Culmore, Virginia is a small commercial center in
Fairfax County
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. It sits between
Seven Corners and the Skyline area on
State Route 7.
Overview
A part of a larger, unincorporated area known as
Bailey's Crossroads
Bailey's Crossroads is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 24,749 at the 2020 census. Bailey's Crossroads lies at the crossroads of State Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and State Route 244 ( Co ...
, Culmore derives its name from the Culmore Shopping Center which forms its heart. The center is located on the south side of Route 7, or Leesburg Pike, and is situated within the loop formed by Route 7, Glen Carlyn Road, Argyle Drive, and Glen Carlyn Drive.
Culmore Shopping Center contains the Peking Gourmet Inn restaurant, in which President George H.W. Bush dined.
"Culmore" has in recent decades become a place name describing both the shopping center and adjacent buildings, including St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church and a large group of garden-style apartment homes which are located behind the shopping center. The area is almost entirely inhabited by people of
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
, especially Central American, ancestry.
Bailey's Crossroads, in which Culmore Shopping Center is situated, is served by the post office in
Falls Church, Virginia
Falls Church is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area.
Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Churc ...
and all homes and businesses in the area bear Falls Church postal addresses. Bailey's Crossroads has no local government and falls within the Mason District of the Fairfax County government.
During the
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 state ...
the Culmore area was the scene of sharpshooting, fighting and repeated skirmishes, particularly during the opening phase of the war when Confederate troops occupied
Munson's Hill
Munson's Hill is a geographic eminence located in eastern Fairfax County, Virginia. Its summit rises to above sea level.
Location and name
Munson's Hill is located at .
The hill is adjacent to Upton's Hill (410 ft) on its north. It is ...
and
Upton's Hill
Upton's Hill is a geographic eminence located in western Arlington County, Virginia. Its summit rises to above sea level.
Location
Upton's Hill straddles the border of Arlington County and Fairfax County, Virginia at . The hill is generally ...
and Culmore formed a "no man's land" between the opposing forces, with Union soldiers encamped to the east.
[Bradley E. Gernand, (Donning Company: Virginia Beach, 2002), pp. 16-17, 68-69, 72, 74, 83, 139-141, 205.]
References
Unincorporated communities in Fairfax County, Virginia
{{FairfaxCountyVA-geo-stub