Wikipedia lists the census designated places (CDP)in Fairfax County and also lists the “ghost towns” - Matildaville and South Falls Church. Where are these places and why are the haunted?
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Matildaville has been gone for a hundred (?) Years man, great falls park, some foundations there...

They aren't haunted. Wrong meaning of "ghost". South Falls Church was modern-day Greenway Downs and parts of Jefferson Village -- pretty much that other side of S. Washington Street that oddly isn't a part of the city. It once was, but in the 1880's, the white majority simply threw the black majority South Fall Church area out of town. You could do that in those days. The town had a tough time during the Civil War, and bitterness lingered for quite a long while after.

This is the image I meant to attach
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Historian Wrote:
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> They aren't haunted. Wrong meaning of "ghost".
> South Falls Church was modern-day Greenway Downs
> and parts of Jefferson Village -- pretty much that
> other side of S. Washington Street that oddly
> isn't a part of the city. It once was, but in the
> 1880's, the white majority simply threw the black
> majority South Fall Church area out of town. You
> could do that in those days. The town had a tough
> time during the Civil War, and bitterness lingered
> for quite a long while after.


That’s very interesting history I never knew. Thanks.

Ever hear of the town of Colchester? I believe it was formed at the same time as Alexandria and was located on the Occoquan opposite Woodbridge. Silting of the Occoquan did it in.

Matildaville was meant to profit from its location on the Potowmack Canal that bypassed Great Falls. Robert E. Lee's fathers was one of the promoters. It didn't do too well, and was done in by the decision to construct the C&O canal on the north side of the Potomac River.

Whiele was another ghost town, a real estate development on what later became the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad. Much of the land was later acquired for Reston, and at one time there was talk of reviving Whiele's town charter for Reston.

People still live in Colchester, but if you ask them, they'll probably tell you they live in Lorton. The Colchester Inn on Old Colchester Road is the only building that remains from the heyday of the tobacco trade on that side of the river.

Two other towns that are definitely "silted up" are Willard and Conklin. Like South Falls Church, these were majority black communities that were simply plowed under to create Dulles Airport. Willard lies somewhere under the runways at IAD, while the Conklin area was used as a materials supply yard and staging depot for lots and lots of metal, stone, and concrete. Today, South Riding sits on top of what was once Conklin.

Bill.N. Wrote:
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> Ever hear of the town of Colchester? I believe it
> was formed at the same time as Alexandria and was
> located on the Occoquan opposite Woodbridge.
> Silting of the Occoquan did it in.
>
> Matildaville was meant to profit from its location
> on the Potowmack Canal that bypassed Great Falls.
> Robert E. Lee's fathers was one of the promoters.
> It didn't do too well, and was done in by the
> decision to construct the C&O canal on the north
> side of the Potomac River.
>
> Whiele was another ghost town, a real estate
> development on what later became the Washington &
> Old Dominion Railroad. Much of the land was later
> acquired for Reston, and at one time there was
> talk of reviving Whiele's town charter for Reston.

Fascinating! Thanks. Nit: "Wiehle".

My grabdfather told me there was a whore house in Matildaville. The foundation of the house is still there in the Great Falls park.

Richard Sore Wrote:
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> My grabdfather told me there was a whore house in
> Matildaville. The foundation of the house is still
> there in the Great Falls park.


Interisting.