Fairfax Station Railroad Museum

Here follows an excerpt from the Atlas Obscura website:

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
Fairfax Station, Virginia
One of the oldest train stations still standing in Virginia played a vital role during the Civil War.

Just off the road that bears its name, Fairfax Station played an integral role in the Civil War and served the community of Fairfax for over 100 years.

Considered to be Fairfax County’s “little gem,” Fairfax Station was initially established in 1851 and was known as Lee’s Station during the first year of its existence. The station was constructed on what was formerly known as the Orange and Alexandria Railroad (O&A), that by 1860 stretched all the way to Lynchburg. The O&A Railroad was predominantly built to transport farm products to Alexandria and Washington, while also transporting supplies from these cities to various farms.

Though the station was known as Fairfax Station, the actual railroad station was located about two miles outside of the city. This was mainly due to the fact that residents did not want to be close to the commotion and smoke from the trains. Many residents in the area even donated some of their property for construction of the railroad right from the start.

The original Fairfax Station (1851 depot) was predominantly constructed by the hands of Irish immigrants, many recruited not long after reaching the United States. Most settled in the Fairfax Station area. This influx of Catholics also led to the construction of St. Mary’s Church, located about one-quarter mile from the train station.

Eventually, the 1851 depot was torn down and replaced by another depot on the same site in 1873. Both of these incarnations of the station were eventually torn down. The third rendition of the station was constructed in 1891 and sat just north of railroad tracks, diagonally to the left of the original two stations. There is little information as to why the station was demolished and rebuilt so many times, though one can assume the Civil War played a major role.

The train station became a strategic point during the Civil War for transporting troops and supplies. The O&A was the most direct route from Alexandria to Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy. The station would play a supporting role throughout the first three years of the war, with many battles being fought over and along the O&A railroad. Most famously, the station was an evacuation point for wounded Union soldiers during the battles of Second Manassas and Chantilly in August-September of 1862.

After the Civil War, the O&A was absorbed by the Southern Railway in 1894. The last incarnation of Fairfax Station was constructed in 1903, and it still stands today. The station would also see a few name changes, being dubbed Swetnam in 1897, and Faircroft in 1918, before becoming permanently known as Fairfax Station in 1921.

With the progression of transportation throughout the early to mid-1900s, the Southern Railway began closing smaller stations along its line. Fairfax Station, the last original operating train station in Fairfax County, closed in 1973 and was set for demolition. Luckily, it was saved and moved 100 yards directly north of its previous site and transformed into the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum by the Friends of Fairfax Station Inc.

Know Before You Go
The most accessible way to get to the museum is taking Fairfax Station Road, just off Ox Road, the museum is located on your right just before you hit Smoke Rise Lane.

The museum is open most Sundays from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. and hosts a variety of different special events catered mostly towards model trains.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Clio Foundation website about the museum as written by Sasha Frizzell and Mathew Powers:

Introduction:
The Fairfax Station Railroad Museum, located in Fairfax Station, VA, explores the role that the railroad played in the development of northern Virginia. The station was frequently used throughout the Civil War. During the Second Battle of Bull Run in 1862, Fairfax Station was used for both the shipment of supplies and the evacuation of wounded soldiers. Red Cross founder Clara Barton assisted in evacuation efforts at this site. The Fairfax Station was scheduled for demolition in 1973 but was eventually donated by Southern Railway. The museum opened in 1987 to preserve the railway and area history from the Civil War.

Backstory and Context:
Completed in 1854, mainly by slaves and Irish immigrants, the station served as the home to the Orange & Alexandria Railroad. Fairfax Station emerged at a time when Fairfax enjoyed a growing economy. Still, things quickly changed in the 1860s as the station became a pivotal railway during the Civil War, both strategically and as an ipso facto triage unit. The eventual founder of the American Red Cross took care of both Union and Confederate troops wounded after the Battle of Bull Run.

Not far from the station is St. Mary's, which opened in 1860 as the first Catholic church in Fairfax and now a monument to the Irish Immigrants who helped build attend to the railway. The Irish, most of whom were still suffering from the issues related to the Great Famine, answered ads placed by the O&A Railroad Co. during the 1850s. The Irish workers primarily served to supplement the abundance of slaves who also worked on the railway.

The vast majority of Fairfax residents voted for cession from the United States. However the arrival of the Civil War put not only put a sizable dent in the local economy but also made life in Fairfax quite tricky -- and scary -- during the war, given its proximity to the two capitals: Richmond and Washington D.C. Fairfax County ostensibly grew into a no man's land with the Union on one side and the Confederacy on the other. From time to time, though, troops would move through and occasionally meet for battle.

In August 1862, after the Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) during the Civil War, Clara Barton, along with doctors and nurses, attended to wounded Union and Confederate troops at the station. She went on to found the American Red Cross in 1881.

Fairfax Station is widely known for the large caboose that sits just outside the depot's doors. Exhibits at the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum include artifacts related to the Civil War, Red Cross, and railroading in Virginia. The displays housed at the museum highlight the unique role that the station played in the intersection of all three areas and effectively illustrates the complex history of Fairfax Station and the surrounding area.