Fauquier is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,972. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Warrenton. Fauquier County is in

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

and is a part of the

Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgin ...

History

In 1608, the first European to explore in the vicinity,

Captain John Smith John Smith (baptized 6 January 1580 – 21 June 1631) was an English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, Admiral of New England, and author. He played an important role in the establishment of the colony at Jamestown, Virginia, the first pe ...

, reported that the Whonkentia (a subgroup of the

Siouan Siouan or Siouan–Catawban is a language family of North America that is located primarily in the Great Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and southeastern North America with a few other languages in the east. Name Authors who call the entire ...

-speaking

Manahoac The Manahoac, also recorded as Mahock, were a small group of Siouan-language Native Americans (Indigenous people) in northern Virginia at the time of European contact. They numbered approximately 1,000 and lived primarily along the Rappahannock R ...

tribe) inhabited the area. The Manahoac were forced out around 1670 by the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

(

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

), who did not resettle the area. The Conoy camped briefly near The Plains, from 1697 to 1699. The Six Nations ceded the entire region including modern Fauquier to

Virginia Colony The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

at the Treaty of Albany, in 1722. Fauquier County was established on May 1, 1759, from

Prince William County Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...

. It is named for

Francis Fauquier Francis Fauquier (1703 – 3 March 1768) was a lieutenant governor of Virginia Colony (in what is today the United States), and served as acting governor from 1758 until his death in 1768. He was a noted teacher and close friend of Thomas Jeffers ...

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia The lieutenant governor of Virginia is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The lieutenant governor is elected every four years along with the governor and attorney general. The office is currently held by Winsome Earle S ...

at the time, who won the land in a poker game, according to legend.

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

battles in Fauquier County included (in order) the

First Battle of Rappahannock Station The First Battle of Rappahannock Station, (also known as Waterloo Bridge, White Sulphur Springs, Lee Springs, and Freeman’s Ford) as took place on August 23, 1862, at present-day Remington, Virginia, as part of the Northern Virginia Campaign ...

, the

Battle of Thoroughfare Gap The Battle of Thoroughfare Gap, also known as Chapman's Mill, took place on August 28, 1862, in Fauquier County and Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the Northern Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Ma ...

, the

Battle of Kelly's Ford The Battle of Kelly's Ford, also known as the Battle of Kellysville or Kelleysville, took place on March 17, 1863, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the cavalry operations along the Rappahannock River during the American Civil War. It set ...

, the

Battle of Aldie The Battle of Aldie took place on June 17, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry screened Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate infantry as it marched n ...

, the

Battle of Middleburg The Battle of Middleburg took place from June 17 to June 19, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, screening Robert E. Lee's invasion route, sparr ...

, the

Battle of Upperville The Battle of Upperville took place in Loudoun County, Virginia on June 21, 1863 during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Background The Union cavalry made a determined effort to pierce Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart' ...

, the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

Second Battle of Auburn The Second Battle of Auburn was fought on October 14, 1863, in Fauquier County, Virginia, between Union and Confederate forces in the American Civil War. Confederate forces led by Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell led a sortie to extricate Maj. Gen. ...

, the

Battle of Buckland Mills The Battle of Buckland Mills, also known as The Buckland Races or Chestnut Hill, was fought on October 19, 1863, between Union and Confederate forces in the American Civil War. Union cavalry led by Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick were caught in a ...

, and the

Second Battle of Rappahannock Station The Second Battle of Rappahannock Station took place on November 7, 1863, near the village of Rappahannock Station (now Remington, Virginia), on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. It was between Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Jubal Early ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has an area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water. Fauquier county is not densely populated, but exurban development from Washington, DC has sprung up in some parts. Even in rural areas, housing complexes can be seen along highways. The highest point by elevation is Blue Mountain at 2205 ft (602 meters) on the county's northwestern border with Warren County.

Adjacent counties

Clarke County Clarke County may refer to: ;Places *One of five counties in the United States: **Clarke County, Alabama **Clarke County, Georgia **Clarke County, Iowa **Clarke County, Mississippi **Clarke County, Virginia Clarke County is a county in the Com ...

(north) *

Loudoun County Loudoun County () is in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. In 2020, the census returned a population of 420,959, making it Virginia's third-most populous county. Loudoun County's seat is Leesburg. Loudoun C ...

(north) *

(east) * Stafford County (southeast) *

Culpeper County Culpeper County is a county located along the borderlands of the northern and central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 52,552. Its county seat and only incorporated community is Cul ...

(southwest) *

Rappahannock County Rappahannock County is a county located in the northern Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, US, adjacent to Shenandoah National Park. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 7,348. Its county seat is Washington. The name "Rappah ...

(west) *

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

(northwest)

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * *

Demographics

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2000 Census

In 2000 there were 19,842 households, out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.80% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.70% were non-families. 18.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14. As of 2013, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males. The median income for a household in the county was $93,762. The per capita income for the county was $39,600. About 3.70% of families and 5.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.70% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over. The county is exurban. There has been increased growth in Warrenton and New Baltimore in recent years. The subdivisions of Brookside and Vint Hill have facilitated the growth in the eastern part of the county. There is some industry in Fauquier County, however the largest employer in the county is the county government and the hospital. As of the 2000 census, 47% of county residents that work have jobs that are outside the county. The average travel time to work is 39.2 minutes.

Government

Board of Supervisors

* Cedar Run District: Richard Gerhardt (R) – Chairman * Center District: Kevin T. Carter * Lee District: Christopher Butler (R) - Vice Chairman * Marshall District: Mary Leigh McDaniel (I) * Scott District: R. Holder Trumbo Jr. (R)

Constitutional officers

* Clerk of the Circuit Court: Gail H. Barb (R) * Commissioner of the Revenue: Eric Maybach (R) * Commonwealth's Attorney: James P. Fisher (R) * Sheriff: Jeremy A. Falls (R) * Treasurer: Tanya Remson Wilcox (R)

Legislators

The

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

: *

Jill Holtzman Vogel Jill Kendrick Holtzman Vogel (née Holtzman, July 6, 1970) is an American attorney and politician serving as the Virginia State Senator from the 27th district since 2008. A Republican, her district is located in exurban and rural parts of Nort ...

(R) The

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

: * Michael J. Webert (R) * Elizabeth R. Guzmán (D) * Phillip Scott (R) The

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

: *

Jennifer Wexton Jennifer Lynn Wexton (née Tosini; born May 27, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the United States representative for Virginia's 10th congressional district since 2019. The district is anchored in the outer portion of Northe ...

(D)

Law enforcement

The Fauquier County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in Fauquier County, Virginia. Its headquarters are in Warrenton. It supports the

Warrenton Training Center Warrenton Training Center (WTC) is a classified United States government communication complex located in the state of Virginia. Established in 1951, it comprises four discrete stations located in Fauquier and Culpeper counties. WTC has served ...

, a CIA site in Warrenton. Since the office's founding on May 24, 1759, 2 officers have died in the line of duty.

Politics

Education

Elementary schools

* C. M. Bradley Elementary School * James G. Brumfield Elementary School * W. G. Coleman Elementary School * Grace Miller Elementary School * H. M. Pearson Elementary School * C. Hunter Ritchie Elementary School * P. B. Smith Elementary School * Claude Thompson Elementary School * Mary Walter Elementary School * Greenville Elementary School * M. M. Pierce Elementary School

Middle schools

* Auburn Middle School * Cedar Lee Middle School * W. C. Taylor Middle School * Marshall Middle School * Warrenton Middle School

High schools

Fauquier High School Fauquier High School is a public high school in Warrenton, Virginia, United States. The school is part of Fauquier County Public Schools and is located at 705 Waterloo Road. History Fauquier opened in 1963 and is the oldest high school in Fauqui ...

* Liberty High School * Southeastern Alternative School * Kettle Run High School *

Mountain Vista Governor's School Mountain Vista Governor's School for Science, Math & Technology (commonly Mountain Vista or MVGS) is one of Virginia's 18 state-initiated governor's schools, serving primarily 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. The school is composed of two campus ...

Private schools

* Fresta Valley Christian School * Highland School *St. John The Evangelist Catholic School *

Wakefield School Wakefield School is an independent day school located in The Plains, Virginia, with classes ranging from junior kindergarten to 12th grade. It was founded in Huntly, Virginia in 1972 as Wakefield Country Day School, and changed its name to Wakef ...

Higher education

Laurel Ridge Community College Laurel Ridge Community College, formerly Lord Fairfax Community College, is a public community college in the Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont regions of Virginia. It is part of the Virginia Community College System and operates four locations — ...

* Thorpe House Adult Learning Center

Communities

Towns

Remington Remington may refer to: Organizations * Remington Arms, American firearms manufacturer * Remington Rand, American computer manufacturer * Remington Products, American manufacturer of shavers and haircare products * Remington College, American c ...

* The Plains * Warrenton (county seat)

Census-designated places

* Bealeton * Calverton * Catlett *

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, an i ...

* Midland * New Baltimore *

Opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms ...

Other unincorporated communities

* Airlie * Atoka * Belle Meade * Belvoir *

Bleak Bleak may refer to: Fish * Species of the genus '' Alburnus'' * '' Alburnoides bipunctatus'', also known as the schneider Music * "Bleak", a song by Opeth from '' Blackwater Park'' * "Bleak", a song by Soulfly from '' Dark Ages'' Other uses * B ...

* Bristersburg * Broad Run *

Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

* Delaplane * Elk Run *

Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * Ger ...

* Goldvein * Halfway * Hume *

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

* Linden *

Markham Markham may refer to: It may also refer to brand of of clothing which originates from South Africa which saw it's establishment in 1873. Biology * Markham's storm-petrel (''Oceanodroma markhami''), a seabird species found in Chile and Colombia * ...

* Morrisville * Old Tavern * Orlean *

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

* Rectortown *

Somerville Somerville may refer to: *Somerville College, Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford Places *Somerville, Victoria, Australia * Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia * Somerville, New Zealand, a subur ...

* Sumerduck * Upperville

Notable people

James Markham Ambler James Markham Marshall Ambler (December 30, 1848 – October 30, 1881) was an American naval surgeon who served on the and perished during the ''Jeannette'' expedition, in 1881, while attempting to reach the North Pole. Ambler was born in De ...

, American naval surgeon *

Turner Ashby Turner Ashby Jr. (October 23, 1828 – June 6, 1862) was an American officer. He was a Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War. In his youth, he organized an informal cavalry company known as the Mountain Rangers, which becam ...

, born in Fauquier County, Confederate Army colonel in the American Civil War. * Martin Berkofsky, classical pianist and philanthropist. *

Irv Cross Irvin Acie Cross (July 27, 1939 – February 28, 2021) was an American professional football player and sportscaster. He played cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Philadelphia Eagle ...

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

er and sportscaster. * Susan Cummings, an heiress infamous for killing Argentine polo player Roberto Villegas. *

Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Gold ...

, American-born actor who maintains a farm in The Plains. * Bertram and Diana Firestone, owners of

Newstead Farm Newstead Farm is a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm near Upperville, Virginia Upperville is a small unincorporated town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States, along U.S. Route 50 fifty miles from downtown Washington, D.C., near the Loudo ...

. * George B. Fitch, American businessman, Mayor of Warrenton, founder of Jamaican Bobsled Team. *

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

Cary Travers Grayson Cary Travers Grayson (October 11, 1878 – February 15, 1938) was a surgeon in the United States Navy who served a variety of roles from personal aide to President of the United States, President Woodrow Wilson to chairman of the American Red Cros ...

, owner of

historic History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

Blue Ridge Farm. *

Eppa Hunton Eppa Hunton II (September 24, 1822October 11, 1908) was a Virginia lawyer and soldier who rose to become a brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he served as a Democrat in both the United States ...

, U.S. Representative and Senator from Virginia, born and lived in Warrenton. * Charles Marshall, born in Warrenton, assistant

adjutant general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

, aide de camp and military secretary to

Gen. The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; Hebrew language, Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its i ...

Robert E. Lee.

Grandnephew In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of the subject's sibling or sibling-in-law. The converse relationship, the relationship from the niece or nephew's perspective, is that of an ...

of Chief Justice John Marshall. * James K. Marshall,

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, killed in action during

Pickett's Charge Pickett's Charge (July 3, 1863), also known as the Pickett–Pettigrew–Trimble Charge, was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee against Major General George G. Meade's Union positions on the last day of the B ...

at the Battle of Gettysburg while leading the brigade of J. Johnston Pettigrew, grandson of Chief Justice John Marshall. * John Marshall, born in Fauquier County, Chief Justice of the United States. * Paul Mellon, philanthropist, an National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame#Exemplars of Racing, Exemplar of Racing and owner of Rokeby Stables, Rokeby Farm. * John S. Mosby, lived in Warrenton, was a Confederate States Army, Confederate partisan (military), partisan ranger and cavalryman during the American Civil War. Buried in Warrenton cemetery. * Karen O'Connor and David O'Connor (equestrian), David O'Connor, Olympic eventing riders * Albert Rust, 19th-century American politician who served as a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the

during the

(1861–1865). * Michaele Salahi and Tareq Salahi, the White House Gate Crashers. * Willard Scott, an American media personality best known for his work on NBC's ''Today (NBC program), The Today Show'' who lived in Paris, Virginia. * Scott Shipp, born in Warrenton, Superintendent of Virginia Military Institute from 1890 to 1907. * Isabel Dodge Sloane, owner of Brookmeade Stable, Brookmeade Stud. * William "Extra Billy" Smith, died in Warrenton, was a lawyer, congressman, two time Governor of Virginia and one of the oldest Confederate generals in the American Civil War. * Shedrick Thompson, disputed lynching victim * Liz Whitney Tippett, owner of the Llangollen estate.

References

External links

Fauquier County Government Site
{{Coord, 38.74, -77.81, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-VA_source:UScensus1990 Fauquier County, Virginia, Virginia counties Northern Virginia counties Washington metropolitan area 1759 establishments in Virginia

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

2020 census

2000 Census

Government

Board of Supervisors

Constitutional officers

Legislators

Law enforcement

Politics

Education

Elementary schools

Middle schools

High schools

Private schools

Higher education

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Notable people

See also

References

External links