Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 1876-1998

Access and use

Location of collection:
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
120 North Virginia Avenue
Falls Church, VA 22046
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Peter Sullivan
Phone: (703) 248-5030
Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Summary

Language:
Materials in this collection are in English .

Background

Scope and content:

The Cherry Hill Farmhouse archive from 1876 to 1992 consists of the following documents: Reports, Public Notices, Architectural Archaeological Comments, Programs, Minutes, Correspondence, etc.

The archive is organized as follows:

  • Series 1: Council Meetings
  • Series 2: Restoration
  • Series 3: Riley Family
  • Series 4: Cherry Hill Board
  • Series 5: Historical Commission
  • Series 6: Anniversary
  • Series 7: Reports
  • Series 8: Time Capsule
  • Series 9: Events and Programs
  • Series 10: Printed Materials
  • Series 11: League of Women Voters

Biographical / historical:

Historical information about Cherry Hill Farm is taken from the City of Falls Church website https://www.fallschurchva.gov/465/Cherry-Hill-Farmhouse.

Cherry Hill Farm was once part of a pre-Revolutionary War plantation located at the crossroads of a trail leading from Winchester to Alexandria and another trail leading to the Little Falls on the Potomac River. This 248-acre tract was patented to John Trammel by Lord Fairfax in 1729. John Trammel's property descended to his son, Sampson, and then to Sampson's daughter, Susan Pinnit Cloud. A John Mills bought the property at auction in 1833 for $2,537.60.

Circumstantial evidence indicates a residence on the property by 1840 when a building assessment of $200 first appeared in county tax records. John Mills whose name is listed in the 1840 U.S. Census for Fairfax County was the most likely occupant.

Augustine Newton bought the entire tract in 1843 and a year later made an agreement to sell 66 plus acres to William Harvey. This is the parcel of land we know as Cherry Hill Farm today. William Harvey is believed to have built the present-day farmhouse in 1845.

This was a highly speculative period for Virginia land. Northerners were drawn to Virginia by cheap land prices. Harvey paid $665.00 for the 66-acre property in 1845. After declaring bankruptcy, he sold the farm to George Steele for $1,950.00 in 1848. In 1856, William Blaisdell of Massachusetts purchased the property for $4,000.00 and moved his young family here.

In 1976, as the nation celebrated its 200th anniversary, there was a renewed interest in historic preservation. The City of Falls Church chose the restoration and preservation of Cherry Hill Farm as its special bicentennial project. It was a cooperative effort between the City and community groups. While the City owned the land and buildings the Friends of Cherry Hill Foundation was founded to furnish the house and barn. Extensive research and time went into acquiring appropriate furnishings for this Greek Revival style house and mid-19th century barn. The Friends also trained docents to give tours and began educational programs that would interpret life in mid-19th century Virginia.

Acquisition information:
Archival files were created by the librarians responsible for the history room.
Processing information:

The processing, arrangement, and description of this collection was completed in February 2026.

Physical description:
2 boxes