Burke Station

A new railroad station was built in Burke in 1903, when the railroad tracks were relocated northward several hundred feet to their present location. This building in the photo no longer exists.

Courtesy Tom Giska, History of Burke Slide Collection

Burke Station, Artist's Rendition

This sketch shows the construction and uses of the original Burke railroad station. The Burke Post Office was housed in one end of the station.

Courtesy Bill Sheads

Orange and Alexandria Railroad Trestle Historic Marker

The Orange and Alexandria Railroad Trestle marker reads, "The original bridge crossing Accotink Creek was built in 1851 as part of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. During the Civil War the wooden trestle was an attractive target for Confederate soldiers. In his 28 Dec. 1862 raid on Burke's Station, Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart sent twelve men under the command of Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee to burn the trestle. Although termed an 'inconsiderable structure' by the Union press, the raid was alarming to many because of its close proximity to Alexandria. The trestle was quickly rebuilt, allowing the Union to continue transporting vital supplies along the line for the remainder of the war."

Photo by Gilbert Donahue

Copyrighted material, not to be reproduced without permission of owner, Gilbert Donahue

Orange and Alexandria Railroad Historic Marker

The marker reads: "Orange and Alexandria Railroad...Accotink Park Road lies on the right-of-way of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, which linked the markets of northern and central Virginia. Construction began in March 1850, and the line was extended to Manassas in 1851, and to Gordonsville in March 1853. The railroad encouraged the growth of Fairfax County and new communities along the way. During the Civil War the line became a strategic prize coveted by both sides, and battles were fought at or near such stops as Manassas Junction, Bristoe Station, and Brandy Station. The Union army seized a large part of the Fairfax section of the railroad and placed it under the control of the U.S. Military Railroad system in 1862. Department of Historic Resources 1995"

Photo by Gilbert Donahue

Copyrighted material, not to be reproduced without permission of owner, Gilbert Donahue

Clara Barton Historic Marker

This historic marker at Ox Road and Fairfax Station Road commemorates the nursing work of Clara Barton. The marker reads, "Clara H. Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross. Here at Fairfax Station in early Sept. 1862, after the Second Battle of Manassas and the action near Chantilly, Clara Barton ministered to the suffering. By her human and tireless efforts this angel of the battlefield helped move over 3000 wounded soldiers to safety. (Erected by the Fairfax County Chapter, American National Red Cross, 1961)"

Photo by Gil Donahue

Copyrighted material, not to be reproduced without permission of owner, Gilbert Donahue

St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church

St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church in Fairfax Station was built in 1860 and became the first Catholic Church in Fairfax County.

During the construction of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad through Fairfax County, many Irish Catholic immigrants came to the area to work on the construction crew. A priest from a parish in Alexandria offered mass in train boxcars.

During the Civil War, the Union Army used the church and after the Second Battle of Manassas, Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, ministered to the wounded in the churchyard. Church pews were used for firewood.

Later President Ulysses S. Grant ordered new pews to be made for the church and they are still in use today. Today's congregation meets in a new edifice on Sideburn Road, and the original church is used for special occasions.

Photo by Gilbert Donahue

Copyrighted material, not to be reproduced without permission of owner, Gilbert Donahue

Burke United Methodist Church

The Burke United Methodist Church opened in a former Southern Railway train station in 1929. Former school teacher and neighborhood handyman, Willie Harlow, made the steeple and the cross, although he did not attend church services there. The congregation moved to a new location in 1979, and the former depot and church became a commercial building.

General J.E.B. Stuart had raided the old train station in 1862, and a historic marker denotes the event.

Photograph from Fairfax County Public Library, Virginia Room, Photographic Archive