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Arkendale, Virginia

Stafford County, Virginia geography stubsUnincorporated communities in Stafford County, VirginiaUnincorporated communities in VirginiaUse mdy dates from July 2023

Arkendale is an unincorporated community in Stafford County, in the U.S. state of Virginia.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Arkendale, Virginia (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

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Latitude Longitude
N 38.438333333333 ° E -77.3425 °
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22555
Virginia, United States
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Public Quarry at Government Island
Public Quarry at Government Island

The Public Quarry at Government Island in Stafford County, Virginia is the principal source of Aquia Creek sandstone, a building stone used in many of the early government buildings in Washington, D.C., including the U.S. Capitol and the White House. A quarry was established just off the Potomac River at Wigginton's Island on Aquia Creek by George Brent after 1694, providing stone for tombstones and to houses and churches in northern Virginia, including Gunston Hall, Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, Mount Airy in Richmond County, Virginia, and Aquia Church, as well as steps and walkways at George Washington's Mount Vernon. Washington selected Aquia sandstone as the primary material for use in Washington's government buildings. Acting on the government's behalf, the Wigginton's Island quarry was purchased by Pierre Charles L'Enfant in 1791, becoming known afterward as Government Island.Use of the stone declined as its susceptibility to weathering was observed, and the quarry became worked out and derelict after the U.S. Civil War. The property was sold by the U.S. Government in 1963.The property was acquired by Stafford County as a county park and opened to the public on November 6, 2010 with trails and markers highlighting the historical significance of the island. The park has 1.5 miles of trails including an elevated wooden boardwalk through marsh and wetlands, part of the park is handicap accessible. It is a designated site on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Battle of Aquia Creek
Battle of Aquia Creek

The Battle of Aquia Creek was an exchange of cannon fire between Union Navy gunboats and Confederate shore batteries on the Potomac River at its confluence with Aquia Creek in Stafford County, Virginia. The battle took place from May 29, 1861 to June 1, 1861 during the early days of the American Civil War. The Confederates set up several shore batteries to block Union military and commercial vessels from moving in the Chesapeake Bay and along the lower Potomac River as well as for defensive purposes. The battery at Aquia also was intended to protect the railroad terminal at that location. The Union forces sought to destroy or remove these batteries as part of the effort to blockade Confederate States coastal and Chesapeake Bay ports. The battle was tactically inconclusive. Each side inflicted little damage and no serious casualties on the other. The Union vessels were unable to dislodge the Confederates from their positions or to inflict serious casualties on their garrisons or serious damage to their batteries. The Confederates manning the batteries were unable to inflict serious casualties on the Union sailors or cause serious damage to the Union vessels. Soon after the battle, on Sunday, July 7, 1861, the Confederates first used naval mines, unsuccessfully, off the Aquia Landing batteries. The Confederates ultimately abandoned the batteries on March 9, 1862 as they moved forces to meet the threat created by the Union Army's Peninsula Campaign. The U. S. National Park Service includes this engagement in its list of 384 principal battles of the American Civil War.

Marine Corps Brig, Quantico

Marine Corps Brig, Quantico was a Level I facility military prison operated at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Virginia from 1972 until December 31, 2011. The building was located in eastern Stafford County, south of the base headquarters. By definition, Level I means that it "provide[d] pretrial and short-term posttrial confinement support. Level I confinement facilities are generally limited to 90 or fewer days. When necessary, Level I facilities may confine prisoners more than 90 days, but not to exceed 1 year." Unlike Regional corrections facilities, counseling support for military prisoners is limited.In practice, the facility could house approximately 120–150 inmates in living arrangements ranging from squadbays (for the general population) to Special Quarters 2, which is effectively solitary confinement. The facility was used primarily as a place to temporarily harbor inmates awaiting transfer to longer term facilities, such as the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Security included a single chain-link fence about 20 feet high with razor wire, cameras, and guards. Guards were divided into three sections, composed of United States Navy and United States Marine Corps personnel in ranks from E-1 to E-6/7. In addition to security personnel, the Brig had a small administration staff including medical personnel and civilian cooks who worked with inmates to prepare meals. The Brig also offered a small library and chapel for weekly services. The Pretrial Confinement Facility at MCB Quantico was permanently closed on December 31, 2011, as part of cost-cutting measures recommended by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission. Prisoners awaiting trial will be held instead at a regional military correctional facility in Chesapeake, Virginia. The building was demolished by May 2013 at a cost of $590,264.