Fairfax Courthouse
Credit: Visit Fairfax
Historic Virginia Meets the Modern in Fairfax City
BY JAYNE CLARK
In 1862, with the Civil War in full fury, Union troops requisitioned a brick farmhouse near the village of Fairfax
Courthouse, VA., and pressed it into service as a hospital for ailing soldiers. Hundreds of the ill and wounded
convalescing there scrawled signatures, musings, and drawings with graphite and charcoal on surfaces throughout
the building, creating an indelible record of their time there. This “diary on walls” at Historic Blenheim in Fairfax City
offers a fascinating glimpse into the psyches of these long-vanished fighters.
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