Green Spring Park Springhouse

Here follows an excerpt from the Northern Virginia History Notes website:

Green Spring House
Fairfax County, Virginia
Built 1784-86

Written by Debbie Robison
January 31, 2008

Springhouse and Brick Kitchen Construction:
An 1831 sale advertisement listed in the local newspaper by Frederick Segesserman contains the earliest known references to a springhouse and kitchen. The springhouse is described as a good stone springhouse and the kitchen as constructed of brick. The date of construction of these structures is unknown. Perhaps the brick kitchen was added to the dwelling in 1827 when the value of Thomas Moss's buildings, as recorded in the land tax records, increased from $2,000 to $2,160.

STRAIGHT OWNERSHIP 1942-1970:
Soon after the Straights acquired the property, they hired historical architect Walter Macomber to rehabilitate the brick dwelling. While construction was ongoing at the brick dwelling, the Straights lived in the springhouse cottage. They moved into the brick dwelling in late 1942, but only for a couple of months before Michael Straight was called up for Air Force duty in January 1943.

During World War II, from 1943 - 1948, the Straights rented out Green Spring until they returned in 1948. Later, the house was rented to Leonard Garment, President Nixon's counsel, when the property was donated to the Fairfax County Park Authority in October 1970. Garment had been renting the house for about 5 years.

Oral interviews with Macomber, the Straights, and Mrs. Quast, the caretaker's wife, provide an understanding of some of the changes made to the structures. The Straights lived at the springhouse cottage while construction was underway on the brick dwelling in 1942. The cottage was enlarged in 1960.

In a 2002 interview with a former Green Spring historian, Belinda spoke of their decision to make Green Spring home: “We looked at it and that same night we decided absolutely. It had an old log cabin, and the springhouse….and the wonderful old house. It was so lovely….something to fall in love with, so we did.”