Why is the area in Fairfax City at the intersection of Route 50 and 236 called Kamp Washington? Thanks in advance.

I'll take a guess. Back in the olden days a bunch of motels surrounded the area and folks going to or coming back from journeys west would camp out in the area on there way back to Washington. Pure speculation . I'm curious myself.
Maybe someone at John's Place might know?

Fx City Questions Wrote:
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> Why is the area in Fairfax City at the
> intersection of Route 50 and 236 called Kamp
> Washington? Thanks in advance.


My grandaddy worked at da kampwashington afta da worldwar 2. They had some cottages an a mityfine campin area wit clean water an flush toiletes. Lots of torists would come dere caus in dem days dere waz vury little lodgeing in washDC.


Yours in Christ
Black Adam
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Black Adam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fx City Questions Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why is the area in Fairfax City at the
> > intersection of Route 50 and 236 called Kamp
> > Washington? Thanks in advance.
>
>
> My grandaddy worked at da kampwashington afta da
> worldwar 2. They had some cottages an a mityfine
> campin area wit clean water an flush toiletes.
> Lots of torists would come dere caus in dem days
> dere waz vury little lodgeing in washDC.
>
>
> Yours in Christ
> Black Adam


WoW! Never would have guessed that.

Funny. Can you imagine sleeping in a cabin at that intersection now?

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http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

As long as we are showing old postcards look at this one of the fairfax circle howard johnson's resturaunt from the 1940's. This is the site where dunkin dognuts now stands. I think the hojo was torn down in the mid 80's.
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yates ford Wrote:
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> As long as we are showing old postcards look at
> this one of the fairfax circle howard johnson's
> resturaunt from the 1940's. This is the site where
> dunkin dognuts now stands. I think the hojo was
> torn down in the mid 80's.


Couldn't go wrong buying up any land around a Howard Johnsons when they first go in. :)

I think it was called Kamp Washington for a long time before there was anything there.

duh

I think the map that Black Adam posted is awesome. No 495, no 66, 'Centreville' is spelled properly. Plus thanks to segregation, Black Adam wouldn't be able to kamp there!

That's funny/sad seeing that picture of the circle. I can remember even in my lifetime, driving out West Ox or Rte 7 and seeing nothing but fields.

This place used to be a nice area. We really went and fucked that up with our giant mega-chain stores and mcmansions

yates ford Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As long as we are showing old postcards look at
> this one of the fairfax circle howard johnson's
> resturaunt from the 1940's. This is the site where
> dunkin dognuts now stands. I think the hojo was
> torn down in the mid 80's.


Wow, there has not been a dunkin donuts there in years. KW is not the same as Ffx Circle. Now there is a TMOBILE and some ritzy development....

The picture of the HJ is in Fairfax Circle, NOT KW. They weren't saying it was KW. Read the post before you reply...

Black Adam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fx City Questions Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why is the area in Fairfax City at the
> > intersection of Route 50 and 236 called Kamp
> > Washington? Thanks in advance.
>
>
> My grandaddy worked at da kampwashington afta da
> worldwar 2. They had some cottages an a mityfine
> campin area wit clean water an flush toiletes.
> Lots of torists would come dere caus in dem days
> dere waz vury little lodgeing in washDC.
>
>
> Yours in Christ
> Black Adam


Awesome info! thanks.

When did "54" become Rt. 7 and "25" become Rt. 123 ?

When did "211" change to Rt. 29 ? Why does 50 appear to follow the course of Little River Turnpike into Alexandria?

What is that road from Chantilly to Dranesville?

I love old maps!!

snowdenscold Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When did "54" become Rt. 7 and "25" become Rt. 123
> ?
>
> When did "211" change to Rt. 29 ? Why does 50
> appear to follow the course of Little River
> Turnpike into Alexandria?
>
> What is that road from Chantilly to Dranesville?
>
> I love old maps!!


You got a sharp eye snowdenscold.
I assume the chantilly to drainesville road is old centreville rd.
When I was growing up here in the late 60's early 70's we always called lee hwy "29-211" sometime in the 80's they stopped 211 at warrenton.
211 was once the main route out of DC if you wanted to get on the other side of the blue ridge via thorton gap.
54 and 25? you got me.

snowdenscold Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When did "54" become Rt. 7 and "25" become Rt. 123
> ?
>
> When did "211" change to Rt. 29 ? Why does 50
> appear to follow the course of Little River
> Turnpike into Alexandria?
>
> What is that road from Chantilly to Dranesville?
>
> I love old maps!!


Called my dad today, he is 88 years old. He remembers ox road was in fact known as route 25 until the late 50's or so.

Kamp Washington was originally a German enclave. I think it had it's foudations in either the Revolutionary or Civil war - but I really dont know which.
As for the highway names - they were renumbers by the state - moreso than once

http://www.vahighways.com/history.htm

Gordon Blvd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kamp Washington was originally a German enclave. I
> think it had it's foudations in either the
> Revolutionary or Civil war - but I really dont
> know which.
> As for the highway names - they were renumbers by
> the state - moreso than once
>
> http://www.vahighways.com/history.htm


Thanks for the info. Should have asked you first, hell your named after a section of 123!

"Black Adam's'" description is correct, according to the country's master plan for Rte. 50/Fairfax Blvd., which states:
"In 1934 the road currently known as Fairfax Boulevard (then Lee Highway)
or Route 50 was constructed, connecting the eastern portion of Lee Highway
with an area known as Kamp Washington, for its former location as an auto
camp in the 1930s to 1950s."
Seems hard to believe people would stay so far out to visit Washington, D.C., but in those days auto touring was not for the faint of heart and people did not expect first-class accommodations.

This thread is really interesting. thanks OP!

Finally, something informative and useful on this site! Thanks to all!

Yes thanks for something informational! I learned a fact and appreciate FFx a little more (I still fucking hate it here though)

Was that Kamp Washington ad from the Green Book?

Fx City Questions Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why is the area in Fairfax City at the
> intersection of Route 50 and 236 called Kamp
> Washington? Thanks in advance.


The BuMpEr is bumping this thread because I thought it was a very informative thread. Good local history.

Looking at the postcard yates ford posted jan.2011 of the Howard Johnson at Fairfax Circle. Perhaps my sense of perception is off but that HoJo location looks relatively flat with the road but now with the Dunkin Donuts is rather elevated. Did it get built up to prevent flooding in the circle?

also when was Fairfax Circle shopping center built?I I do remember as a yute going to the Loew's theater and the Dart Drug. Nice seeing all them trees about in that post card

FWIW, the Library of Virginia has some great old pics of the area - including a 1927 (!) aerial of the town:

http://tiny.cc/ukuobw

Gordon Blvd Wrote:
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> Kamp Washington was originally a German enclave. I
> think it had it's foudations in either the
> Revolutionary or Civil war - but I really dont
> know which.

Hence the name Jermantown. On old county maps from before WWII, there was a small group of homes @ what is now Jermantown Rd & 50, labeled "Germantown" which somehow became "Jermantown" over the years. I guess as the area developed after WWII, it was centered around Kamp Washington, 1/2 mile to the east, so that is the name that stuck. Although CUE bus signs still say "Jermantown".

Jermantown is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA. Various parts of Jermantown are included within the independent city of Fairfax to its south and east. Today, this once rural community is centered at the intersection of Jermantown Road and Lee Jackson Memorial Highway (U.S. Route 50). The Old Jermantown School was located at the present site of Providence Elementary School.

On July 17, 1861, Germantown was briefly occupied by Union Army forces on their way to The Battle of Bull Run. The forces were commanded by Brigadier General Daniel Tyler, and included Colonel William Tecumseh Sherman. Looting of homes occurred, as well as the slaughter of farm animals. A Connecticut soldier described it at that time as "two houses, one pigsty, three barns, and a pump". Two Confederate soldiers were laid up with measles. Asked why they had joined the rebel cause, one of them replied: "Don't know. Think it right to fight against invasion".

Jermantown/Germantown, located near the critical intersection of the Little River Turnpike (today Route 50) and Warrenton Turnpike (today Route 29), was part of the Ox Hill battlefield on September 1, 1862, and was held by Union troops under General Joseph Hooker.
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Bumpin Ice Ice Baby Wrote:
>
> Wow, there has not been a dunkin donuts there in
> years. KW is not the same as Ffx Circle. Now
> there is a TMOBILE and some ritzy development....


While the old Dunkin' Donuts at Kamp Washington got torn down, they did recently reopen in that crappy new strip mall on that same corner.

Most likely Germantown became Jermantown because of anti-German sentiments. Lots of people and places and things changed their names so as to not draw the ire of those who were less than pleased with Germany.

Are you sure there wasn't a family that lived in that area going by the name of Jerman?

Actually, Jermantown Road is named after John F. Jerman, a real estate agent in Fairfax/Vienna in the early 20th century. You can see his ad from 1907 in the Industrial and Historical Sketch o Fairfax County. Jermantown Road between Oakton and Route 50 carry his name. The ad is from the FX CO Public Library Photographic Archive.

http://sherwoodexhibit.omeka.net/collections/show/1