Memorial Marker: Howery Field

On June 1, 1967, six young soldiers from Fort Belvoir died in an accident while working on a community service project to help build the Howery Field athletic complex. They were electrocuted when the flagpole they were erecting contacted a high voltage power line. The marker reads: "These fields are dedicated in the memory of the servicemen who died onsite in June, 1967, while volunteering to help make these athletic fields possible for the community. Lest we forget...
PVT. Paul D. Briggs
PVT. Anthony B. Evans
PFC. Marvin D. Harrison
PVT. Charles R. Oliver
SPC. 4 Kenneth G. Steiner
PVT. Charles M. Whaley"
Howery Field Park, a Fairfax County Park Authority facility, was named in honor of the donor of the land, Edward F. Howrey, who had once owned Oak Hill.

Courtesy John Browne

Oral History: Robin Hirst

Robin Hirst grew up among influential people when her father, Omer Hirst, served as a Virginia State Legislator. Her family's farm near Burke has been subdivided and developed, but the unique house they built, Hirst House, remains. She shares memories of her childhood, people she met, and her involvement in equestrian sports.

Oral History: John Fox

John Fox was seventeen when his family moved to Annandale in 1939. His father started the Annandale Volunteer Fire Department, and John Fox served with that department. He describes the technology of fire fighting and major blazes facing the volunteers.

Oral History: Ernest (Buddy) Belote

Ernest (Buddy) Belote can trace his family roots in Northern Virginia to pre-Revolutionary days. His ancestor, Colonel William Fitzhugh of Bedfordshire, England, purchased about 22,000 acres of land in Northern Virginia and began cultivating what would become one of the largest tobacco plantations in Northern Virginia. The property encompassed the current Ravensworth neighborhood in the Braddock District. After discussing the Fitzhughs, Buddy Belote talks about his career in radio and television news, his daughter's Olympic swimming achievements, and Braddock District development.

A Look Back at Braddock Oral History Project

Annandale Dreadnaughts Baseball Team, circa 1940

The Annandale Dreadnaughts, founded in 1940, played teams from other areas and attracted up to 500 fans at games. The team would "pass the hat" to help pay for uniforms and equipment. Baseball scouts occasionally came to check out local players.

Courtesy John Fox