Antonio Abrignani/Shutterstock.com
Though the Civil War occurred 150 years ago, there are many Civil War landmarks throughout NoVA visited by thousands of people each year. This time stop by Lake Accotink Park in Springfield on Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. for the anniversary commemorating the raid at Burke Station and the burning of the trestle, which bridged the gap over Lake Accotink Creek.
And with every commemoration comes a story. The trestle was built in 1851 to help trains on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad Line cross the creek. However, this location became an attractive target for the Confederacy. During the raid on Burke Station on Dec. 28, 1862, Maj. Gen. J.E.B Stuart led the burning of the trestle by the command of Robert E. Lee’s son, Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee.
A new trestle was built in 1917 and continued to be reconstructed in the following years. Amtrak and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) still use the trestle today.
With all this knowledge, you can go to the commemoration and look like a Civil War history buff! The commemoration will be led by Friends of Lake Accotink Park and Friends of Accotink Creek in an observation and simulated torching of the events that happened 150 years ago. The afternoon event is free and will be held at the foot of the modern trestle below the Lake Accotink dam.
