{"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Fairfax+Circuit+Court+Historic+Records+Center\u0026page=5\u0026view=list","prev":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Fairfax+Circuit+Court+Historic+Records+Center\u0026page=4\u0026view=list","next":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Fairfax+Circuit+Court+Historic+Records+Center\u0026page=6\u0026view=list","last":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Fairfax+Circuit+Court+Historic+Records+Center\u0026page=105\u0026view=list"},"meta":{"pages":{"current_page":5,"next_page":6,"prev_page":4,"total_pages":105,"limit_value":10,"offset_value":40,"total_count":1048,"first_page?":false,"last_page?":false}},"data":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c332","type":"File","attributes":{"title":"Berry, Joseph November, 1903","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c332#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRoad across the bed of a lake or pond in the Town of Wiehle \u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c332#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c332","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c332"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c332","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Berry, Joseph November, 1903","box-folder 9: RP-330","Road across the bed of a lake or pond in the Town of Wiehle\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Berry, Joseph November, 1903\n","title_ssm":["Berry, Joseph November, 1903\n"],"title_tesim":["Berry, Joseph November, 1903\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Berry, Joseph November, 1903"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":332,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 9: RP-330"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\n  \u003ctitle render=\"italic\"\u003eRoad across the bed of a lake or pond in the Town of Wiehle\n\u003c/title\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Road across the bed of a lake or pond in the Town of Wiehle\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#331","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr00001.xml","title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Fairfax County, Virginia","Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor",".","The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n","Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.","Unit 40, Shelf 5\n","Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"geogname_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"places_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Records of Fairfax Circuit Court.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["5 linear feet"],"extent_tesim":["5 linear feet"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePrior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFirst, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCitizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMost road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 40, Shelf 5\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 40, Shelf 5\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"names_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"corpname_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court"],"persname_ssim":["Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":360,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c332"}},{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c228","type":"File","attributes":{"title":"Birch, F. July, 1888","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c228#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCounty Road from the middle of Alexandria Pike to Alexandria Line\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c228#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c228","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c228"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c228","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Birch, F. July, 1888","box-folder 6: RP-228","County Road from the middle of Alexandria Pike to Alexandria Line"],"title_filing_ssi":"Birch, F. July, 1888\n","title_ssm":["Birch, F. July, 1888\n"],"title_tesim":["Birch, F. July, 1888\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Birch, F. July, 1888"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":228,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 6: RP-228"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"italic\"\u003eCounty Road from the middle of Alexandria Pike to Alexandria Line\u003c/title\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["County Road from the middle of Alexandria Pike to Alexandria Line"],"_nest_path_":"/components#227","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr00001.xml","title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Fairfax County, Virginia","Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor",".","The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n","Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.","Unit 40, Shelf 5\n","Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"geogname_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"places_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Records of Fairfax Circuit Court.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["5 linear feet"],"extent_tesim":["5 linear feet"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePrior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFirst, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCitizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMost road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 40, Shelf 5\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 40, Shelf 5\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"names_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"corpname_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court"],"persname_ssim":["Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":360,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c228"}},{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c240","type":"File","attributes":{"title":"Birch, William R. November, 1889","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c240#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRoad from Leesburg Pike to Carlin Springs\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c240#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c240","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c240"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c240","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Birch, William R. November, 1889","box-folder 7: RP-240","Road from Leesburg Pike to Carlin Springs"],"title_filing_ssi":"Birch, William R. November, 1889\n","title_ssm":["Birch, William R. November, 1889\n"],"title_tesim":["Birch, William R. November, 1889\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Birch, William R. November, 1889"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":240,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 7: RP-240"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"italic\"\u003eRoad from Leesburg Pike to Carlin Springs\u003c/title\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Road from Leesburg Pike to Carlin Springs"],"_nest_path_":"/components#239","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr00001.xml","title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Fairfax County, Virginia","Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor",".","The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n","Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.","Unit 40, Shelf 5\n","Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"geogname_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"places_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Records of Fairfax Circuit Court.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["5 linear feet"],"extent_tesim":["5 linear feet"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePrior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFirst, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCitizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMost road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 40, Shelf 5\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 40, Shelf 5\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"names_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"corpname_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court"],"persname_ssim":["Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":360,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c240"}},{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c30","type":"File","attributes":{"title":"Bixler, Henry March, 1852","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c30#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRoad from point on Frying Pan Road at Gunnells School House to Liberty Church at Dranesville\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c30#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c30","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c30"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c30","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Bixler, Henry March, 1852","box-folder 1: RP-030","Road from point on Frying Pan Road at Gunnells School House to Liberty Church at Dranesville"],"title_filing_ssi":"Bixler, Henry March, 1852\n","title_ssm":["Bixler, Henry March, 1852\n"],"title_tesim":["Bixler, Henry March, 1852\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Bixler, Henry March, 1852"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":30,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1: RP-030"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"italic\"\u003eRoad from point on Frying Pan Road at Gunnells School House to Liberty Church at Dranesville\u003c/title\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Road from point on Frying Pan Road at Gunnells School House to Liberty Church at Dranesville"],"_nest_path_":"/components#29","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr00001.xml","title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Fairfax County, Virginia","Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor",".","The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n","Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.","Unit 40, Shelf 5\n","Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"geogname_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"places_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Records of Fairfax Circuit Court.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["5 linear feet"],"extent_tesim":["5 linear feet"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePrior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFirst, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCitizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMost road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 40, Shelf 5\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 40, Shelf 5\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"names_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"corpname_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court"],"persname_ssim":["Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":360,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c30"}},{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02_c13","type":"File","attributes":{"title":"Blank Forms, 1905 - 1932","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02_c13#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02_c13","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02_c13"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02_c13","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00002","vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01","vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00002","vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01","vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943","Series 1: Applications","Subseries 2: Confederate Pension Applications and Related Correspondence"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943","Series 1: Applications","Subseries 2: Confederate Pension Applications and Related Correspondence"],"text":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943","Series 1: Applications","Subseries 2: Confederate Pension Applications and Related Correspondence","Blank Forms, 1905 - 1932","Box 1, Folder 13"],"title_filing_ssi":"Blank Forms, 1905 - 1932\n\t\t","title_ssm":["Blank Forms, 1905 - 1932\n\t\t"],"title_tesim":["Blank Forms, 1905 - 1932\n\t\t"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Blank Forms, 1905 - 1932"],"component_level_isim":[3],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":18,"containers_ssim":["Box 1, Folder 13"],"_nest_path_":"/components#0/components#1/components#12","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00002","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr00002.xml","title_ssm":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943\n"],"title_tesim":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943"],"text":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943","Primarily Fairfax County ","Confederate and Union civil war pensions, disabilities","Pension applications, blank forms, letters, pension rolls, judges' orders, reports","Paper, cardstock, ink, graphite",".","In 1867, the State of Virginia began its first Confederate veteran aid program by offering artificial limbs to disabled veterans who had lost a limb as a result of war-time injuries. An act in 1872 allowed for artificial legs to be provided to veterans, and an amendment to this act also allowed African American veterans and 'employees' to receive legs. Beginning in 1873, the State offered commutations (one- time payments) to veterans whose artificial limbs were badly-fitting or unusable. Officially called Artificial Limb Commutations, these payments were eventually offered to veterans whose wounds completely disabled or paralyzed their limbs but did not result in amputations. Further acts in 1876 and 1882 provided aid for veterans who couldn't perform manual labor owing to wounds wholly or partly disabling their limbs, and finally, for wounds disabling any part of their body. These qualifying wounds included loss of eyesight. A final act passed in 1884 superseded the Artificial Limb Commutations with Aid to Citizens of Virginia Wounded and Maimed during the Late War. This act provided $60 to veterans with generally disabling wounds, and $60 to veterans for each limb or eye lost.\n","Realizing that a one-time payment would not provide permanent relief for the many disabled veterans who couldn't support themselves or their dependents, the General Assembly passed the first Confederate pension act in 1888. This act allowed a wounded veteran to apply for an annual pension if his total annual income was less than $300 and his personal and real property was valued at less than $1000. Widows whose husbands had died during the war, who remained unmarried and whose income and property values met the same requirements as those of veterans, were also entitled to apply.\n","The pension act of 1900 allowed veterans disabled owing to old age to apply. Widows whose husbands died after the war, and whose annual income was less than $100, were also eligible for application. This act dramatically increased the number of Confederate pensioners and, therefore, added to the strain on Virginia's economy; as a result of this, the General Assembly passed a further act in 1902 which placed more severe restrictions on income limits. Veterans and war-bereaved widows could not earn more than $150 per year or have more than $500 worth of real and personal property. In addition to this, widows whose husbands had died since the war had to have been married before May 1866. \n","Each subsequent act enlarged the eligibility quota. In 1908, former Confederate nurses, known as matrons, were included. Unlike the widows, the matrons had to be married to receive their pension. A further addition was the introduction of one-time disbursements of funeral expenses ($25). The 1912 act allowed women who had been widowed, remarried to another Confederate veteran and widowed again to apply. The 1924 and 1926 acts opened up pensions for former slaves and freemen who had acted for the Confederate Army as body servants, cooks, guards, hostlers, teamsters, blacksmiths, hospital and railroad workers, and who had buried the dead. Former Virginia residents who had moved to D.C. were also eligible under the 1924 act.","The required dates of marriage for widows also changed as time progressed. The 1912 act changed the date to before May 1868, the 1918 act to before May 1870, the 1922 act to before May 1877, the 1924 act to before December 31st 1882, the 1926 act to before 1886, and the 1927 act to before 1890. In response to inflation, the General Assembly gradually increased the maximum salary and property values allowed for eligibility. By 1926, the salary limit was $400, and the total property limit was $2000.\n","The Confederate commutation, aid and pension processes in Virginia relied on county circuit courts to collect, vet, accept or deny applications. The circuit court clerk collected applications and made a certified list of applicants, one of which was sent to the judge, one sent to the local pension board and one displayed on the courthouse door. The clerk also handed the applications to the court. From 1888 to 1900, county judges decided pension eligibility. In 1900, the pension act required counties to elect a five-person pension board to determine eligibility and send applications to the State Pension Board for further examination. In 1902, judges became the deciding authorities again, and the county pension board's purpose was relegated to assessing each applicant's eligibility and passing their recommendations to the deciding judge. Judges examined applications, determined eligibility and made an Order to certify or disallow a claim. The clerk then sent a list of allowed and certified pension claims to the State Pension Board, and, later, to the Auditor of Public Accounts. \n","The local pension board's commissioners other duties were to report the deaths of pensioners and discover and report pensioners who no longer met eligibility criteria, so that their names were removed from the State Pension Rolls, and their pensions not overpaid.\n","In 1958, the Federal Government also began issuing pensions to Confederate veterans and widows. The last Virginia Confederate veteran died in 1959; Virginia and the Federal Government continued to pay pensions to widows and unmarried children into the 21st century. In 2009, Virginia Code Section 51.1-900 (governing Confederate pensions) was repealed and Confederate pensions ceased to be. \n","Sources:  The collection, Google Books, Encyclopedia of Virginia, Library of Virginia\n","Series 1:  Applications, 1876 - 1943, contains one Union pension application, applications for Artificial Limb Commutation (Confederate), applications for aid (Confederate), Confederate pension applications and supporting paperwork\n","Series 2:  Confederate Pension Board of Fairfax Co., 1900 - 1933, contains oaths and appointment statements, reports and correspondence\n","Series 3:  Circuit Court and Pensions, 1902 - 1933, contains judges' orders, Confederate pensions rolls, correspondence with the State Pension Clerk and State Auditor of Public Accounts \n","Series 4:  Miscellaneous, 1902 - 1930, contains lists of applicants, correspondence and notices\n","Series 5:  Publications by State Auditor of Public Accounts, 1922, 1924, 1926\n","Series 6:  Roster of Confederate Pensioners of Virginia, 1909, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1925\n","Click here to view Apendixes I through II (See pages 4-8).","Unit 38, Drawer 2; Unit 52, Row 6\n","Confederate Pension Board of Fairfax Co., State Auditor of Public Accounts, State Pension Clerk, Fairfax County Circuit Court","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Civil War Pensions, \n 1876-1943"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Primarily Fairfax County "],"geogname_ssim":["Primarily Fairfax County "],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center\n"],"places_ssim":["Primarily Fairfax County "],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Record of the Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Confederate and Union civil war pensions, disabilities","Pension applications, blank forms, letters, pension rolls, judges' orders, reports","Paper, cardstock, ink, graphite"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Confederate and Union civil war pensions, disabilities","Pension applications, blank forms, letters, pension rolls, judges' orders, reports","Paper, cardstock, ink, graphite"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["1 linear foot"],"extent_tesim":["1 linear foot"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, cardstock, ink, graphite"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eIn 1867, the State of Virginia began its first Confederate veteran aid program by offering artificial limbs to disabled veterans who had lost a limb as a result of war-time injuries. An act in 1872 allowed for artificial legs to be provided to veterans, and an amendment to this act also allowed African American veterans and 'employees' to receive legs. Beginning in 1873, the State offered commutations (one- time payments) to veterans whose artificial limbs were badly-fitting or unusable. Officially called Artificial Limb Commutations, these payments were eventually offered to veterans whose wounds completely disabled or paralyzed their limbs but did not result in amputations. Further acts in 1876 and 1882 provided aid for veterans who couldn't perform manual labor owing to wounds wholly or partly disabling their limbs, and finally, for wounds disabling any part of their body. These qualifying wounds included loss of eyesight. A final act passed in 1884 superseded the Artificial Limb Commutations with Aid to Citizens of Virginia Wounded and Maimed during the Late War. This act provided $60 to veterans with generally disabling wounds, and $60 to veterans for each limb or eye lost.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRealizing that a one-time payment would not provide permanent relief for the many disabled veterans who couldn't support themselves or their dependents, the General Assembly passed the first Confederate pension act in 1888. This act allowed a wounded veteran to apply for an annual pension if his total annual income was less than $300 and his personal and real property was valued at less than $1000. Widows whose husbands had died during the war, who remained unmarried and whose income and property values met the same requirements as those of veterans, were also entitled to apply.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe pension act of 1900 allowed veterans disabled owing to old age to apply. Widows whose husbands died after the war, and whose annual income was less than $100, were also eligible for application. This act dramatically increased the number of Confederate pensioners and, therefore, added to the strain on Virginia's economy; as a result of this, the General Assembly passed a further act in 1902 which placed more severe restrictions on income limits. Veterans and war-bereaved widows could not earn more than $150 per year or have more than $500 worth of real and personal property. In addition to this, widows whose husbands had died since the war had to have been married before May 1866. \n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEach subsequent act enlarged the eligibility quota. In 1908, former Confederate nurses, known as matrons, were included. Unlike the widows, the matrons had to be married to receive their pension. A further addition was the introduction of one-time disbursements of funeral expenses ($25). The 1912 act allowed women who had been widowed, remarried to another Confederate veteran and widowed again to apply. The 1924 and 1926 acts opened up pensions for former slaves and freemen who had acted for the Confederate Army as body servants, cooks, guards, hostlers, teamsters, blacksmiths, hospital and railroad workers, and who had buried the dead. Former Virginia residents who had moved to D.C. were also eligible under the 1924 act.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe required dates of marriage for widows also changed as time progressed. The 1912 act changed the date to before May 1868, the 1918 act to before May 1870, the 1922 act to before May 1877, the 1924 act to before December 31st 1882, the 1926 act to before 1886, and the 1927 act to before 1890. In response to inflation, the General Assembly gradually increased the maximum salary and property values allowed for eligibility. By 1926, the salary limit was $400, and the total property limit was $2000.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Confederate commutation, aid and pension processes in Virginia relied on county circuit courts to collect, vet, accept or deny applications. The circuit court clerk collected applications and made a certified list of applicants, one of which was sent to the judge, one sent to the local pension board and one displayed on the courthouse door. The clerk also handed the applications to the court. From 1888 to 1900, county judges decided pension eligibility. In 1900, the pension act required counties to elect a five-person pension board to determine eligibility and send applications to the State Pension Board for further examination. In 1902, judges became the deciding authorities again, and the county pension board's purpose was relegated to assessing each applicant's eligibility and passing their recommendations to the deciding judge. Judges examined applications, determined eligibility and made an Order to certify or disallow a claim. The clerk then sent a list of allowed and certified pension claims to the State Pension Board, and, later, to the Auditor of Public Accounts. \n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe local pension board's commissioners other duties were to report the deaths of pensioners and discover and report pensioners who no longer met eligibility criteria, so that their names were removed from the State Pension Rolls, and their pensions not overpaid.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn 1958, the Federal Government also began issuing pensions to Confederate veterans and widows. The last Virginia Confederate veteran died in 1959; Virginia and the Federal Government continued to pay pensions to widows and unmarried children into the 21st century. In 2009, Virginia Code Section 51.1-900 (governing Confederate pensions) was repealed and Confederate pensions ceased to be. \n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSources:\u003c/title\u003e The collection, Google Books, Encyclopedia of Virginia, Library of Virginia\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information \n"],"bioghist_tesim":["In 1867, the State of Virginia began its first Confederate veteran aid program by offering artificial limbs to disabled veterans who had lost a limb as a result of war-time injuries. An act in 1872 allowed for artificial legs to be provided to veterans, and an amendment to this act also allowed African American veterans and 'employees' to receive legs. Beginning in 1873, the State offered commutations (one- time payments) to veterans whose artificial limbs were badly-fitting or unusable. Officially called Artificial Limb Commutations, these payments were eventually offered to veterans whose wounds completely disabled or paralyzed their limbs but did not result in amputations. Further acts in 1876 and 1882 provided aid for veterans who couldn't perform manual labor owing to wounds wholly or partly disabling their limbs, and finally, for wounds disabling any part of their body. These qualifying wounds included loss of eyesight. A final act passed in 1884 superseded the Artificial Limb Commutations with Aid to Citizens of Virginia Wounded and Maimed during the Late War. This act provided $60 to veterans with generally disabling wounds, and $60 to veterans for each limb or eye lost.\n","Realizing that a one-time payment would not provide permanent relief for the many disabled veterans who couldn't support themselves or their dependents, the General Assembly passed the first Confederate pension act in 1888. This act allowed a wounded veteran to apply for an annual pension if his total annual income was less than $300 and his personal and real property was valued at less than $1000. Widows whose husbands had died during the war, who remained unmarried and whose income and property values met the same requirements as those of veterans, were also entitled to apply.\n","The pension act of 1900 allowed veterans disabled owing to old age to apply. Widows whose husbands died after the war, and whose annual income was less than $100, were also eligible for application. This act dramatically increased the number of Confederate pensioners and, therefore, added to the strain on Virginia's economy; as a result of this, the General Assembly passed a further act in 1902 which placed more severe restrictions on income limits. Veterans and war-bereaved widows could not earn more than $150 per year or have more than $500 worth of real and personal property. In addition to this, widows whose husbands had died since the war had to have been married before May 1866. \n","Each subsequent act enlarged the eligibility quota. In 1908, former Confederate nurses, known as matrons, were included. Unlike the widows, the matrons had to be married to receive their pension. A further addition was the introduction of one-time disbursements of funeral expenses ($25). The 1912 act allowed women who had been widowed, remarried to another Confederate veteran and widowed again to apply. The 1924 and 1926 acts opened up pensions for former slaves and freemen who had acted for the Confederate Army as body servants, cooks, guards, hostlers, teamsters, blacksmiths, hospital and railroad workers, and who had buried the dead. Former Virginia residents who had moved to D.C. were also eligible under the 1924 act.","The required dates of marriage for widows also changed as time progressed. The 1912 act changed the date to before May 1868, the 1918 act to before May 1870, the 1922 act to before May 1877, the 1924 act to before December 31st 1882, the 1926 act to before 1886, and the 1927 act to before 1890. In response to inflation, the General Assembly gradually increased the maximum salary and property values allowed for eligibility. By 1926, the salary limit was $400, and the total property limit was $2000.\n","The Confederate commutation, aid and pension processes in Virginia relied on county circuit courts to collect, vet, accept or deny applications. The circuit court clerk collected applications and made a certified list of applicants, one of which was sent to the judge, one sent to the local pension board and one displayed on the courthouse door. The clerk also handed the applications to the court. From 1888 to 1900, county judges decided pension eligibility. In 1900, the pension act required counties to elect a five-person pension board to determine eligibility and send applications to the State Pension Board for further examination. In 1902, judges became the deciding authorities again, and the county pension board's purpose was relegated to assessing each applicant's eligibility and passing their recommendations to the deciding judge. Judges examined applications, determined eligibility and made an Order to certify or disallow a claim. The clerk then sent a list of allowed and certified pension claims to the State Pension Board, and, later, to the Auditor of Public Accounts. \n","The local pension board's commissioners other duties were to report the deaths of pensioners and discover and report pensioners who no longer met eligibility criteria, so that their names were removed from the State Pension Rolls, and their pensions not overpaid.\n","In 1958, the Federal Government also began issuing pensions to Confederate veterans and widows. The last Virginia Confederate veteran died in 1959; Virginia and the Federal Government continued to pay pensions to widows and unmarried children into the 21st century. In 2009, Virginia Code Section 51.1-900 (governing Confederate pensions) was repealed and Confederate pensions ceased to be. \n","Sources:  The collection, Google Books, Encyclopedia of Virginia, Library of Virginia\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries 1:\u003c/title\u003e Applications, 1876 - 1943, contains one Union pension application, applications for Artificial Limb Commutation (Confederate), applications for aid (Confederate), Confederate pension applications and supporting paperwork\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries 2: \u003c/title\u003eConfederate Pension Board of Fairfax Co., 1900 - 1933, contains oaths and appointment statements, reports and correspondence\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries 3: \u003c/title\u003eCircuit Court and Pensions, 1902 - 1933, contains judges' orders, Confederate pensions rolls, correspondence with the State Pension Clerk and State Auditor of Public Accounts \n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries 4:\u003c/title\u003e Miscellaneous, 1902 - 1930, contains lists of applicants, correspondence and notices\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries 5: \u003c/title\u003ePublications by State Auditor of Public Accounts, 1922, 1924, 1926\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries 6: \u003c/title\u003eRoster of Confederate Pensioners of Virginia, 1909, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1925\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003cextref type=\"simple\" href=\"https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/circuit/sites/circuit/files/assets/documents/pdf/hrc/fairfax-county-civil-war-pensions-1876-1943.pdf\"\u003eClick here to view Apendixes I through II (See pages 4-8).\u003c/extref\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Series 1:  Applications, 1876 - 1943, contains one Union pension application, applications for Artificial Limb Commutation (Confederate), applications for aid (Confederate), Confederate pension applications and supporting paperwork\n","Series 2:  Confederate Pension Board of Fairfax Co., 1900 - 1933, contains oaths and appointment statements, reports and correspondence\n","Series 3:  Circuit Court and Pensions, 1902 - 1933, contains judges' orders, Confederate pensions rolls, correspondence with the State Pension Clerk and State Auditor of Public Accounts \n","Series 4:  Miscellaneous, 1902 - 1930, contains lists of applicants, correspondence and notices\n","Series 5:  Publications by State Auditor of Public Accounts, 1922, 1924, 1926\n","Series 6:  Roster of Confederate Pensioners of Virginia, 1909, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1925\n","Click here to view Apendixes I through II (See pages 4-8)."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 38, Drawer 2; Unit 52, Row 6\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 38, Drawer 2; Unit 52, Row 6\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Confederate Pension Board of Fairfax Co., State Auditor of Public Accounts, State Pension Clerk, Fairfax County Circuit Court"],"names_ssim":["Confederate Pension Board of Fairfax Co., State Auditor of Public Accounts, State Pension Clerk, Fairfax County Circuit Court"],"corpname_ssim":["Confederate Pension Board of Fairfax Co., State Auditor of Public Accounts, State Pension Clerk, Fairfax County Circuit Court"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":34,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00002_c01_c02_c13"}},{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c81","type":"File","attributes":{"title":"Borden, Daniel January, 1870","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c81#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGarner's Mill Road to the Georgetown Pike\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c81#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c81","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c81"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c81","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Borden, Daniel January, 1870","box-folder 2: RP-081","Garner's Mill Road to the Georgetown Pike"],"title_filing_ssi":"Borden, Daniel January, 1870\n","title_ssm":["Borden, Daniel January, 1870\n"],"title_tesim":["Borden, Daniel January, 1870\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Borden, Daniel January, 1870"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":81,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 2: RP-081"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"italic\"\u003eGarner's Mill Road to the Georgetown Pike\u003c/title\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Garner's Mill Road to the Georgetown Pike"],"_nest_path_":"/components#80","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr00001.xml","title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Fairfax County, Virginia","Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor",".","The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n","Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.","Unit 40, Shelf 5\n","Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"geogname_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"places_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Records of Fairfax Circuit Court.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["5 linear feet"],"extent_tesim":["5 linear feet"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePrior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFirst, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCitizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMost road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 40, Shelf 5\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 40, Shelf 5\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"names_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"corpname_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court"],"persname_ssim":["Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":360,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c81"}},{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c269","type":"File","attributes":{"title":"Borden, Daniel L. June, 1892","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c269#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRoad from River Road (Garner's Mill Road) to Georgetown and Leesburg Pike\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c269#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c269","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c269"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c269","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Borden, Daniel L. June, 1892","box-folder 8: RP-269","Road from River Road (Garner's Mill Road) to Georgetown and Leesburg Pike"],"title_filing_ssi":"Borden, Daniel L. June, 1892\n","title_ssm":["Borden, Daniel L. June, 1892\n"],"title_tesim":["Borden, Daniel L. June, 1892\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Borden, Daniel L. June, 1892"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":269,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 8: RP-269"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"italic\"\u003eRoad from River Road (Garner's Mill Road) to Georgetown and Leesburg Pike\u003c/title\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Road from River Road (Garner's Mill Road) to Georgetown and Leesburg Pike"],"_nest_path_":"/components#268","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr00001.xml","title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Fairfax County, Virginia","Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor",".","The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n","Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.","Unit 40, Shelf 5\n","Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"geogname_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"places_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Records of Fairfax Circuit Court.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["5 linear feet"],"extent_tesim":["5 linear feet"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePrior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFirst, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCitizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMost road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 40, Shelf 5\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 40, Shelf 5\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"names_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"corpname_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court"],"persname_ssim":["Richardson, F. D. 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April, 1866","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c41#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChange: road from Follin's Corner to the Old Court House\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c41#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c41","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c41"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c41","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Bowman, J.B. April, 1866","box-folder 1: RP-041","Change: road from Follin's Corner to the Old Court House"],"title_filing_ssi":"Bowman, J.B. April, 1866\n","title_ssm":["Bowman, J.B. April, 1866\n"],"title_tesim":["Bowman, J.B. April, 1866\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Bowman, J.B. April, 1866"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":41,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1: RP-041"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"italic\"\u003eChange: road from Follin's Corner to the Old Court House\u003c/title\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Change: road from Follin's Corner to the Old Court House"],"_nest_path_":"/components#40","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr00001.xml","title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Fairfax County, Virginia","Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor",".","The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n","Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.","Unit 40, Shelf 5\n","Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"geogname_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"places_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Records of Fairfax Circuit Court.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["5 linear feet"],"extent_tesim":["5 linear feet"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePrior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFirst, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCitizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMost road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 40, Shelf 5\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 40, Shelf 5\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"names_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"corpname_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court"],"persname_ssim":["Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":360,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c41"}},{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c82","type":"File","attributes":{"title":"Bowman, J. B. May, 1870","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c82#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFlint Hill Road to intersection of Fairfax Courthouse and Georgetown Road\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c82#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c82","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c82"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c82","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr00001"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Bowman, J. B. May, 1870","box-folder 2: RP-082","Flint Hill Road to intersection of Fairfax Courthouse and Georgetown Road"],"title_filing_ssi":"Bowman, J. B. May, 1870\n","title_ssm":["Bowman, J. B. May, 1870\n"],"title_tesim":["Bowman, J. B. May, 1870\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Bowman, J. B. May, 1870"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["File"],"level_ssim":["File"],"sort_isi":82,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 2: RP-082"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"italic\"\u003eFlint Hill Road to intersection of Fairfax Courthouse and Georgetown Road\u003c/title\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Flint Hill Road to intersection of Fairfax Courthouse and Georgetown Road"],"_nest_path_":"/components#81","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr00001.xml","title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"text":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive","Fairfax County, Virginia","Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor",".","The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n","Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.","Unit 40, Shelf 5\n","Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"collection_ssim":["Fairfax County Road Petitions, 1844-1908\t, \n 1844-1854, 1856-1858, 1866-1908, non-inclusive"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"geogname_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court\n"],"places_ssim":["Fairfax County, Virginia"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Records of Fairfax Circuit Court.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Roads, transportation, railroads, road repairs, road safety","Clerk of Circuit Court","Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["5 linear feet"],"extent_tesim":["5 linear feet"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, iron gall ink, graphite pencil, watercolor"],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged chronologically by the year the petition was made, and then alphabetically by the main petitioner within each year.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePrior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFirst, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCitizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOnce the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["Fairfax County was founded in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Public transportation was, and continues to be, vital to Fairfax County's economy. Using the Code of Virginia, one can better understand how roads were authorized and developed.","Prior to the Byrd Road Act of 1932, roads were authorized by the court, and in the early 20th century, the Board of Supervisors.  According to Chapter LII of the 1860 Virginia Code, once a person applied for a county road to be opened or changed, the court proceeded by appointing road commissioners and otherwise ascertaining the practicality and usefulness of the proposed road, the benefit to the community and individual, and any damages to surrounding property. To establish any one road, no more than one acre could be taken from a single individual.  The road proposed is usually identified as being the road from \"Point A\" to \"Point B,\" the points being known areas of interest, i.e. mills, churches, stores, dams, turnpikes, and so on.","First, the circuit court received an application for a county road, usually from an individual with anywhere between one and upwards of 30 fellow petitioners. The court then directed one or more of the county's road commissioners to view the proposed land for the road and its surroundings and then report on the conveniences and inconveniences to both individuals and the public - especially if any yard, garden, or orchard needed to be taken for the proposed road. The commissioner's job was to report facts and circumstances that would help the court determine the expediency of establishing or altering the county road. The commissioner(s) could also offer their opinion either in favor of or against the proposed road and suggest alternate routes. A map, plat, or diagram had to accompany the road commissioner(s) report, and if the commissioner was not a surveyor, one had to be procured.","Citizens could also apply to discontinue a road, though it was far rarer. To do so, the person had to publish a notice of the intended application on the first day of the county court's term at the county courthouse door and in two public places in the neighborhood.","After it received all the reports and other evidence, the court then determined whether the road would be established or altered as proposed and who would maintain it.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate.","Once the court received the commissioner's report, provided it was favorable to the proposed road, the court summoned the proprietors and tenants of the lands affected by the proposed road. Once the sheriff executed the summons, the court determined the matter of the road without a writ of ad quod damnum if the court had enough funds for a just compensation and if the proprietors and tenants accepted the compensation. (A writ of ad quod damnum is a law term from the English chancery ordering the sheriff to determine what damages a certain act will incur). But if any proprietor or tenant wished for a writ or the court saw good cause for it, the court awarded it. The writ of ad quod damnum commanded the sheriff to summon a jury of twelve freeholders to meet on the proprietors' and tenants' lands, view them, and ascertain a just compensation for the land damages. The jury also ascertained if the proposed road was one of more private convenience and, accordingly, if a lesser compensation was appropriate."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMost road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["This collection starts in 1844 and ends in 1908.  The bulk of the collection is concentrated from 1867 through 1890, with a particularly prominent concentration from 1886 through 1890. No records from 1859 through 1865 exist.  Likewise, no road petition records exist prior to 1844 - both gaps in chronology are likely due to military activity during the Civil War. The Library of Virginia identifies Fairfax County as a \"Lost Records Locality,\" meaning this locality suffered significant losses of early records due to military action. Our records end in 1908 because the law changed in 1909, shifting responsibility for road petitions to the county's Board of Supervisors.","Most road petition folders include court summons and/or the original petition. These petitions usually include original signatures. Many also include reports from district road commissioners, plats, and letters of correspondence to the court. The reports from the road commissioners and the court summons are the most common documents, while the plats and letters are slightly rarer.","In addition to the main petitioner, month and year of the petition, and the road in question, each folder notes any additional petitioners if applicable and neighbors around the proposed road. The neighbors are particularly useful to see who lived near who, and how that changed over time. Some neighbor listings note someone's heirs, which indicates the property owner is deceased and their heirs owned the property. If a plat is included, it is noted on the folder and in the index.","One person of note from this collection is Margaret Hetzel. Her name appears in eight road petitions either as a main petitioner, an additional petitioner, or a neighbor. She appears to have been very active in the Fairfax community, even into her old age as her health declined and kept her from appearing in court. Her main concern in these road petitions was road safety. In several of the cases, she wrote directly to the judge urging him to grant the road petition because the existing road or route was unsafe.  She expressed concern over a very high hill, decaying bridges, and deeply rutted roads. And in road cases in 1892, 1893 and 1897, she freely gave her land and did not claim any damages. She seems to have been a woman committed to improving her community and far more involved in doing so than we might expect for the average 19th century woman."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 40, Shelf 5\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 40, Shelf 5\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"names_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court","Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"corpname_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court"],"persname_ssim":["Richardson, F. D. (1808-1880)"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":360,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr00001_c82"}},{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005_c01","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Box 1","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr0005_c01#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005_c01","ref_ssm":["vaffcr_vaffcr0005_c01"],"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005_c01","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005","parent_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005","parent_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr0005"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vaffcr_vaffcr0005"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943"],"text":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943","Box 1"],"title_filing_ssi":"Box 1\n","title_ssm":["Box 1\n"],"title_tesim":["Box 1\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Box 1"],"component_level_isim":[1],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"collection_ssim":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":1,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":1,"_nest_path_":"/components#0","timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005","ead_ssi":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005","_root_":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005","_nest_parent_":"vaffcr_vaffcr0005","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/fcc/vaffcr0005.xml","title_ssm":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943\n"],"title_tesim":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"normalized_title_ssm":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943"],"text":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943","Primarily Fairfax County.","Land and personal property, taxes, wills and estate paperwork, divorce, term papers, general court papers, election records, laws and acts, Board of Supervisors, Prohibition, WWI Exemption Board and Memorial, clerk's budget, salaries and reports, personal banking and insurance, Civil War, Reconstruction, WWI, Prohibition, Great Depression, life events of Richardson family","Deeds, certificates of title, wills, receipts, checkbook and checks, booklets, correspondence, farming journal, naturalization certificate, divorce notices, reports, tax bills and receipts, term papers and related paperwork, pardon, corporation papers, plats, blueprints, WWI Exemption Board chits, insurance certificates, promissory notes, election nomination papers, oaths of office, arrest and bond warrants, petitions, delinquent tax lists, vehicle insurance policies","State Auditor of Public Accounts, Deputy Clerk, Secretary of the Board of Supervisors","Paper, cardstock, leather, photographic material, ink, graphite",".","Frederick Wilmer (F.W.) Richardson and his father, Ferdinand Dawson (F.D.) Richardson, held the positions of Clerk of Fairfax County Court and Fairfax Circuit Court, variously, from 1833 to 1935.\n","F.D. Richardson was born on November 9th, 1808. He began his career as an assistant or deputy clerk in 1826; he was County Court Clerk from 1833-1835, 1867-1869 and 1870-1880. F.D. served as Circuit Court Clerk from 1835-1880, apart from a hiatus during the Civil War.\n","Prior to the Civil War, F.D. was a Captain in the Virginia Militia. He was also an avid farmer, as evidenced by his farming journal found in this collection, and is listed as Recording Secretary on the 1848 Constitution of Fairfax Agricultural Society. Post-Civil War, F.D. was a founding member of Central Farmers' Club which began in February 1874. He was also Clerk to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors throughout the 1870s.\n","Not much is known about F.D.'s activities during the Civil War. He voted for secession from the Union in 1861, and courthouse lore has it that he took George Washington's will down to Richmond for safe-keeping. Physical evidence places him in Richmond in December 1861 and January 1862. \n","F.D. died on October 13th, 1880. His wife and F.W.'s mother, Mary Posey (Grigsby) Richardson, died on December 12th, 1889.\n","F.W. Richardson was born on October 16th 1854. He married Amelia (Millie) Lee Buck in 1883 and had four children, Frederick Dawson (1884 - 1954), Marcus Bayly (1886 - 1917), Mary Buck (1889 - 1890) and Virginia Fairfax (1891 - 1988). \n","In 1871, F.W. became his father's deputy as Assistant Clerk in the Office of the Clerk of County Court. On his father's death, he became temporary Clerk of County and Circuit Courts. In 1881, F.W. was voted in as Clerk of County Court, a position he held until County Court was abolished in 1903. F.W. held the office of Clerk of Circuit Court from 1904 to 1935.\n","During his working life, F.W. held many other prominent positions within Fairfax County and his local community. He was Clerk of the Board of Supervisors from 1880 - 1935 and County Treasurer in the 1890s; according to the Fairfax Herald, he served as a Probate Judge in 1904 and 1906; he was also a notary public, a real estate buyer, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and a delegate to the Prison Association in 1908. He served on many boards and committees, notably the County Health Board, the Fairfax Confederate Monument Association and Confederate Reunion Committee in 1900, the Great War Memorial Fund Committee, the Bicentennial Committee, the Farmers' Institute Committee and the Homecoming Day committee. In 1917, F.W. served as clerk for the Local Board for the Selective Service System Draft (WWI military service), and was Secretary and President of the Town Hall Association, Secretary and President of the Cemetery Association, Secretary and Treasurer of Henry Masonic Lodge, President of the Democratic Club and Wilson Club in 1916, elected Providence Lodge Good Templars Officer in 1873, elected Fairfax Lyceum Recording and Corresponding Secretary in 1874 and elected to the Zion Church Vestry in 1931. He was also a member of the Red Cross.\n","In addition to his monumental public service, F.W. made large donations to the Confederate Reunion, Fairfax fairs and agricultural shows, roads, the War Relief Fund, the YMCA Fund, the Library building, the Fire Department and a new school building. He was much in demand as a public speaker, newspapers of the time list him as addressing Army draftees in 1917, the Civic League, the Rotary Club, Herndon Church of Christ and the Fairfax Lyceum.\n","Newspapers from F.W.'s time also record his active social life, attending many dinners and other functions, especially notable are the bank and Bar Association dinners. \n","The collection offers a little insight into F.W.'s personal life. He was financially astute, as his many tax returns, insurance papers, Christmas club and bank books show. The collection shows that F.W. held shares in the Silver Butte Mines Corporation, the Mercantile-Railway Building and Loan Association of Alexandria, Virginia Title Company, Falls Church Bank, Incorporated, Fairfax and Loudoun Light and Power Company and Baltimore Building and Loan Association of Baltimore City. He even assumed some financial responsibility for his sister, Madge Pierce, after her husband's death. In the collection are copies of deeds of lands bought by F.W. and his real estate partners, James Love (also a Judge) and R.W. Moore. F.W. also seems to have had some interest in the arts, he was Secretary of the Olio Theatrical Troop in 1874 and held some shares in the Cosmos Theatre Co., Inc.\n","F.W.'s son, Frederick Dawson, had a legal career and was very active in the business and social affairs of Fairfax County. His other son, Marcus Bayly worked for him as deputy clerk. Tragically, Marcus was killed when his car hit a streetcar in August 1917. Amongst F.W.'s papers was a newspaper cutting of the accident, this has been copied onto acid-free paper.\n","Elton Richardson Holbrook, F.W.'s nephew, also worked for F.W. as a deputy clerk; his signature appears on multiple papers. Unfortunately, he committed suicide in the 1931.\n","F.W. retired from Circuit Court in 1935 and was succeeded by John M. Whalen, a couple of whose papers appear in the collection. F.W. died on 23rd April, 1936.\n","Sources:  The collection, the Historical Newspaper Index at Fairfax County Public Library Virginia Room, correspondence from local historian, Lee Hubbard, Find a Grave","Series 1:  Personal, 1861-1936, contains personal papers from both F.D. and F.W. Richardson. F.D.'s papers include receipts from Richmond merchants dating to 1861 and 1862 showing that F.D. and another man listed as Howard were buying large quantities of foodstuffs, cooking, serving and eating implements, tobacco products and pipes and other sundries such as candle molds and needles. There is no evidence-based explanation for these purchases. A possible explanation is that F.D. was outfitting a Confederate unit, but this is conjecture. F.D.'s papers also include a farming journal, other bills and receipts, some court papers and claims on his estate.\n","F.W.'s papers include a number of deeds and other property papers, insurance certificates and papers, investments papers, bank books and checks, tax returns, masonic membership cards and papers, other club membership cards and papers and papers pertaining to his work on the local board of the Selective Service System Draft in 1917 during WWI. The most poignant of these papers are chits stating whether local men (identified by serial numbers) passed their physical examinations for the draft. Some of the serial numbers correspond to entries in the Local Board Selective Service System Draft Records Book 1917, found in the archives. These entries state whether the men were allowed exemption from service due to dependents or occupation. See Appendix IV for details.\n","Series 2:  Professional, 1881 - 1935, contains documents pertaining to F.W.'s position as Clerk of County and Circuit Court. These documents include land records such as deed, lease, bill of sale, contract, mortgage, survey and certificate of title paperwork and correspondence; personal property records such as sales and conditional sales contract, loan, lien and chattel mortgage paperwork and correspondence; copies of wills, administrator and executor appointments, inheritance tax and fees paperwork and correspondence; tax records such as delinquent tax lists, receipts, sales paperwork and general tax correspondence; term papers records for commonwealth and civil cases such as Justice of the Peace statements, warrants of arrest, bail paperwork, jury summonses, case proceedings, judgements, divorce notices, insane asylum commitment papers, motions and petitions, pardon and parole forms, lists of court costs and clerk's fees, lawyers correspondence and receipts; other court records such as a jail condition report, hunting and fishing licenses, corporation directors and officers lists, names for the WWI Memorial and election candidacy papers; clerk's office documents such as reports, budget, salary lists, bank account information and receipts and correspondence with the State Auditor, attorneys and others. This series also has documents pertaining to F.W.'s position as Clerk of the Board of Supervisors such as a record of the County Levy in 1914 and correspondence concerning Board matters and bills.\nOf particular note is the correspondence concerning Prohibition laws and the Reports of Clerks of Court showing the special importance given Prohibition cases. \n","Series 3:  Posthumous Papers, 1936 - 1943, contains paperwork created by/ for John Whalen, Clerk of Circuit Court. The documents include a docket of cases for the November term 1937, letters from Courthouse supply manufacturers, general correspondence and a postcard.\n","Click here to view Apendixes I through IV (See pages 8-11).","Unit 51, Top Shelf, Boxes 1-3; Oversize in Unit 26, Drawer #6\n","Frederick Wilmer (F.W.) Richardson, Ferdinand Dawson (F.D.) Richardson, Fairfax Circuit Court, C. Lee Moore (State Auditor of Public Accounts), Elton R. Holbrook (Deputy Clerk), John M. Whalen (Clerk after F.W.) Frank L. Ballenger(Secretary of the Board of Supervisors)","English\n"],"collection_title_tesim":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943"],"collection_ssim":["F.W. Richardson Papers, \n 1858-1943"],"repository_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"repository_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center"],"geogname_ssm":["Primarily Fairfax County."],"geogname_ssim":["Primarily Fairfax County."],"creator_ssm":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center\n"],"creator_ssim":["Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center\n"],"places_ssim":["Primarily Fairfax County."],"acqinfo_ssim":["Permanent Record of Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center.\n"],"access_subjects_ssim":["Land and personal property, taxes, wills and estate paperwork, divorce, term papers, general court papers, election records, laws and acts, Board of Supervisors, Prohibition, WWI Exemption Board and Memorial, clerk's budget, salaries and reports, personal banking and insurance, Civil War, Reconstruction, WWI, Prohibition, Great Depression, life events of Richardson family","Deeds, certificates of title, wills, receipts, checkbook and checks, booklets, correspondence, farming journal, naturalization certificate, divorce notices, reports, tax bills and receipts, term papers and related paperwork, pardon, corporation papers, plats, blueprints, WWI Exemption Board chits, insurance certificates, promissory notes, election nomination papers, oaths of office, arrest and bond warrants, petitions, delinquent tax lists, vehicle insurance policies","State Auditor of Public Accounts, Deputy Clerk, Secretary of the Board of Supervisors","Paper, cardstock, leather, photographic material, ink, graphite"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Land and personal property, taxes, wills and estate paperwork, divorce, term papers, general court papers, election records, laws and acts, Board of Supervisors, Prohibition, WWI Exemption Board and Memorial, clerk's budget, salaries and reports, personal banking and insurance, Civil War, Reconstruction, WWI, Prohibition, Great Depression, life events of Richardson family","Deeds, certificates of title, wills, receipts, checkbook and checks, booklets, correspondence, farming journal, naturalization certificate, divorce notices, reports, tax bills and receipts, term papers and related paperwork, pardon, corporation papers, plats, blueprints, WWI Exemption Board chits, insurance certificates, promissory notes, election nomination papers, oaths of office, arrest and bond warrants, petitions, delinquent tax lists, vehicle insurance policies","State Auditor of Public Accounts, Deputy Clerk, Secretary of the Board of Supervisors","Paper, cardstock, leather, photographic material, ink, graphite"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["."],"extent_ssm":["3.25 linear feet"],"extent_tesim":["3.25 linear feet"],"genreform_ssim":["Paper, cardstock, leather, photographic material, ink, graphite"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFrederick Wilmer (F.W.) Richardson and his father, Ferdinand Dawson (F.D.) Richardson, held the positions of Clerk of Fairfax County Court and Fairfax Circuit Court, variously, from 1833 to 1935.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eF.D. Richardson was born on November 9th, 1808. He began his career as an assistant or deputy clerk in 1826; he was County Court Clerk from 1833-1835, 1867-1869 and 1870-1880. F.D. served as Circuit Court Clerk from 1835-1880, apart from a hiatus during the Civil War.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003ePrior to the Civil War, F.D. was a Captain in the Virginia Militia. He was also an avid farmer, as evidenced by his farming journal found in this collection, and is listed as Recording Secretary on the 1848 Constitution of Fairfax Agricultural Society. Post-Civil War, F.D. was a founding member of Central Farmers' Club which began in February 1874. He was also Clerk to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors throughout the 1870s.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eNot much is known about F.D.'s activities during the Civil War. He voted for secession from the Union in 1861, and courthouse lore has it that he took George Washington's will down to Richmond for safe-keeping. Physical evidence places him in Richmond in December 1861 and January 1862. \n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eF.D. died on October 13th, 1880. His wife and F.W.'s mother, Mary Posey (Grigsby) Richardson, died on December 12th, 1889.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eF.W. Richardson was born on October 16th 1854. He married Amelia (Millie) Lee Buck in 1883 and had four children, Frederick Dawson (1884 - 1954), Marcus Bayly (1886 - 1917), Mary Buck (1889 - 1890) and Virginia Fairfax (1891 - 1988). \n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn 1871, F.W. became his father's deputy as Assistant Clerk in the Office of the Clerk of County Court. On his father's death, he became temporary Clerk of County and Circuit Courts. In 1881, F.W. was voted in as Clerk of County Court, a position he held until County Court was abolished in 1903. F.W. held the office of Clerk of Circuit Court from 1904 to 1935.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuring his working life, F.W. held many other prominent positions within Fairfax County and his local community. He was Clerk of the Board of Supervisors from 1880 - 1935 and County Treasurer in the 1890s; according to the Fairfax Herald, he served as a Probate Judge in 1904 and 1906; he was also a notary public, a real estate buyer, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and a delegate to the Prison Association in 1908. He served on many boards and committees, notably the County Health Board, the Fairfax Confederate Monument Association and Confederate Reunion Committee in 1900, the Great War Memorial Fund Committee, the Bicentennial Committee, the Farmers' Institute Committee and the Homecoming Day committee. In 1917, F.W. served as clerk for the Local Board for the Selective Service System Draft (WWI military service), and was Secretary and President of the Town Hall Association, Secretary and President of the Cemetery Association, Secretary and Treasurer of Henry Masonic Lodge, President of the Democratic Club and Wilson Club in 1916, elected Providence Lodge Good Templars Officer in 1873, elected Fairfax Lyceum Recording and Corresponding Secretary in 1874 and elected to the Zion Church Vestry in 1931. He was also a member of the Red Cross.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to his monumental public service, F.W. made large donations to the Confederate Reunion, Fairfax fairs and agricultural shows, roads, the War Relief Fund, the YMCA Fund, the Library building, the Fire Department and a new school building. He was much in demand as a public speaker, newspapers of the time list him as addressing Army draftees in 1917, the Civic League, the Rotary Club, Herndon Church of Christ and the Fairfax Lyceum.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eNewspapers from F.W.'s time also record his active social life, attending many dinners and other functions, especially notable are the bank and Bar Association dinners. \n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe collection offers a little insight into F.W.'s personal life. He was financially astute, as his many tax returns, insurance papers, Christmas club and bank books show. The collection shows that F.W. held shares in the Silver Butte Mines Corporation, the Mercantile-Railway Building and Loan Association of Alexandria, Virginia Title Company, Falls Church Bank, Incorporated, Fairfax and Loudoun Light and Power Company and Baltimore Building and Loan Association of Baltimore City. He even assumed some financial responsibility for his sister, Madge Pierce, after her husband's death. In the collection are copies of deeds of lands bought by F.W. and his real estate partners, James Love (also a Judge) and R.W. Moore. F.W. also seems to have had some interest in the arts, he was Secretary of the Olio Theatrical Troop in 1874 and held some shares in the Cosmos Theatre Co., Inc.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eF.W.'s son, Frederick Dawson, had a legal career and was very active in the business and social affairs of Fairfax County. His other son, Marcus Bayly worked for him as deputy clerk. Tragically, Marcus was killed when his car hit a streetcar in August 1917. Amongst F.W.'s papers was a newspaper cutting of the accident, this has been copied onto acid-free paper.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eElton Richardson Holbrook, F.W.'s nephew, also worked for F.W. as a deputy clerk; his signature appears on multiple papers. Unfortunately, he committed suicide in the 1931.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eF.W. retired from Circuit Court in 1935 and was succeeded by John M. Whalen, a couple of whose papers appear in the collection. F.W. died on 23rd April, 1936.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSources:\u003c/title\u003e The collection, the Historical Newspaper Index at Fairfax County Public Library Virginia Room, correspondence from local historian, Lee Hubbard,\u003cextref type=\"simple\" href=\"https://www.findagrave.com/\"\u003eFind a Grave\u003c/extref\u003e\n\n\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["Frederick Wilmer (F.W.) Richardson and his father, Ferdinand Dawson (F.D.) Richardson, held the positions of Clerk of Fairfax County Court and Fairfax Circuit Court, variously, from 1833 to 1935.\n","F.D. Richardson was born on November 9th, 1808. He began his career as an assistant or deputy clerk in 1826; he was County Court Clerk from 1833-1835, 1867-1869 and 1870-1880. F.D. served as Circuit Court Clerk from 1835-1880, apart from a hiatus during the Civil War.\n","Prior to the Civil War, F.D. was a Captain in the Virginia Militia. He was also an avid farmer, as evidenced by his farming journal found in this collection, and is listed as Recording Secretary on the 1848 Constitution of Fairfax Agricultural Society. Post-Civil War, F.D. was a founding member of Central Farmers' Club which began in February 1874. He was also Clerk to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors throughout the 1870s.\n","Not much is known about F.D.'s activities during the Civil War. He voted for secession from the Union in 1861, and courthouse lore has it that he took George Washington's will down to Richmond for safe-keeping. Physical evidence places him in Richmond in December 1861 and January 1862. \n","F.D. died on October 13th, 1880. His wife and F.W.'s mother, Mary Posey (Grigsby) Richardson, died on December 12th, 1889.\n","F.W. Richardson was born on October 16th 1854. He married Amelia (Millie) Lee Buck in 1883 and had four children, Frederick Dawson (1884 - 1954), Marcus Bayly (1886 - 1917), Mary Buck (1889 - 1890) and Virginia Fairfax (1891 - 1988). \n","In 1871, F.W. became his father's deputy as Assistant Clerk in the Office of the Clerk of County Court. On his father's death, he became temporary Clerk of County and Circuit Courts. In 1881, F.W. was voted in as Clerk of County Court, a position he held until County Court was abolished in 1903. F.W. held the office of Clerk of Circuit Court from 1904 to 1935.\n","During his working life, F.W. held many other prominent positions within Fairfax County and his local community. He was Clerk of the Board of Supervisors from 1880 - 1935 and County Treasurer in the 1890s; according to the Fairfax Herald, he served as a Probate Judge in 1904 and 1906; he was also a notary public, a real estate buyer, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and a delegate to the Prison Association in 1908. He served on many boards and committees, notably the County Health Board, the Fairfax Confederate Monument Association and Confederate Reunion Committee in 1900, the Great War Memorial Fund Committee, the Bicentennial Committee, the Farmers' Institute Committee and the Homecoming Day committee. In 1917, F.W. served as clerk for the Local Board for the Selective Service System Draft (WWI military service), and was Secretary and President of the Town Hall Association, Secretary and President of the Cemetery Association, Secretary and Treasurer of Henry Masonic Lodge, President of the Democratic Club and Wilson Club in 1916, elected Providence Lodge Good Templars Officer in 1873, elected Fairfax Lyceum Recording and Corresponding Secretary in 1874 and elected to the Zion Church Vestry in 1931. He was also a member of the Red Cross.\n","In addition to his monumental public service, F.W. made large donations to the Confederate Reunion, Fairfax fairs and agricultural shows, roads, the War Relief Fund, the YMCA Fund, the Library building, the Fire Department and a new school building. He was much in demand as a public speaker, newspapers of the time list him as addressing Army draftees in 1917, the Civic League, the Rotary Club, Herndon Church of Christ and the Fairfax Lyceum.\n","Newspapers from F.W.'s time also record his active social life, attending many dinners and other functions, especially notable are the bank and Bar Association dinners. \n","The collection offers a little insight into F.W.'s personal life. He was financially astute, as his many tax returns, insurance papers, Christmas club and bank books show. The collection shows that F.W. held shares in the Silver Butte Mines Corporation, the Mercantile-Railway Building and Loan Association of Alexandria, Virginia Title Company, Falls Church Bank, Incorporated, Fairfax and Loudoun Light and Power Company and Baltimore Building and Loan Association of Baltimore City. He even assumed some financial responsibility for his sister, Madge Pierce, after her husband's death. In the collection are copies of deeds of lands bought by F.W. and his real estate partners, James Love (also a Judge) and R.W. Moore. F.W. also seems to have had some interest in the arts, he was Secretary of the Olio Theatrical Troop in 1874 and held some shares in the Cosmos Theatre Co., Inc.\n","F.W.'s son, Frederick Dawson, had a legal career and was very active in the business and social affairs of Fairfax County. His other son, Marcus Bayly worked for him as deputy clerk. Tragically, Marcus was killed when his car hit a streetcar in August 1917. Amongst F.W.'s papers was a newspaper cutting of the accident, this has been copied onto acid-free paper.\n","Elton Richardson Holbrook, F.W.'s nephew, also worked for F.W. as a deputy clerk; his signature appears on multiple papers. Unfortunately, he committed suicide in the 1931.\n","F.W. retired from Circuit Court in 1935 and was succeeded by John M. Whalen, a couple of whose papers appear in the collection. F.W. died on 23rd April, 1936.\n","Sources:  The collection, the Historical Newspaper Index at Fairfax County Public Library Virginia Room, correspondence from local historian, Lee Hubbard, Find a Grave"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries 1:\u003c/title\u003e Personal, 1861-1936, contains personal papers from both F.D. and F.W. Richardson. F.D.'s papers include receipts from Richmond merchants dating to 1861 and 1862 showing that F.D. and another man listed as Howard were buying large quantities of foodstuffs, cooking, serving and eating implements, tobacco products and pipes and other sundries such as candle molds and needles. There is no evidence-based explanation for these purchases. A possible explanation is that F.D. was outfitting a Confederate unit, but this is conjecture. F.D.'s papers also include a farming journal, other bills and receipts, some court papers and claims on his estate.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eF.W.'s papers include a number of deeds and other property papers, insurance certificates and papers, investments papers, bank books and checks, tax returns, masonic membership cards and papers, other club membership cards and papers and papers pertaining to his work on the local board of the Selective Service System Draft in 1917 during WWI. The most poignant of these papers are chits stating whether local men (identified by serial numbers) passed their physical examinations for the draft. Some of the serial numbers correspond to entries in the Local Board Selective Service System Draft Records Book 1917, found in the archives. These entries state whether the men were allowed exemption from service due to dependents or occupation. See Appendix IV for details.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries 2:\u003c/title\u003e Professional, 1881 - 1935, contains documents pertaining to F.W.'s position as Clerk of County and Circuit Court. These documents include land records such as deed, lease, bill of sale, contract, mortgage, survey and certificate of title paperwork and correspondence; personal property records such as sales and conditional sales contract, loan, lien and chattel mortgage paperwork and correspondence; copies of wills, administrator and executor appointments, inheritance tax and fees paperwork and correspondence; tax records such as delinquent tax lists, receipts, sales paperwork and general tax correspondence; term papers records for commonwealth and civil cases such as Justice of the Peace statements, warrants of arrest, bail paperwork, jury summonses, case proceedings, judgements, divorce notices, insane asylum commitment papers, motions and petitions, pardon and parole forms, lists of court costs and clerk's fees, lawyers correspondence and receipts; other court records such as a jail condition report, hunting and fishing licenses, corporation directors and officers lists, names for the WWI Memorial and election candidacy papers; clerk's office documents such as reports, budget, salary lists, bank account information and receipts and correspondence with the State Auditor, attorneys and others. This series also has documents pertaining to F.W.'s position as Clerk of the Board of Supervisors such as a record of the County Levy in 1914 and correspondence concerning Board matters and bills.\nOf particular note is the correspondence concerning Prohibition laws and the Reports of Clerks of Court showing the special importance given Prohibition cases. \n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003ctitle render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries 3:\u003c/title\u003e Posthumous Papers, 1936 - 1943, contains paperwork created by/ for John Whalen, Clerk of Circuit Court. The documents include a docket of cases for the November term 1937, letters from Courthouse supply manufacturers, general correspondence and a postcard.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e\u003cextref type=\"simple\" href=\"https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/circuit/sites/circuit/files/assets/documents/pdf/hrc/the-fw-richardson-papers-1858-1943.pdf\"\u003eClick here to view Apendixes I through IV (See pages 8-11).\u003c/extref\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Series 1:  Personal, 1861-1936, contains personal papers from both F.D. and F.W. Richardson. F.D.'s papers include receipts from Richmond merchants dating to 1861 and 1862 showing that F.D. and another man listed as Howard were buying large quantities of foodstuffs, cooking, serving and eating implements, tobacco products and pipes and other sundries such as candle molds and needles. There is no evidence-based explanation for these purchases. A possible explanation is that F.D. was outfitting a Confederate unit, but this is conjecture. F.D.'s papers also include a farming journal, other bills and receipts, some court papers and claims on his estate.\n","F.W.'s papers include a number of deeds and other property papers, insurance certificates and papers, investments papers, bank books and checks, tax returns, masonic membership cards and papers, other club membership cards and papers and papers pertaining to his work on the local board of the Selective Service System Draft in 1917 during WWI. The most poignant of these papers are chits stating whether local men (identified by serial numbers) passed their physical examinations for the draft. Some of the serial numbers correspond to entries in the Local Board Selective Service System Draft Records Book 1917, found in the archives. These entries state whether the men were allowed exemption from service due to dependents or occupation. See Appendix IV for details.\n","Series 2:  Professional, 1881 - 1935, contains documents pertaining to F.W.'s position as Clerk of County and Circuit Court. These documents include land records such as deed, lease, bill of sale, contract, mortgage, survey and certificate of title paperwork and correspondence; personal property records such as sales and conditional sales contract, loan, lien and chattel mortgage paperwork and correspondence; copies of wills, administrator and executor appointments, inheritance tax and fees paperwork and correspondence; tax records such as delinquent tax lists, receipts, sales paperwork and general tax correspondence; term papers records for commonwealth and civil cases such as Justice of the Peace statements, warrants of arrest, bail paperwork, jury summonses, case proceedings, judgements, divorce notices, insane asylum commitment papers, motions and petitions, pardon and parole forms, lists of court costs and clerk's fees, lawyers correspondence and receipts; other court records such as a jail condition report, hunting and fishing licenses, corporation directors and officers lists, names for the WWI Memorial and election candidacy papers; clerk's office documents such as reports, budget, salary lists, bank account information and receipts and correspondence with the State Auditor, attorneys and others. This series also has documents pertaining to F.W.'s position as Clerk of the Board of Supervisors such as a record of the County Levy in 1914 and correspondence concerning Board matters and bills.\nOf particular note is the correspondence concerning Prohibition laws and the Reports of Clerks of Court showing the special importance given Prohibition cases. \n","Series 3:  Posthumous Papers, 1936 - 1943, contains paperwork created by/ for John Whalen, Clerk of Circuit Court. The documents include a docket of cases for the November term 1937, letters from Courthouse supply manufacturers, general correspondence and a postcard.\n","Click here to view Apendixes I through IV (See pages 8-11)."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc label=\"Shelf Location\"\u003eUnit 51, Top Shelf, Boxes 1-3; Oversize in Unit 26, Drawer #6\n\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Unit 51, Top Shelf, Boxes 1-3; Oversize in Unit 26, Drawer #6\n"],"names_coll_ssim":["Frederick Wilmer (F.W.) Richardson, Ferdinand Dawson (F.D.) Richardson, Fairfax Circuit Court, C. Lee Moore (State Auditor of Public Accounts), Elton R. Holbrook (Deputy Clerk), John M. Whalen (Clerk after F.W.) Frank L. Ballenger(Secretary of the Board of Supervisors)"],"names_ssim":["Frederick Wilmer (F.W.) Richardson, Ferdinand Dawson (F.D.) Richardson, Fairfax Circuit Court, C. Lee Moore (State Auditor of Public Accounts), Elton R. Holbrook (Deputy Clerk), John M. Whalen (Clerk after F.W.) Frank L. Ballenger(Secretary of the Board of Supervisors)"],"persname_ssim":["Frederick Wilmer (F.W.) Richardson, Ferdinand Dawson (F.D.) Richardson, Fairfax Circuit Court, C. Lee Moore (State Auditor of Public Accounts), Elton R. Holbrook (Deputy Clerk), John M. Whalen (Clerk after F.W.) Frank L. Ballenger(Secretary of the Board of Supervisors)"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":149,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-04-30T21:27:17.608Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vaffcr_vaffcr0005_c01"}}],"included":[{"type":"facet","id":"repository_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Repository","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center","value":"Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center","hits":1048},"links":{"remove":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Fairfax+Circuit+Court+Historic+Records+Center\u0026view=list"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/repository_ssim.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Fairfax+Circuit+Court+Historic+Records+Center\u0026view=list"}},{"type":"facet","id":"collection_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Collection","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"F.W. 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Lee Moore (State Auditor of Public Accounts), Elton R. Holbrook (Deputy Clerk), John M. Whalen (Clerk after F.W.) Frank L. Ballenger(Secretary of the Board of Supervisors)","value":"Frederick Wilmer (F.W.) Richardson, Ferdinand Dawson (F.D.) Richardson, Fairfax Circuit Court, C. Lee Moore (State Auditor of Public Accounts), Elton R. Holbrook (Deputy Clerk), John M. Whalen (Clerk after F.W.) Frank L. Ballenger(Secretary of the Board of Supervisors)","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Frederick+Wilmer+%28F.W.%29+Richardson%2C+Ferdinand+Dawson+%28F.D.%29+Richardson%2C+Fairfax+Circuit+Court%2C+C.+Lee+Moore+%28State+Auditor+of+Public+Accounts%29%2C+Elton+R.+Holbrook+%28Deputy+Clerk%29%2C+John+M.+Whalen+%28Clerk+after+F.W.%29+Frank+L.+Ballenger%28Secretary+of+the+Board+of+Supervisors%29\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Fairfax+Circuit+Court+Historic+Records+Center\u0026view=list"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Richardson, F. D. 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