Colchester is a historic
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
on the
Occoquan River
The Occoquan River is a tributary of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, where it serves as part of the boundary between Fairfax and Prince William counties.
The river is a scenic area, and several local high schools and colleges use the r ...
in
Fairfax County,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
.
History
Colchester is a former
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
port established in 1753.
[ The port town was located on the old post road and Thomas Mason (son of George Mason) operated a ferry across the Occoquan River here. In 1798, Mason built a wooden bridge across the river; the bridge was washed away around 1807. Only one of Colchester's original buildings exists—the Fairfax Arms (10712 Old Colchester Road), which had been an ordinary and now owned by the Fairfax County Park Authority. The decline of the tobacco trade, silting of the river, and diversion of most shipping to the towns of Alexandria and Occoquan caused Colchester's decline.]
Transportation
It was a stop on the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. The track is now the RF&P Subdivision of the CSX Transportation system; the original corporation is no longer a railroad co ...
which was replaced by, CSXT. Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
, and the Jefferson Davis Highway ( U.S. 1) are located directly to the west of the Colchester area.
Portions of roads that accessed Colchester still exist. Colchester Road in Clifton is part of SR 612, and Old Colchester Road, which runs north and becomes Telegraph Road leading to Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
, is part of SR 611. Farther to the northwest, the Snickersville Turnpike
The ‘’‘Snickersville Turnpike’’’ (formerly known as the ‘’‘Snicker’s Gap Turnpike’’’) is a historic road in the northern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. While part of the original route is now maintained as State Ro ...
was historically named Colchester Road before it was improved in the early 1800s. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors nearly renamed the county's portion of Braddock Road to Colchester Road in 1989.[Loudoun County Board of Supervisors: ]
Famous residents
* Archibald Henderson, the longest-serving Commandant of the United States Marine Corps
The commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) is normally the highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps. It is a four-star general position and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions. The ...
, serving from 1820 to 1859
* Alexander Henderson, his father, a member of the Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...
and a Virginia delegate to the Mount Vernon Conference in 1785
*William Grayson
William Grayson (1742 – March 12, 1790) was a planter, lawyer and statesman from Virginia. After leading a Virginia regiment in the Continental Army, Grayson served in the Virginia House of Delegates before becoming one of the first two U ...
, Revolutionary War General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
, Virginia Senator
See also
*
References
Unincorporated communities in Fairfax County, Virginia
Washington metropolitan area
Unincorporated communities in Virginia
Populated places established in 1753
1753 establishments in the Colony of Virginia
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