Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-11-07
ELECTION DAY IS QUIETlaRCHVEs0F BURGUNDY
Recent Burning of Mansion Near
Alexandria Suggests Memories of
The Ancient Estate

j 2.
Mr.. James D. Preston, residing
in Washington, contributes tie fol-
lowing interesting history OF Bur
gundy," the mansion on which estate
was recently destroyed by fire:
The recent destruction by fire OF
the fine old mansion which stood on
the crest of the hill known as Bur-
gundy removed a landmark that had
been familiar sight for several
generations. I wonder of the thou
sands who saw this house how many
ever gave thought to the history
of the land on which it was located!
: The Burgundy farm is in the CEN
ter of tract of 114S acres that was
granted to George Brent in 1877 by
the proprietors of the Northern
Neck. Upon his death, the land pass
ed to his two sons, George and Will
liam, and in 1880 they sold to Hugh
French eight hundred acres. Daniel
French, as son of Hugh, inherited
the land and in May 1742, seven
months before the county of Fair
fax was created, he sold four hun
d-ed acres to two brothers, Richard
and Robert Sanford, of Westmore
land county. These brothers evidently
were attracted to the norther coun.
ty by the marriage of sister to
Daniel French. The land was describ.
ed as "being on the south side Of
Holmes Run, but survey of Brent's
patent on file in the Fairfax court
house, made in 1902, shows that the
boundary line started at point on
Cameron Run, about one thousand
feet east of where is now located
the bridge on the Telegraph road.
This line ran in a north west di-
rection to the turnpike, the north
ern point of a great triangle, and
then in southwesterly direction
nearly two miles. From that point
its course..-was almost due east to.
the run that parallels the Telegraph
road at point about fifteen hun
dred feet south of where the Fran
CONAN road intersects the Telegraph
road, then up the run to.thc starting
point. Nearly four hundred acres Of
this land was retained by Daniel
French and upon his death, in 174S,
he provided that his glowing wife
Elizabeth" should have the use OF
the whole estate during her natural
life, but after her decease it was to
be divided between his godson,
Daniel Sanford, his sister, Margaret
Hansberry and Edward Sanford.
In 1882 they sold it to Josiah Wat
son, of Alexandria.
Robert Sanford's land, one hun
dred and ninety seven acres, was To-
Gated in the south west part of the
triangle, where is now the Evergreen
farm owned by C. H. GLADDEN..
Robert Sanford died in 1859 and all
OF this land became the property of
his eldest son, Richard, who sold it
to Josiah Watson in 1874 and re-
moved to Fauquier county where he
died in 1888. With the acquisition
of the Sanford parcel, Josiah Wat
son was the owner Of. All acres.
The writer endeavored to follow the
ownership to later period but the
loss of several of the deed books made
this impossible. With the sale of this
land by Richard there seems to end
all record of this family, although
he had five brothers, William, Robert
who is supposed to have served in
the Revolutionary war, John, James
and Edward and a sister. Frances.
But not one OF tHein 10 oS.ii' ii~'4
toned in the Fairfax county records
The land of the other brother, Rich
ard. two hundred and Sin acres, ad-
ioined that of Robert and is the site
of tho present Burgundy farm. re-
sided on this tract until his death in
1899 when all of his land passed to
his Youngest son, Presley, who sold
it to James Hewett Hooe, of AleXan-
dria. 1906. Thomas Sanford, a
former resident of Alexandra. who
was identified with the Alexandria
Washington Lodge, was a grand
I;sohi of this Richard, his father belne
Lawrence. 'the-ufdest son.; '=For
ffsa,ilN that was so prominent in the
early history of the county it seems
remarkable the very few traces LETT
Roth brothers. Richard and Robert
were inspectors of tobacco at the
Hunting Creek warehouse for many
wears. One question continually in