JOHN MARSHAL & THE MARSHALL HOUSE
John Marshall was a significant person in Burke, Virginia. He owned a general store, was the first Post Master,
owned considerable land, was a train station manager and his grave is visible from Burke Road - in the winter.
John Marshall 1821- 1892 ( age 71) Mary Jane Marshall 1826- 1887 ( age 60) No children.
His family's house was near the intersection of Old Burke Lake Road and Burke Road. See below for more details.
owned considerable land, was a train station manager and his grave is visible from Burke Road - in the winter.
John Marshall 1821- 1892 ( age 71) Mary Jane Marshall 1826- 1887 ( age 60) No children.
His family's house was near the intersection of Old Burke Lake Road and Burke Road. See below for more details.
Video Interview of Glenn Curtis Who Lived in the Marshall House by Mary Lipsey for the Burke
Historical Society - August 25. 2019.
Historical Society - August 25. 2019.
Burke Historical Society Presentation. Glenn discusses Burke Marshall House, Civil War soldiers at house, the general store,
Burke Volunteer Fire Dept., Train wrecks, Fires, Howey Field deaths, etc.
Part 1 - Marshall House Plus - Glenn Curtis Interviewed by Mary Lipsey - 25 Aug. 2019
https://vimeo.com/355878472
Part 2 - Marshall House Plus - Glenn Curtis Interviewed by Mary Lipsey - 25 Aug. 2019
https://vimeo.com/355878345
Burke Volunteer Fire Dept., Train wrecks, Fires, Howey Field deaths, etc.
Part 1 - Marshall House Plus - Glenn Curtis Interviewed by Mary Lipsey - 25 Aug. 2019
https://vimeo.com/355878472
Part 2 - Marshall House Plus - Glenn Curtis Interviewed by Mary Lipsey - 25 Aug. 2019
https://vimeo.com/355878345
The Marshall House
Marshall House - 1937 Aerial Photo
It is believed the red dot is the Marshall house in 1937 before it was moved (it could have been one of the smaller ones, but doubtful). The red dot location is now occupied by a building which includes Burke Family Practice. The blue dot is the originial O&A RR station before it was moved and turned. Part of Burke Rd. is the the O&A RR bed. The RR was moved in 1903 thus this photo is 34 years after the RR was moved. The building with the white dot is currently unidentifed. It may have been the Marshall General Store.
It is believed the red dot is the Marshall house in 1937 before it was moved (it could have been one of the smaller ones, but doubtful). The red dot location is now occupied by a building which includes Burke Family Practice. The blue dot is the originial O&A RR station before it was moved and turned. Part of Burke Rd. is the the O&A RR bed. The RR was moved in 1903 thus this photo is 34 years after the RR was moved. The building with the white dot is currently unidentifed. It may have been the Marshall General Store.
Marshall Cemetery
About the Saber! - as told by Micheal Young, a Marshall decendent and owner of the saber in 2017.
During the Civil War it is told a soldier died with his saber at the Marshall house. Rememberences are:
I have some more info concerning the soldier. Glenn remembers the story that the soldier crawled up under the front porch of the house and died there. His body was buried in the front yard by a boxwood bush. My mom seems to remember those bushes as being approximately 20' in front of the porch. At a later date(not sure when), the body was exhumed and brought back to the state of New York. That kind of narrows down what side he fought on.
At that time, the railroad tracks ran in front of the house which faced Burke road. After the addition was added, the front of the house faced Burke Lake Road with the tracks having been moved to the other side of the house. This is how I remembered it.
Notes on the sabre: The length of the sword from the tip of the blade to the top of the handle is 38". The length of the blade is 32.5" from the tip to the hilt. The words "Royal Rifles" is etched on the blade on one side, with various etchings on both sides of the blade. Up near the hilt there is a small indentation filled with a gold colored "button" with the word "Proved"in raised letters.
Burke Civil War Unknown soldier - An Unknow Writes
It is told several Civil War injured soldiers of both sides were cared for in the Marshall House. One Union soldier crawled under the porch of the Marshall Store and died there. Family still has the sword that he was carrying. He was buried in the Marshall cemetery, but was exhumed and moved after the war.
An Unknown Author writes:
After a Civil War skirmish or battle nearby, a badly wounded Yankee was brought into the Marshall house, in Burke where he may have died. Today. the family does not know the rank or unit of the soldier or even when he died. The soldier's saber was preserved by the family. The saber has Royal Rifles inscribed on the blade and initials on the hilt which are possibly RWT or RWF. Research done by the family indicates that the saber was English and most likely made prior to the Civil War. A royal British crown and what appears to be a sunburst behind the crown appears on both sides of the saber. The saber does not easily fit into the hilt.
Questions:
Who was the soldier? When did he die? Why was he carrying an English sword?
Since the initials are hard to decipher, it is unlikely that the soldier will ever be identified. Official records of the Civil War are available, which describe skirmishes in the Burke area. Again with no identity it would be difficult, if not impossible, to match the soldier to any causalities list. The saber could have belonged to the soldier's family and he took it to war with him. The King's Royal Rifle Corps was raised by the British in the American Colonies in 1756 to defend the colonies against the French. So many questions remain unanswered.
During the Civil War it is told a soldier died with his saber at the Marshall house. Rememberences are:
I have some more info concerning the soldier. Glenn remembers the story that the soldier crawled up under the front porch of the house and died there. His body was buried in the front yard by a boxwood bush. My mom seems to remember those bushes as being approximately 20' in front of the porch. At a later date(not sure when), the body was exhumed and brought back to the state of New York. That kind of narrows down what side he fought on.
At that time, the railroad tracks ran in front of the house which faced Burke road. After the addition was added, the front of the house faced Burke Lake Road with the tracks having been moved to the other side of the house. This is how I remembered it.
Notes on the sabre: The length of the sword from the tip of the blade to the top of the handle is 38". The length of the blade is 32.5" from the tip to the hilt. The words "Royal Rifles" is etched on the blade on one side, with various etchings on both sides of the blade. Up near the hilt there is a small indentation filled with a gold colored "button" with the word "Proved"in raised letters.
Burke Civil War Unknown soldier - An Unknow Writes
It is told several Civil War injured soldiers of both sides were cared for in the Marshall House. One Union soldier crawled under the porch of the Marshall Store and died there. Family still has the sword that he was carrying. He was buried in the Marshall cemetery, but was exhumed and moved after the war.
An Unknown Author writes:
After a Civil War skirmish or battle nearby, a badly wounded Yankee was brought into the Marshall house, in Burke where he may have died. Today. the family does not know the rank or unit of the soldier or even when he died. The soldier's saber was preserved by the family. The saber has Royal Rifles inscribed on the blade and initials on the hilt which are possibly RWT or RWF. Research done by the family indicates that the saber was English and most likely made prior to the Civil War. A royal British crown and what appears to be a sunburst behind the crown appears on both sides of the saber. The saber does not easily fit into the hilt.
Questions:
Who was the soldier? When did he die? Why was he carrying an English sword?
Since the initials are hard to decipher, it is unlikely that the soldier will ever be identified. Official records of the Civil War are available, which describe skirmishes in the Burke area. Again with no identity it would be difficult, if not impossible, to match the soldier to any causalities list. The saber could have belonged to the soldier's family and he took it to war with him. The King's Royal Rifle Corps was raised by the British in the American Colonies in 1756 to defend the colonies against the French. So many questions remain unanswered.
The Marshall Cemetery
The Marshall Cemetery was and is surrounded by large trees thus nearly impossible of find on aerial maps either in 1937 or in 2018. However, it is marked on the aerial map below as the John Marshall Stone on this 2018 aerial.
Marshall Cemetery Notes: The footstones were removed from the cemetery for safekeeping. Each had been toppled . Marshall footstones have carvings on them . The Marshall footstones, made from marble, were located on either side of the obelisk . From the online cemetery survey of Fairfax County Public Library. Marshall Family Cemetery, Burke Rd. And Silas Burke Park, Burke, Va., FX159
The cemetery is located 20' north of Burke Rd., 200' west of Silas Burke Park. It contains only one large obelisk, in memory of J. A. MARSHALL (1821-1892) and MARY J. MARSHALL (1826-1887), and three footstones. The elaborate obelisk is about 14' high, with inverted torches on each corner, and capped by a draped urn. A 6' chain link fence was installed around the site in 1990 to deter vandalism. Notes: The footstones were removed from the cemetery for safekeeping. Each had been toppled . Marshall footstones have carvings on them . The Marshall footstones, made from marble, were located on either side of the obelisk .
MARY J. MARSHALL , Death: MAY 3, 1887
Comment: Front of obelisk inscribed "A precious one from us has gone. A voice we I loved is stilled. A place is vacant in our home which never can be I filled. God in his wisdom has recalled the boon his love has given, and though the body moulders here, the soul is safe in heaven."
J. A. MARSHALL, Death: DEC 22, 1892
Comment: Rear of obelisk.
The cemetery is located 20' north of Burke Rd., 200' west of Silas Burke Park. It contains only one large obelisk, in memory of J. A. MARSHALL (1821-1892) and MARY J. MARSHALL (1826-1887), and three footstones. The elaborate obelisk is about 14' high, with inverted torches on each corner, and capped by a draped urn. A 6' chain link fence was installed around the site in 1990 to deter vandalism. Notes: The footstones were removed from the cemetery for safekeeping. Each had been toppled . Marshall footstones have carvings on them . The Marshall footstones, made from marble, were located on either side of the obelisk .
MARY J. MARSHALL , Death: MAY 3, 1887
Comment: Front of obelisk inscribed "A precious one from us has gone. A voice we I loved is stilled. A place is vacant in our home which never can be I filled. God in his wisdom has recalled the boon his love has given, and though the body moulders here, the soul is safe in heaven."
J. A. MARSHALL, Death: DEC 22, 1892
Comment: Rear of obelisk.
Orginially the Marshall gravesite included "footstones" which were smaller than the John Marshall stone. These were moved and housed in Burke Mini-Museum
THE MARSHALL HOUSE (WHITE DOT) IN 1976 BEFORE IT WAS MOVED. NOTE THE OLD POST OFFICE BEHIND THE OLD FIRE STATION. OLD BURKE LAKE RD. STILL CROSSED THE RR TRACKS. DEVELOPMENT CLEARING HAS STARTED.
1980 MARSHALL HOUSE HAS BEEN MOVED ACROSS RR BERM AND DOWN BURKE RD. TO NEW LOCATION
Below left shows expected path of the Marshall house as it was moved from the green dot on to Burke Rd., down Burke Rd. and to its present location.
Below on the right is a 2017 aerial of the rebuilt Marshall House. It is told the house was moved in about 1976 and promptly burned during the renovation. The house was rebuilt to replicate the originial house.
Below on the right is a 2017 aerial of the rebuilt Marshall House. It is told the house was moved in about 1976 and promptly burned during the renovation. The house was rebuilt to replicate the originial house.
The aerial images above were copied from the Fairfax County Historical Imagery Viewer.
Below is a "Bonus" view of Burke as drawn by "someone." Probably depicts Burke in 1900 or so since RR tracks were moved in 1903. Notable locations are the Marshall house, the Orange & Alexandria RR tracks, the train depot, the Marshall General Store, the bridge across Pohick Creek and mention of mine.
Moving the original Marshall house. Probably 1976. It burned during renovations promptly after being moved.