Page 48 - Allison's Magazine Issue #97

The serenity of the Scotts’ years at saw a foot. So then I kept going, and I But others, who saw Blenheim as no same year. Eventually, it was determined
Blenheim could not be further from saw a leg. I started realizing that I was more than an old house on prime real that the house was not stable enough
the mayhem that befell the home in uncovering something that no one had estate, were moving at a quicker pace. to support visitors on the upper floors.
the early 1860s. Albert Willcoxon seen in at least one hundred years.” The “Once the developers began to display A solution was needed. How could an
was the one hundred fifth male in painstaking effort had a positive result: their proposals in city hall, people attic be moved to another building? The
Fairfax County to vote for secession. graffiti was indeed on all the walls. told us that it was all over and that we answer was to copy it. And that’s just
In July 1861, Union troops destroyed should give up,” said Preiss. A bed and what they did.
or occupied homes that belonged to This discovery would not have been breakfast, a community center, and a
secessionists on their way to the First possible if not for Carney and her townhome development were among The Civil War Interpretive Center at
Battle of Bull Run. It is believed that neighbors’ fight to save Blenheim a the plans. Historic Blenheim opened in November
this is when the family took what it decade earlier. The five knew they only of 2008. The 3,800-square-foot facility,
could and temporarily abandoned had months, not years, to produce On June 2, 1998, the attorney handling a $1.5 million city-funded project, is
the home. By March of 1862, Fairfax research notes, talking points, and the Scotts’ estate informed the coalition part of the historic home’s twelve acres.
became Union held; in September of executive summaries. They took on an that written offers for millions of dollars The center presents the Civil War in the
1863, Willcoxon signed an oath of official title, the Citizen Coalition for were being accepted for the property. context of its impact in Virginia, the
allegiance to the United States, and the Preservation of Blenheim. One belief The group of neighbors did the only Willcoxons’ family history, and a full-
he was allowed to return home with bonded them: this place and this history thing they could: they contacted scale replica of part of the attic graffiti.
his family. could not be destroyed. “Once it’s gone, national and local historic preservation
that’s it. It’s gone. You can’t bring it organizations and hoped for a buyer. Twenty years after the coalition’s goal
“Blenheim was built only a few years the attic. Most notable is an unsigned back,” says Preiss. No sale was made. It seemed likely that was achieved, Blenheim’s history
before the beginning of the Civil War, comic-strip-style series of vertical Blenheim would be lost to development. remains enduring. The Blenheim house
so there were these blank walls that pictures that charts the progress of a While other Expressing that urgency to was added to the National Register of
the Willcoxons hadn’t painted because soldier from a flag-waving civilian to a approximately 21,000 city residents But the coalition had one more card Historic Places in 2001. Approximately
the plaster wasn’t dry. The Union slouched, disillusioned figure after four structures in was a challenge. This was before social to play, a “protective bubble” tool that 1,500 people attended the 2018 Fairfax
soldiers were bored, chomping at months of service. Virginia have media—and its potential to reach it urged the city to adopt. Three weeks History Day held at the property. Those
the bit awaiting orders. Over a two- Civil War soldier thousands of people—existed. Their later, the City of Fairfax held a joint who had never seen the home were
week period, 75 percent of the 122 An item sold at Blenheim’s 1997 estate graffiti, Blenheim only option was one door and one city council and planning commission awestruck, even if they could only tour
identified names were written on the sale first offered a hint that the home’s has the state’s phone call at a time. Family members of public hearing. Under consideration was the first floor.
walls throughout the home, and then graffiti might not be contained to the largest collection the five were not exempt from this all- the creation of the Blenheim Historic
the soldiers were gone, on to their next attic. A board member of the nonprofit of identified and hands effort. Loewenwarter’s husband, Overlay. It would make the property The five were named Citizens of the
assignment,” says Loewenwarter. Historic Fairfax City, Inc. purchased a Jim Gillespie, pushed their son in a unattractive to developers through Year in 1999 for their efforts to save
datebook that belonged to the Scotts, best-preserved stroller while canvasing neighborhoods burdensome preservation regulations. It Blenheim. Yet, to them, the accolades
While other structures in Virginia have which mentioned a November 1964 soldiers’ signatures across the city. Their two-man mission passed. Yet Blenheim was still without never mattered. What they valued
Civil War soldier graffiti, Blenheim has discovery of a drawing on a second-floor and well-protected was to distribute flyers titled ‘Protect the a buyer. most was changing the fabric of their
the state’s largest collection of identified wall. “That made us think, why wouldn’t pictographs and Past for Your Future.’ community for future generations.
and best-preserved soldiers’ signatures there be graffiti in other places?” sayings, some The property was one of the last parcels Decades later, the groundbreaking for
and well-protected pictographs and Loewenwarter says. cartoon-like. Preiss became the “town crier” of the of land for sale in the city. What the Interpretive Center remains an
sayings, some cartoon-like. For example, coalition outside a grocery store. “I began as an effort to save local history emotional moment for Carney. Welling
Private Theodore Raefle decorated his Conservator Kirsten Travers Moffitt literally stood on a box with a picture of grew into a campaign to protect up, she recalls, “I looked at David and
inscription with a wreath and crown was hired in 2006 to uncover more of the house that said, ‘Save Blenheim,’” something the city realized it also said, ‘We did it.’”
reminiscent of the coat of arms of his Blenheim’s story. Her goal was to strip he recalls. “People would stop and say, valued: open space. For more info, visit https://www.fairfaxva.gov/
home in Prussia. Private Henry van the walls without damaging the possible ‘What’s this?’ and I would explain it over government/historic-resources/historic-blenheim
Ewyck, a former sign-painter born graffiti underneath. “I was sitting there, and over until my voice gave out. I did In January of 1999, the city council
in the Netherlands, wrote in precise, wearing a respirator because of paint this eight to ten hours every Saturday for voted to purchase Blenheim and its
formal handwriting. Although far from stripper, with my face three inches from weeks on end.” More neighbors joined twelve acres from the Scotts’ estate for
water, there are several drawings of the wall,” she says. “I started gently their volunteer effort. They were making $2.275 million. The first annual public
ships, including three elaborate ones in scraping away the softened paint, and I an impact. tour of the house and attic began the

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