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Historic Sites List

Bonnie Brae Elementary School

Bonnie Brae Elementary School

GPS Coordinates: 38.8039131, -77.3096558
Closest Address: 5420 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA 22032

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Boston Boulevard Gravel Pit (Site)

Boston Boulevard Gravel Pit (Site)

GPS Coordinates: 38.7385801, -77.2090559
Closest Address: 7702 Boston Boulevard, Springfield, VA 22153

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Born in Switzerland, Frederick Segessenman emigrated to the United States and later built Boxhill Farm in 1896 on eight acres in Annandale. He was a landscaper and a florist and it is believed he planted the boxwood from which the home derives its name. Boxhill Farm stands north of Braddock Road near present-day Wakefield Chapel Road in Annandale. <•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•> <•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•> Here follows an excerpt from local author and historian Mary B. Lipsey's "This Old House: Annandale, Springfield, Burke & Beyond" presentation: The Boxhill Farm is difficult to see, set well back from Queen Elizabeth Road near Wakefield Chapel. If you are walking along the stream from where the baseball fields are and headed towards Braddock Road, if you look off with good glasses and binoculars, you can see the house, but it's all covered with trees and boxwood and everything. You can't even see down to the walkway into the house. Frederick Segessenman was born in Switzerland. He was a professional florist and landscaper. <•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•> <•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•> Here follows an excerpt from the Annandale Today newspaper: Old Annandale farmhouse is for sale, but owners won’t sell to a developer January 15, 2013 If you’d like to live in the country but don’t want to give up the convenience of being close to the city, Boxhill Farm is the place for you. It’s a restored farmhouse on seven acres of land in Annandale just outside the beltway, and it’s for sale for $1.195 million. “We don’t want to sell to a developer. We’re looking for the next steward of the property,” says Nell Miller, who owns the house with her husband, Ron. The house has four bedrooms, two and half bathrooms, living room, family room, sun room facing Wakefield Park, two fireplaces, large-walk-in closets next to the master bedroom, and a butler’s pantry. Outside, there’s a tennis court, large shed, and a pond. The house, totally hidden from the street, is down a path from a cul de sac at the end of Queen Elizabeth Road. Boxhill Farm was built in 1896 by Frederick Segessenman, an immigrant from Switzerland who was a professional florist and landscaper. Ron describes Boxhill Farm as a great example of a “blue collar farmhouse.” When it was built, it was a two-story house with just four rooms and no indoor bathroom or kitchen. The original part of the house still has the original wood floors and wainscoting. There’s an 1890 Seth Thomas clock on the mantelpiece in the family room that the Millers think might have belonged to the original owners. After the Segessenmans sold the property in 1947, the house had just three owners before the Millers purchased it in 1999. One of the former owners ran a business there, Boxhill Farm Antiques. The Millers bought the property from Dr. Russell Seneca, the chief surgeon of Fairfax Hospital, who expanded and renovated the house. The Millers had lived in the Wakefield Chapel neighborhood for 25 years when they discovered Boxhill Farm. “I had always wanted an old farmhouse. When we came across this house, we fell in love with it,” Nell says. “Living here is like living in a combination park, arboretum, nature preserve, historic home, and haven in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Northern Virginia,” says Nell. “It really is a sanctuary,” adds Ron. “When you come home from work and turn into the gate, it’s like turning off the rest of the world.” The bedroom has a view of the backyard lawn with the tree-lined Accotink Creek at the edge of the property. Ron says he counted as many as 230 geese at the pond at one time and has seen otter in the creek, along with red foxes, turtles, herons, egrets, woodchucks, and, of course, plenty of deer. According to Ron, there are some boxwoods and non-native trees—Norwegian spruce, black walnut, white pine, and pagoda trees—that are at least 100 years old, which he thinks might have been planted by Segessenman. About half of the land is a flood plain, so it can’t be developed under current law. At one point, the Park Authority was considering purchasing it, but couldn’t afford it, he says. Ron calls the Boxhill Farm “a wonderful surviving example of life in 19th century Fairfax County,” and has done a lot of research to see if it could be designated a historic site. He found it would have to have been the residence of a person of “historic quality,” have been the site of a historic event, or have a “highly unusual character.” He thinks Segessenman should qualify as “a person of historic significance,” so there’s a possibility the house could qualify as a historic site at some point. Segessenman did the landscaping for Ravensworth Mansion, which was located at what is now Ravensworth Shopping Center, as well as nearby Oak Hill, the oldest house in Annandale, and the historic house at Green Springs. There’s also a legend that “Braddock’s gold” could be buried somewhere on the property, although a search with a metal detector didn’t lead to any lost treasure. According to the legend, English General Edward Braddock was leading his troops through Virginia in 1775 on the way to attack the French at Fort Duquesne (what is now Pittsburgh). They were carrying lots of artillery and gold to buy supplies, but it was rough going on the muddy roads, so he decided to bury two cannons filled with gold coins and collect them later. He died in the battle, and the location of the gold was lost. The Millers paid $875,000 for the house and spent about $500,000 in improvements and maintenance. Among other things, they redid the kitchen, finished the basement, and put in a new HVAC system. They’re selling Boxhill Farm because they’ve both retired — Nell was a special education teacher at Woodson High School and Ron is the co-owner of Twin Construction Co. — and are moving to their other home in the Shenandoah Valley where they are developing a winery. To prospective buyers, Nell says, “you’re not just buying a house; you’re buying a lifestyle.” If they can’t sell it, the Millers say they will hold onto it. “We won’t sell it to anyone who wants to subdivide,” Ron says. “We took it on. We feel it’s important to be stewards,” adds Nell.

Boxhill Farm Manor House

GPS Coordinates: 38.8144408, -77.2299208
Closest Address: 8316 Queen Elizabeth Boulevard, Annandale, VA 22003

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Bozzelli's Italian Deli

Bozzelli's Italian Deli

GPS Coordinates: 38.7374204, -77.1933218
Closest Address: 8091 Alban Road, Springfield, VA 22150

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Braddock Cannon

Braddock Cannon

GPS Coordinates: 38.817967, -77.066211
Closest Address: 200 West Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22302

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Braddock Elementary School

Braddock Elementary School

GPS Coordinates: 38.8223688, -77.2161941
Closest Address: 7825 Heritage Drive, Annandale, VA 22003

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Braddock Road Mile "0" Historical Marker

Braddock Road Mile "0" (Historical Marker)

GPS Coordinates: 38.805224, -77.042217
Closest Address: 121 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

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Braddock Trolley Station (Site)

Braddock Trolley Station (Site)

GPS Coordinates: 38.8163912, -77.0624782
Closest Address: 1103 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301

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Bren Mar Park Elementary School

Bren Mar Park Elementary School

GPS Coordinates: 38.8017437, -77.1573749
Closest Address: 6344 Beryl Road, Alexandria, VA 22312

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Brick Making on Broomilaw Point Historical Marker

Brick Making on Broomilaw Point (Historical Marker)

GPS Coordinates: 38.792688, -77.051623
Closest Address: 751 Thornton Way, Alexandria, VA 22314

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Brigadier General Montgomery D. Corse, CSA Historical Marker

Brigadier General Montgomery D. Corse, CSA (Historical Marker)

GPS Coordinates: 38.803618, -77.045332
Closest Address: 504 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

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Brimstone Hill House

Brimstone Hill House

GPS Coordinates: 38.7680330, -77.3139037
Closest Address: 6821 Ox Road, Fairfax Station, VA 22039

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Nathaniel Lee

c/o Franconia Museum

6121 Franconia Road

Alexandria, VA 22310

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