Our group walked from Spindle court across the shopping center towards the Alto Plaza on the corner of route 29 and Braddock road. While walking we passed over the grounds of the Confederate winter camp site of 1861-1862. The cool wind reminded us of how cold it must have been. The view looking West at Lee Highway showed that this was a high point in the region and that troops during the Civil War liked to be protected on hilltops that could view the surrounding area. After we crossed over into the Centreville Historic district we stopped at the foundation of the 18th century New gate Tavern which is located on the old mountain road.
The underground foundation of the tavern had buried artifacts such as wine bottles, plates, glasses, and games. They were evidence of how they had been having fun inside the tavern, perhaps drinking some wine, resting and talking. I wonder if Civil War soldiers also visited this tavern and spoke about the battle that they were having the day after.
Then we went down to visit one of the “modern” old houses in the district, the Spindle house was built after World War I during the Great Depression. It was a modern style for the time and it was ordered by catalogue from Sears. The house actually had well preserved technology made by the General Electric company from the 1930s
Sources:
http://www.novahistory.org/Centreville_History.htm
http://www.seln4u.com/Local-History
Finally we visited one of the oldest houses in the country, and actually the oldest house on the historic grounds of Centreville. Mt. Gilead was surrounded in its grass yard by a Civil War era trench. It was cool to imagine the soldiers using the Trench to protect themselves, and it has said that the soldiers would even ride horses along the trench. The Jamesson House at Mt. Gilead was built as a tavern along the old western mountain road in the 18th century. It is older than the US Constitution. Some historians say that Gorge Washington visited the house several times but there is not proof of that and it may be likely that he stopped in at the more lively Newgate tavern.
During the Civil War in the winter of 1861-1862 Mount Gilead was used as a refuge by the confederate commander and his troops. Being inside the house was awesome everything was in good condition. It had the same furniture and floor that when is was first built. Taking advantage that our group was in the house, the resident history professor taking care of the house borrowed our rakes, shovels, tools and willing hands so we ended up doing some community service.
