Lake Accotink is a reservoir in North Springfield in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. A dam. There will be a sampling boat on the lake & a van with engineers and technicians processing the sediment cores in the parking lot. This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged #NRPAGetWild, Beavers, Box Turtles, Clermont, Coyotes, Fox, Get Wild, IMA, Invasive Management Area, Lake Accotink, Loftridge, Nottoway Park, NRPA, Royal Lake Park, Wildlife on July 25, 2012 by Fairfax County Park Authority. The project involves construction of a pipeline and a large clearing in Wakefield Park for drying out the sediment removed from the lake. Media in category "Lake Accotink Park" The following 35 files are in this category, out of 35 total. The members raced on the lake according to the rules of the International Yacht Racing Association. Between 1972 and 1982 the Lake Accotink Yacht Club, founded by Springfield resident Ernest (Buddy) Belote, raced their eight foot dinghies. A creek, no lake. I (and a few other kids) used to occasionally visit the old previous dam and swim in the gap between the two sections of the dam, as there was a pool there with pretty good depth. This 493 acre park provides excellent opportunities to relax, learn, and enjoy the natural resources of both Lake Accotink and Accotink … The Park Authority's history with Lake Accotink Park began in 1960 with the leasing of 242 acres of land that at the time was owned by the federal government. Dedicated to the History of Burke, Virginia. The Fitzhugh property known as Ravensworth has now been divided between the 5 children of Robert E. Lee. Lake Accotink was constructed in 1943-44 by the U.S. Army as a reservoir for Fort Belvoir. How can they take time to admire these little boys skinny dipping and toot their whistle? Save Lake Accotink Petition Presented to Board of Supervisors, June 5, 2018: Supervisor Cook presented the Save Lake Accotink petition with over 4000 signatures to the Board of Supervisors on June 5th. https://burkehistoricalsociety.org/a-history-of-lake-accotink-part-1/, https://vaaccotink.weebly.com/1945-pics-and-notes.html, Virtual meeting: The Mayflower and Early New England Immigration, Genealogy, Beyond Ancestry.com: Finding Your Loved Ones. Watch for the next installment of the story of Lake Accotink coming in the near future. View Races at This Venue Course Maps The dam was dismantled in 1922 when engineers felt it threatened the safety of the railroad bridge. My dad worked for the government for a short period of time, and often used that train stop during the late 1930’s. If you wish to attend, please meet FLAP at the railroad trestle at 10:30 am. I went into the Army in mid-1945, but before then several buddies and I occasionally made a couple-mile trek to go swimming in the new lake. A. Humphreys, after a distinguished Civil War engineer, General Andrew Humphreys. Lake Accotink: Learn about this Body of Water including what fish species can be caught as well as nearby places of interest such as where to buy fishing gear, licenses, equipment, and more. The modest development of boating facilities and concessions were soon followed by the addition of trails, picnic shelters, and a playground. From May thr… And that is a story for another day. That train stop disappeared due to non-use, probably about 1940 or so, but the said woods road was our primary access trail to get to that dam in the shadow of the RR trestle. The rapid increase in personnel due to the war necessitated another water source be found. The original intention was for this land to become a federal penitentiary. So what do these things have in common, the creek and Fort Belvoir? Originally known as the Springfield Dam, when it was first built in 1918, the dam created Lake Accotink as a safe, stable water source. This dam originally cost $100,000 to build and was contracted to the Amburson Construction Company. The reservoir it created covered 110 acres and was 23 feet deep. Lake Accotink Master Plan. No dam. The Origins of Lake Accotink (HM4DB). The current dam was built in 1943, again, to form a reservoir for Ft. Belvoir. Come see the sediment sampling operation in action. Airy and Cedar Grove changed hands considerably. The Southern RR then had passenger trains. This includes Robert E Lee II (married with two daughters), Mary Custis Lee Berkley (married with a son),  William Henry Fitzhugh Lee  aka “Rooney” (married with two children), Mildred Lee (who never married) and George Washington Custis Lee aka Custis (who never married.). . Whenever we heard the sound of the patrol boat we got out of the water, crawled under the fence and waited in the woods until the boat left that area. And we would skinny dip there, and just have a good time. But things changed in 1917. Lake Accotink Park: A Great Place for Families/Interesting History and Ecosystem - See 151 traveler reviews, 141 candid photos, and great deals for Springfield, VA, at Tripadvisor. The trail on the north side of the lake, as well as the paved trail downstream from the lake, are part of the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail which traverses Fairfax County. By the time the fall of 1918 arrived the number of troop’s had increased from 7500 in May to 25K in September. THE LAKE ACCOTINK COURSES The courses have been GPS measured for a 5k, 7.4K, 10K, 17.76K & Half Marathon distances. The prison was ultimately built in Lorton. Vernon and the idea was scraped. FLAP – Friends of Lake Accotink Park. Friends of Lake Accotink Park April 2016 A National Park … In 1912 the land was transferred by Congress to the War Department. Tubiganan ang Lake Accotink sa Tinipong Bansa. The reservoir it created covered 110 acres and was 23 feet deep. Waterfowl such as great blue herons, ducks, and Canadian geese float on the water. And we occasionally were observers of the construction activity during WWII as the remains of the old dam were demolished and the new dam was built, again to be an emergency water supply for the DC area. http://braddockheritage.org/. The Springfield Dam was built in 1918 for $100,000.The dam on Accotink Creek resulted in creating the reservoir lake of 110 acres, 23 feet deep. The parcels inherited by Rooney, Custis, and Mildred converge about where the Lake Accotink dam is currently. Lake Accotink Park Manager Julie Tahan explained: “Someone had placed rocks in the sluiceway last week, blocking it enough to prevent water from flowing through the sluiceway. I think maybe we weren‘t dumb enough to up on the trestle. When I became the ripe old age of thirteen, I got my driver’s permit which one could do at that age with parental consent. The camp continued in operation after the war and received the designation of Fort Humphreys. It begins north of Lake Accotink in the area of Fairfax City and ends at Accotink Bay where it empties into the Potomac west of Fort Belvoir. Accotink Creek was dammed to create a reservoir. As one of Fairfax County’s three lakefront parks, Lake Accotink Park attracts visitors from across the county but feels like a neighborhood park to the many residents who live nearby. Nor has there always been a Fort Belvoir. Let us travel down Accotink Creek, nearer to where it enters the Potomac. The last dredging, completed in 2008, cost $10 million. But it‘s a pleasant place. There was a passenger “Ravensworth” train stop located on the north side of the tracks maybe a quarter-mile west of the RR trestle. Due to sediment buildup, the lake is shrinking and will eventually disappear entirely if nothing is done. Originally known as the Springfield Dam, when it was first built in 1918, the first dam across Accotink Creek created Lake Accotink as a safe, stable water source for Camp Humphreys. Ang mga tanom sa palibot sa Lake Accotink kay hapit tanan dakbayanon ang … The land the army acquired was meant to serve the army as a summer camp and rifle range for the engineering corps stationed at nearby Washington Barracks in Washington, DC. Country: United States of America Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com! When the Fitzhugh family owned the land, no lake. Over the next 3 decades the Belvoir property as well as the property that was part of other plantations in the peninsula such as Mt. A The December 10, 2020, public meeting indicated the proposed pipeline and dewatering area still threaten wooded habitats. Lake Accotink Park, 7500 Accotink Park Road, Springfield, VA, 22150 More info: https://volunteer.fairfaxcounty.gov/custom/1380/#/organization_details/71653 Even so, the area now known as Lake Accotink Park was used for recreation by the neighbors. Five supervisors spoke favorably. In the 1930’s President Franklin D. Roosevelt was persuaded to rename Fort Humphreys as Fort Belvoir. And we had a Fort Humphreys, not a Fort Belvoir. At this point Anna Maria Sarah Goldsborough Fitzhugh (widow of William Henry Fitzhugh) and her niece Mary Ann Randolph Custis Lee (widow of Robert E. Lee) are both deceased. Lake Accotink hosts a great variety of wildlife. No lake. See which Lake Accotink Courses will be used in upcoming events. But they’d not only toot their whistle, but stick their head out the cab and yell when they would go by. See https://vaaccotink.weebly.com/1945-pics-and-notes.html. There may have been a leasing agreement. Lake Accotink Park offers opportunities to hike and bike miles of trails, fish from the shoreline, and observe the changing of the seasons. Red foxes, white-tailed deer and beaver dams are common along the edges of the lake. Originally known as the Springfield Dam, when it was first built in 1918, the first dam across Accotink Creek created Lake Accotink as a safe, stable water source for Camp Humphreys. In 1922 the first dam that created the first Lake Accotink was rendered unusable (that happens when you blow a big hole in it). Where did we leave the story of Lake Accotink? 1922. The railroad trestle was built as part of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in 1851. Link to video (17 minutes) . I think in those days it would be just the guys. The dam originally cost $100,000 to build and was contracted to the Amburson Construction Company. Dedicated to the History of Burke, Virginia, (In case you missed it, “A History of Lake Accotink- Part 1” can be found at https://burkehistoricalsociety.org/a-history-of-lake-accotink-part-1/). By Debra DeLoose Accotink Creek is around 25 miles in length. Location: West Springfield, VA 22152 Fairfax County Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com! In 1862, the Lake Accotink area was a busy place among Civil War troops on both sides, with a strategic railroad bridge crossing Accotink Creek … The homes, schools, shopping areas and many of the roads we now take for granted did not exist. The homes, schools, shopping areas and many of the roads we now take for granted did not exist. The main house — called Belvoir Manor or Belvoir Mansion — burned in 1783 and was completely destroyed during the War of 1812. The Corps of Engineers was in charge of monitoring and patrolling the lake after the new dam had been built. The next step for the lake will be county staff recommendations on a bond issue to go before the voters in November, 2019. 1922. Lake Accotink Park provides opportunities for outdoor recreation and enjoying nature across its 449 acres.