of the wood in the building, include the roof, was
scavenged, letting the stone walls begin to collapse. The topsoil, robbed of trees quickly eroded. And the road
network was ruined by the passage of tens of thousands of troops. The town was devestated.
Following
the Civil War, railroad towns such as Clifton, Manassas, and Herndon emerged as centers of commerce. But Centreville
had no rail station and thus little impetus for growth. The town quietly hung on, bouyed by its local-serving
churches and stores, until the invention of the automobile. Tourists in cars and the transport of farm goods by
truck revitalized the old road networks. The old Warrenton Turnpike, initally constructed in the early 1800s, was paved with
concrete and re-named Lee Highway in honor of Robert E. Lee. The Lee Highway was the sourthern complement to the
Lincoln Highway to the north and linked Washington DC to San Diego, California. The new highway laid re-oriented the
town's "main street" away from the old Braddock Road and laid the foundations for the suburban development
familiar to today.
Though Centreville has grown and changed, the past is still with us. It is visible
in places such as the Centreville Historic District, Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Level Green, and the mill ruins along Cub
Run. Sometimes the past comes up unexpectedly, raising new questions. During the construction of the McDonalds on Route
28 (the one across from the Burger King), the remains of Civil War soldiers were uncovered. A controversey ensued: were they
Massachusetts soliders killed in the skirmish at Blackburn's Ford? Or Confederates who died of camp fever? The remains were
finally reinterred in Massachusetts, but among locals the debate sometimes continues.
As the Friends
of Historic Centreville we are here to promote, protect, and preserve our historical heritage.
Like
to learn more?
Debbie Robison has written an excellent overview of the history of Centreville
for the Fairfax County Park Authority . Her "Northern Virginia History Notes"
website has a collection of really great articles on local history that you aren't going to find any where else. We highly
recommend it.
Centreville Community Foundation also has history articles and a good set of links. Take
a look at www.CentrevilleVa.org.
For more on the soldiers'
remains found in Centreville, click
here.
