Rebel Hill, Artist's Drawing

On March 29, 1962, The Washington Post reported testimony by Mrs. Z. C. Zefteris of Kings Park West about Rebel Hill on Braddock Road to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Describing cars sliding off the steep road in icy conditions and the inability of women to walk up the hill to call for help, she is quoted: "They had to go up that hill on their hands and knees..."

Artist Chris Lipsey depicts what it might have been like for drivers in winter.

Courtesy Chris Lipsey

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Historic Marker: The Guinea Road Cemetery Reinterment

This historic marker in Pleasant Valley Memorial Park Cemetery commemorates the reinterment of remains from the Guinea Road Cemetery. The marker reads: "The Guinea Road Cemetery Reinterment. Virginia aristocrat William Fitzhugh was granted 21,996 acres in 1694: The Ravensworth tract, which was divided into northern and southern halves in 1701 and subsequently subdivided among Fitzhugh heirs throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The cemetery located at Guinea Road and Little River Turnpike (Route 236) was part of the northern half of the original tract. The community of Ilda grew around this cemetery in the late 19th century. Families of local tenant farmers, African American slaves and Freedmen are believed to have been buried at the Guinea Road Cemetery. The remains were reinterred at this site by the Virginia Department of Transportation in 2006."

Photo by Mary Lipsey

Guinea Road Cemetery Excavation

The Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) excavation of the Guinea Road Cemetery was conducted under the guidance of archaeologists, with care to identify and preserve all remains and artifacts. They discovered only one tombstone; the inscription which could be read was "S.A. Williams" "11 years" and "1851."

Tombstone image by Mary Lipsey; excavation image, courtesy, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)

Burke Forest Fire

On April 20, 1941, a forest fire that ignited along the railroad near Guinea Road and Zion Road eventually burned an extensive area southward toward Lorton. Local fire fighters battled for several days before bringing it under control with help from Ft. Belvoir soldiers and prisoners from the Lorton Workhouse. The fire is a vivid memory for residents who experienced it. They and contemporary newspaper accounts report that the previous winter had been extremely dry and temperatures were unusually hot for April.

Courtesy Chris Lipsey

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Annandale Tollhouse, Artist's Rendition

Little River Turnpike was one of the important early roads in Fairfax County and one of the first toll roads in the nation, enabling transport of goods from western Virginia to the Potomac River port of Alexandria. The Turnpike became the first paved road in Fairfax County. Tollgates were established at five-mile intervals between Alexandria and the Little River ford in Loudoun County. The Annandale tollhouse, constructed in 1802, was a voting location when Fairfax County cast ballots to secede from the Union. Annandale Tollhouse Park, at the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Annandale Road, commemorates this historic location

Courtesy Chris Lipsey

Pen/ink sketches by Chris Lipsey. Not to be used without permission of the owner.

Burke Street Scene, Artist's Drawing

Artist's rendition of the center of Burke in 1979, showing buildings whose ownership had changed over time. The 7-Eleven store previously held a country general store.

Pen and ink sketch, Chris Lipsey

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Bunny Man: Artist's Rendition

Bunny Man is a local character - part real and part myth - who appeared in the 1970s in the Burke area. According to newspaper accounts, a man in a rabbit suit threatened a young couple in a parked car on Guinea Road, telling them they were on private property and then hurled a hatchet through the right front window. Police recovered the hatchet. In another incident, a construction security guard reported seeing him chopping at the roof support of a house under construction. When the security guard went to get his gun, the Bunny Man skipped off into the darkness, carrying his axe. In a third incident, the Bunny Man accused Kings Park West residents of dumping trash. In the 1980s, his legend had grown more sinister, alleging several gruesome murders to his credit. A railroad overpass near Fairfax Station, which myth considers his main haunt, has earned the name Bunny Man Bridge. He has never been caught, and his legend lives on.

Pen and Ink sketch by Chris Lipsey

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