The original Fairfax Station was constructed in the 1850s by Irish immigrants who settled in the surrounding area, creating the town that became the station s namesake. Central to the station s historical significance are the Civil War battles of Second Manassas and Chantilly. During the Civil War the railroad and the station were of great strategic importance. Serving first as a supply base for Union forces during the summer of 1862, Fairfax Station became a center for emergency treatment and transportation of the wounded to Alexandria. Clara Barton nursed many of over 3,000 wounded soldiers that lay on the hill between historic St. Mary s Church and the depot. The depot was eventually destroyed by advancing Confederate soldiers. Union troops later rebuilt it. In the years of peace that followed, Fairfax Station became the primary railroad station serving the growing county seat, the City of Fairfax. In 1973, Southern Railway closed the station, which was the last operating railroad station in Fairfax County. In 1975 a group of concerned citizens began efforts to save the old depot. With Southern Railway s donation of the building and financial and volunteer assistance from local groups, the Friends of Fairfax Station, Inc. reconstructed the station on donated land just up the hill from the original site. It now serves as both a museum of Civil War, railroad, and local history as well as a bustling community center. The museum houses Civil War, Red Cross, and historic railroading memorabilia along with a variety of artifacts found in and around the old station. In more recent years, many donors have added to the historic items in the museum.

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