Potter's Hill (Historical Marker)
GPS Coordinates: 38.7426915, -77.1624508
Closest Address: 6452 Old Beulah Street, Alexandria, VA 22315

Here is the inscription written on this roadside historical marker:
Schools at Potters Hill:
Based on picture captions left by early local historians like Edith Sprouse we believe there were at least three different school houses at the intersection of Telegraph and Beulah Roads. We have pictures and some dates for the second and third Potter’s Hill schools. The original school probably dated back to at least 1870 when public education became mandatory under state law.
(photo caption, top left)The second Potter’s Hill School, a typical one room school house used until the 1916 school year. Most of the students in the picture have been identified and included children from the Baggett, Allen, Landstreet, Petitt, Jacobs, Brown, Smith, Schurtz, Dorsey, and Talbert families. The teacher was Lelia Milstead and the dog in front of the students was named “Shea.”
(photo caption, center left) Front Entrance of the third and last Potter’s Hill School. Local residents from the Potter's Hill area and the village of Accotink dug a basement on the corner across from the one room school and convinced the county to build a modern schoolhouse on the site. The school burned down in 1932.
Marjorie Baggett Tharpe who still lives near Potter's Hill provides the following description of the school. “Inside was a wide hall. The left, front room was the auditorium, and the right front room was the 3rd and 4th grades taught by Mrs. Schurtz/Schartz. The left back room was the 5th, 6th, and 7th grades taught by Miss Nellie Nevitt. The right, back room was the 1st and 2nd grades, taught by Miss Wrenn Biller. There was a large basement where the bathrooms were located.”
Potter’s Hill An Entrepreneurial Site:
The land at Potter’s Hill was used by the Potter, Riston and Gailliot Families over time to support multiple families, provide educational opportunities (schools), and employment opportunities. The land was first used as an agricultural farm, then a chicken farm, a sand and gravel business, a landfill, and more recently recreational pursuits (golf) and commercial/office use. The Gailliot family has been very creative in re-inventing business uses for the land since their arrival around 1920.
The Potter Family:
James Potter and his wife Susanna were born in Fairfax County, Virginia, during the 1780s. The 1850 census shows, they owned a large tract of land along what would become Telegraph Road, not far from its intersection with present day Beulah Street. The land included a large hill that became known as Potter's Hill. James and Susanna lived there with three of their sons: Joseph, George and his wife Francis, and Charles and his wife Elizabeth.
Millan/Potter Cemetery:
The cemetery is located on Telegraph Road about one half mile east of Beulah Street. Louise Viar Potter, Robert Potter, Gladys Potter Hogan and Clara Dove Potter are pictured on the right standing behind Henry Potter's gravestone in 1983. (photo center bottom)
The Gailliot Family Arrives At Potter’s Hill:
Henry and Franceska Gailliot and their sons, Joseph, Charles, and Clem arrived at Potter's Hill around 1920. They began raising chickens and selling eggs to Chestnut Farms Dairy in Washington, D.C. Eventually the family had eight thousand chickens laying four thousand eggs a day. During the Depression the Gailliots switched from selling eggs to raising broiling chickens to sell for food. The chicken operation continued until the early 1950s when a fire killed seven thousand chickens, followed by the flock being decimated by a virus a year later.
(photo caption, top right) Aerial shot of the Gailliot property at Potter's Hill when it was still a chicken farm. This picture shows the two Gailliot houses, the concrete grain elevator, and the sharp turn at the end of Beulah Road where it met Telegraph Road.
(photo caption, bottom right) The Gailliot’s original house and later business office. It contained a log building within the structure, most likely one of the Potter’s early houses.
The Gravel Business:
The Gailliot’s land was laced with gravel deposits so brothers Clem and Albert became partners in the operation. Their company eventually became Hilltop Sand and Gravel and provided Irwin Concrete with gravel, some of which was used in the construction of the first Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
More about this marker:
Also on the marker are two un-captioned photos in the lower left showing schoolchildren and showing a side view of the third school. In the center top is an un-captioned un-annotated reproduction of a section of an old map showing the general area. The center photograph on the right is an arial photo of the gravel works.
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Here follows an excerpt about Potter's Hill from Donald Hakenson's "This Forgotten Land" tour guide:
THE UNION PATROL TO POHICK CHURCH
On November 11, 1861, Brigadier General Samuel Heintzelman received a report that four hundred rebel cavalry and two regiments of infantry were encamped near Pohick Church. On November 12, 1861, at three in the morning, Brigadier General Israel Richardson's Brigade, with Company G of the Lincoln Cavalry (First New York), and Captain Thompson's and Captain Randolph's batteries of artillery, advanced upon Pohick Church by the Telegraph Road, followed an hour later by Brigadier General Charles D. Jameson's Brigade, and Company E, Lincoln's Cavalry. When Brigadier General Richardson's Brigade reached Potter's Hill, his orders were to divide his Brigade at Potters house, just beyond Piney Run, and follow the Telegraph road. The other two regiments with a battery and a company of cavalry, were to march to Accotink and reach Pohick Church by the Alexandria turnpike (Route 1).
By the time both Union brigades arrived at Pohick Church the rebel cavalry had already received word that the Blue Coats were coming and had left the area.
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Here follows an excerpt from the Fall 2006 edition of the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter as published by the Franconia Museum:
The Sarcasm of Mr. E. H. Allen Of Potter’s Hill and Accotink:
One of the Franconia Museum’s current projects involves obtaining a historical marker for the Potter’s Hill area. Potter’s Hill was a small community in the area where Beulah Street and Telegraph Road intersect. The community included a school that at one point included high school students. In researching old newspapers at the Virginia Room of the Fairfax County Library, I came across columns written by Mr. E. H. Allen, President of the Potter’s Hill Civic League. Mr. Allen not only used the column to report news about the community, but also used it as a soapbox to deliver social/political commentary. I have extracted some of his more entertaining comments:
"The regular meeting of Potter’s Hill League will be held Tuesday, the 13th. Don’t forget the spelling match. It is rumored that the S. U. Tel. Co. will submit a proposition to the League to purchase the cellar which it had constructed for the High School. The W. U. Co. is building a new line and would utilize this cellar as post holes. The League might get out of the hole by selling its hole for holes, but it seems unfortunate that a hole dug to hold a high school should become just holes. This is a modern, up-to-date hole constructed to hold a gymnasium, modern heating plant (hot air), and a few other things. School board please note."
-- Fairfax Herald, June 9, 1916
"Mr. M. D. Hall, county superintendent of schools, was present and conducted the spelling match. Mr. Hall also favored us with an address in his usual happy manner, and assured us the school house would be built, and at an early date. In fact the money to build it with was not in sight; that the school board’s second sight would be more efficient than its first sight, and that the money would not prove a mirage and optical illusion as the money the board had in sight did last year. Mr. Wm. Newman was appointed to represent the league in the selection of plans, etc., pertaining to the early erection of the building. We decided not to sell the cellar, since we may need the whole hole."
-- Fairfax Herald, June 23, 1916
"It is suggested that the preparedness propaganda should appeal to our road supervisors, and cause them to prepare to work our roads in the summer, for it is written, ‘Blessed is he who worketh his roads in the good old summer time when one load of gravel goeth as far as two.'”
-- Fairfax Herald, June 23, 1916
"Mr. H. W. Higham, Jr. has been taking his vacation the past week, and has been putting in most of his time learning Buddy to ride the bike. Buddy has the bike blood in him alright since his granddad was champion of the world at one time, and his father claimed to have entered this mundane sphere riding a wheel."
-- Fairfax Herald, July 28, 1916
"The lawn party at Springman’s grove given by the ladies of the Episcopal church, we largely attended and a nice sum realized. We are asked to deny the rumor that Mr. Allen and Mrs. Wiley were appointed as lemonade committee in consideration of experience obtained from having drawn lemons in the matrimonial lottery."
-- Fairfax Herald, July 28, 1916
Potter’s Hill Civic League met at League Headquarters, Tuesday evening, August 15. A very enjoyable evening was spent, and considerable business transacted. Mr. Newman, league representative, reported that the plans for the new school building were now ready, and bids for its erection would be asked for at once. Mr. Newman was given a vote of thanks for his interest in this matter. Our school superintendent, as well as our school board, are very clearly demonstrating the truth of the policy of preparedness, since they certainly can do things when ready. Evidently while we were kicking up a fog they were saying nothing and sawing wood."
-- Fairfax Herald, August 25, 1916
"The time is about due for our road doctors to begin cutting rag weeds and chewing the rag about fixing our roads. Most of the rocks in the roads, however, must remain, since to take them out would desecrate the memory of George Washington, being the self-same rocks bumped over by that illustrious son of Virginia.
Landstreet's hill is in an especially fine condition for flying machines, but hardly passable for any other methods of travel. There has been much talk about cutting it down, but is has, so far, only reached the cut up state. The time-honored “rocky road to Dublin” hasn’t a thing on the rocky road to Accotink."
-- Fairfax Herald, September 1, 1916
"The Labor Day picnic held in Accotink grove was well attended and splendid order maintained. Mr. Dove, our efficient deputy sheriff, is most appropriately named, since, like the bird of similar name, he inspires thoughts of peace. Mr. Dove attended the picnic all day."
-- Fairfax Herald, September 8, 1916
"There seems to be a general laydown on the part of our road officials, relative to the keeping up of our cross roads, some of which are fully as important and as much traveled as the roads built by the recent bond issue. We were led to believe then that the money expended in repairs on the bonded roads could be used on the cross roads, and these roads would be much improved. This has not been done; in fact, nothing at all has been done, and, apparently, will not be done for some time to come. Our officials seem much interested in the roads in their own immediate locality and are working them on the plan of “every fellow for himself” and old nick gets the other fellow. One of the most important roads in the district is the one leading from Accotink Station to the village, and this road, for year, has been practically impassable in places. Landstreet’s hill is now in such a bad condition that people actually go to Alexandria rather than to the station over this road, but where an antiquarian, who has been delving among the rocks and gullies of Landstreet’s hill, claims to have found considerable evidence that, at some early period, a road ran about along the line of our present aero speedway, and is of the opinion that the early local tribes of Indians used this location as a storage place for flint from which to construct weapons of war. Peace, however, was evidently soon restored, judging from the large supply of rocks left on hand. Another authority, who came up Landstreet’s hill in an automobile, remarked that it was simply h--- , which we rather doubt, since we are reliably informed that the realm of his satanic majesty is paved with good intentions, and, if this is true, the gentleman is mistaken or good intentions make very poor roads. Mr. Reid, please read this and mix a little gravel with the good intentions."
-- Fairfax Herald, September 8, 1916
"Considerable excitement was caused in this community this week by the discovery of an ancient looking bucket by the antiquarian working on Landstreet’s’ hill. From a G engraved on the side, it was thought to have belonged to Washington, or possibly Geo. Mason, of Gunston, but careful research proved it to have been the instrument used so effectively in baling out mud holes by Gordon, an ebony assistant of Mr. Jno. Taylor, some years ago, when that gentleman had charge of the roads. Gordon has returned to the dust from whence he came. His bucket has moldered to dust, but the same old mud holes remain."
-- Fairfax Herald, September 15, 1916
"Mr. Herbert Allen, who is attending High School in Alexandria, will play tackle on the football team this fall. We sincerely hope that his coach succeeds in developing in him a greater desire to tackle his opponent then his daddy ever has in him to tackle the wood pile."
-- Fairfax Herald, September 22, 1916
(This comment was about his son)
"The Accotink School closed with a nice entertainment May 22d. A few young men possessed with evil spirits, the sheriff, our Dove of Peace, had to ask them outside. Although our State is dry, some of the boys manage to get wet on special occasions."
-- Fairfax Herald, July 15, 1917
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Here follows an excerpt from the Fall 2018 edition of the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter as published by the Franconia Museum:
FIRE AT POTTER’S HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Pat Ritter recently communicated through the Franconia Museum website seeking information about Potter's Hill School. Pat has a copy of her father's third grade report card from the 1933-34 school year. Part of the card was marked, "grades destroyed by fire." Pat thought the school burned down in 1939, and wanted to know about the fire mentioned in the report card.
We turned to Marge Tharpe, our Senior Advisor, for the answer. It turns out that Marge was in the first grade at Potter's Hill at that time and remembered the incident. The school near the intersection of what is now Beulah Street and Telegraph Road was totally destroyed by fire during the Christmas break. The children in first through fourth grades finished the school year at the Odd Fellows Hall in Accotink, and the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades finished school in Accotink Church. The school was not rebuilt, and therefore there was no fire in 1939. In fact, Clem Gailliot bought the property from the School Board in 1938, according to School Board minutes. The Ritters lived near the intersection of Accotink and Telegraph Roads at the time. The following year, the students transferred to Franconia Elementary School.
Marge Tharpe is the mother of Judy Hutchinson, our secretary. Both are valued members of our team. We are particularly indebted to our Senior Advisors... Marge, Jimmy Woodard, Margaret Welch, and Sonny Wright for their help in answering questions just like this one.