Virginia Rambler: All Aboard!--Cinder Bed Road

**DRAFT--Please visit again to see the finished article.

One day, my husband and I decided to explore Cinder Bed Road, a road we'd seen on maps. It appeared to parallel the CSX train tracks and run from Alexandria to Newington, like so:

We went to the northern terminus, which is near the Franconia Springfield Metro (see top red arrow on map). We turned left onto a gravel road, thinking we were on the ever-so-rustic Cinder Bed Road. Very quickly we realized we were, in fact, on an access road used for railroad maintenance. It was not even remotely paved. It was so pitted that I feared our subcompact car would bottom out. The road was about as wide as our car, so turning around was out of the question. We rattled on, down the road, wondering what we'd do if we encountered a vehicle traveling toward us. Finally we found a place where it was wide enough--barely--to turn around, and we clattered back to the start of the road. I think a few of my fillings came loose that day, and I don't even want to think about what happened to my brain cells.

So, okay, two mistakes here: (1) That wasn't Cinder Bed; and (2) Even if we'd correctly driven onto Cinder Bed, we would have had to stop soon when woods overtook the road. That nice, solid white line on the map is a lie.

It's possible to walk the length of this road, although you have to cross Long Branch Creek en route. Here's a view of the "road" just past where you can't drive any further:

But we were still curious, and so we drove to the southern terminus of the road (see bottom red arrow on map). The southern end of Cinder Bed is a mix of industrial sites and a few old houses.

All of the houses are on lots that appear to now be zoned as commercial, not residential. At least one parcel of vacant land formerly had a log cabin on it, as recently as 2000. The presence of homes in the midst of industrial compounds is a bit of a mystery until you look at pictures of the area from 50 years ago, when this was a rural area.... but more about that later.

Click on any photo for a larger view.

7801 Cinder Bed Rd.
Appears to be owned by a family trust.
2,176 SF GFA (gross floor area). According to the Fairfax County property tax records, it was built in 1900 (most likely incorrect). Previous sale was in 1978 for $39,000. Assessed value is $427,480 in 2015. The land area is 49,602 square feet.

The house is large , and the exterior appears to be in good condition. But the best part of this property is behind the house: There's an honest-to-goodness barn! In this picture, we're standing behind the barn, looking toward the house:

Someone has planted trees on part of the land behind the house. In the distance, you can see houses in the Landsdowne community. (They are much closer than they appear here.)

Just look at this beautiful barn. What a surprise to find this on an industrial road in a very developed part of the county. Its nearest neighbors are the very expensive houses in the upscale Landsdowne subdivision.)

Ceiling of the barn.

View of the "big house" from the interior of the barn.

It looks like the barn was most recently used as a garage and workshop.

Tell me this next photo doesn't remind you of the color palette and textures of Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World." (Please click on this one to see the larger version--it's worth it.)

7813 Cinder Bed Road
Last sold for 3.6 million in 2015; on a 2-acre lot; owner listed in tax records is Iglesia Penecostal Bethel Inc. It sold for much more than its assessed value, which is
$739,480 for 2015. Tax records say it was built in 1900 (most likely incorrect). "Improved land with dilapidated structure," according to tax records.

A small house on a large lot. The opposite of the "McMansions" (large houses on small lots) that are becoming entirely too prevalent in northern Virginia. The house is unoccupied, but the grounds of this house are beautifully cared for.

Note the "door" in the ground just beyond the For Sale sign. Where does it lead?

A garage that appears to also have living quarters (note the ornate doors on the right).

7819 Cinder Bed Road
County tax records describe this one as "improved land with dilapidated structure." 1404 sq. ft. Year built listed as 1900 (most likely incorrect). Land area is 43,599 SF. GFA is 1,404. Last sold in 2005 (amount not listed). Owner is BAM Properties LLC, in Lorton.

You could easily miss this house, which is set back from the road and well-camouflaged by greenery.

There's ivy on the side of the house and moss on the roof.

The tall green shoots are evidence that someone once cared for this property and landscaped it.

[To come: more photos of the rustic and charming house at 7819 Cinder Bed Road, plus pictures of the environs and narrative about Cinder Bed Road. Also, photos and text about the "other end" of Cinder Bed Road, starting at the Franconia-Springfield Metro.]

Context: By 2002, this stretch of Cinder Bed was in atrocious condition. There were junkyards, chop shops, and squatter. The county launched a massive cleanup. Here's a screenshot from HistoricAerials.com, taken in 2002:

Sources

• Fairfax County Historic Marker (Newington), http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/histcomm/historicmarkers/newington.htm
• County Cleans Up An Old Road," Alexandria Gazette Packet, http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2003/aug/05/county-cleans-up-an-old-road/
• Cinder Bed Road Bus Garage (developer's site), http://www.turnerconstruction.com/experience/project/2AC8/cinder-bed-road-bus-garage
• "WMATA Breaks Ground on Cinder Bed Road Metrobus Facility, Greater Alexandria Patch, http://patch.com/virginia/greateralexandria/wmata-breaks-ground-on-cinder-bed-metrobus-facility-in-lorton
• http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7813-Cinder-Bed-Rd-Lorton-VA-22079/51971091_zpid
• Fairfax Co. Dept. of Tax Administration's Real Estate Assessment Information Site,  http://icare.fairfaxcounty.gov/ffxcare/Main/Home.aspx
• HistoricAerials.com

Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

Virginia Rambler: Tales from the Amberleigh Woods, Part 1

In my corner of Fairfax County, there are lots of small patches of woods. When I walk in these woods, I almost always find something surprising. A box turtle, an abandoned satellite dish, a makeshift kids' clubhouse. I seldom see other people (and when I do, we always spook each other).

The Amberleigh woods are no exception. In the midst of these woods are the ruins of an old brick structure. The roof is long since gone, and the brick walls are tumbling down. The highest remaining wall is about 5 feet high. The building itself is about 24 feet by 30 feet. None of the bricks I've examined are branded.

The interior of the building has filled in with dirt and leaves, so it's difficult to say whether we're seeing the base of the walls or a section midway up. Clearly it's been years since the structure was abandoned. Trees are now growing in the center of the structure.(Click this or any other picture to see a larger version.)

Sadly, local kids have graffitied the walls. I'm glad these youths are out in the woods getting some exercise, but I wish they'd restrain their 'artistic' impulses.

Here's one corner of the building.

This feature is near the center of the building. (In this photo, we're looking straight down at the floor.) Could it have been a hearth, or a chimney base? It's red brick, or clay, and it's square.

This is a close-up of one wall. I do hope it didn't sag like this when the building was occupied.

These ruins aren't too far from the subdivision. They're also very near Long Branch Creek and not far from the CSX/VRE train tracks. (One theory is that this was an old train station, but I don't think so; it's not in quite the right place, even relative to the old tracks before they were moved circa 1901; also, patrons would have had to cross a creek to get to the train station.)

The land here slopes downhill. If this was a home, the occupants would have found themselves rolling out of bed every night and landing in a heap against the bedroom wall. Although that would certainly explain why the structure was abandoned, I like to think there's a more fanciful back story. Perhaps this was a hunting cabin; the slope would have given hunters a good view of animals coming to drink at the nearby creek. Or perhaps it's the ruins of a Confederate Army fort, or a weekend retreat of some famous historical figure (kind of like Camp David, only smaller, closer to D.C., and much more modest . . . so, okay, not that much like Camp David after all).

Do you know this building? What was it used for, and whom did it belong to? Please share what you know so that I can write the ending to this tale from the Amberleigh woods.

Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.