National Register of Historic Places

Bel Air

Minnieville, Prince William County, Virginia
Listed
February 25, 1970
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
70000823

About this property

Bel Air Manor is a colonial-era plantation manor located in Minnieville, Prince William County, Virginia. Built in 1740 as the Ewell family seat, the home was regularly visited by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, who was a cousin. It later served as the home of Mason Locke Weems (1759–1825), the first biographer of George Washington and the creator of the cherry tree story ("I cannot tell a lie, I did it with my little hatchet"). Extraordinarily well preserved for its age, Bel Air was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Today, Bel Air remains a private residence and an events venue. Bel Air is not to be confused with "Bel Aire", a similarly named house five miles to the east.

Location

Minnieville, Prince William County, Virginia
38.64226, -77.36173

Categories

LITERATUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Goodwill Historic District, Chopawamsic RDA Camp 1
Listed
3.1 mi
Prince William Forest Park Historic District
Listed
3.4 mi
Pleasant Historic District, Chopawamsic RDA Camp 4
Listed
3.5 mi
Fair Oaks
Listed
4.5 mi
Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Historic District
Civil War
4.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bel Air listed on the National Register?

Bel Air was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 25, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Bel Air?

Bel Air is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bel Air?

The period of significance for Bel Air is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Bel Air?

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