Category: Matthew Eng

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Arlington Matthew Eng Podcast

The Washington Luna Park Assault Case (Part III)

This is the last of a three-part series on the an assault case that happened in the opening year of Washington Luna Park in 1906. Read the first article HERE. Read the second article HERE.

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

Offbeat NOVA · (S1E3) The Washington Luna Park Assault Case (Part III)

The facts continued to repeat in the newspapers. Ms. Gooding failed to identify the prisoner when she first saw him in the lineup. This was corroborated by four officers who saw her pick another man. The man she identified had been in jail since January of that year. She was also the only person to testify of the assault because Forrest Gooding had run away to the park gate for help. She also claimed to have throat bruises, but no physician was ever called to testify to that condition, and she appeared otherwise normal, if not a bit frazzled.1 

“Do these facts seem to justify an impartial, unbiased mind in reaching a conclusion of guilt and fixing the punishment at death? Was not the alibi proved by a preponderance of testimony, or was it not certainly sufficient to raise in the minds of the jury a reasonable doubt of the prisoner’s guilt, and was not the failure to identify at once, at first sight, a fatal obstacle to the prosecution’s case?”2


Evening Star, November 14, 1906. 

Clements fully believed in the man’s innocence. He wasn’t the only one. With the appeal put in place, the only thing to do was wait. 

The answer came in the second week of December, just one week before Wright was sentenced to hang on the following Friday. On December 11, 1906, James Clements received a writ of error from the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. That in the least postponed the hanging from happening the following week. The writ claimed that new evidence had been found and that the verdict was circumstantial and largely due to public clamor than actual evidence. The case went under review once again because of Ms. Gooding’s inability to recognize the individual at first and Wright’s strong alibi on the night of the alleged incident. The liveryman’s testimony that Wright returned to the stable around the same time of the incident made it very difficult to connect the two. Wright was hopeful he would get a new trial.3 

The case was argued before the higher court on January 10th of the following year, with no decision made after the first week in February. Throughout this, Wright continued to proclaim his innocence. A decision was finally made by the Court of Appeals in Richmond in mid-March, which affirmed the decision of the lower court on a decision of three to two.4 

Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 22, 1907

The next day, the Richmond Times-Dispatch ran with the headline “Court Divided, But Wright Must Hang.” The verdict could not be reversed in a case like this unless it was found that new evidence was insufficient to warrant the finding of the jury. The decision also stated that no new trial would be granted. The article ended with a haunting and foreboding warning for trials of its kind to come in the future:

“It is further stated that the guilt of the accused is purely a question of fact, and that if the witnesses for the Commonwealth were worthy of credence, of which the jurors were the exclusive judges, there can be no question that the verdict is neither contrary to the evidence nor without evidence to support it.”5 

Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 15, 1907

John Wright was a dead man walking. Wright was sentenced to hang on May 31, 1906. 

Interest in the case continued to grip the local community. Clements continued to fight for Wright. He went to work and prepared another petition to the court of appeals for a rehearing. More revelations came out regarding the other crime Wright was accused of, the murder of Jackson Boney. According to one report, a woman named Anna Green, a woman of “debased character,” accused Wright of murdering Boney when she herself was with Boney on the night in question near the Long Bridge that connected Virginia to the district. The details she offered authorities was “beyond belief,” and put Wright nowhere near either incident. Her testimony would have undoubtedly spread doubt to Wright’s conviction. Yet these facts and information were summarily dismissed from appearing at the case.6  

In the midst of these appeals, it was reported in the Alexandria Gazette that Forrest W. Gooding had gone missing on April 26, 1907. Mrs. Gooding noted in the article that Gooding had been in a nervous condition since the conviction of Wright and that Black individuals in the neighborhood had “threatened to kill him.” No mention in the news was ever made of his reappearance.7 

A small community movement began towards the end of May 1907 to present Virginia Governor Claude A. Swanson with a request to overturn the execution by hanging. Governor Swanson put another stay in the execution until August 30th so he could fully absorb all details of the case. It was decided by Governor Swanson on that date that he would commute the sentence, and instead give Wright a life sentence in prison. With all the facts laid before him, Swanson had in his official statement “a serious doubt as to the identity and guilt of the prisoner.”8 

Wrongfully accused or not, Wright escaped the gallows but was resigned to live his life as a prisoner, not a free man, for a crime he undoubtedly did not commit. 

THE END

The park continued to run for nearly another decade before it met its untimely end in 1915. On April 9, 1915, a fire destroyed the roller coaster. According to the Washington Post, “the origin of the fire is thought to have been from sparks from a blaze in the woods adjoining the park.” The closest fire stations were in Washington and Alexandria, so the park’s premier attraction was a total loss, even if very little else was taken by the flames. Regardless of this fact, the park was closed and dismantled later that year.9 

The site of Luna Park today is the Arlington County sewage treatment facility. Nearby on the corner of Glebe and South Eads is an unassuming transportation marker hidden in a tree. (Matthew Eng/Offbeat NOVA)

Today, the land on the corner of Glebe Road and South Eads St. near Four-Mile Run is occupied by the Arlington County sewage treatment facility. No evidence of the park exists. Only a small transportation marker for the Washington, Alexandria, & Mt. Vernon Railway exists behind a gate and an overgrown tree. I couldn’t help but think how close I was standing to the incident with John Wright and Mable Risley on a warm evening in the later summer of 1906. 

I wanted to come out of my research on this once beautiful park with sanguine thoughts and waves of nostalgia. Instead, I have very mixed emotions about the park’s legacy. In the wake of the racially motivated violence we have witnessed in recent memory, I take pause and think about how many of these incidences have occurred in American history. Too many. 

How many like John Wright were lucky enough to narrowly avoid the gallows? How many more were lynched without the benefit of a trial? There are multiple examples in the area when mob mentality won out at the turn of the century. It’s sobering to think how little some things have changed over the course of one hundred years. With so much progress, society continually lags in the pack. All you have to do is read the news. It would be at least comforting to say incidents like that of Mr. Wright were unprecedented. But the world sadly does not work that way. Not then. Not now.

Forest S. Gooding Death Notice (Ancestry)

I don’t know what happened to John Wright at this moment in time. There are prison records in Richmond, but that will take time to find out at this time. Life was easy for the Goodings, however. Census records show that the couple settled in Wheaton, Maryland, in Montgomery County, shortly after the yearlong trial and commutation process ended for Wright. By 1910, the two had two children, including a newborn son named James. When the 1920 census was collected, the Gooding’s had four children. Forest Gooding died on September 23, 1929. Mabel remained a caretaker beyond her husband’s passing, dying in 1976. 

But what happened to John Wright?

Should I look up Joseph Thomas or his more common alias, John Wright? These are questions I will ask myself self in the future when it’s safe to venture out and research more intimately. Rest assured, I want to bring some sort of closure to this story. I think John would want that — a slice of freedom he was never given. His story, like those both known and unknown by the public today, matters. His life matters. Especially since the only life he got was one attached to a sentence from a broken system. 

Footnotes:

  1. Evening Star, November 14, 1906. 
  2. Evening Star, November 14, 1906. 
  3. Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 12, 1906. 
  4. Alexandria Gazette and Virginia Advertiser, March 14, 1906.
  5. Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 15, 1907. 
  6. Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 22, 1907. 
  7. Alexandria Gazette, April 27, 1907. 
  8. Virginia Citizen, August 30, 1907. 
  9. “Luna Park – 1915,” Arlington Fire Journal & Metro D.C. Fire History, June 24, 2009. Accessed April 24, 2021, LINK.

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Arlington Matthew Eng Podcast

The Washington Luna Park Assault Case (Part II)

This is the second of a three-part series on the an assault case that happened in the opening year of Washington Luna Park in 1906. Read the first article HERE.

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

Offbeat NOVA · The Washington Luna Park Assault Case (Part II)

Forrest W. Suddenly Gooding took the stand on Halloween in John Wright’s trial at the Circuit Court of Alexandria county. He identified Wright, the defendant, as the one who assaulted them on the 9th of September. Gooding retold his side of the story to the jury and Commonwealth’s Attorney Crandal Mackey, whose job it was to prove Wright’s guilt. Mackey would later make fame in Arlington and Alexandria as a champion of prohibition.   

Crandal Mackey was the district attorney in charge of convicting John Wright of assault against Ms. Mabel Risley on September 9, 1906 (Offbeat NOVA)
Crandal Mackey (WETA/Boundary Stones)

It was noted in the Alexandria Gazette article that the two had been married in the month and a half since the incident. 

A variety of other witnesses took the stand that day. Ms. Risley’s sister, Mamie L. Sullivan, took the stand to testify that she had, despite being happily married, been in “ill health ever since the occurrence.”1 

Mabel Risley, now Mabel Gooding, took the stand in the late afternoon until almost six in the evening. She also identified Wright as the assailant who committed the crime. She also testified that Mr. Wright had jumped out of the underbrush, knocked Mr. Gooding unconscious with a club in one hand and a pistol in another before choking her, assaulting, and robbing her. Hannah Thomas, the common-law wife of Mr. Wright, testified that he had taken her out for a drive that Sunday afternoon, returning the horse and buggy to a livery stable between 8 pm and 9 pm.2 

Testimony opened up on the first of November with Captain Edward S. Randsell of the Washington District jail. Randsell testified that the couple came to the jail on September 22nd to identify Wright. According to him, when given a lineup of Wright and five or six other individuals, she pointed to another African American man named Henry Johnson, alias “Alabama Joe.” A police officer with her let her know that that was not the correct person, and she correctly identified Wright as the accused after some gentle persuasion by the policemen, Officer Wood. Yet Randsell testified that Wright was not correctly identified first and that it was “not done properly.”3 

More corroborative testimony happened that day in the defense of Wright. A total of four officers at the jail, James Corrigon, William A. Sword, Thomas S. Hope, and Captain Randsell, all stated that Mabel Gooding identified Henry Johnson as the responsible individual, and kept her eyes on him most of the time.  The warden of the jail testified to not taking an active interest in the case, yet told Mr. Mackey that Mr. Wright should not sign papers presented by Mr. Mackey. He felt it was in the best interest of John Wright to seek counsel before signing anything presented by a Commonwealth’s Attorney. He was absolutely right. A cross-examination from Mrs. Gooding yielded little results.4  

At 3 pm, Wright took the stand. He denied all charges, accounting for his whereabouts that evening. As corroborated in his wife’s testimony, Wright declared that he was driving when the crime took place. He denied ever owning a pistol. He noted that the policemen Wood directed Ms. Gooding toward Wright, asking her “Is this the man” after incorrectly picking him out in the lineup. She only identified him after he spoke. Wright also denied ever being near Luna Park. The Evening Star included a play-by-play of his testimony, going further into the allegations made against Officer Wood: 

“He stated that he was arrested by Policeman Wood of Washington, and that the officer said” ‘I have got $100 on you.’” 

Evening Star, November 1, 1906

The jury was then sent away to deliberate after the evidence and testimonies wrapped up around 8:30 pm.5 

If you opened up the newspaper on November 2, 1906, you would see one of the local headlines read: “Joseph Thomas, Alias Wright, Sentenced to Be Hanged.” 

John Wright trial verdict in the Luna Park Assault Case (Offbeat NOVA)
Evening Star, November 2, 1906

At midnight that night before, the jury indicted John Wright for criminal assault on Mabel Risley, now Ms. Gooding. The deliberation only lasted forty-five minutes. The punishment was death. When asked if he had anything to say, Wright said nothing. The sentence was to be carried out on December 14, 1906, between 6 am and noon. The article noted that Wright “did not apparently realize the gravity of the penalty imposed.”6

A motion was put forth by Wright’s attorney, James E. Clements, to set aside the verdict and grant a new trial. This was immediately overturned by the judge in charge, Judge Charles Edgar Nicol. Clements moved for a stay of execution for forty days to allow counsel for the defense to prepare an appeal to the state supreme court. The judge reiterated that Wright had received a fair trial before “an intelligent jury.” At that point, the death penalty had not been conducted by Alexandria County authorities since 1873.7 

One of the other attorneys for the defense argued that there should be some consideration as to whether a crime was actually committed, as it was shown that no rape has been committed. He arraigned Commonwealth Attorney Mackey for not trying Mr. Wright on the murder of Jackson Boney, something that was completely tossed out through the course of the trial. Mackey surmised that attempted rape was “punishable by death, and he asked that Wright be sent to the scaffold.”8

circuit court alexandria john wright offbeat nova
Circuit Court in Alexandria today (Library of Congress)

A reported for the Evening Star contacted defense attorney James E. Clements a week and a half later, asking him about the progress of Wright’s case. It was noted that the sheriff and Crandall Mackey had all but secured a guarantee for a December 14, 1906, hanging. Clements stressed he still had room for an appeal to Judge Nicol, and was in preparation to send the necessary papers to Richmond at the court of appeals of Virginia. He also said that he had not understood that “it was a part of the duty of a commonwealth’s attorney to personally assist in hanging a man he had prosecuted.” By then, the public in Alexandria County was well aware of the trial, asking if the swift verdict of a death penalty justified by the case’s shaky evidence? Why the haste?9 

Footnotes:

  1.  Alexandria Gazette, November 1, 1906. 
  2.  Alexandria Gazette, November 1, 1906. 
  3.  Evening Star, November 1, 1906. 
  4.  Evening Star, November 1, 1906. 
  5.  Evening Star, November 1, 1906.
  6.  Evening Star, November 2, 1906. 
  7.  Evening Star, November 2, 1906. 
  8.  Evening Star, November 2, 1906. 
  9.  Evening Star, November 14, 1906. 
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Matthew Eng offbeat eats Prince Willilam County

Offbeat Eats: Et Tu, Egg Foo Young? (UPDATE)

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

This is an update to our January 23, 2021 Offbeat Eats article on the Taste of Asian restaurant in Gainesville, VA. You can read it HERE.

Fear leads to panic, panic leads to pain
Pain leads to anger, anger leads to hate
– “Danny Nedelko,” Idles

I have previously mentioned that I do not get to see my parents that often during this COVID pandemic. Although my parents moved up to the Northern Virginia in December 2019 from Virginia Beach, our plans to get together often were prematurely cut short due to the Coronavirus. Since then, this last year has only saw my family visiting my parents a handful of times. They are thankfully taking precautions as serious as we are. 

Not everybody should be Florida…nor should they. Anyways. 

We had a chance to get together this past weekend. If you read our brief Offbeat Eats article on Chinese food, you might venture to guess where I wanted to pick up food after our visit: Taste of Asian in Gainesville. My dad took out his take out menu from the restaurant and jotted down several soups, appetizers, and dishes for everyone to share. That of course included my personal favorite, egg foo young. My dad left the room to make the phone call to place our order while my daughter played with my mom. Several minutes later, my dad entered the living room from his office looking perturbed. When I asked why, he said he tried calling several times without an answer. Puzzled myself, I went to find the number on Google to make the call when I saw a short line of text written underneath the restaurant’s name: Permanently Closed. 

It seems that Taste of Asian had closed between the last time we visited in late January and March 2021. When I told my dad, he lowered his head and held the takeout menu a little tighter. He seemed a little upset while he stared at the order he would never make. I knew why. He didn’t even have to tell me.

My father is Chinese. He was born in Hong Kong in 1951. He lived in a one room apartment in the slums of the city. No running water. No toilets. Yet, through all of that, his family was resilient. His father left his family when he was an infant to work in a Jersey City laundromat to save up money for his family to immigrate. Jesuits taught my father English in the meantime, and when it came time for my family to come to the United States, my father was armed with a love of the New York Yankees (something still many feel is distinctly “American”) and the myriad possibilities America had to offer. 

Some Chinese call America the “Golden Mountain.” My family felt that way and took it to heart. Facing his own challenges of adversity, my dad worked hard and carved out his own path on that mountain. For him and countless other Asian immigrants of the “model minority,” I can only imagine how it must feel to see similar situations dashed due to Coronavirus. Sure, there are other businesses that have been forced to close due to the pandemic, but not at the rate and intensity of Asian businesses. And if you don’t believe me, there are facts and information. 2,800 hate incidences since March of 2020. Between February and April of 2020, an estimated 233,000 Asian-American small businesses closed. Restaurants, service industries, small businesses. There are two kinds of viruses that exist. One of the body and the other of the mind. 

I can’t tell you exactly why Taste of Asian closed. I can only speculate. But if I have learned anything, I have learned to trust my gut. My gut tells me that this wonderful restaurant was another casualty to Coronavirus and a decline in sales due to the prevalent thoughts of the time. I felt compelled to drive out to the restaurant to see if anyone was there. It was empty. The owners left a lovely note about their fifteen-year business. It breaks my heart to pieces.

Taste of Asian Closing Note (Matthew Eng/Offbeat NOVA)

I’ve seen racist comments from friends and family over this past year. I was mocked to a degree as a kid. There were only two or three other asians in my elementary school growing up, so I know I stuck out like a sore thumb. A few bullies squinted their eyes and thought it was funny. Seeing those comments took me back to a place I never thought I would have to visit again. I’ve kept my mouth shut for the most part. I am upset and ashamed for not speaking up. I mostly did it out of respect for family members or friendships. For one, I think of my daughter. She may only be one-quarter Asian, but I want her as proud of her heritage as I am. You can’t fight hate with hate. Only knowledge and understanding.

What I do know is that Taste of Asian was a small family business. When we were able to visit them in person, they always gave us excellent service with a smile. They served excellent food, and I hate updating my previous post on their egg foo young by telling you that I’ll never have it again. 

The egg foo young from the new place was okay, but not nearly as good as Taste of Asian’s.

We ended up supporting another Chinese restaurant down the street in Gainesville. Yes, we ordered the egg foo young. Unfortunately, it was not as good as Taste of Asian’s. 

Stop AAPI hate. For more information, visit this LINK. 

Be as water, my friends.

我愛你

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Matthew Eng Postscripts prince william county

Offbeat Postscripts: Steel City NOVA in Mindhunter

Offbeat Postscripts is a series of short posts where we cover small topics of offbeat history in Northern Virginia. 

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

When we started this blog in July of last year, I talked about the reasons we started the project. One thing that prompted us to begin this endeavor was, like so many other people borne out of boredom and the nearly infinite amount of time on our hands, a Netflix binge. For us, the binge-worthy show in question was Netflix’s Mindhunter. 

Above all other shows I binge watched (or rewatched) in while in quarantine (Cobra Kai, Black Sails, Gotham, Stranger Things, etc.), I enjoyed Mindhunter the most. After all, it got both of us thinking about this project. As much as Holden Ford wanted to discover the psychology behind serial killings, I wanted to learn more about the history, legend, and lore of the area where I now call home. 

Interestingly enough, that show happens to “take place” largely in several locations in Northern Virginia. I use the term “locations” because the majority of these scenes take place at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The academy is located in Prince William County. Quantico is a frequent location in many popular films and television series, including Mindhunter. Whether it be Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Criminal Minds, or the short-lived eponymously-named show on ABC, “Quantico” is never really Quantico.  

(Top) “Quantico” from the Highland Park VA Hospital; (Center) Highland Park VA Hospital; (Bottom Left) Guard Station at “Quantico;” (Bottom Right) Highland Park VA Hospital from the Sky. Images: Atlas of Wonders, SetDecorators.org, Google Earth.

In the case of Mindhunter, the film’s third scene begins in Quantico as Holden heads back to train Academy students on hostage negotiation. The exterior shots of the building, all done up in perfect late 1970s nostalgia, was shot at the former Veterans Hospital in Highland Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.1 Looking at the images on Google Maps, I can see why producers chose the location: it is a large complex (168 acres) with ample space set within a small forest of trees on all sides for privacy. 

The hospital, which opened in 1953 as a neuropsychiatric facility for World War II veterans suffering from PTSD, was officially closed by the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in 2013, allowing Netflix the use of a relatively new abandoned property along the Allegheny River.2 The interior shots of the building were filmed at a place called 31st Street Studios, a few miles down the bend in Pittsburgh in the hip Strip District. The studio was also where the interior shots of Holden’s apartment in Fredericksburg were shot in the second scene of the first episode. 

Quantico FBI Complex (Wikimedia Commons/Pinterest)

Looking at the actual building Quantico, you can see a small resemblance. The architecture and style is similar, reminiscent of the Soviet-style Brutalism that is either loved or hated by DMV residents. The doll-up passes muster, as does most of the production for the show. The budget was undoubtedly high, allowing them to take creative license within acceptable taste. 

Entrance of George Washington Hotel in Washington, PA, where Holden and Debbie exit (Wikimedia Commons)

Also in the first episode, Holden has a drink with another instructor at an unnamed bar near Quantico. We only know that it is south of Quantico, because Holden later tells his future girlfriend Debbie that he worked “up the road.” Reading too far into it, one might assume the bar would be fictionally set in Fredericksburg near where he lived. The exterior location of the bar in question was filmed at the George Washington Hotel in Washington, Pennsylvania, just south of Pittsburgh where many other scenes for the series were shot. 

So the next time you are in the “Steel City” and its surrounding bedroom communities, take a look and think about that show where Kristoff from Frozen is naked a lot and basically becomes a serial killer/sociopath by the end of the second season. You know, just normal thoughts we all have in quarantine, right?

Images courtesy of Atlas of Wonders/Filming Locations. 

Footnotes:

  1. Ra Moon, “Filming Locations Guide: Where was Mindhunter Filmed?” Atlas of Wonders, October 2017. Accessed March 3, 2021, LINK.
  2. Bob Bauder, “Pittsburgh closing in on acquisition of former VA hospital in Highland Park, Trib Live, July 14, 2020. Accessed March 3, 2021, LINK.

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Matthew Eng northern virginia

Top 10 Unusual and Macabre Locations in Northern Virginia

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

Memories are tricky. They can evoke past moments, which have the power to elicit smiles and triumph, or grief and sadness. Often these memories are tied to people and places. But what happens when the people and the memories have faded, but the places still remain? 

Here are our current top 10 unusual and macabre locations around Northern Virginia.

1. Franklin and Armfield Slave Office (Alexandria, VA)

Franklin and Armfield Office (Wikimedia Commons)

Some buildings are left standing to remind us of the darkest parts of American history. Located near the heart of Old Town Alexandria, the former Franklin and Armfield Slave Office is a prime example of the importance of understanding our scarred and painful past. 

Interior of Slave Pens, Civil War-era (My Genealogy Hound)

The building was the headquarters of the largest domestic slave trading firm in the United States, Franklin and Armfield. Isaac Franklin and John Armfield became the largest traders of enslaved African Americans between 1828 and 1836, selling between 1,000-2,000 people each year. Slaves from the Chesapeake Bay were sold in the southern states to markets in places like Natchez, Mississippi, and New Orleans in what many called the “Second Middle Passage.” Slave traders owned the property until the Union Army occupied the city in 1861. The building included horrific slave pens, which were later torn down after the end of the Civil War. 

The building, now a National Historic Landmark, currently operates as the Freedom House under the National Park Service. The Freedom House educates visitors of the harsh realities of the American slave trade and Alexandria’s role in it through first-person accounts of enslaved men and women and the surviving details of Franklin and Armfield’s business. 

If you go: The building and its historical marker are located at 1315 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA. Currently, the museum is closed due to COVID-19, but virtual tours are available online. 

Source:
NPS, Franklin and Armfield Office, LINK.
Historic Alexandria, Freedom House, LINK.
My Geneaology Hound, Vintage Photos of Franklin and Armfield Slave Pen, LINK.

2. Lorena Bobbitt 7-ELEVEN (Manassas, VA)

7-Eleven where John Bobbitt’s penis was not part of a combo meal (Offbeat NOVA)

On June 23, 1993, Lorena Bobbitt, an Ecuadorian nail stylist, cut the penis off of her husband and ex-Marine John Bobbitt with an 8-inch carving knife. He remained in bed, too drunk to realize what had happened while she left in her car. She threw the penis in a hook shot arch into a grassy field next to a 7-Eleven while driving down the road in Manassas, VA. When the police finally found John Bobbit’s missing appendage, they ran to 7-Eleven convenience store and placed it into a hot dog container on ice, where it was transported to the hospital and reattached on John. The rest is history.

I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: do you know what its like to eat a hot dog at the same place where mortified policeman put a severed penis on ice? Well, here’s your chance. Bon Appétit. 

Read our full Offbeat NOVA story on Lorena Bobbitt in Manassass.

If you go: The 7-11 is down the street from the Bobbitts’ former residence at 8174 Maplewood Drive in Manassas. The hot dog stand is there, but it’s currently self-serve due to COVID-19. 

Source:
Offbeat NOVA, “Lorena Bobbitt Revisited: Examining NOVA Dark Tourism in Manassas,” LINK.

3. Bunny Man Bridge (Clifton, VA)

Bunny Man Bridge (Offbeat NOVA)

If you read list of haunted or creepy locations in Virginia, the Bunny Man Bridge is almost guaranteed to be on it. Located in Clifton, VA, the bridge’s legend stems from a variety of incidents in legend and lore dating back to the early 1970s. Both involve a crazed maniac wearing a white bunny suit and attacking unsuspecting travelers with a hatchet. Most of these incidents occurred in or around the bridge. The bunny suit-clad individual is oddly enough best known for appearing on several occurrences off Guinea Road in Burke, nearly seven miles away on Colchester Road. 

It is also one of the few roads that I have seen that Google Maps did not record. Check Google Maps. You can’t see it—in fact, you can’t go beyond the yellow sign that reads “Dead End.” 

The bridge in question is actually known as the Colchester Overpass, which was built in 1906 near the site of a former station of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. The spot is a frequent destination for ghost hunters and general fans of the weird and macabre, especially around Halloween.  

If you go: The road is incredibly narrow at the bridge point in Clifton, VA, and surrounds several private (wealthy) residences. There is no place to park, so you will need to drive through it or get out and take pictures quickly, as it is known to be patrolled by local authorities, especially during the Halloween time period. 

Read our listen to our cross-post with the Uncanny America podcast HERE.

Source:
Offbeat NOVA, “I am Rabbit. I can be anywhere: The Legend of the Bunny Man in Northern Virginia,” LINK.

4. Fort Hunt (Alexandria, VA)

Memorial to P. O. Box 1142 at Fort Hunt Park (Wikimedia Commons)

Located 11 miles south of the Washington, D.C., Fort Hunt began as a way to defend fortifications around the capitol sometime around the late 19th century. Today, its an open air park where you can play with family and friends and have a relaxing barbeque. If you look deeper, though, a more sinister history exists in plain sight.

During the Second World War, it was the location of a top secret intelligence station known simply as “P.O. Box 1142.” At this location, members of the American Military Intelligence Service interrogated prisoners of war, over 4,000 of which came in and out of the camp for the duration of the war. One notable prisoner, German U-Boat commander Werner Henke, was shot when he tried to climb a fence at the complex. The camp was found in violation of the Geneva Convention due to the failure of the Red Cross to be notified of the location of the prisoners. Veterans of the camp insist that no torture was used. 

If you go: Fort Hunt Park is located off George Washington Parkway a few miles up from Mt. Vernon. Go to the NPS website to plan your visit. 

Source:
Washington Post, “Fort Hunt’s Quiet Men Break Silence on WWII,” LINK.

5. Congressional Baseball Game Practice Field Shooting (Alexandria, VA)

Simpson Field (Photo Credit: Louise Krafft)

On the morning of June 14, 2017, twenty-four Republican congressman gathered at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, VA to practice for the upcoming annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity. While they practiced, a man approached them and asked them if they were Republicans or Democrats. After they informed the man of their political persuasion, the individual left. That person was likely James Hodgkinson, who proceeded to open fire with a SKS semi-automatic rifle and 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun on the politicians and Capitol police officers playing on the field. 

The ten-minute firefight left several individuals injured, including U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was at second base when the shooting began. He was shot in the hip and he tried to drag himself off the field in the dirt while the shooting raged overhead. Although critical, Scalise survived after several surgeries. Without the quick thinking of the police on hand, it could have been a bloodbath, according to Senator Rand Paul. 

The kids playing baseball there probably have no idea that a mass shooting and assassination attempt was made in such a quiet upscale neighborhood as Del Ray. 

If you go: The baseball field is located on 426 East Monroe Avenue in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria. 

Source:
Alexandria Times, “One Year Later: Alexandria Leaders, Residents Remember Simpson Stadium Shooting, LINK.

6. George Lincoln Rockwell Death Spot (Arlington, VA)

George Lincoln Rockwell Death Spot (Offbeat NOVA)

It’s hard to think of Arlington, Virginia, one of the wealthiest and most expensive cities to live in the United States, as a hotbed of hate. For a time in the 1960s, however, it was the epicenter of the Neo-Nazi/white power movement in the United States. The man leading it was George Lincoln Rockwell, a former World War II naval aviator who build a hermit kingdom of bigotry and hate at the top of Upton Hill Regional Park in a large house he affectionately called “Hatemongers Hill.” 

Rockwell was assassinated by a disgruntled former member of the American Nazi Party, John Patler, in the Dominion Hills Shopping Center on August 25, 1967. Rockwell was planning to do his laundry at the EconoWash laundromat when Patler shot him from he roof of the building while he sat in his 1958 Chevrolet. The car was parked in front of a barber shop. 

Today, very little evidence of the assassination exists and the facade of the buildings in the Dominion Hills center have completely changed. However, as late as 2017, a small group of supporters gathered at the site of his death to offer the requisite “sieg heil” salute in his honor. 

Read the full Offbeat NOVA story HERE.

If you go: The location is at 6035 Wilson Blvd in Arlington, VA. Upton Hill Regional Park is just down the street. The former building was built near where a gazebo is located today. 

Source:
Offbeat NOVA, “All You Fascists Bound to Lose: The Assassination of George Lincoln Rockwell, LINK.

7. Amy Baker Exit Cold Case (Springfield, VA)

Location of Amy Baker Murder off Exit 166 (Google Maps)

On the night of March 29, 1989,  an 18-year old was driving south on Interstate 95 when her car started experiencing trouble. She pulled off from the road, abandoned her 1970 Volkswagen Bug, and began walking up the exit ramp to Backlick Road and the nearby Exxon Station at what is now Exit 166 today. It was then that an attacker forced her into the woods near the exit ramp, where she was sexually assaulted and strangled. Her body was later found two days later covered by leaves. 

Amy Baker (Inside NOVA)

This has remained one of the top cold cases in Northern Virginia. Over three decades later, the case remains unsolved, even with DNA available from the case. 

If you go: The wooded area is located within the loop of Exit 166 on Interstate 95. It is not advised to pull off the road.

Source:
Fairfax Underground, “1989 Homicide of Amy Baker,” LINK.

8. Weems-Botts Museum Haunted House (Dumfries, VA)

Weems-Botts Museum (Wikimedia Commons)

The Weems-Botts house began as a vestry for the nearby Quantico Church. It is named after two individuals who lived in the house, Mason Locke “Parson” Weems and Benjamin Botts. 

Weems, the first owner of the home, was a clergyman who wrote George Washington’s first biography—which also contained the famous cherry-tree tale. Botts, who bought the home in 1802, was an attorney who defended Aaron Burr during his treason and conspiracy trial. He  later died in the 1811 Richmond Theater fire, which killed over seventy people. The house is now within the Historic Dumfries collection of museums and historic places. 

The home went into various phases of disrepair and restoration in its long history. According to lore, spirits have entertained the household since the colonial period. There have been dozens of recorded sightings in recent years. One director of the museum said in an interview that guests heard the sound of horses during one particular ghost walk. Others smell an “overwhelming scent of a violet-type incense.” The site is a hotbed for local and national paranormal investigative groups. The house was also featured on a Biography Channel show “My Ghost Story” in 2021. 

If you go: The museum is located at the corner of Duke Street and Cameron Street in historic Dumfries, VA. Visit their website for information on hours and availability. 

Source:
Potomac Local News, “A Dumfries House Full of History, and Chilling Experiences, LINK.

9. Stoney Lonesome Cemetery (Lorton, VA)

Stoney Lonesome Cemetery (Atlas Obscura)

A small cemetery was built in 1910 across from the former Lorton workhouse prison complex for the burial of male and female inmates that died while imprisoned there. The spaces were reserved for those who had no friends or family to claim them or provide a proper burial. The earliest graves included men and women who died from fatal injuries and diseases like the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. 

According to the Fairfax County Library website, the cemetery is situation within a 100-foot by 30-foot stand of trees along the south side of an access road to a fishing pond. The rows all have grave depressions with approximately 50-100 total burials there. The depressions in the ground are chillingly eerie. There are no grave markers to designate who is buried there. The only thing there within the gated cemetery is a small sign that reads:

Stoney Lonesome Cemetery
Occoquan Workhouse  
1910-1997

Visit at your own discretion. 

If you go: This land is on private property. Visit at your own discretion. The nearest address would be 9414 Ox Road on the other side of the street. The cemetery is just up from Workhouse Road and the current Workhouse Arts Center. 

Source:
Atlas Obscura, “Stoney Lonesome Cemetery, LINK.
Fairfax County Library, “Stoney Lonesome Cemetery, LINK.

10. Gunston Manor (Alexandria, VA)

Gunston Manor (Google Maps)

Charles Severance unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Alexandria in 1996 and 2000 as an Independent. He also ran for Congress for the 8th district in 1996 to no avail. He was known to be “a bearded eccentric” at his campaign events, often becoming loud, outspoken, and violent. In a 1996 forum with Representative Jim Moran, Severance pointed the spiked finial of an American flag at him before running out of the building. In reality, he was an early outspoken predecessor to the unhinged paranoia that has taken hold of the followers of Qanon today. 

Charles Severance (Northern Virginia Magazine)

After his political career was over, Severance focused on murder, killing three people in the span of 13 years: realtor Nancy Dunning in 2003, transportation planner Ron Kirby in 2013, and teacher Nancy Lodato in 2014. All of them were shot in broad daylight at their front doors after responding to a knock. Investigators later found writings of Severance that detailed his methods, which he called “Knock. Talk. Enter. Kill. Exit. Murder.” 

His murders all took places within the same area of Del Ray, Alexandria, near his two-bedroom townhouse at 3452 Gunston Road. He called it “Gunston Manor.” The murder spree was likely caused by a lengthy and ugly custody battle of his child with his girlfriend, who lived with him at Gunston Manor. 

Severance was sentenced to life in prison plus 48 years. The townhouse remains today as a poignant reminder of the unbridled rage that once festered inside its walls. 

If you go: The townhome at 3452 Gunston Road is a private residence. 

Categories
Alexandria food Matthew Eng

Steak and Ale Alexandria: The End of the Casual Food Chain

“This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang, but a whimper.”
– The Hollow Men, T.S. Elliot

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

When I was a kid, I didn’t eat out that often. Most of the meals I ate in the late 1980s and early 1990s were served by my parents at home, often around 6:00 pm with military precision. If we did go out to eat on an evening that: 1. Wasn’t someone’s birthday, 2. Wasn’t a parental work celebration, or 3. Wasn’t an easy alternative with friends our family from out of town, then we would most likely go to a chain restaurant. And you know what, I was okay with that. I’m still okay with it. Hell, even in these times of Corona, our favorite go-to is TGI Friday’s (don’t sleep on the cobb salad).

At some point between going off to college and starting a job, I noticed a large number of these restaurants began to vanish like a Marty McFly polaroid. While some of these establishments are still around and going relatively strong (Chili’s, TGI Friday’s, Outback), others are struggling (Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, Red Lobster). There are a few from my childhood, like Bennigan’s, ShowBiz Pizza, Pargo’s, and Chi-Chi’s, that are no longer around at all—relics of a forgotten past.

These are, of course, just establishments that are from my own personal life. A cursory look on Wikipedia shows nearly 100 now-defunct restaurant chains in the United States alone.

One of these chains that have not weathered the financial storms of the past two decades was Steak and Ale.

First opened in Dallas, Texas, in 1966, Steak and Ale was billed a casual dining steakhouse chain that would offer “an upscale steak experience at lower prices.” Popular dishes over the years included the New York strip, Hawaiian chicken, and Kensington club. Notably, it was also one of the first chain restaurants to have a salad bar. Several opened in Northern Virginia over the years, including at least one in Alexandria on the busy intersection of Kenmore Avenue and Seminary Road near Interstate 395. 

Abandoned Steak and Ale in Alexandria, VA (Matthew Eng/Offbeat NOVA)
Abandoned Steak and Ale in Alexandria, VA (Matthew Eng/Offbeat NOVA)

Unfortunately, there isn’t much information available online about that particular Steak and Ale Restaurant. One source about the property’s history said the familiar tudor-style facade was built in 1975, which was likely when the restaurant opened. The entire plot measured 34,848 feet, which included 91 parking spaces. one commenter on a website called menuism.com had this to say about the former establishment: 

“Great location for a new restaurant. I say keep the building and decor and do something interesting with it. German Bierhaus?”1 

menuism.com

The restaurant likely closed around 2008 when the company that owned Steak and Ale, the S&A Restaurant Corp, filed for Chapter 7, 2008. By the end of July 2008, all of the remaining Steak and Ale locations closed as part of the Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding.2 

Although the restaurant chain folded over twelve years ago, the building and adjacent parking lot still stand today. The restaurant plot is located in the Mark Center area of Alexandria, an area that has no doubt seen better times. Much of the Mark Center of Alexandria is on the verge of reinvention and construction, which are just fancy words in Northern Virginia for “gentrification.” 

The 6,800-square-foot building and its attached parking lot property, according to realty website XOME, is worth approximately $4,667,781 and was last sold in November 2013 for an amount of $3,835,348. The owner is a real estate company known as HSRE-Capmed Alexandria Land, LLC. The plot of land is now known simply as “Colonial Parking Station 483.”  The increase in price and the eventual construction of Amazon just a few miles away in the upcoming years almost guarantees that the projected demolition will not only occur, but will occur soon.3 According to the Construction Journal, as of February 13, 2020, the project demolition of the Steak and Ale building on 4661 Kenmore Avenue is delayed still to this day. One other source online has put in an approved request to turn the area into valet space for the 91 car parking lot.4 

Visiting the location today is eerie. The lot sits abandoned with a hotel, medical officers, and a shopping center nearby. Several apartment buildings can be seen across from Seminary Road near the interstate. Evidence of the valet parking is already evident, as there is one Colonial Parking sign near the vacant valet stand directly under the still-standing Steak and Ale neon sign. Any visible lettering has been removed from the large sign near the valet stand, but you can still see the rivets where the neon lighting for “Steak and Ale” must have connected to circuitry. Still visible beneath it, a smaller sign reads “Immediate Seating.” 

The facade is in fairly remarkable condition, considering it has been closed and vacant for over a decade. The windows are boarded up and much of the roof has been stripped down to the wood. One can only assume there is massive mold and water damage inside. Signs for no trespassing dot the front facade of the building where so many happy families like mine once entered its doors to share a meal. 

There is a elevated walkway leading to the other side of Seminary Road around the back side of the building. Walking up it gives you a great view of the still visible “Steak and Ale” sign, albeit faded, as it once displayed on the roadside. The lettering has been removed, but you can still see evidence of what it once was. in a way, that statement is reminiscent of the entire restaurant — with everything removed, those familiar with the restaurant chain could still pick it out easily.

Elks Lodge #758, formerly the Jolly Ox (Matthew Eng/Offbeat NOVA)
Elks Lodge #758, formerly the Jolly Ox (Matthew Eng/Offbeat NOVA)

You will be incredibly hard pressed to see the inside of a Steak and Ale restaurant nowadays. Although the company, which also owns Bennigan’s, had made plans to revitalize the chain, we have yet to see anything of that bearing much fruit. Thankfully, one such establishment does exist bearing the bones of a former Steak and Ale off Interstate 1 in Fairfax County, Alexandria (7120 Richmond Highway). Back then, the restaurant was known as the Jolly Ox, as it was custom to remove the “ale” from the name in Virginia. Driving by it, however, you can see all the old familiar tudor-style facade wrapped around the building. The building is now the Elks Lodge #758. A look at the Lodge’s facebook page shows that they have retained much of the restaurant’s facilities, including its kitchen and horseshoe bar. Even during a pandemic, the Elks Lodge #758 regularly hosts weekly events, although it mostly sits vacant and unassuming during the day. 

The Steak and Ale in Alexandria will eventually go away entirely. It’s property will be swallowed up by gentrification. For businesses, this is the circle of life. COVID has only accelerated the process.

Footnotes:

  1. Menuism, “Steak and Ale Alexandria,” LINK.
  2. Jeffrey Mccracken and Janet Adamy, “Dining Chain Shut Doors,” Wall Street Journal, July 30,2008. Accessed 13 February 2021, LINK.
  3. XOME, “4661 Kenmore Avenue, Alexandria,” LINK.
  4. City of Alexandria, “Application for Valet Parking,” LINK.
Categories
Fairfax County Matthew Eng

America’s First Topgolf: Abandoned in Alexandria

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

I’ve never been a big fan of golf. I think it’s honestly how I feel about most sports. I understand the appeal, and I can certainly appreciate it at times. But that does not make exactly like them. That goes double for golf. 

I’ve tried. I’ve honestly made several attempts to like golf, either to make conversation with people at work or to impress my father in law. But I can’t. The closest I ever got to appreciating “the gentlemen’s game” is Tiger Woods Golf on the Nintendo Wii or Happy Gilmore. 

Mostly Happy Gilmore. 

When I first heard about the Topgolf brand of hybrid driving range and entertainment complex, I gave it little attention. I couldn’t get into what amounts to a modern day batting cages for upper middle class suburban whites. One recently closed right down the street from where I live across the street from the busy Kingstowne shopping center. I chalked it up to the economy at first. As it turns out, that specific Topgolf has an interesting history to the company itself, and the reason behind its closing highlights a much deeper symptomatic problem of northern Virginia businesses.

Brothers Steve and Dave Joliffe began the Topgolf enterprise in 2000 after opening its first location in Watford, United Kingdom. The brothers were fed up with the inefficiencies of traditional driving range and felt that a new, larger design would attract large groups of people would be better. They installed microchips into the golf balls and guests would hit them into large targets on the driving range field. The idea was simple: build a large driving range and turn it into a video game. While you’re at it, have a giant entertainment complex complete with televisions, food, and booze. Bingo. It’s a similar concept to the Lucky Strike bowling alley franchise. 

(Alexandria Living Magazine)

They would quickly go on to develop two other locations in the UK.  As excited as the golf community was for the redesigned driving ranges, the PGA was not. Eventually, an American investor was brought in, the WestRiver Group, to create Topgolf locations overseas in the United States. In 2005, they selected the first location stateside in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria, Virginia. 

The WestRiver Group chose Alexandria as its location due to its close proximity to Washington, D.C. and the myriad government officials who frequented golf courses.1 They were right. There is no shortage of golf courses in the D.C. metro region, especially in northern Virginia. They built out a a facility in an already established driving range in the Kingstowne neighborhood of Alexandria in Fairfax County. The facility featured 70 hitting bays an two adjacent 18-hole mini golf courses. The total cost of the build was reportedly $4.5 million. The official opening date was Friday, August 5, 2005. An article on the opening of Topgolf Alexandria in the Washington Post pontificated on the joys of competing with your friends in a golf game while gorging yourself on “chicken fingers and glasses of wine.”2 God bless America. 

It quickly grew to become a popular weekend destination for amateur golfers looking to improve their game and friends and family members looking to have a little fun. The modest 17.4 acre location was the perfect place for a date night or casual outing. The location prospered through the early 2000s. Unlike newer locations, this specific location ran on how the UK locations were run, which charges individuals per game rather than per hour. 

By 2015, there were 28 locations located around the United States. Only one had the title for the first, and that was in Alexandria. It was the only location in the area. That is, until it wasn’t. 

In August of that year, Topgolf opened its second location in Virginia, and the 21st overall, in Ashburn. The new 65,000-square-foot facility in Loudon County had 102 climate-controlled hitting bays, a full-service restaurant, three bars, and 250 flat-screen TVs. The rooftop terrace even had a fire pit.3 In essence, Topgolf Alexandria was stylistically obsolete. The Washington Business Journal reported to no surprise in October of 2015 that the landowner of the establishment had decided to end their lease with Topgolf, leaving the future of the establishment in flux. Then-Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay noted how many complaints he received about the location’s noise and parking issues. He noted how “Topgolf needs a bigger facility but cannot expand on the heavily constrained current site,” As the report noted in the end of its litany of issues, Topgolf “had simply outgrown its property.”4 

Things slowly deteriorated from there. There were complaints.

You can track the slow decline of Topgolf Alexandria by looking at its business page on Yelp. One person online commented that they “never felt more like my business wasn’t wanted.” Most people online were perplexed at the old system compared to newer ones they had already visited around the country. Some apparently just felt they were straight up confused with what to do once they walked in. 

Top Golf Alexandria Complaint (Yelp)

The eventual nail in the coffin for the location came with the announcement of a brand new Topgolf facility in nearby National Harbor, Maryland. The location opened in the summer of 2019. A few months later, in November, the Washington Business Journal reported its closure of the Alexandria location, which included laying off nearly two hundred employees. 

Apparently, the owner of the land on South Van Dorn Street filed plans a year before with Fairfax County to replace the site with townhomes, multifamily units, and commerce space. 

In an official statement, Topgolf said the following about the future of their first location:

“In January, Topgolf Entertainment Group will be consolidating operations of Topgolf Alexandria with our nearby, modernized venues at National Harbor and Loudoun, as well as at our soon-to-be-opened, technology-equipped venue in Germantown — all serving the Greater Washington D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland-area communities.”5

Topgolf Corporate Announcement (2019)

If Topgolf ran a driving range like a video game, then Alexandria’s location had the two words nobody wants to hear flashing across its building: Game Over. 

Land is a premium anywhere in northern Virginia, and the parcel on Van Dorn street next to a busy shopping center is prime real estate for another mixed use development. You can almost see real estate developers frothing at the mouth. 

(Washington Business Journal)

The announcement came with the caveat of laying off 198 employees by January 2020 at the Alexandria location. Naturally, the work ethic at the location slackened. One Yelp commenter as late as December 28, 2019, left a long comment on her one-star rating of the location. 

“our sever sniffed our pitchers– like she put her nose in our pitcher– to determine which was the miller lite and which was the cider. What a disaster. Go to Maryland.”6 

The lot has sat abandoned since January of 2020. In the new era of COVID, driving by the location is especially ominous. The Ruby Tuesday, under separate ownership, closed its adjacent location. This was not due to Topgolf’s closing necessarily, as it was announced in July 2020 that the restaurant group that owns Ruby Tuesday had quietly closed 150 of its restaurants since the beginning of the year, including the Van Dorn Street location.7 

I recently back to work for three days a week. On my way to my work destination, I happen to travel down Van Dorn Street to hook up with the 495/I-95 interchange to points south. Every time I drove past the empty lot, I noticed more and more of it going away. Signs disappeared. Grass grew in unwelcome places. I didn’t know how long I’d have before it was either gone to development or swallowed up by the poor decisions of reckless teenagers bored in quarantine. 

Somebody in the NextDoor app posted images inside the abandoned TopGolf on the grounds and in the hitting bays. From the picture he posted, it looked like the wear and tear was beginning to manifest. Although I was not as adventurous as this individual, I decided to bite the bullet and drive into the abandoned establishment’s parking lot to see what I could find. 

In the halcyon days of Topgolf Alexandria’s glory, the clubhouse proudly displayed a sign that said “America’s First Topgolf.” The sign no longer exists. 

(Matthew Eng/Offbeat NOVA)

I noticed a lot of visible graffiti on the side walls of the establishment. Thankfully, most of the front looked relatively in tact, all save a few windows on the top floor of the driving range. The miniature golf course is completely overrun with weeds and debris. Some of the sculptures and course obstructions are beginning to rapidly decay from misuse. 

The landscaping looked decent enough with the beginning signs of neglect. You could see the neglect more in the areas around the parking lots, which were completely derelict. Ironic, given the headache it was to park at this place on a Friday or Saturday night. 

(Matthew Eng/Offbeat NOVA)

Even though the walkway leading up to the driving range level of Topgolf was completely open, I didn’t necessarily feel completely comfortable doing so. I knew I would be the one guy who would get caught, so I stayed within the confines of a casual visitor instead of somebody violating trespass. 

The Ruby Tuesday nearby is also completely abandoned. Unlike Topgolf, the signs still exists. Looking into the building, you can still see the seats and a few menus scattered about. No word on what will happen to that building, as it is owned by a separate landowner than the former Topgolf. 

(Matthew Eng/Offbeat NOVA)

There is a police cruiser or security vehicle holding court at the end of the parking lot nowadays. I’m glad I got some footage when I did. Honestly, I bet the only reason it hasn’t been completely demolished by now is the ongoing pandemic. For now, you can still drive by the first Topgolf in the United States and remember the good days when the chicken fingers were in abundance and servers didn’t smell your beer. Maybe she was right. Just go to Maryland. 

If you have a personal experience from Topgolf Alexandria, let us know in the comment section. We’d love to keep it as a document to an interesting piece of northern Virginia business history. 

Footnotes:

  1. Jason Notte, “The Topgolf Founders Fought Through Countless Rejections — and Built America’s Favorite New Game,” Entrepreneur, September 19, 2018. Accessed January 4, 2021, LINK.
  2. Ellen McCarthy, “In Alexandria, TopGolf Livens Up the Driving Range,” The Washington Post, August 4, 2005. Accessed December 30, 2020, LINK.
  3. Topgolf, “Topgolf Opens Thursday Thursday Morning in Loudon County,” Topgolf, August 31, 2015. Accessed December 28, 2020, LINK.
  4. Michael Neibauer, “More information on the likely future of Topgolf Alexandria,” Washington Business Journal, October 20, 2015. Accessed December 27, 2020, LINK.
  5. Michael Neibauer, “Topgolf Alexandria to close, lay off nearly 200,” Washington Business Journal, November 30, 2019. Accessed December 27, 2020, LINK.
  6. Yelp Review, Susanna V. December 28, 2019. LINK.
  7. Irene Jiang, “Ruby Tuesday has quietly closed over 150 restaurants since later January. Here’s a list of closures.,” Business Insider, July 8, 2020. Accessed December 30, 2020, LINK.

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Instagram Matthew Eng northern virginia

Offbeat Postscripts: Bright Light in a Dark Winter

Offbeat Postscripts is a series of short posts where we cover small topics of offbeat history in Northern Virginia. 

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

Hello again. 

The absence of posts for Offbeat NOVA is 100% due to the purchase of a house and subsequent move during the month of November and the first half of December 2020. It’s been an exhausting month and a half, to say the least. Now that everything and everyone is settled in (for the most part), we can continue getting back creating. A Christmas miracle, indeed. 

In the week since the hysteria reached a necessary plateau, we kicked around several ideas about a Christmas-themed posting. A cursory search on the Internet about Christmas in Northern Virginia yielded more dark and macabre results at first: Christmas morning murders in Falls Church from 2015, and a murder-suicide pacts in Stephens City. There was also quite a bit of information about the Mt. Vernon Antique Center fire from three years ago in Fairfax County. None of that really spoke to us on the timeliness of the holidays season. In a year where the shitter has been perpetually full, we decided to focus on something a bit happier: Christmas lights. In the age of COVID, Christmas lights are a refreshing way to find happiness and joy from a safe and secure distance. 

An internet search on the craziest Christmas lights in the area brought me to one woman: Holly Zell. She is currently the web producer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Her original website, “Historical Tacky Christmas Lights,” began in 2003 as a database for the best and tastefully tacky Christmas lights in Northern Virginia. The site includes a map and addresses of the best lights, as well as suggested driving routes. This woman has remained a dedicated and organized purveyor of all things dealing with exterior illumination for nearly twenty years. She know runs “Holly’s Tacky Christmas Lights” over at FairfaxChristmasLights.com. Her LinkedIn page noted that the current website was part of her grad project at Strayer University as a showcase for scripting languages like PhP and MySQL. Whether intentional or not, the current site looks remarkably similar to the simplistic-yet-effective tripod site from sixteen years ago.

We found ourselves going back to the original site. Would the same addresses still have lights up, nearly two decades later? We took a look at the original 2004-2006 list and found the houses closest to our current neighborhood on the Fairfax County side of Alexandria. We were not disappointed. 

3912 Lincolnshire Street, Annandale, VA — LIGHTS

Of the four we checked, this one was by far the most extravagant. (Holly Zell/Offbeat NOVA Photo)

5811 Ash Drive, Springfield, VA — LIGHTS!

This one still has all of the “plastic fantastic” displays that we love. (Holly Zell/Offbeat NOVA Photo)

7704 Wilbur Court, Springfield, VA — LIGHTS!

This was the classiest of the four we checked. There are significantly LESS reindeer than from fifteen years ago. (Holly Zell/Offbeat NOVA Photo)

6283 Wills Street, Alexandria, VA — DARK

This was unfortunately dark this year. (Holly Zell/Offbeat NOVA Photo)

We didn’t make it to the Collingwood house in Alexandria to take a picture because it was getting late, but we already knew that a recent injury stopped the owner from putting on a display this year. If you want to see the famous Collingwood Lights in their majestic glory, Covering the Corridor (RIP) captured the magic from two years ago:

Know any other great places? Let us know in the comment section.

Check out the rest of the pictures/video on our Instagram page HERE. 

Happy Holidays. More Offbeat NOVA coming — stay tuned.

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blog Matthew Eng northern virginia Postscripts Prince Willilam County

Offbeat Postscripts: Thanksgiving in Quantico

Offbeat Postscripts is a series of short posts where we cover small topics of offbeat history in Northern Virginia.

Thanksgiving Cake, Guadalcanal, 1942 (USMC Archives/Flickr)

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

Ah, yes. Thanksgiving. The unofficial start of the holiday season. For many of us in the United states, it is that time-honored day when friends and families come together to share stories and a wonderful meal. Political arguments are forcibly made. An invisible 38th Parallel of maturity is drawn once the kids table is set out downwind of the adults. Somebody’s uncle gets drunk. Everyone eats enough carbohydrates to easily pass out on the couch in the early evening while the opening credits to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory comes on the television screen for the children who ate their body weight in sugar-soaked pies. 

Magical.

Well, that was all before COVID. 2020 is a different year altogether, for a variety of reasons we don’t need to get into. With the pandemic reaching some of its highest numbers in Northern Virginia to date, hopefully most around the beltway will stay safe and hold their family meals in virtual form.

Even without COVID, there are some who do not have the option to head home to break bread with friends and family. For members of the United States military, having a meal at home is a luxury reserved for few individuals. The United States Marine Corps, an organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., but regionally centered thirty miles down I-95 in Quantico, have historically eaten their Thanksgiving dinners in locations all around the world in conditions we can only dream of. Whether it be on the tropical island of Guadalcanal in the Solomons in 1942, the frozen mountain landscapes of Chosin Reservoir in 1950, or the deserts of the Middle East, Marines have always made the best of whatever situation they encounter, especially during the holidays. They are the embodiment of their unofficial slogan,“Semper Gumby,” or “always flexible.”  

But what do Marines eat stateside in Quantico? This year, the Clubs at Quantico and Crossroads Events Center is holding a special Thanksgiving brunch for families on base that want to have their meal taken care of. The menu includes all the trimmings, plus champagne for adults and even omelette station for those who shy away from the usual fare. Thinking about the hardships endured by Marines eating their special meal on the front lines, I find it hard to believe that there would be an omelette station back then. 

Luckily, vintage copies of Thanksgiving menus exist thanks to the diligent work of historians and archivists. There is a menu from a Thanksgiving dinner held by the First Signal Company in Quantico on Thanksgiving 1937 that speaks to what Marines ate long ago.

Thanksgiving in Quantico, 1937 (USMC Archives/Flickr)

Looking through the menu, there are several items that stick out as either unusual or a remixed version of what is classically placed on tables today. The first (and most obvious) is the roast young turkey, a smaller version to the much larger male version (roast tom turkey). Oyster dressing has an interesting connection to military history, specifically with the Navy and Marine Corps. Oyster dressing was a common menu item on U.S. Navy menus throughout the 1920s-1940s. It’s origins in America dates back to the 18th century when oysters were the most commonly eaten shellfish in America. Oysters were stuffed inside turkeys as an inexpensive source of protein. Other dressing options for similar menus during the time period included caper dressing or giblet gravy. Snowflaked potatoes were a special form of mashed potatoes made with sour cream and cream cheese. According to the New York Public Library website “What’s on the Menu,” snowflake potatoes were included in restaurant menus between 1928 and 1954. The mince pie, a British-inspired sweet fruit pie, were traditionally served to service members throughout the 1930s and 1940s at the start of the holiday season. The “hot rolls” were most likely a mimic of the famous parker house rolls, a staple across all military branches since the early twentieth century.  

There is one item missing from this 1937 menu that was often included during that time period: cigarettes or cigars served during the dessert course. 

Quantico Thanksgiving, 1938 (USMC Archives/Flickr)

The following year, Quantico served similar fare, but switched up the young turkey for the “roast Maryland turkey” with oyster dressing. From what I have gathered, a “Maryland turkey” is cooked and served with roasting vegetables. Some other menus found on the NYPL website have the turkey served among the cold dishes. The mince pie was swapped for the marble cake, a far better choice. 

If you are interested in tracing the culinary history of Marines and Thanksgiving, the USMC Archives Flickr page is an excellent resource. I also did something similar in a different life for U.S. Navy menus (of course, not specific to Northern Virginia) back in 2014 for the Naval Historical Foundation. 

Happy Thanksgiving from Offbeat NOVA. Wear a mask.

…and wherever you are Chesty Puller….goodnight!

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Matthew Eng northern virginia Postscripts

Offbeat Postscripts: Not so Pleasantville in Northern Virginia

Offbeat Postscripts is a series of short posts where we cover small topics of offbeat history in Northern Virginia.

Confederate monument removal in Alexandria, now completely gone (Offbeat NOVA Photo)

By Matthew T. Eng, Offbeat NOVA

There was another march/protest yesterday. 

For the DMV region, that’s nothing new. There is always somebody protesting something, especially in Washington, D.C. The 1963 Million Man March during the Civil Rights era, however, made making your voice heard and proving a point en masse a popular concept with national media attention. Much like the women’s suffrage movement growing from Seneca Falls to the steps of the White House decades earlier, the noise and activism started by a few noteworthy individuals grew to a collective effort of a large segment of the population.

Most recently, there have been a wave of protests, marches, and demonstrations in response to the Donald J. Trump presidency. In a grand wave of irony, they are marching for the same exact things they did previously: women’s rights, racial equality, and the unnecessary violence that stems from poor policy making. 

And then there was the march yesterday: The Million MAGA March. In completely unoriginal fashion, the organizers literally took one of the most important names in Civil Rights history, the Million Man March, and added “MAGA” to it.  Over a week after the 2020 election was called in favor of Joe Biden, Trump supporters flocked to the aptly named Freedom Plaza near the White House to protest the election results in support of the ideologue watching from his television. It’s like they are still yelling at people for sitting at a lunch counter. The lunch counter is just a lot longer with more seats. 

Are you sitting or standing?

Despite the misgivings of Trump supporters, change has happened. Joe Biden will be the 46th president. After January 20, 2021, the government can officially begin to undo all of the harm the previous administration has done to large segments of the population in the United States. That being said, the activism of many have already made changes, especially with regards to the removal of the racist effigies of the Confederacy that feature so prominently in the state of Virginia. 

Changing the Lee High School in Springfield to John Lewis (Offbeat NOVA Photo)

Monuments are coming down all around in Northern Virginia. Fairfax County. Loudon County. Alexandria. Symbols of hate are being removed. The Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield turned into John R. Lewis High School this summer. JEB Stuart Park is now called Justice Park. The Washington-Lee High School is now called the Washington-Liberty High School. The Fairfax High School mascot is a lion, not a rebel. It’s not removing history. It’s correcting a mistake. As a student of history by trade and profession, you can’t kid a kidder. 

Thinking about everything that is going on, one of the things that pops in my head regularly is the film Pleasantville. In the film, the two protagonists are transported to a seemingly idyllic small midwest town set within a tv show, only to realize that their lives in black and what are anything but perfect. 

(Pleasantville/New Line Cinema)

Slowly, citizens in the town slowly gain “color” as they come to dramatic realizations and new emotions and world views. Naturally, the townspeople react by rioting by destroying property, burning books, and harassing the “colored” people in the streets. They were angry, violent, and self-centered. Yet despite that emotion, there is no realization; no change in perception. They remain in black and white. 

It’s been less than one hundred years since the Klu Klux Klan marched in a parade on the same streets where MAGA hopefuls did yesterday. Let that sink in. The irony would be dripping if it wasn’t so sad and terrifying. So where can we improve?

Many places in Northern Virginia. In case you were wondering where, I’ve come up with a list for you. If we just focus on removing the racist remains of the Confederacy, here is a list to start with: 

GENERAL

  • Jefferson Davis Highway (various)
  • Lee Highway in Fairfax and Arlington 
  • Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Chantilly

PLACES

Alexandria:

  • Lee District Rec Center
  • Matthew Maury Elementary School

Manassass:

  • Stonewall Jackson Volunteer Fire and Rescue Dept.

Fairfax:

  • Lanier Middle School
  • Lees Corner Elementary
  • Mosby Woods Elementary School

Springfield:

  • Sangster Elementary

ROADS

Alexandria:

  • Beauregard Street
  • Bragg Street
  • Braxton Place
  • Breckinridge Place
  • Chambliss Street
  • Dearing Street
  • Donelson Street
  • Early Street
  • Floyd Street
  • French Street
  • Frost Street
  • Gordon Street
  • Hardee Place
  • Hume Avenue
  • Imboden Street
  • Iverson Street
  • Jackson Place
  • Janney’s Lane
  • Jordan Street
  • Jubal Avenue
  • Lee Street
  • Longstreet Lane
  • Maury Lane
  • Pegram Street
  • Quantrell Avenue
  • Reynolds Street
  • Rosser Street
  • Van Dorn Street
  • Wheeler Avenue

Annandale:

  • John Marr Drive
  • Lanier Street
  • Rebel Drive

Centreville:

  • Confederate Ridge Lane
  • General Lee Drive

Chantilly:

  • Mosby Highway
  • Old Lee Road

Fairfax:

  • Confederate Lane
  • Mosby Woods Drive
  • Old Lee Highway
  • Pickett Road
  • Rebel Run

Manassas:

  • Beauregard Avenue
  • Lee Avenue

We’re in the middle of a historical moment, and one day the existence of these roads and monuments will be an offbeat coda to a long-standing fight to eradicate symbols of hate and racism. Like the MAGA march, they will exist as a footnote to an embarrassing moment in our history. 

One day soon. Here’s my favorite quote from Pleasantville:

“There are some places that the road doesn’t go in a circle. There are some places where the road keeps going.”