The Fairfax County Park Authority has purchased an historic property that was built in the mid-18th century in the Old Colchester area of the county for $1.1 million.
The property is a 2.26-acre parcel of land with a home and barn. The home was built in 1750 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Colchester was established in 1753 and became a thriving port town due to its proximity to the Occoquan River. The property, located in the Mount Vernon magisterial district, is adjacent to a cultural-and-natural-resource park of the same name. The property had been owned privately by a family until its recent sale.
The historic building had served as the Colchester Inn and the Fairfax Arms Tavern. The structure was located on what was then Kings Highway, the route connecting Boston to Williamsburg, and was used as an “ordinary,” serving food and drink. The historic building has two doors that separated men and women, which remain to this day.
This property will serve an addition to the 140-acre Old Colchester Park and Preserve at the mouth of the Occoquan River near the Prince William County border, and the Park Authority will continue to preserve and interpret its historical significance.
For information on the Old Colchester Park and Preserve, see the Website at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/old-colchester.