Salona (McLean, Virginia)

History

Salona derives its name from a homestead occupied by 1805. The stately brick manor house, currently undergoing renovation, was constructed between 1790 and 1810. or as the father of Robert E. Lee, who commanded the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. His other brother Charles Lee served as Attorney General of the United States in both the Washington and John Adams administrations (1795-1801).

In 1812, Richard Bland Lee donated the property to Reverend William Maffitt, who in 1803 had married the widow Henrietta Lee, and who gave the property its name meaning "just hospitality".

President James Madison fled to Salona in August 1814 as the federal government evacuated and British forces burned the new federal city, including the White House. First Lady Dolley Madison fled separately and rejoined her husband at Salona. Route 123 (fronting the property) is also locally called "Dolley Madison Boulevard" because of that event.

During the Civil War, the Union Army established Camp Griffin on the site (owned since 1853 by Jacob Smoot and for decades afterward by his heirs) and surrounding properties from October 1861 until March 1862. The mansion house became headquarters for General George B. McClellan and other Union commanders.

In modern times, Clive L. DuVal II and his wife purchased it in 1951, and made it their home as well as preserved it and secured its placement on the National Register for Historic Places. DuVal served multiple terms in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly and his descendants retain the approximately 3 acre remaining of the 52.4 acre site.http://www.resourcesaver.org/file/toolmanager/CustomO45C96F69667.pdf

Conservation efforts

The conservation easement preserves one of the last sizeable open spaces in McLean. Within the new easement, 10 acre will be placed in active recreational use with the remainder used for passive recreation such as trails (providing a critical link to the Pimmit Run Trail system). The easement also allows for preservation and interpretation of natural and cultural resources on the property. It prevents any residential construction on the property in perpetuity, and the Park Authority has the right of first refusal to own the Salona property outright. The cost of the conservation easement ($16.1 million) is less than half of the appraised (highest and best use) value of the property. The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust assumes easement enforcement duties, and collaborated in the easement acquisition process.

References

References

1. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
2. {{NRISref. 2009a
3. "029-0034 Salona".
4. "Papers of George Washington". Gwpapers.virginia.edu.
5. link. (2011-07-18)
6. NRIS p. 4 of 8
7. "Archived copy".
8. "Archived copy".
9. "Archived copy".