History of Shaker Woods
Developed in1984, Shaker Woods is a community of 199 homes surrounding beautiful parklands, woods and natural streams on a hill overlooking the northwest corner of Fairfax County, Virginia. Originally part of the Northern Neck proprietary granted to Lord Fairfax by King Charles II in 1640, 1725 acres in the north western section of Northern Neck were parceled out to James Thomas in 1727. This area, became known as Dranesville or Drane Hill after one of the proprietors (Washington Drane) of a well known inn that resided close to the the intersection of three well traveled roads, Eastern Ridge Road (present day Leesburg Pike), Ridge Road (present day Reston Ave.) and Georgetown Pike. In 1755, a young scout for British Major General Braddock by the name of George Washington stayed overnight at Coleman’s Ordinary (Inn) which was located on Sugarland Run, a creek “sweet” in taste from the surrounding Maple trees. Sugarland Run continues its windy course through the back woods surrounding present day Shaker Woods.
During the Civil War (1861), Brig.General J.E.B. Stuart marched his troops down what is now known as Reston Ave., past the original entrance to Shaker Woods, on orders to protect confederate wagons carrying supplies foraged from nearby farms. Upon hearing that Confederate cavalry were in the area of Dranesville, troops under Union Generals McCall and Ord were dispatched to counter the Confederates on December 20th (known as the Action at Dranesville). Much of the fighting took place on the south side of Leesburg Pike extending from the present day firehouse to Sugarland Road (near the Methodist Church) and skirmishes extended south to Shaker Woods where the Pennsylvania Company E Bucktails and Pittsburgh rifles encountered Stuart’s Virginia Cavalry which were positioned up on a hill (near present day Gilman Lane). Some of the casualties from this Action still rest under the gravestones of the United Methodist Church (on Liberty Hill). Several more skirmishes occurred during the Civil War including some encounters with the famous Col. John Mosby’s Gray Ghost riders who frequented the region.
The region saw little in the way of development after the Civil War mainly due to the emphasis on the railroad depot at Herndon which took much of the commerce away from the Inns located at the Dranesville intersection. When nearby Reston land was purchased and began to develop, interest in the land beyond North Point increased and in 1982/1983, NV homes began building Shaker Woods. Perhaps one of the most significant changes to the Shaker Woods community was the extension of Wiehle Avenue from Reston Parkway to the Fairfax County Parkway. Although this has physically divided the Shaker Woods properties north and south of Wiehle Ave., the hill, the woods and the streams of Sugarland Run continue to be the unifying common ground upon which we prosper.
1. Poland, Jr., Charles Preston, Dunbarton, Dranesville, Virginia, 1982.
2. Mauro, Charles V., The Civil War in Fairfax County, 2006.
During the Civil War (1861), Brig.General J.E.B. Stuart marched his troops down what is now known as Reston Ave., past the original entrance to Shaker Woods, on orders to protect confederate wagons carrying supplies foraged from nearby farms. Upon hearing that Confederate cavalry were in the area of Dranesville, troops under Union Generals McCall and Ord were dispatched to counter the Confederates on December 20th (known as the Action at Dranesville). Much of the fighting took place on the south side of Leesburg Pike extending from the present day firehouse to Sugarland Road (near the Methodist Church) and skirmishes extended south to Shaker Woods where the Pennsylvania Company E Bucktails and Pittsburgh rifles encountered Stuart’s Virginia Cavalry which were positioned up on a hill (near present day Gilman Lane). Some of the casualties from this Action still rest under the gravestones of the United Methodist Church (on Liberty Hill). Several more skirmishes occurred during the Civil War including some encounters with the famous Col. John Mosby’s Gray Ghost riders who frequented the region.
The region saw little in the way of development after the Civil War mainly due to the emphasis on the railroad depot at Herndon which took much of the commerce away from the Inns located at the Dranesville intersection. When nearby Reston land was purchased and began to develop, interest in the land beyond North Point increased and in 1982/1983, NV homes began building Shaker Woods. Perhaps one of the most significant changes to the Shaker Woods community was the extension of Wiehle Avenue from Reston Parkway to the Fairfax County Parkway. Although this has physically divided the Shaker Woods properties north and south of Wiehle Ave., the hill, the woods and the streams of Sugarland Run continue to be the unifying common ground upon which we prosper.
1. Poland, Jr., Charles Preston, Dunbarton, Dranesville, Virginia, 1982.
2. Mauro, Charles V., The Civil War in Fairfax County, 2006.