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Fauquier County

Brief History of Fauquier County:
Fauquier County is known as "horse country" and is located near the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The area was once home to the Manahoac Indians, a Sioux nation tribe. In 1608 an encounter with a Manahoac hunting party in the area was reported by Captain John Smith. The Manahoacs were eventually pushed out by the Iroquois Indians in 1650 who claimed it their hunting grounds.

The original European settlements in the area were mainly of German and English ancestry. The first settlement was Brenttown in 1686, then Elk Marsh/Elk Run in 1715, and Germantown (1718). All three locations were south of what is now Warrenton. The first settlement in Northern Fauquier was in 1726 near The Plains.

What became Fauquier County was carved out of Prince William County and Chartered on May 1, 1759. Originally the land was part of the Northern Neck Proprietary, a vast land grant held by the 6th Lord Fairfax.

The county came to be named after Francis Fauquier, Lt. Governor of Virginia from 1758 to his death in 1768. Thomas Jefferson said that Fauquier was "…the ablest governor to grace the position." Francis Fauquier was very popular among those seeking British independence.

The county’s most notable native is unquestionably Chief Justice John Marshall who became known as the "Great Chief Justice." John Marshall was the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and raised the court to the position of power and prestige it is known for today. Several of his best known decisions include Marbury v. Madison (1803) which established the right of judicial review over congressional and state legislation, McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) established the principle that the Constitution granted certain implied powers to Congress and Cohens v. Virginia (1821) upheld the court’s right to overrule state actions that violate the U.S. Constitution.

Warrenton:
During the Revolutionary War Warrenton was known as Fauquier Courthouse. In 1790 Richard Henry Lee donated 71 acres for a new courthouse and for the first town plots. The first permanent jail was built in 1808, rebuilt in 1823 and used until 1966. The name Warrenton was adopted in 1810 and became chartered in 1816. The name originally came from Joseph Warren, a heroic General in the U.S. Army who died at Bunker Hill in 1775. Many know Joseph Warren as the General who sent Paul Revere on his famous ride.

During the Civil War, Warrenton was a hospital town with many churches and homes being used to care for the wounded. The town changed hands 67 times during the war. Col. John S. Mosby (the Gray Ghost) and his band of partisan rangers were very active in the area. Col Mosby is well known for his daring escapes and brazen military tactics. General Robert E. Lee said of Mosby, "If I had ten more like him we’d win this war." Mosby attempted a law practice in the area after the war but was unsuccessful due to his "Northern affiliations." Warrenton soon became known for its abundance of brilliant lawyers and as a place for horse lovers. The Warrenton Hunt was established in 1883 and still meets today.

The Town of Warrenton, is the county seat and is an architectural and historic treasure. The majestic columns and graceful spire of the "old" County Court House, still in use, beckon visitors to streets lined with well-preserved homes and appealing shops and restaurants. The Old Jail, built in 1808, houses a museum of local history. Modern accommodations, traveler services, shopping centers and a variety of restaurants border the tree-lined "old bypass" west of Old Town.

Many different events and outdoor adventures are available for the entire family:

Virginia Gold Cup, spring and fall steeplechase races,
the oldest horse shows in America, farm and stable tours,
a winery in the town of Warrenton plus other wineries,
Civil War reenactments at Sky Meadows State Park,
Flying Circus Air shows, antique shows, craft festivals,
holiday parades and celebrations,
trail rides and pick-your-own fruits and vegetables.

Article written by Laura Jevtich: Sales Through Technology, LLC with information from Town of Warrenton and Fauquier County Chamber of Commerce.