GALLERY D
THE BURIED BACKHOE
At 4905 King Solomon Drive, near the entrance to the pipestem, next to the sidewalk about 4 feet down is buried about 1/3 of a backhoe. It was discovered during a Verizon dig attempting to fix a cable issue. Decision was made to just leave it alone and leave it buried. Primary portion of the unit is the seat area. Why was it buried and why here?
At 4905 King Solomon Drive, near the entrance to the pipestem, next to the sidewalk about 4 feet down is buried about 1/3 of a backhoe. It was discovered during a Verizon dig attempting to fix a cable issue. Decision was made to just leave it alone and leave it buried. Primary portion of the unit is the seat area. Why was it buried and why here?
NO STREAM TRAIL FOR LONG BRANCH
Sharon Bulova, who later became Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, was the Braddock District Supervisor and Long Branch is in Braddock District. As the Braddock District Supervisor she hosted a meeting at Canterbury Woods Elementary School with Long Branch residents to discuss the possibility of building a trail from Guinea Road to Woodland Way along the Long Branch stream.
The majority of Long Branch residents at the meeting were against it. Will bring crime, will bring vagrants, will allow back yards to be invaded, will be noisy, etc. However, Canterbury Woods residents at a separate meeting fully endorsed building the trail – and it was built! – over the objections of Long Branch residents.
Sharon Bulova, who later became Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, was the Braddock District Supervisor and Long Branch is in Braddock District. As the Braddock District Supervisor she hosted a meeting at Canterbury Woods Elementary School with Long Branch residents to discuss the possibility of building a trail from Guinea Road to Woodland Way along the Long Branch stream.
The majority of Long Branch residents at the meeting were against it. Will bring crime, will bring vagrants, will allow back yards to be invaded, will be noisy, etc. However, Canterbury Woods residents at a separate meeting fully endorsed building the trail – and it was built! – over the objections of Long Branch residents.
DRUNK IN THE SNOW.
Look at the curb at 9101 Tabard Place. It looks like something just chewed on it – again and again. But that is only the worst example of the damage done by the “substance impaired” operator of huge front end loader hired to remove snow in the 90’s or 00’s. He could not be stopped as he banged from curb to curb throughout Long Branch. There are more than 40 instances of his mayhem remain on Branch curbs. This curb was replaced in 2020 as well as some others.
Look at the curb at 9101 Tabard Place. It looks like something just chewed on it – again and again. But that is only the worst example of the damage done by the “substance impaired” operator of huge front end loader hired to remove snow in the 90’s or 00’s. He could not be stopped as he banged from curb to curb throughout Long Branch. There are more than 40 instances of his mayhem remain on Branch curbs. This curb was replaced in 2020 as well as some others.
XAVI ART AT LONG BRANCH POOL
It has been painted over, but Jason Panneton aka Xavi, provided a fantastic mural for the side of the Long Branch Pool Building. Now a significant artist,
http://xaviart.com/, Jason graduated from W.T. Woodson and wrote in 2018 the following.
"Young and hungry! that mural was done with big air brush guns. I got them when I was 14, paid for by my first mural job at Marlo Furniture and was so excited! 1992 was when that mural was painted."
It has been painted over, but Jason Panneton aka Xavi, provided a fantastic mural for the side of the Long Branch Pool Building. Now a significant artist,
http://xaviart.com/, Jason graduated from W.T. Woodson and wrote in 2018 the following.
"Young and hungry! that mural was done with big air brush guns. I got them when I was 14, paid for by my first mural job at Marlo Furniture and was so excited! 1992 was when that mural was painted."
SKIRMISH NEAR MEADOW RUE LANE
Civil War tales abound in Fairfax County. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both sides “owned” parts of Fairfax County multiple times and part of the area was “No Man’s Land” for months at a time. On 4 Dec. 1861 it is thought Long Branch was “No Man’s Land.” The Confederated occupied Fairfax County Court House and most likely Farr’s Crossroads at the intersection of Braddock Road and Ox Road. The Union apparently held near where the beltway crosses Braddock Road (tough to verify).
Each side sent out skirmishers and pickets. One encounter is titled “Bog Wallow Skirmish” and there is a marker on Braddock Road at the intersection with Dunleigh Drive, but the exact area of the skirmish is not defined.
What happened in the cul de sac area at the end of Meadow Rue Lane. Near where the encounter may have occurred. Where is the horse?
Civil War tales abound in Fairfax County. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both sides “owned” parts of Fairfax County multiple times and part of the area was “No Man’s Land” for months at a time. On 4 Dec. 1861 it is thought Long Branch was “No Man’s Land.” The Confederated occupied Fairfax County Court House and most likely Farr’s Crossroads at the intersection of Braddock Road and Ox Road. The Union apparently held near where the beltway crosses Braddock Road (tough to verify).
Each side sent out skirmishers and pickets. One encounter is titled “Bog Wallow Skirmish” and there is a marker on Braddock Road at the intersection with Dunleigh Drive, but the exact area of the skirmish is not defined.
What happened in the cul de sac area at the end of Meadow Rue Lane. Near where the encounter may have occurred. Where is the horse?
MAN WITH THE CHRISTMAS HAT
A man who lived in Long Branch was terminal with cancer but it was near Christmas. He donned a red Christmas hat with a fuzzy white ball on the top and asked his wife to drive him on every street of Long Branch. She did. He waved at everyone he saw and died in his Long Branch home that night.
A man who lived in Long Branch was terminal with cancer but it was near Christmas. He donned a red Christmas hat with a fuzzy white ball on the top and asked his wife to drive him on every street of Long Branch. She did. He waved at everyone he saw and died in his Long Branch home that night.
GOLD STILL THERE?
Examine a few rocks in the stream along the Long Branch Stream Trail. Some are kinda shiny, translucent and angular. If they will scratch glass most likely they are quartz. Gold seekers – mainly panners – have been attracted to significant accumulations of quartz – like those in the creek because “that means gold.” Tales of panning for, and finding gold flecks, along the stream adjoining Long Branch still circulate.
Examine a few rocks in the stream along the Long Branch Stream Trail. Some are kinda shiny, translucent and angular. If they will scratch glass most likely they are quartz. Gold seekers – mainly panners – have been attracted to significant accumulations of quartz – like those in the creek because “that means gold.” Tales of panning for, and finding gold flecks, along the stream adjoining Long Branch still circulate.
BIG BLUE PIPE
It sticks up about 7 feet along Long Branch Stream near the bend and is visible from the trail. It is?
It sticks up about 7 feet along Long Branch Stream near the bend and is visible from the trail. It is?
MODEL HOME - PHASE 2
This house, 4907 King Solomon Drive, was a model home and sales office as Foster Brother took over development of Long Branch. The sidewalk lead to another model at 4909 King Solomon. The date is April 1977. The Long Branch Pool as advertised as a selling feature.
LONG BRANCH CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 1977
Tom Woroz is President and enforcement of Covenants was an issue. Note there are two sets of Long Branch Covenants. The pool had just been opened that summer and Donald Foster of Foster Brothers addressed the Covenants as well.
Tom Woroz is President and enforcement of Covenants was an issue. Note there are two sets of Long Branch Covenants. The pool had just been opened that summer and Donald Foster of Foster Brothers addressed the Covenants as well.