The Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Public Works is dedicated to the preservation of Prince William County's historic treasures. We are the caretakers of historic structures, interiors, archaeological resources, natural resources, historic landscapes, artifacts and collections. Staff takes this responsibility very seriously. We understand the profound need to identify and protect these resources, preserve and rehabilitate historic sites for public use, and show connections between our history, our present, our future and our growth as a community.
We bring history to life and to light through interpretation, research, living history, special events, lectures and exhibits. By collecting, preserving and interpreting objects, documents, structures and archaeological resources, we can advance our knowledge of our history and make it meaningful to a diversity of today's citizens. We also invite citizen volunteers to learn about and share our important past with their fellow citizens and neighbors.
Prince William County has a strong local, state and national history. Our local past is rich with an agricultural heritage and a diverse and evolving population over the years. Our citizens played a formidable and important role in the history and formation of our state. Prince William played a significant part in our nation's history with our location and former citizen's participation in the founding of the United States.
Many people have called Prince William County home . . . from a long prehistory of American Indians, the early contact of American Indians with English settlers, the establishment and expansion of the English colonies, the foundation of a new nation, the horror of an American Civil War, the struggles and victories of an enslaved community, the healing of a nation, the industrial revolution and the step into the 20th and 21st centuries. Our staff balances its interpretation to show the lives and struggles of all walks of life throughout the history of our community.
Did you know?
Prince William County was named for William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the youngest son of King George II of England. The land for the County was carved out of Stafford and would initially include present-day Loudoun, Fauquier, Arlington and Fairfax Counties.