1915 Map of Fairfax

About this map

Northern Virginia before the era of modern suburbanization is defined here by its dependence on the Washington and Old Dominion Railway and the Southern Railway. Based on surveys from 1911-1912, the landscape is dotted with small crossroads communities and rural institutions such as the Bear School and Lee Chapel. The county seat of Fairfax appears as a modest town at the junction of the Little River Road and Braddock Road, while Herndon and Vienna serve as primary rail hubs. The terrain is deeply carved by the drainage basins of Difficult Run and Bull Run, the latter marking the boundary with Prince William County. Small, family-run landmarks like Makely Store and the remote Pleasant Valley School highlight a social geography of scattered farmsteads and narrow turnpikes that existed decades before the expansion of the capital region.