PrWm_History
A
Brief History of Prince William County
The first permanent
settlers landed at Jamestown in
1607. By
1619 the colonists had created enough local government to start the
General Assembly,
and in just thirty years from settlement the process of forming
Virginia's
counties was well established. See
below for the Act
creating Prince
William County.
New
counties were
created as the English population grew, and the Native American
population in an area was simultaneously reduced. The
rough ideal was that all settlers could reach the county courthouse
after a day's ride on horseback. Robert "King" Carter, the land agent
for
Lord Fairfax, was active in establishing local government in the
Northern Neck (remember, Prince William County was once part of the
Fairfax
Proprietary grant from King Charles II). However,
he died before Prince William
When
created, the
new county included the area of what today is Fauquier, Prince William,
Loudoun, Fairfax, and Arlington counties - these were later carved from
Prince
William as settlement continued to grow. Prince
William was carved mostly from the
western edge of Stafford
County, but
the area in the Rappahannock
River
watershed (now in Fauquier
County)
was "contributed" by King George County.
[So when you look for genealogical records, be sure to check the county
records
of King George...]
Prince William County is located in
Northern Virginia approximately
35 miles southwest of Washington, DC. Fairfax
and Loudoun Counties
bound the county on the north, on the east is the Potomac River (Maryland), on the south is the Stafford
County and
on the west is the Fauquier County.
Prince William County
encompasses a total area of 348 square miles (222,615
acres) and a total land area of 338 square milescombined
area of
Prince
William County and
the
independent cities is 360 square miles (230,594 acres). Federal land accounts for
approximately 41,500
acres or 18.6% of the total area and includes Quantico Marine Corps
Base, Manassas
National Battlefield. Prince
William County
includes within its boundaries the independent cities of Manassas
and Manassas
Park.
The
Park
and
Prince William
Forest Park.
Prince
William
County includes four incorporated towns and 14 census designated
places, that
is, unincorporated population centers that are designated by the U.S.
Census
Bureau for data collection.
Incorporated
towns:
Extinct towns/communities:
º
Dumfries
º Occoquan
º
Batestown
º
Joplin
º Pamacocack
º
Haymarket
º
Quantico
º
Groveton
º Koop
º Hickory
Ridge
º Minnieville
Unincorporated communities:
· Aden ·
Agnewville
·
Antioch
·
Bethel
·
Brentsville
·
Bristow
·
Buckhall
|
º
Buckland ·
Bull
Run
·
Canova
·
Catharpin
·
Cherry
Hill
·
Cornwell
·
Dale
City
|
· Featherstone ·
Gainesville
·
Greenwich
·
Hoadly
·
Independent Hill
·
Lake Ridge
·
Linton Hall
|
· Loch
Lomond ·
Montclair
·
Nokesville
·
Quantico Station
·
Rixlew
·
Southbridge
·
Sudley
|
· Sudley Springs ·
Thoroughfare ·
Triangle
·
Wellington
·
West Gate
·
Woodbridge
·
Yorkshire
|
Independent
cities:
The
independent
cities of Manassas
and Manassas Park
are surrounded by Prince William County.
Prince William, Manassas
Park,
and Manassas
are combined for purposes of criminal, traffic, civil, and juvenile and
domestic relations courts within Circuit 31. The Courthouse Complex
itself is
located in a Prince
William County
enclave surrounded by the City of Manassas.
The County
Government Administration
Complex is in the unincorporated community of Woodbridge.
Its mailing address is 1 County Complex Court, Woodbridge, Virginia 22192.
Prince
William
County's
highest elevation is 1,280
feet above sea level on Bull Run
Mountain
along its western boundary with Fauquier County.
Its lowest natural elevation is at sea level along the
Potomac River,
and its lowest man-made elevation is 15 feet below sea level at a
quarry site
near Manassas. The geographic center of
the County is
located near Brentsville at 38.55 degrees N. Latitude and 77.40 degrees
W.
Longitude.
The
Act of the General Assembly establishing Prince William County.
“I.
WHEREAS divers
and sundry inconveniences attend the upper inhabitants of the said
counties, by
reason of their great distance from their respective court-houses, and
other
places, usually appointed for public meetings: Be it therefore enacted,
by the
Lieut. Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General
Assembly, and
it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That from and
immediately
after the twenty fifth day of March, one thousand seven hundred and
thirty one,
all the land, on the heads of the said counties, above Chopawansick
Creek, on
Potomack river, and Deep run, on Rappahannock river, and a south- west
line to
be made, from the head of the north branch of the said creek, to the
head of
the said Deep run, be divided and exempt from the said counties, and
from all
dependences, offices, and charges, for, or in respect thereof; and also
discharged from all duties whatsoever, relating to the same; and be
made a distinct
county, and shall be called, & known by the name of Prince
William county.
And for the due administration of justice, Be it further enacted, by
the
authority aforesaid, and it is hereby enacted, That after the time
aforesaid, a
court, for the said county of Prince William, be constantly held by the
justices thereof, upon the third Wednesday in every month, in such
manner, as
by the laws of this country, is provided, and shall be, by their
commission,
directed. And whereas, the said counties have considerable claims from
the
public for killing of wolves, Be it also enacted, by the authority
aforesaid,
That each of the said counties respectively, shall contribute their
proportions
of the said claims, to the inhabitants taken out of the said counties,
into the
county of Prince William, according to their number of tithables. “