Benjamin Fairfax Family Cemetery

Hidden away in the suburbs of Fairfax are the small, secluded graves of a wealthy farmer and his wife who happen to share the name of the town where they reside. Though simple farmers, their graves serve as reminders for the community.

 

Benjamin Franklin Fairfax moved to the county with his wife Mary Ellen in 1860. They bought 200 acres of land and distributed all of it across the county. It is believed Benjamin fought in the Civil War for the Confederacy. Benjamin died in 1901, his wife in 1905. Since the couple were childless, the land was distributed among their nieces and nephews. By 1927, the estate had fallen out of family hands and became used for housing. Though the cemetery stands to this day.

 

The cemetery fell into a state of disrepair, but still stands thanks to county backing. In 2010, an Eagle Scout project restored the fence, but the stones themselves have become overgrown with vines and await another restoration.