Evolution of a Landscape – Plantation, Prison, Park (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this trailside historical marker:

Evolution of a Landscape – Plantation, Prison, Park

It may be difficult to imagine all of the events, large and small, that took place on the surrounding landscape, but Laurel Hill Park has been influenced by thousands of years of human history. The earliest inhabitants of this area were Native Americans who crafted stone tools out of local quartz and hunted, fished, and gathered edible plants for food. European settlement of the area began in the mid-1700s. After the Revolutionary War, Major William Lindsay built a plantation between Giles Run and Pohick Creek. His plantation, named Laurel Hill, was cultivated by enslaved African Americans for nearly forty years.

In the early part of the 20th century, several hunderd acres of land were purchased for the District of Columbia Workhouse. This Progressive-era workhouse and reformatory was designed to “rehabilitate and reform prisoners through fresh air, good food and honest work.” Early prisoners at the Occoquan Workhouse included a number of suffragist arrested in 1917 for picketing the White House in support of the right of women to vote. The ensuing decades saw the transition of the workhouse and reformatory to a walled penitentiary. During the Cold War, the site was chosen for the first and largest NIKE missile installation.

Throughout time, the correctional complex was supported by agricultural fields, extensive industrial operations, and a railroad – all operated and maintained by inmates.

On July 15, 2002, Fairfax County received title to portions of the former D.C. Correctional Facility at Lorton. This transfer was made possible through the Lorton Technical Corrections Act, passed by Congress in October 1998, which required the county to develop a Reuse Plan that would “maximize use of land for open space, park land, or recreation.” Although this site has been referred to as “Lorton” for most of the 20th century, this site is now referred to as “Laurel Hill” in commemoration of the Lindsay family home and plantation.

Protecting and preserving this park offers future generations access to these unique cultural and natural resources; its dedication is one more event in Laurel Hill’s long history.

Erected 2007 by Fairfax County Park Authority.