Gathering together from McLean and surrounding areas, we rejoice in having a wide range of religious experiences, traditions, and perspectives. We value the Episcopal Church, and St. John's Church in particular, for honoring thoughtful engagement with God and for nurturing compelling ministries in the world. A congregation that includes all ages seeking lively worship, effective education, and opportunities for Christian service requires a variety of ministries that can only exist with extraordinary commitment.
King Charles II of England grants all of the land between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, the Northern Neck Proprietary, to a group of seven loyal English noblemen.
Thomas Lee, former resident agent for the Northern Neck Proprietary, acquires a 2,862-acre tract near the lower falls of the Potomac River, naming it Langley after ancestral Lee lands in Shropshire, England.
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood negotiates the Treaty of Albany with the Iroquois Indians to end their attacks on settlers in the Shenandoah Valley. The Iroquois agree to remain west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Georgetown Pike’s history begins as a winding buffalo trail known as The Sugarlands Rolling Road due to the prevalence of sugar maples along its path. Many old roads in Fairfax County leading to riverside points originated as roads along which tobacco hogsheads were rolled, connecting inland farms with river landings where tobacco ships from London waited to fill out their cargoes. Some retained the name of “rolling road”.
The Virginia Assembly, meeting in Williamsburg, creates Fairfax County. It is named for Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693-1781), proprietor of the Northern Neck. In 1748, 28% of the County’s population maintains slaves. That number increases to 41% by 1800.
The Fairfax County Courthouse is moved from a location near present-day Tysons Corner to Alexandria. In 1789, a legislative petition requests that the courthouse be placed in the center of Fairfax County. The courthouse in its current location was constructed in 1799, designed by architect, James Wren.
The land area of Fairfax County is dramatically reduced by 60% as Loudoun County is formed out of western Fairfax.
Benvenue (later Bienvenue) is built on part of the 3,402-acre Turberville grant known as Woodberry Hill. (This land had been granted to George Turberville in 1724 by Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax.) During the first winter of the Civil War, the house serves as a hospital. It still stands near the intersection of Churchill Road and Dolley Madison Boulevard.
The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia is organized and includes 38 counties in central and northern Virginia (one of the largest in the Episcopal Church). The Episcopal Church is the representative of the Anglican Communion in the United States. There have been four editions of the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer since the American Revolution, issued in 1789, 1892, 1928 and 1979. The parish church performs many of the social services in the community, and service as a vestryman demands a high order of leadership in local affairs. Indeed, the vestry of the parish church is the training ground for self-government in Colonial Virginia.
