Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-12
THE RAMBLER WRITES OF LORTON,
A VIRGINIA NEIGF1BORHOOD NAME
Story of the Plasketts, Who
Gave the Name. of Their
English Home Village to a
Valley and Town Near
Washington.
ORION and Lewis Chapel are
names which have appeared in
previous narratives. Lorton is

names which have appeared in
| previous narratives. Lorton is a
| Fairfax county place-name. 1t
was the name of a store and post office,
and wide valley bordered by low ridges
came to be called Lorton valley. Through
| this valley flows Pohick creek, reinforced
by the currents of Middle run and
South run. When the railroad between
Washington and Richmond was built
across that valley in the early '70's,
and the Rambler believes it was in
1871. stop for accommodation trains
was set down there. The. stop was
day, and recently it has come into
prominence because of the increase
of population in the country tributary
to it and because it is the nearest
railroad station to the District work.
house and reformatory on Occoquan
creek. Another reason why it's fame
has spread is that it is the crossing of
road between Washington and Rich
mond. Lewis Chapel. about a mile
and half southeast of Lorton. stands
at the junction of the old Kings high
way between the Potomac and the
Rappahannock and the road which
leads from Lorton down Gunston Neck
by way of Lebanon, Springfield, Cum
ston Hall and Lexington to Hallow-
ing Point.
Perhaps you can recall that a few
sundays ago the Rambler, standing in
the solemn little graveyard at Lewis
chapel, jotted down these epitaphs:
Joseph Plaskett, born in Cumber-
land. England, June II, 1913; died May
%, 1S93." and "In Memory of Ann
Plaskett, born in Cumberland. Eng
land. October 20, 1880; died March 16,
1850" The Rambler also wrote: THE
worship about fourteen years ago,
when it was succeeded by new
building called Crawford Memorial,
which stands up the road little
piece-that is, about a.couple of hun
dred yards" Another thing which the
and which it is convenient to relate
for better understanding of this
story was:
Rain is falling. but the Rambler takes up
his pack and starts south from Lorton along
a quarter Of a mile. and then crosses it on a
high wooden bridge. where the railroad passes
through tinD q deep cut Across the bridge. a
and one is well started on the walk to Lewis
Chapel; Something like five minutes walk
a road evidently Of great age 1t is "cordu
royed'' now and bears indications that at one
time 1t was an important traffic way. The
idea that came into the head of the Rambler
was that this might have been a part Of the
kings highway. that famous north-south road
OF the American colonies 1t passes on in the
ferry over OccoQuan river.
Near the point where that old
corduroy road strikes off is a small
structure used as store. 1t seems
to be a "newish" building and prob
ably stands on the foundation Of an
is heavily wooded. but in front of it
stretches that green picture bit of
topography called Lorton valley.
This is Lorton store. 1t was opened
in the long ago by that Joseph
the shade of the oaks at Lewis
Chapel. When he was postmaster in
one of the years close following the
civil war the Post Office Department
named the office Lorton Valley. 1t is
clear that Joseph Plaskett had fixed
the name "Lorton" on the neighbor-
hood, and the naming Of the post Of
flee was an official recognition of
that fact. You noted in reading the
epitaphs of Joseph Plaskett and his
wife, Ann. that they were born in
Cumberland. England. in 1913 and
town in Cumberland, was their home,
and they fixed that. name upon their
home in the new world. A great
many Maryland and Virginia place
names have this history.
Cumberland is the northwestern
most county of England. being
bounded on the north by the Scottish
counties of Dumfries and Roxburgh,
east by northumberland, south by
Westmoreland and Lancaster and
west by the Irish sea. The names of
these counties were given to the old
est three counties of the northern
neck of Virginia. and the county of
Fairfax, near the south edge of
which the Plaskett family settled.
was successfully part Of Northum-
berland and Westmoreland. Half OF
the celebrated lake district lies in
Cumberland; the highest mountain s,d 9od in
rises in Cumberland. and there are
many interesting relics Of the the R 70 ian
county that lies before the Rambler
he does not find the little tie town own Of Of
Lorton, which is near the CITY OF
Cockermouth. but that is a detail
which you should yourself look up II