Settlement History
Inception of Centreville
Centreville, Fairfax County, Virginia
The Town of Centreville was founded through petitions to the Virginia House of Delegates, driven by James Hardage Lane's widow and children along with neighboring landowners seeking to establish a town along the Turnpike Road.
Founding of Centreville
The Town of Centreville, originally spelled Centerville, was the brainchild of James Hardage Lane. The impetus for the creation of the town was Lane's desire to provide financial support to his widow during her lifetime and then to provide for their children.
James Hardage Lane had purchased a 350-acre tract north of the Mountain Road from John and Katherine Lane in 1769. Present day Braddock Road nearly follows the path of the old Mountain Road. The parcel was located near a plantation and tavern known as Newgate.
In 1790, three years after J H Lane's death, the following people petitioned the Virginia House of Delegates to establish a town on their property between Newgate and the Great Rocky Run Bridge. (Great Rocky Run is now known as Big Rocky Run.)
- John Stewart Alexander (whose property was on the south side of the Mountain Road)
- J H Lane's widow; Mary, executrix
- J H Lane's children; William, Mary, Bukah, Deliah, George, Daniel C., and Enoch S Lane
- George Ralls
The petitioners suggested that the Turnpike Road (previously known as the Mountain Road) become the main street of the town. They reasoned that a town on the Turnpike road leading from the Northwestern Territory and centrally located to Alexandria, Colchester, Dumfries, Middleburg, George Town, Fauquier Court House, and Leesburg would be convenient. Additionally, they touted the advantages of a healthy and well-watered country in the midst of a rich & Nourishing Neighbourhood . It was suggested that the town would in a short time become a respectable manufacturing town.
A second petition was submitted to the Legislature in October 1792, the year the General Assembly enacted legislation founding the town.
Transcript of the First Petition
To the Honble Speaker & Gentlemen of the House of Delegates for the Commonwealth of Virginia;
We your Petitioners propriators & Residuary Legatees of the Lands lying between Newgate & Great Rocky Run Bridge pray that a Town may be lain off & establishd on the Lands of Mary Lane, Geo Ralls, & Jno Stuart Alexander, making the Turnpike Road, as it at present stands (between the Proprietors) the main Street; & your Petitioners hope & trust, that their prayer will be heard, & granted Accordingly, for the following Reasons, Viz That the same will be situated on the Turnpike Road, leading from the Northwestern Teritory, to the Towns of Alexandria, Colchester, & Dumfries, that it will be central, or nearly so, to the above mentioned places, to Middleburg, George Town, Fauquier Court House, & Leesburg, it being computed five & twenty miles from Alexandria, the same distance from Dumfries, twenty from Colchester, 25 from Fauquier Court House, the same distance from Leesburg, & George Towne. That it will be in a healthy & well waterd Country, & in the midst of a rich & Nourishing Neighbourhood &c; All which considerations time to prove to your Petitioners, that (under proper conduct) it will become in a short time respectable as a manufacturing Town. We beg leave to mention to your Honble House, that James Hardage Lane, decd, leaving Mary his wife & several children, that he devised that tract of Land, wherof apart is proposed to be laid off for the use of the Town, to the said Mary his wife for like then to be sold for the benefit of his Children, most of whom are of Age and have become parties to this our Petition, foreseeing the very great advantage that will result to them by selling out in Lotts &c We wish that the Town may be called Unknown by the name of Almighty & that [left blank] be appointed as Trustees for the same…your Petitioners shall ever pray &c
Jno Stuart Alexander Mary Lane Executrix Wm Lane Mary Lane Bukah Lane Deliah Lane George Lane Daniel C. Lane Enoch S. Lane George Ralls