Taylor's Tavern - Wikiwand

Taylor's Tavern was a significant outpost for Union Forces during the US Civil War. It was among the first locations in Virginia where the two opposing sides came into contact.^[1] The tavern was probably built about 1800 near the site of an old Indian trading post at Seven Corners.^[2]

An inscription on a historical marker placed by the City of Falls Church, Virginia, at Taylor's Tavern, reads:

Two-story building with verandahs stood on 56 acres bought in 1856 by Wm. Taylor (part of 1731 271-acre T. Harrison grant). Tavern faced Alexandria-Leesburg Pike west of Junction with Georgetown Road (Wilson Boulevard). Near here on June 24, 1861, balloonist Thaddeus Lowe conducted first aerial reconnaissance in U.S. military history. In August–September CSA Col. J.E.B. Stuart's troops fortified Upton's & Munson's Hills. By October 1861 Union troops had reoccupied hills and added forts Taylor, Buffalo, and Ramsay as a separate group 4–5 miles west of main ring of Washington defenses.^[3]

The tavern was the site of the first aerial reconnaissance mission in the United States, a balloon flight by Thaddeus S. C. Lowe on June 24, 1861. With the assistance of a detachment of fifteen men, he carried his craft, the Enterprise, to the tavern site, from which he conducted a number of test flights.^[4]

The site of the tavern is today marked by Fort Taylor Park, a city park.^[5] 38°52.530′N 77°09.467′W / 38.875500°N 77.157783°W / 38.875500; -77.157783

References

↑ "Falls Church During the Civil War" (PDF). Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society.
↑ Jean Rust (1970). All-American Crossroads. p. 11.
↑ "Falls Church During the Civil War" (PDF). Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society.
↑ "Taylor's Tavern Historical Marker". Hmdb.org. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
↑ "Chapter 9 Historic Preservation". fallschurchva.gov. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.

v t e Fairfax County, Virginia in the American Civil War
Battles	Battle of Blackburn's Ford Battle of Chantilly Battle of Dranesville Battle of Fairfax Court House (June 1861) Battle of Fairfax Court House (June 1863) First Battle of Bull Run Second Battle of Bull Run Battle of Vienna, Virginia
Skirmishes	Bog Wallow Ambush Lewinsville
Raids	Burke's Station Raid Mosby's Raids
Units	8th Virginia Infantry 17th Virginia Infantry 1st Virginia Cavalry 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry Georgia Hussars (later Jeff Davis Cavalry Legion, Company F) 3rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment 45th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment 16th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry First New Jersey Brigade 2nd Vermont Brigade XXII Corps (Union Army) Union Army Balloon Corps
People	Clara Barton Michael Corcoran Antonia Ford Thaddeus Lowe John Quincy Marr John S. Mosby Laura Ratcliffe Edwin H. Stoughton
Sites	Clarens (Alexandria, Virginia) Centreville Military Railroad Colvin Run Mill Fort Lyon (Virginia) Fort Marcy Park Hope Park Huntley (plantation) Fort O'Rourke Merrybrook Oak Hill (Annandale, Virginia) Okeley Manor Ossian Hall (plantation) Ox Hill Battlefield Park Ravensworth (plantation) St. Mary's Church (Fairfax Station, Virginia) Taylor's Tavern William Gunnell House (Fairfax, Virginia) Mason's Hill Minor's Hill Munson's Hill Upton's Hill Bailey's Crossroads Wolf Run Shoals

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