Camp Reports: Civilian Conservation Corps No. 2339C Camp

CCC No. 2399C Camp, also known as Army-3VA Camp, was located at the U.S. Army's Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County. A racially segregated unit, it was comprised of African Americans except for assigned Army Reserve officers and other leaders. The Camp's work on reforestation and fire control projects included road construction and firefighting in and near Braddock District. A significant but nearly forgotten contribution was construction in the 1930s of an access road through an extensive forest area bounded by Braddock, Rolling, Backlick and Old Keene Mill roads. Erased by suburban development, the road no longer appears on current maps. Today, that former forest has been replaced largely by the community of Springfield and Lake Accotink Park. Lake Accotink was originally created during World War I as a water source for Fort Belvoir.

Two camp inspection reports - for March 21, 1936 and March 8, 1938 - provide insights into the people, operations and life of CCC No. 2399C Camp, including:
--Location, size and description of camp and its facilities
--U.S. Army Reserve officers, camp leaders and personnel assigned
--Compensation
--Details about camp sanitation, medical services, motor vehicles and safety program
--Evaluation ratings on camp facilities, conditions, personnel and morale
--Food, meals and daily menus
--Mission, responsibilities, work projects and plans
--Sports and recreation
--Religious services
--Health, including deaths of camp personnel
--Education, including efforts to eliminate illiteracy

Courtesy of Mary Lipsey; obtained during her research of the CCC from the The National Archives and Records Administration.

Oral History: Bill Hellwig

Bill Hellwig's family moved to Fairfax County in 1952. His father, a civil engineer, conducted studies for developers on the feasibility of land tracts for development, including the preliminary engineering work for most of Springfield. Bill Hellwig joined the Park Authority after college graduation and by 2005 had worked for the Authority for 33 years. He discusses the development of the parks and their programs.

Oral History: Tawny Hammond

Tawny Hammond moved to Fairfax County in 1989 to work with the Fairfax County Park Authority. She discusses the nature of civic involvement in growing, diverse communities.

Oral History: Elly Doyle

Elly Doyle moved to Fairfax County during the early 1950s. A civic activist and former member and chairman of the Fairfax County Park Authority Board, she traces the development of the activities of county parks and her role in that growth.

Oral History: Dan Cragg

Dan Cragg, former Braddock District History Commissioner, traces the history of Braddock District through stories about early families--the Fitzhughs and the Lees, among them. He traces the growth of the railroads through streets now occupied with houses, parks, and shopping facilities. Through careful research, Dan Cragg determined the original location of the Ravensworth mansion, constructed on the Fitzhugh tobacco plantation in 1797.

Railroad Station, Springfield, Virginia, circa 1962

Community residents remember going to the Springfield train station to pick up mail. In the early days, farms surrounded the station. People often stocked up on eggs, corn, and fresh produce during the mail run.

Courtesy Tawny Hammond