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Rippon Lodge

Rippon Lodge, Woodbridge, Virginia, in Prince William County (PWC), is perhaps the oldest standing structure in the county, its initial portion having been built about 1747. It stands upon a hilltop by the mouth of Neabsco Creek and the Potomac River. The 18th-century plantation had its own port from which tobacco was exported and it was located on the well-traveled King's Highway (now Route 1). The main house and 40 surrounding acres belong to the PWC government. The site is significant to Underground Railroad history, because it was a plantation using enslaved labor some of whom escaped while belonging to the Blackburn family (1733-1820) and the Atkinson families (1820-1920).

Historical documents verify that people enslaved at Rippon Lodge escaped during Thomas Blackburn's tenure. An 1804 newspaper notice for information regarding a freedom seeker named Rachel is signed "from the subscriber...T. Blackburn, Rippon Lodge near Dumfries."

Visitor Information: Currently open to public.

Location: 15520 Blackburn Road, Woodbridge, VA, 22191

National Register/National Historic Landmark Status: Rippon Lodge

National Park Unit: No

Ownership: Division Chief Hist Preservation Dv

Location Type: Site