Besley Sawmill (Site)

These coordinates mark the exact site of the old sawmill. No visible remains exist.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Annandale Chamber of Commerce website:

Wakefield Chapel, a gothic structure with white clapboard siding and arched windows, was built between 1887 and 1899 by Oliver Besley, a local sawmill owner, on land he donated. The original deed for Wakefield Chapel stated that the church was only to be used for Methodist services two Sundays a month and used by other denominations the rest of the time. Rev. Elhanan Wakefield was the first preacher at the church. A trained carpenter, he provided most of the labor while Oliver Besley provided the materials to complete the chapel.


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Here follows a history of the mill as published on the Fairfax County Public Schools website:

What’s in a Name?
Wakefield Forest Elementary School was built on a 500 acre tract of land once owned by Oliver Besley. In 1887, Besley built a saw mill on Turkey Run, a tributary stream of Accotink Creek, in the vicinity of Holborn Avenue. Wakefield Chapel, the historic church on Toll House Road, was built between 1887 and 1899 on land donated by Besley. Besley provided the lumber to construct the chapel, and the labor was supplied by a carpenter and reverend for whom the chapel and our school are named.