Architecture

Rector’s Warehouse and Station - Rectortown, Virginia /  by Todd Henson

Rector’s Warehouse and Station

Built around 1835, it started as a warehouse and store and later, around 1852 was expanded to include a railway station and post office with the arrival of the Manassas Gap Railroad. During the Civil War it was used as one of Colonel John S. Mosby’s headquarters and a prison for captured Federal troops and still contains traces of graffiti from the prisoners inside.

The railroad and Rector’s Warehouse

An informational sign at the location mentions two notable events that occurred in the vicinity. On November 7, 1862, General George Brinton McClellan received orders from President Abraham Lincoln relieving him of his command. He was handed these orders by General C.P. Buckingham, and afterwards General Ambrose Burnside was given command of the Army.

Rector’s Warehouse and Station still stands

The second event involved Colonel Mosby, whose rangers roamed all over this area fighting Union soldiers. Seven of his rangers had been executed. In return, on November 6, 1864, Mosby ordered the execution of an equal number of Federals from the 27 prisoners held in the building. They were selected via a raffle with a bit on an ironic twist in that when a drummer boy was selected an officer pleaded for another drawing to replace the boy. That officer ended up being chosen instead. Apparently, the officer and three of the others survived while the final three were hanged.

A side view of Rector’s Warehouse and Station

Rectortown, where this is located, was established in 1772 and is the oldest town in Fauquier County, Virginia. It was named after the merchant John Rector, who owned the land that formed the original village.

Doors and windows

Window and door

A window into Rector’s Warehouse

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A Visit to Occoquan Workhouse (2010) /  by Todd Henson

A Visit to Occoquan Workhouse (2010)

Built in 1910, the Occoquan Workhouse was originally a lower security prison facility run by the District of Columbia and located in Lorton, Virginia. Later it began housing people convicted of more serious crimes and was renamed Lorton Reformatory and eventually Lorton Correctional Complex. Before it finally closed in 2001 it had become overcrowded and known for frequent violence and occasional escapes. I remember times when local alerts would go out of an escaped convict and the police efforts to bring them back.

The photo above was created 100 years after the site was built, in 2010. It was a very overcast day, and later in the day it rained, but it hadn’t yet begun when I walked through this portion of the location. I hope to share more photos in the future as I sort through them, some of areas that have since been demolished.

Thankfully, this part of the location, once full of problems was destined for a more hopeful future. In 2005 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and in 2008 it became home to the Workhouse Arts Center where local artists could set up studios and invite the public to come see them work, purchase their artwork, and attend classes, exhibitions and special events. It’s now a wonderful location to visit, in many ways similar to the older and perhaps better known Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria. Stop by if you’re ever in the area. It’s worth a visit.

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Grace Episcopal Church, The Plains, Virginia /  by Todd Henson

Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains, Virginia

The first time I viewed Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains, Virginia, was many, many years back when randomly driving through the night with a friend. I recall how beautiful it looked illuminated at night. I’ve yet to return at night to see and photograph this magnificent structure, but I did return with my father in late September of 2024, when we stopped and walked up and down Main Street and I created a number of photographs of the church.

A touch of Grace in The Plains

Red doors of Grace Episcopal Church

The Plains, originally called White Plains, was around before the Civil War, and in 1831 had a Post Office named The Plains. It grew from there and was incorporated as a town in 1910, though it still remains a very small town with a population of 245 as per the 2020 census. Today it is part of Fauquier County.

Grace in The Plains

The history of Grace Episcopal Church stretches back to 1855, though the current stone structure was consecrated on June 28, 1918 and was built from stones donated from local farms. It’s an example of 13th century rural English Gothic architecture, and perhaps that’s why I find it so compelling, that older gothic style and the beautiful stonework, the arches and steeples, the deep red doors. And unlike some churches in larger towns, this one still has a sizable property that sets the structure away from the road and from distracting power lines. It’s a very beautiful location.

Visit their website to learn more about the history of Grace in the Plains.

The grounds of Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains, Virginia

Part of the old stone wall around Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains, Virginia

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