This history page is a work in progress and will be updated as more information is validated about the residents of Huntley.
Sampson Darrell (son of William and Ann Fowke (Mason) Darrell) was a legal ward of his Uncle George Mason II until he was 21 years old. (Note: Ann Fowke Mason was Thomson Mason's great grand aunt.) Sampson was a Fairfax County Justice and was a large landowner, he owned the land that is now referred to as Groveton. Upon Sampson Darrell's death, his wife Mary and children continued to live on his estate. Upon his wife, Mary's death in 1795, their children were identified in her will. Sampson and Mary's son, William Darrell who had married Rachel Brooke (daughter of Thomas Brooke V and granddaughter of Thomas and Judith (Briscoe) Brooke IV) had inherited the land at the top of the hill on Route 1 along with the Darrell Spring to the west side of Route 1. One of the duaghters was Ann Darrell who married Commodore Walter Brooke (son of Thomas and Sarah Taliaferro (Mason) Brooke IV - Sarah was Thomas' 2nd wife) and lived at "Retirement" now referred to as "Stoneybrooke".
Samuel Collard (born in Prince George's Maryland) was a tavern keeper in King George Parish around 1770s and was licensed to keep an ordinary at the Eastern Branch ferry on Anacostia River. He married Agnes Ouchterloney. By June 1784, Samuel and his wife Agnes had moved across the Potomac, where Samuel served on a jury in Fairfax County. He was operating a tavern in Alexandria by October 1784. One of Samuel and Agnes (Ouchterloney) Collard's sons was Samuel Collard Jr.
Samuel Collard Jr. (born about 1773 in Fairfax County, VA) purchased a lot in Alexandria on Queen Street just east of Washington Street, before Dec 25, 1796.
Samuel Collard Jr. married Rachel (Brooke) Darrell (dau of Thomas Brooke V), the widow of William Darrell (son of Sampson and Mary Darrell). With this marriage, he acquired all of the land that she inherited from her family and from her husband. Samuel also was the guardian of Rachel's 4 young sons: Walter S., Sampson, William S. and Clement B. Darrell.
Samuel and Rachel lived on her land, which was handed down by her grandfather, Sampson Darrell to his heirs that included the manson home and Darrell's Spring. Samuel and Rachel had 3 known children: Elizabeth S. "Eliza", John Ricketts and James J. The acreage of the farm increased by several purchases enabling Samuel to give land to his sons in 1831, specifically to John Ricketts Collard, who received 107 acres. John lived at "Sparrow Hill" near what is now known as Popkins Lane.
Upon his wife, Rachel's death, he advertised his home "Mount Pleasant", a 270-acre farm, for rent in the Alexandria Gazette as being located on the Mount Vernon Road three miles from Alexandria. There was a large apple orchard, springs and a six-room dwelling house with a good cellar. "on an elevated situation and there is a fine view of the Potomac".
In 1835, William S. Darrell (son of Walter and Rachel (Brooke) Darrell) married Sarah Virginia Brooke (dau of Walter Darrell and Lucy A. (Triplett) Brooke, granddaughter of Walter and Ann (Darrell) Brooke and great granddaughter of Thomas and Sarah Taliaferro (Mason) Brooke ). Point of reference, the residence of Walter Darrell and Lucy (Triplett) Brook was "Mount Eagle" and in 1810 Walter advertised "Retirement" (aka Stoneybrooke) for rent. William and Sarah Virginia (Brooke) Darrell has 7 known children between 1836 and 1849.
In 1847, Samuel Collard Jr.'s will stated "the graveyard at the farm on which I reside and which is an old family burying place, about one-fourth acre, is to be kept forever, never to be conveyed under any circumstances." This is the graveyard at 3212 Arundel Avenue.
Additional validated information for the timeframe between 1847 and 1881, connecting Samuel Collard's family with the residents of Huntley or the Mason family is still under research. Although a relationship is certainly a reasonable assumption based on the marriages of Mason, Brooke, Darrell and Collard. This area continues to be researched and will be updated as more information is obtained.
Based on the "History of the Theological Seminary in Virginia and its Historical Background", one of the Virginia Theological Seminary students that served at the Groveton Mission in 1881, Carl E. Grammer, referred to Miss Susie Pierson and Miss Clara B. Harrison. Miss Susie Pierson and Miss Harrison played the organ and taught Bible classes at the Groveton Mission. The location of this mission is now part of the St. Louis Catholic Church on the corner of Richmond Highway and Popkins Lane. The mission used the first Groveton Schoolhouse for their Bible studies until the Christ Methodist Protestant Church of Groveton was built on Richmond Highway in 1903.
The Pierson and Harrison families were from New Jersey and in 1868 acquired Huntley along with 890.5 acres. In 1871, they split the Huntley land tract.
Based on the 1870 census, Nathan Williams Pierson (son of Elijah and Martha Williams Pierson) married Susan Elizabeth Harrison (dau of Abiatha and Elizabeth Williams Harrison) and Susan's brother, Albert W. Harrison who married Angeline Crane were living in Fairfax County. The Piersons lived on the Huntley land south of the current Huntley House. The Harrisons lived in the Huntley House.
Nathan W. and Susan E. Pierson had 6 known children: Frederick Harrison, Emma L., Edward W., Harriet "Hattie" S., Henry "Harry" W. and Susan "Susie" E. Frederick, who was married by 1870 worked as a portrait photographer in NJ. Eventually Edward join his brother as Pierson Brothers providing portrait photographs, picture frames and window shades in Elizabeth, Union NJ. The St. Mark's Episcopal Church history, identifies Hattie, Harry and Susie E. as active members of the church. Susie E. was an artist and art teacher.
Albert W. and Angeline Harrison had 4 known children: Clara Billings, Margaret Norwood, Mary Curtis and Albert "Bert" Russell. All of these children were living in Fairfax in 1870 with their parents. The St. Mark's Episcopal Church history, identifies Clara B. as the first organist of the Groveton Mission. The St. Mark's history also references Mary Curtis as "pillar of Christ Chapel" and Bert as a member of the church's first vestry in 1923. Albert "Bert" R. Harrison owned and operated the dairy farm at Huntley. Earl and Gladys (Wease) Alcorn and their children lived at Huntley and cared for Albert in his later years.