Gunston Hall (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this roadside historical marker:

Gunston Hall
The house and grounds convey the measured pace of an 18th century colonial plantation and the underlying grace of Southern hospitality. This is a setting of a simple dignity, of quiet orderliness from which "a Virginia planter" (as George Mason sometimes signed his writings) could discern and describe enduring guidance for a new nation. It is quintessentially Virginian, evoking a sense of a family generations and, no less a historical "moment" whose profound implications are still felt today.

Gunston Hall was a 5,500-acre tobacco and corn plantation, worked by slaves and indentured servants, and owned by George Mason IV (1725-92). A fourth-generation Virginian, Mason helped propel the state into the forefront of the movement for American independence alongside his neighbor and fellow statesman, George Washington.

Mason is perhaps best known for authoring the Virginia Constitution and the highly influential Virginia Declaration of Rights, the latter of which was echoed in the opening lines of the Declaration Independence. It stated that all men are "by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights" and proclaimed that all power is derived from the people. A precursor of the Bill of Rights, the Virginia Declaration of Rights protected such fundamental American rights as freedom of religion and freedom of the press. Mason later helped frame the U.S. Constitution, a document that he ultimately refused to sign.

Gunston Hall, a National Historic Landmark, is owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by a Board of Regents appointed from the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.

Pohick Bay Regional Park and Golf Course
Exploring this park of more than 1,000 acres is to experience the richness of outdoor pursuits, whether you relish the familiar feel of a fishing pole or a golf club in your hands. You can also discover the excitement of Pirate's Cove Waterpark, or take a leisurely walk through mature forest in search of the elusive great-crested flycatcher. How about a moonlight tour of the bay by Kayak before retiring to your campsite? Whether you come for a day or longer, it's time to play!

Erected by Gunston Hall, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, and the Commonwealth of Virginia; NOVA Parks.