The main house at Bush Hill Plantation ca. 1763 was a twelve-room brick Georgian structure. The property included a brick barn, a granary, corn house, cow and sheep shelters, overseers’ house, “negro quarters”, dairy, and an ice house. (Virginia Room, Fairfax County Library) Richard Marshall Scott purchased the plantation in 1791; his family stayed here for 200 years. In 1833, with Scott’s death, his son Richard and Virginia Gunnell moved here and produced wheat, oats, rye, and corn on the plantation. Richard died at age 27 of tuberculosis. Virginia, a northern sympathizer, and two sons shared the house with Union officers during the Civil War while a Massachusetts regiment camped on the property. The Richard Marshall Scott’s lived well, as reflected in their 1815 personal property tax list: 13 slaves; 5 horses; 9 cattle; 2 carriages; $4500 house; ice house; gold watch’ mahogany furniture: bookcase, 14 chairs, 3 chests, sideboard, 6 tables, 6 calico curtains; 11 prints; looking glass; 4 silver goblets. (Mutual Assurance Society) In 1850 workmen began to clear a line through Bush Hill for the Orange & Alexandria Railroad. Richard William Scott described the first passage of the train in his Day Book, July 4, 1851: “We witnessed for the first time today, a train carrying about 600 people going on an excursion on the road to Backlick, a distance of 11 miles from Alexandria and the present termination of the rails—as seen from the north windows (6 in number) passing through our meadow with their gay passengers, presented a very pretty sight and to me one of great interest.” During World War II the federal government leased Bush Hill from the Gunnell family for use as a prison in the internment of Adolf Hitler’s counselor of foreign affairs, Ernst “Putzi” Hanfstaengl, who was assisting the Allies. Putzi was considered one of the only men who could detect whether or not German broadcasts of Hitler were authentic or done by stand-ins. (Virginia Room, Fairfax County Library) After World War II, Bush Hill served as the “Holly Hill School” until March 6, 1977, when it was vandalized and then abandoned. The house was destroyed by arson one week later. (Washington Post, March 17, 1977)
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 15:06:30 +0000
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