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John Marshall Family Cemetery

GPS Coordinates: 38.7930590, -77.2705234
Closest Address: 5716 High Lane, Burke, VA 22015

John Marshall Family Cemetery

Here follows the inscription written on a historical marker attached to the fence surrounding the cemetery:

Marshall Family Cemetery
Burke Station, Virginia
— John A. Marshall (1821-1892); Mary J. Davis Marshall (1826-1887) —

Prior to the Civil War, John and Mary Marshall, early prominent Burke area citizens, bought this land and built a family dwelling on fifty acres of land purchased in 1852. The Marshalls donated land to the Church of the Good Shepherd and to the Ashford School, one of the community's first schools. Orange and Alexandria Railroad cars would have carried goods and produce destined for the Marshall's general merchandise store here in Burke Station. Mr. Marshall served as the Postmaster of Burke Station from 1852-1854. John Marshall also managed the affairs of the widowed neighbor, Mrs. Silas (Hannah) Burke.

Although childless, the Marshalls had a large extended family and, upon their deaths, willed their property divided among twenty-four nieces and nephews. This memorial cemetery honors two people who generously contributed to what is today known as Burke, Virginia.

On this land is also a surviving portion of the original 1851 Orange & Alexandria (O&A) railroad bed (bordering Burke Rd., just south of this spot - the berm behind the cemetery). In 1848, the O&A was chartered to connect Orange County, Virginia with Alexandria and by 1860, extended to Lynchburg, Virginia. Used for the transport of goods and Federal troops during the Civil War, it was frequently attacked by Confederate forces. The Marshalls would have seen significant Civil War activity in this area. In 1903, new tracks were laid at their present location, several hundred feet north and the O&A eventually became the Norfolk Southern railroad.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Clio Foundation website as written by Genna Duplisea:

Introduction
This tiny cemetery in a corner of the larger Colonel Silas Burke Park is the final resting place of only three people. John and Mary Marshall were prominent citizens of Burke in the nineteenth century, settling near this spot in 1852. John Marshall owned a general store and served as the town's postmaster, and the Marshalls donated land throughout their lives and in their wills. The Marshalls first buried in the cemetery an unknown soldier who died on their doorstep during the Civil War. Twentieth-century vandalism of the cemetery led to restoration efforts and the creation of the Fairfax County Cemetery Preservation Association.

Backstory and Context
John A. and Mary Jane Davis Marshall purchased fifty acres of land in 1852, located near the intersection of present-day Burke Lake Rd and Burke Rd, not far from the cemetery. The Marshalls donated land to churches and schools, and willed the rest to extended relatives in 24 parcels. They had no children. The Marshall house house was later moved and eventually destroyed by fire.

The Marshall General Store was about 100 feet west of where the Marshall Family Cemetery now stands. In addition to operating the store, Marshall served as the postmaster from 1852 and 1854 and worked in some capacity for the Burke family, for whom the community is named. Sources say both that he worked as a foreman for Silas Burke and that he managed the affairs of Burke's widow, Hannah. He also may have worked for the Burke Railroad Depot.

Long before the burial the Marshalls in their family cemetery was the cemetery's first burial, a dying soldier who collapsed in front of the Marshall home. He did not give his name, but carried a sword with the initials "J. L. B." It was unknown whether he was a Union or Confederate soldier. The Orange and Alexandria Railroad passed through their land, and the Marshalls would have seen military fighting during the Civil War.

John Marshall died in 1892 at age 71, predeceased by Mary, who died in 1887 at age 61. They share a 14-foot marker in the family cemetery. Originally there were three stones at the foot of the marker for each of the Marshalls and the unknown soldier. Vandalism in the late twentieth century degraded the site, and the carved urn at the top of the marker was broken off. In 1988, the cemetery was restored and gated through the efforts of resident Ann Brown, the Burke Historical Society, and the Burke Manor Civic Association. Further vandalism in 2008 led to the creation of the Fairfax County Cemetery Preservation Association. The cemetery borders on Colonel Silas Burke Park and continues to be the site of graffiti and vandalism.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Atlas Obscura website:

Marshall Family Cemetery
Burke, Virginia
A 14-foot monument marks the resting place of two of the town's earliest residents—and one unknown soldier.

Hidden in the southwest corner of Colonel Burke Silas Park sits a gravesite marking the burial place of two early and prominent residents of the town of Burke. Even after years of various vandalism and graffiti, this landmark of local history still stands strong, and with a small secret of its own.

In 1852, about nine years before the outbreak of the American Civil War, John A. Marshall and his wife, Mary J. Davis Marshall, bought 50 acres of land in what is today the town of Burke, Virginia. The Marshalls played an integral part in the early growth and success of the newly established farming community, known as “Burke’s Station” at that time.

John Marshall served as the first postmaster of Burke, while also running the Marshall General Store (which was located 100 feet west of the cemetery). He worked as an agent for the Burke Railroad Depot, and as a foreman for Silas Burke, the gentleman whom the community was named after. It’s believed the Marshalls’ residence was located somewhere in the proximity of what is now the intersection of Burke Rd. and Old Burke Lake Rd.

The 14-foot monument that marks the couple’s burial place features an inverted torch on each of the pillar’s four corners, with a draped urn on top, which is the only piece of the monument visible from Burke Road. At one point, the monument had three separate foot stones beneath it, two of which bore the initials of John and Mary Marshall, while the third was curiously carved with the letters “J.L.B.”

The Virginia residents would have seen much activity during the Civil War, and according to a local newspaper article, a soldier who was involved in a nearby skirmish in the area crawled all the way up to the Marshalls’ doorstep before dying of his wounds. The couple found the man a short while later but could not identify him or the origins of his uniform—i.e. whether he was part of the Confederate or Union Army. The only form of identification found on the man were the initials “J.L.B.” printed on a sword he was carrying. The Marshalls would end up burying the unknown soldier in their family cemetery.

As the community of Burke grew in the 1970s and ’80s, the gravesite began to see much more foot traffic, but with that came many incidents of vandalism. The gravestone was heavily graffitied and vandalized to the point that the urn on top was broken off. In 1988, the site was restored with the help of Ann Brown (a local descendant of the Marshalls), the Burke Historical Society, and the Burke Manor Civic Association. A chain link fence was erected around the gravestone to prevent further damage.

Nevertheless, in 2008 the gravestone was again heavily vandalized, graffitied, and trashed. These new incidents led to the creation of the Fairfax County Cemetery Preservation Association, whose volunteers cleaned up the site. Unfortunately, as of 2019 the monument is again covered with graffiti and awaits another restoration project.

Know Before You Go
If you're looking at the nearby 7-Eleven from outside, you'll see a brick wall to your right that separates the small shopping center from a neighborhood park. Follow that wall (going south towards Burke Rd) to where it opens up to a trail that leads into the Colonel Silas Burke Park.

Once you've reached the trail, walk about 10 yards and you should see the tombstone ahead of you on your right. Be aware that due to so much vandalism, local police routinely patrol this area. Best to visit during the day. Do not hop any fences and obey all posted signs. Please do not add to the graffiti or trash that may be found at the cemetery.

The cemetery can also easily be viewed from the road in wintertime.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Fairfax Genealogical Society website:

MARSHALL FAMILY CEMETERY
Accessible from the parking lot of the store at 9413-A Burke Road near Burke Village Center
Burke, VA

One large monument in memory of John and Mary Marshall is the only gravestone standing in the Marshall Family Cemetery. When the cemetery was visited in September 1994, it was accessible from the corner of the parking lot of the convenience store located at 9413-A Burke Road near Burke Village Center. The cemetery is on private property about 200 feet west of Silas Burke Park in Burke, on a rise overlooking Burke Road, although it is not visible from the road.

According to an article on page six of the 19 March 1988 Burke-Braddock Connection, John Marshall ran the Marshall General Store which was located about 100 feet west of the cemetery, and also worked as an agent at the Burke railroad depot and as a foreman for Silas Burke, for whom the community is named.

A 1969 survey of the cemetery locates the Marshall house in the vicinity of the intersection of Old Burke Lake Road and Burke Road, adjacent to the old railroad station building. Local residents state that the house was moved down Burke Road a few years ago and relocated next to the Burke Nursery and Garden Center. Later the house burned; there is a new house now on that site.

The unique 14-foot monument bears inverted torches at each of its four corners and is topped by a draped urn. The gravestone had been vandalized, marred by graffiti, and the urn had been broken off in 1986. The 18 August 1988 issue of the Connection reports that the monument was restored through the combined efforts of the Burke Historical Society, Burke Manor Civic Association who owns the property, and Ann Brown, a Marshall descendant who lives in Burke. The restoration was organized by Michael Johnson for his Eagle Scout project. At that time, a chain link fence was erected around the site for its protection.

When the cemetery was visited in September 1994, the area inside the fence was covered with gardening plastic and well mulched. Of the three footstones previously reported, only one could be partially seen.

According to surveys, two of the footstones bear the initials of John and Mary Marshall. The third footstone is carved with the initials “J. L. B.” The August 1988 Connection article about the cemetery relates the story “of the Civil War soldier, who . . . crawled to the Marshalls' door after being wounded and died before he could say his name. He carried only a sword with the initials ‘JLB.’” The Marshalls buried him in their family cemetery.

The monument is inscribed:

Name Birth Death
J. A. Marshall
aged 71 yr 22 Dec 1892
Mary J. Marshall
aged 61 yr 3 May 1887
“A precious one from us has gone.
A voice we loved is stilled.
A place is vacant in our home which never can be filled.
God in his wisdom has recalled the boom (sic) his love had given,
and though the body moulders here, the soul is safe in Heaven.”

ABOUT ME

Award-winning local historian and tour guide in Franconia and the greater Alexandria area of Virginia.

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Nathaniel Lee

c/o Franconia Museum

6121 Franconia Road

Alexandria, VA 22310

franconiahistory@gmail.com

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