Mason Neck, Virginia

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Mason Neck, Virginia
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Mason Neck
Location of Mason Neck in Fairfax County, Virginia
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Mason Neck
Mason Neck (Virginia)
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Mason Neck
Mason Neck (the United States)
Coordinates: 38°39′23″N77°10′45″W / 38.65639°N 77.17917°W / 38.65639; -77.17917
CountryUnited States
State Virginia
County Fairfax
Area
  Total20.0 sq mi (51.9 km2)
  Land13.9 sq mi (35.9 km2)
  Water6.2 sq mi (16.0 km2)
Elevation
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2010)
  Total2,005
  Density145/sq mi (55.9/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
FIPS code 51-49998
GNIS feature ID2584877

Mason Neck is a peninsula jutting into the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, southwest of Washington, D.C.. It is surrounded by Belmont Bay to the west, the Potomac River to the south and east, Gunston Cove to the northeast, and Pohick Bay to the north-northeast. Mason Neck forms the southernmost section of Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. It comprises an area of 20.0 square miles (51.8 km2), [1] two-thirds of which is preserved as parkland by regional, state, and national authorities. The population of the Mason Neck CDP was 2,005 as of the 2010 census. [1]

Contents

History

The Mason Neck peninsula was inhabited by the Doeg prior to the arrival of European settlers. The recorded history of Mason Neck began around 1755 with the construction of Gunston Hall, the plantation house of George Mason, author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Mason Neck is also the location of Pohick Church, frequented by both Mason and George Washington, and Cranford Methodist Church, which was built in 1857 and served as a hospital during the Civil War.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the land was used for the logging of mature pine and hardwood timber. Over time, pollution and habitat destruction caused a decline in the bald eagle population. By the 1960s, much of the forest had grown back, but residential development as a suburb of Washington posed another threat. In 1969, local residents and conservation groups achieved the establishment of the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, with the specific objective of protecting the bald eagle. [2] This, along with Mason Neck State Park and Pohick Bay Regional Park, provides a variety of recreational activities while preserving the land's natural resources.

During the 1980s, the Lynch family traded Fairfax County officials their Mason Neck land holdings in exchange for 900 acres (360 ha) of land near the Lorton Prison. This plot of land became the housing development known as Crosspointe. Many of the suburban subdivisions located around the Lorton Prison are built on land that the Lynch family once owned. The Mason Neck land that was traded to the county later became a state-controlled nature reserve called Meadowood. [3]

Wildlife

In addition to Bald Eagles, Mason Neck is home to over 211 bird species, over 200 plant species, over 31 mammal species, and 40 reptiles and amphibians species. [4] [5] Birds include great blue herons, Canada geese, ospreys, wood ducks, teal, owls, and woodpeckers. [6] [7] Whitetail deer are common, [4] along with beavers, muskrats, groundhogs, and foxes. A diverse population of frogs and toads can be heard on summer nights. Eastern box turtles, eastern snapping turtles, wood turtles, and spotted turtles can all be found around ponds, streams, and marshes, as well as snakes, such as the northern copperhead and the northern black racer. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfax County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 census, it the most populous county in Virginia, the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington metropolitan area, and the most populous location in the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. The county seat is Fairfax; however, because it is an independent city under Virginia law, the city of Fairfax is not part of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorton, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Lorton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 20,072 as of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodbridge, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Woodbridge is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince William County, Virginia, United States, located 20 miles (32 km) south of Washington, D.C. Bounded by the Occoquan and Potomac rivers, Woodbridge had 44,668 residents at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge</span> Nature preserve in Virginia, US

Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge is a nature preserve on the grounds of Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Several other parks, including Mason Neck State Park, Pohick Bay Regional Park, and the Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge are located nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pohick Creek</span> Stream in Virginia, USA

Pohick Creek is a 14.0-mile-long (22.5 km) tributary stream of the Potomac River in Fairfax County in the U.S. state of Virginia. It takes its name from the Pohick Native American tribe once prevalent in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 242</span> State highway in Fairfax County, Virginia, US

State Route 242 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Gunston Road, the state highway runs 3.58 miles (5.76 km) from U.S. Route 1 near Lorton east to SR 600 at the entrance to Gunston Hall, the plantation of George Mason, on Mason Neck in southeastern Fairfax County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pohick Church</span> Historic church in Virginia, United States

Pohick Church, previously known as Pohick Episcopal Church, is an Episcopal church in the community of Lorton in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Often called the "Mother Church of Northern Virginia," the church is notable for its association with important figures in early Virginian history such as George Washington and George Mason, both of whom served on its vestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Neck State Park</span> State park in Virginia, USA

Mason Neck State Park is located in Fairfax County, Virginia. The park is on a peninsula formed by Pohick Bay on the north, Belmont Bay on the south and the Potomac River to the east. The park has an area of 1,814 acres (7.34 km2) and is home to bald eagles, great blue herons, ospreys, and many other types of wildlife. The park also contains white-tailed deer and many species of lichen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmont Bay</span>

Belmont Bay is a body of water at the mouth of the Occoquan River between Fairfax and Prince William counties, Virginia. The bay covers about 1,500 acres (6.1 km2). The bay adjoins the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge and Mason Neck State Park on the Fairfax County side and the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Prince William County. The bay was named for the home, "Belmont," which was built circa 1730 overlooking the bay by Catesby Cocke, who was the clerk of the Prince William County court. Belmont Bay is notable for sightings of bald eagles that nest and feed in the refuges and for the numerous Great Blue Herons. Belmont Bay is also a popular destination for pleasure boats. Summer weekends usually attract 40 to as many as 100 boats to this location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge</span> United States National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia

Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States located in Virginia. It is part of the Potomac River National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It is on Mason Neck, a peninsula in the Potomac River that forms part of the shoreline of Belmont Bay. The refuge is adjacent to Mason Neck State Park.

The Potomac River National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a complex of three National Wildlife Refuges in Virginia, located along the Potomac River.

Mount Vernon is a magisterial district in the southeastern sector of Fairfax County, Virginia which encompasses the area along the Potomac River, Mount Vernon, Fort Belvoir, and Gunston Hall. It includes the CDPs of Belle Haven, New Alexandria, Huntington, Groveton, Hybla Valley, Fort Hunt, Mount Vernon, Fort Belvoir, Mason Neck, Lorton, and Newington, Virginia. The office of the district is on 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306; Annual Town Meetings are held at Mount Vernon High School's "Little Theatre". As of 2010 the population was 127,637. Dan Storck is the current supervisor. Mateo Dunne is the current school board member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 611 (Fairfax County)</span> Secondary state highway in Virginia, United States

State Route 611 in Fairfax County, Virginia is a secondary state highway which traverses the eastern portion of the county. SR 611 provides a major artery for commuters, connecting the Eisenhower Valley section of Alexandria with Lorton and points south along US 1. SR 611 is known by three names: Telegraph Road, Old Colchester Road, and Furnace Road.

Gunston Cove is an inlet of the Potomac River, at the confluence of Accotink Creek and Pohick Creek in Northern Virginia. The Cove forms the northern boundary of Mason Neck, once home to the revolutionary hero George Mason and now site of several regional parks and the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newington Forest, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Newington Forest is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 12,442. It is part of the Washington metropolitan area. It includes the Newington Forest subdivision and several nearby neighborhoods of southern Springfield and northern Lorton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Miles Abbott</span> American painter

Jackson Miles Abbott was an American Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Corps of Engineers, a birdwatcher and painter. He was the son of wildlife artist Jacob Bates Abbott. He is the only artist to ever place both first and second in the same year in the Federal Duck Stamp contest. The Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge at Fort Belvoir in Fairfax, Virginia was named in his honor.

Elizabeth van Laer Speer Hartwell was an American conservationist based in Virginia. The Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is named in her memory.

Linton Neck also known as Burbage's Neck is a peninsula in eastern Prince William County, Virginia bounded by the Occoquan River, Occoquan Bay, and Neabsco Creek. It is named after the prominent Linton family of the colonial era. Historically farmlands, today the plantation is home to a number of communities including: Featherstone, Woodbridge, Marumsco, and Neabsco. Near the fall line of the Occoquan River at the very North of Linton Neck is the incorporated town of Occoquan, Virginia. At the very south of Linton Neck is the historic site of Rippon Lodge.

Martin Scarlett or Scarlet, was a Virginia planter and military officer who served in the House of Burgesses representing Stafford County, as well as in local offices, including Justice of the Peace in 1680. Scarlett had emigrated from England and stated in a 1691 court that he had lived in Stafford County for more than 30 years, which record survived because the case had been appealed to the General Court in Williamsburg.

References

  1. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Mason Neck CDP, Virginia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved October 13, 2016.[ dead link ]
  2. "About the Refuge". Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  3. "Meadowood History". blm.gov. U.S. Department of the Interior. August 28, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge". US Fish and Wildlife Service . Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  5. "Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge". Virginia.org. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  6. "Mason Neck State Park". eBird. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  7. "Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge". Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  8. "Mason Neck Peninsula Check List". iNaturalist. Retrieved December 30, 2023.