Posts with the category “rose-hill-community”

In 1723, Daniel French Sr. bought 903 acres that encompasses what today is known as Rose Hill. From the front lawn, he could see the Potomac River seven miles away and into Maryland near Indian Head. That same view exists today from the back yards of houses on the ridgeline in the vicinity of the original manor house on a high point at the end of what is now May Boulevard.Daniel French Jr. inherit...  Read More

In the 1960s, plans were being put forth to develop property south of Rose Hill into townhouses or possibly apartments. That didn't sit well with the adjacent community and the new supervisor, Joseph Alexander, who was in his first term as a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The plan was to cluster the new development away from Dogue Creek, meaning that the folks who had just move...  Read More

It didn't take long for the new residents of Rose Hill to start beating the drum for an elementary school. In fact, the School Board and the Board of Supervisors responded by placing a bond issue on the November 1955 ballot. It passed and the school opened in September of 1957. The cost was $502,016 for a 20-classroom structure. By contrast, the most recent expansion of 10 classrooms that opened i...  Read More

In the very early 1950s, a Sunday drive out to the country from Washington, Alexandria and Arlington could include the pastoral scenes along Telegraph or Franconia Roads. From either road, you could see the cattle grazing on the 700-acre farm called Rose Hill owned by R.L. May, president of the Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Bus Company (AB&W). Mr. May also invited his employees to the farm f...  Read More