The Town of Herndon is laying out a new plan for the final resting place of nearly 4 acres of Chestnut Grove Cemetery (831 Dranesville Road).

At a Herndon Town Council work session last Tuesday (Jan. 16), town staff laid out a new plan for the final set of undeveloped land on the property, which was transferred to the town as a gift in 1997.

The town intends to work with consulting firm The Tribute Companies on a revised master plan for the undeveloped northwest corner.

Randy Schell, chief program and project manager, said the new master plan is intended to bring the development up to new trends for burials and customs.

“The cemetery is running out of plots for burials, and burials customs have changed through the years,” Schell told the council at the meeting.

The plan will include an updated stormwater management facility, ground slopes and changes to the road infrastructure to address longstanding drainage issues on residential property west of the cemetery.

The master plan for the cemetery was created in 1999.

Construction on the project would begin in the fall, with completion anticipated sometime in the summer of 2025. Buffer landscaping would wrap up in the fall of that year.

The revised layout increases the number of columbarium spaces from 920 to 1,450 and reduces the number of cremation garden sites from 600 to 190. The number of mausoleum crypts is also significantly slashed from 940 to 352.

Image via Town of Herndon

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan for single-family homes near a historic area of Lake Fairfax Park at a Tuesday meeting.

The plan by developer SEM Fairfax Land Associates calls for eight single-family homes at the site of J.R.’s Custom Catering’s former Fairfax Hunt Club along Lake Fairfax Drive in Reston. The property features a historic log house that will be preserved as part of the redevelopment and an unmaintained and unnamed cemetery.

John McGrahan, the applicant’s attorney, said the applicant changed several features of its plan in response to pushback from neighbors, including Hunt Club Cluster residents concerned about preserving the cemetery.

At the request of residents, McGranahan said the location of the development’s sixth lot — which previously wrapped around the cemetery — was changed in order to avoid disturbing the cemetery and create a buffer between surrounding areas.

“The location of lot six and protection of the cemetery were the two big issues that we had at the community meeting,” McGranahan said.

The applicant also plans to plant more trees along Lake Farifax Drive in response to a request from Planning Commissioner John Carter.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said he was pleased with the outcome of what he called a small but “tricky” case.

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) A redevelopment proposal for nearly 9-acre parcel of land near Lake Fairfax Park is headed for a vote before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this month.

The plan by SEM Fairfax Land Associates calls for eight single-family homes on a cul-de-sac off of Lake Fairfax Drive, along with the preservation of a log house that was built in the 1790s.

At a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 26, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn introduced a board matter to set a board date for the application.

“In addition to the aforementioned preservation of the Log House, these Applications will ensure that the currently unmaintained unnamed cemetery #44FX1397 is well maintained in perpetuity and most importantly, that the cemetery remains undisturbed,” Alcorn wrote in the board matter.

The application went before the Fairfax County Planning Commission on July 26 and Sept. 27, when the commission recommended it be approved.

Hunt Club Cluster residents in Reston pushed back against the redevelopment of the property, which includes a possible slave cemetery.

At the commission’s hearing, attorney John McGranahan said that the applicant made several changes to the proposal. The applicant relocated lot six — one of the most significant changes in response to residents’ concerns about the encroachment of the lot on the cemetery.

“It was a lot harder than changing the lines on the drawing,” McGranahan.

Other changes include adding landscaping along Lake Fairfax Drive, added a sign to identify the cemetery as the Johnson Farm Cemetery and increased open space.

Hunt Club Cluster residents in Reston are pushing back against a potential redevelopment of a 9-acre property just north of Lake Fairfax Park that encompasses a possible slave cemetery and a 1790s-era log cabin.

SEM Fairfax Land Associates has been working to secure approval from Fairfax County to build Fairfax Hunt Estates, a community of eight single-family homes, at 1321 Lake Fairfax Drive and preserve the log cabin known as Fairfax Hunt Club, according to the application submitted on Nov. 22, 2022.

Tonight (Wednesday), the Fairfax County Planning Commission will decide whether to green-light the developer’s ambitious construction plans at a public hearing.

Hunt Club resident and former Associated Press reporter Heather Greenfield has been following the story since she and her next-door neighbor discovered several gravestones in the greenscape behind their townhome complex in 2013.

Greenfield says she and her next-door neighbor worked with the Fairfax Cemetery Preservation Association from 2013-2015 in hopes of preserving the site as the Johnson cemetery, named after its 1860 owner Mildred Johnson. While researching the land’s historic 19th-century roots, she learned that Johnson was a Union abolitionist and mother to 11 who played a large role in “protecting African Americans” by housing at least one freedman named Courtney Honesty.

“Reston was founded on this principle of diversity…so I found it fascinating that [the Johnson family was] sort of living the principles of Reston before Reston was even created,” Greenfield said.

Though the county still refers to the area as unnamed cemetery #FX242, Greenfield feels strongly that the area is a burial site for individuals enslaved by the Johnson family and their descendants. The site includes an engraved marker for Mildred’s husband, Thornton Johnson, and gravestones that Greenfield believes belong to several African American individuals.

“We think the rest of the two acre cemetery were African American graves because even though the [Johnson] family all had headstones, African Americans likely did not,” Greenfield said. “And [what we found] were mostly headstones and footstones that were more crude stones arranged in kind of wheel patterns around some of the cedar trees.”

The developer began scouting out the site in May of last year, sending contractors to landscape the area “in order to facilitate locating the graves during their archaeological survey,” according to a statement from Fairfax County Park Authority Public Information Officer Benjamin Boxer.

Even over a year later, Greenfield vividly recalls the day developers came in “bulldozers blazing and chainsaws going.”

“I woke up at 6:30 in the morning to chainsaws, and they continued for 12 hours that day and then they came back and did the same thing the next day,” Greenfield said.

Though Greenfield suspected that contractors were not authorized to cut down trees in the area, the county says permits from Land Development Services for vegetation removal are only required when the land disturbance exceeds 2,500 square feet.

“It appears vegetation was removed in May 2022 in order to complete the archeological delineation of the cemetery,” a county urban forester wrote. “Urban Forestry’s Forest Conservation Branch was not aware of the vegetation removal at this time and would not have reviewed it.” Read More

Before the Pan Am Shopping Center in Merrifield gets redeveloped, Fairfax County staff say the adjacent, centuries-old cemetery should probably get examined.

The Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development released a staff report last week recommending that mixed-use development be allowed at the shopping center, opening the door for property owner Federal Realty to build 585 residential units and expand its retail.

In addition to setting parameters for density, transportation improvements and other land use factors, the report reiterates that any development “should respect” the Thompson Family Cemetery, which predates the shopping center by almost two centuries.

However, the exact boundaries of the cemetery are unclear, according to the staff report.

“No documentation has been found that indicates the cemetery was delineated prior to construction of the Pan Am shopping center,” staff said, suggesting that a professional archaeologist conduct “remote sensing, specifically a ground penetrating radar survey…on the surrounding driveway and parking areas prior to redevelopment.”

While the cemetery only has two standing headstones, marking four burials, a 1989 walkover survey of the half-acre of land indicated that there are at least 23 possible grave sites, county staff said, citing an archived memo.

Known occupants include Confederate soldier Armistead T. Thompson, who died on Nov. 23, 1864 as a prisoner of war at Point Lookout, Maryland, according to an inscription on his tombstone.

From the staff report:

The Thompson family suggests that the first burial in the cemetery was in 1792 with burials continuing through at least 1917. Family lore suggests that there were many more burials. Furthermore, given the dates of cemetery use — prior to emancipation — the potential remains for burials of enslaved individuals on the property; at least one enslaved girl is noted in the 1850 census for Lawson Thompson who owned the property.

The Thompson family still owns and maintains the cemetery, which was nearly disturbed by workers seeking to build a storm sewer in 1979 until one family member, Alfred Thompson, blocked them with a sledgehammer and got arrested.

According to the archived Washington Post story, the Pan Am developers sought to take over the land when they built the shopping center in 1973, and plans to widen Route 29 also posed a threat.

The cemetery is now listed in the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites. Calling it “a significant heritage resource,” the county’s current comprehensive plan prohibits any future widening of Route 29 from encroaching on the graveyard.

The newly proposed comprehensive plan amendment would maintain that condition, but it suggests a follow-up to the 1989 survey is needed.

“A new more detailed survey of the cemetery to determine the number of grave sites should be conducted using methods that would be more effective than a visual, walkover survey,” staff said.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed amendment at 7:30 p.m. on June 28, with the Board of Supervisors following at 4 p.m. on July 25.

Federal Realty’s redevelopment plan is still under review by county staff and won’t go through the public hearing process until after the amendment gets approved.

Fairfax County may get involved in the preservation of a cemetery belonging to a family with deep roots in the Vienna area, predating the formation of the U.S.

The Board of Supervisors directed staff yesterday (Tuesday) “to investigate options for addressing safety concerns” and the long-term care of the Carter Family Cemetery, a small plot near Tysons in what was once the historically Black community of Freedom Hill.

“This has been a while in coming. We’re getting to the point where there are some outcomes that may be truly viable, so [I] appreciate the board’s indulgence,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said, noting that a final vote by the board will be needed before any action is taken.

According to the board matter, which was introduced by Alcorn and co-sponsored by Chairman Jeff McKay, descendants of the Carter family who still live in the area asked county staff for “assistance in preserving and protecting the cemetery property.”

The cemetery is located at 1737 Key West Lane in the Carter’s Green neighborhood, a subdivision of single-family houses adjacent to Raglan Road Park and the Tysons Towers senior living community.

There is one identified grave with a headstone for Millie Whales Carter that’s inscribed with the date of her death on Feb. 29, 1916 and the words “Gone but not forgotten.” The cemetery also has five or more unmarked graves, per the county’s cemetery survey.

Whales Carter was a descendant of Keziah Carter, who bought 50 acres of land in 1842 that had been inhabited by her ancestors in the indigenous Tauxenent tribe until the area’s colonization. The Carter family lived on and farmed the land for decades, later expanding into what’s now the Town of Vienna, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority.

The park authority dedicated signs at nearby Freedom Hill Park in 2021 that tell some of the Carter family’s story, but the cemetery has become neglected since the Carter’s Green subdivision was built in the 1970s, Alcorn said in the board matter.

“In recent years the Carter Family Cemetery has suffered from vandalism and dumping of landscaping waste,” the board matter says. “The immediate neighbor has also expressed safety concerns over a mature tree overhanging their property.”

The wooded lot is now “overgrown and has been used as a neighborhood dump for yard debris,” according to the Fairfax Genealogical Society.

Living members of the Carter family declined to comment for now when contacted by FFXnow, stating that they hoped to meet with Alcorn before talking to media.

The park authority says the board’s vote allows it to evaluate options for the future of the Carter Family Cemetery, but the exact role that the county will play isn’t clear yet.

“We have not yet conducted an analysis of potential solutions for this specific property in advance of the board’s directive, so we are just beginning the work of seeing what avenues might be available to help preserve this site,” an FCPA spokesperson said. “We will be providing the Board of Supervisors with proposed recommendations at a future date.”

Prior to yesterday’s vote, some supervisors suggested a countywide policy may be needed to set criteria for when and how the county should get involved in cemetery preservation efforts.

A new survey of cemetery and grave sites across the county is currently underway. The park authority’s initiative is expected to continue into 2024.

“Each one is a little different, and some might be better positioned for our engagement than others, but I think having a consistent policy across the county is going to be really important to make sure from a One Fairfax perspective that all of these cemeteries are treated fairly,” Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw said.

Photo via Fairfax County Park Authority/YouTube

Within the next six to nine months, the inventory of burial sites at Chestnut Grove Cemetery in the Town of Herndon will be maxed out.

That’s why the town is embarking on an expansion of burial sites within the existing cemetery property, according to Cindy Roeder, the director of the town’s parks and recreation department.

“There is currently a site plan under review, and we anticipate that will be approved in the near future and construction to prepare the site will begin shortly after,” Roeder told FFXnow.

The town expects to add burial sites that are enough to handle capacity for the next 15 to 20 years. The cemetery currently has an abundance of options for cremation and mausoleum burials, according to the town.

“In order to sustain the cemetery options and continue to serve the Herndon community, the development of this section is essential,” Roeder wrote in a statement.

The project also includes cleaning the underbrush and scrub trees, stormwater management, and planting new trees along the boundary with neighboring homes. Once that is completed, work to prepare burial sites will begin.

Roeder expects the project to take around two years.

According to a presentation before the Herndon Town Council yesterday (Tuesday), the project will likely begin sometime this month.

Budgetary materials note that a “favorable cash position” exists to complete the project, but the town needs to ensure it can cover the costs until the expansion is completed.

A November 2024 completion date is estimated, according to the town.

The cemetery is a community heritage resource that spans 25 acres. The Chestnut Grove Cemetery Association, which operated the cemetery from the early 1950s, deeded the cemetery to the town in 1997.

Photo via Google Maps

More than 920 military veterans laid to rest at Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Herndon will be honored during a special ceremony later this month.

The Town of Herndon is working with the Herndon Woman’s Club and Wreaths Across America for the remembrance ceremony, which is open to the public and begins at noon on Saturday, Dec. 17.

First established in 1872, the 25-acre cemetery is the final resting place for veterans dating back to the War of 1812. The historic cemetery was deeded to the town in 1997 by the Chestnut Grove Cemetery Association, which operated the cemetery from the early 1950s.

“This event has been going on in the Herndon community for many years, and everyone thinks it continues to be a wonderful way for the community to show respect for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” town spokesperson Reid Okoniewski said.

The woman’s club is a nonprofit organization that aims to support local, state, national and international causes since it was established in 1939.

Individuals unable to attend the event can sponsor a wreath for $15. Checks can be made payable to the Herndon Woman’s Club and sent to P.O. Box 231, Herndon, VA, 20172.

Photo via Google Maps

Rabies Confirmed in Biting Coyote — The Fairfax County Health Department confirmed yesterday (Monday) that a coyote that bit four people and two dogs over the weekend in the Lake Accotink area was infected with rabies. Anyone who touched or was bitten or scratched by the animal should call the county health department’s rabies program at 703-246-2433, TTY 711. [FCHD]

Confederate Soldier’s Tombstone Defaced — The letters ‘CS,’ ‘NVA,’ and a Star of David were spraypainted on the tombstone of Armistead T. Thompson in the Thompson Family Cemetery by the Pan Am Shopping Center in Merrifield. Fairfax County police received a report last Tuesday (May 31) and said the property management is working to remove it, though as of Sunday (June 5), the graffiti was still there. [Patch]

Homicide Investigation in Reston Continues — “Detectives and officers are canvassing in the area of Springs Apartments & Hunters Woods Plaza in Reston after Rene Alberto Pineda Sanchez was found deceased on May 31. Call detectives at 703-246-7800, option 2 w/any info.” [FCPD/Twitter]

Inova Opens Northern Virginia’s First LGBTQ-Focused Clinic — “Inova’s Pride Clinic will be open to anyone who needs services. It will begin small as a primary care practice for patients of all ages and then grow to include specialties…The Inova Pride Clinic ribbon-cutting will be Wednesday, June 8 at 10 a.m. in Falls Church at 500 North Washington St., Suite 200.” [WTOP]

Tysons Emergency Is Now Open — “HCA Virginia held a grand opening ceremony on Friday, June 3, 2022 for its new freestanding emergency room in Northern Virginia…The state-of-the-art ER will be staffed with board-certified emergency medicine physicians and nurses, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, just like an emergency room that is housed within the walls of a hospital.” [HCA Virginia]

County Puts Food Inspection Reports Online — “The public can now access retail food establishment inspection reports more quickly and easily, as part of an update to the county’s new online PLUS platform…Environmental health staff inspect restaurants and other retail food service establishments to make sure employees follow safe food handling practices, covering sanitation, food storage and preparation, and have adequate kitchen facilities.” [FCHD]

Wolf Trap Nonprofit Awarded by Governor — A provider of short-term, overnight care for children with intellectual disabilities, Jill’s House was honored on May 26 with the second ‘Spirit of Virginia Award’ given by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin since they took office in January. The organization has served more than 1,000 families since it opened in 2010. [Sun Gazette]

Annandale Park Gets Clean-up — “A big thank you to community volunteers who came out to Backlick Park this past weekend and held a spring clean-up. This successful venture was a wonderful way to mark World Environment Day and the National Great Outdoors Month.” [FCPA/Twitter]

Chantilly Neighborhood Watch on the Lookout for Thievery — “Rob, 53, was already a neighborhood watcher in his Brookfield community…before the ransacking incident two years ago but he said it made him increasingly aware neighborhood watch is a needed position to mitigate this from happening to one of his neighbors.” [Fairfax County Times]

It’s Tuesday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 74 and low of 62. Sunrise at 5:45 am and sunset at 8:34 pm. [Weather.gov]

Cemeteries are essential guides to the past, documenting ancestries and settlement patterns, but in Fairfax County, hundreds of sites risk being lost to time themselves, with some even unmarked or abandoned.

To prevent that, the county has undertaken a massive archaeological initiative to create a map of their locations to preserve history, provide information for development and more. The county will also create a manual for how to care for cemeteries, according to an announcement on April 14 launching the survey.

“People care about these places,” Aimee Wells, a senior archaeologist with the Fairfax County Archaeology and Collections Branch, wrote in an email. “They care whether they are descendants of the people who are buried or not. They care because the cemeteries are in their neighborhoods, because they’re curious about the past or because they simply have a respect for the resting places of the dead.”

Wells has been helping the public, where a lot of people care about cemeteries but aren’t sure what they can or should do. She said she’s been working with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to create the cemetery manual, and it’s slated to be available on the county’s website later this summer.

“Historic cemeteries are some of Fairfax County’s most important and unique cultural resources,” a webpage about the project says. “However, over time many cemeteries, especially small family burial plots and the burials of marginalized groups such as enslaved and free Blacks, Native Americans, the imprisoned and the poor are particularly difficult to research and locate.”

To that end, the project — which will rely on public input — will seek to find abandoned or lost cemeteries. It will also provide an estimate of unmarked burials.

Over a two-year period, county staff will work to locate some 350 cemeteries, collecting photos and other information, but that number is expected to increase.

“In my time as an archaeologist with the Park Authority, I’d estimate that we document at least 1-2 ‘new’ cemeteries per year either because of our work in the parks, because of the work of cultural resource management firms doing compliance work, and through citizen reporting,” Wells wrote.

Angela Woolsey contributed to this report.