Does anyone have an idea what the gated compound at the intersection of Ox and Burke Lake is? Is it a private residence or something more?

Someone's nice-sized residence...with guest/something house:


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Well, THAT link didn't work real well, huh? Let's try that again; if it doesn't work again, just skew/zoom around to see it - coreer of ox and burke lake:


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Doesn't look like it can be anything other than a residence since there's not enough parking, however of Ox road there is a sign in front of its entrance.

That is a private residence called the "Edos Royal Estate." If memory serves, it was the home of a longtime elderly resident and was later purchased by a physician named Dr. Edos who renovated & built on to the house. I think he held a large open house for that neighborhood right after he moved his family in. Think this was back around 2000

crosspointe Wrote:
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> ...That is a private residence called the "Edos Royal
> Estate." ... Dr. Edos ...

Yes, it's in the land record database - owner is now a trust "EDOSOMWAN JOHNSON A TR"

Can look it up here: http://icare.fairfaxcounty.gov/Search/GenericSearch.aspx?mode=ADDRESS

[6821 ox rd]

Just noticed it's a historic site as well: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/historic/ihs/masterlist/springfield.htm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/23/AR2005122301514.html

I did not know god paid so well.

I remember this being something of a "feel good" story at the time..nice coverage in the Connection as a "save the historic house" tale, although it doesn't show up in their archives. Maybe not so much now. Even so, the house is a well-kept part of the neighborhood.

The prior resident must have had some difficulty. At one point in the late 90's, there was a large sign on the lawn that said something like "Thank you good neighbors for helping me!!" It seemed like a tough situation that ended in a happy way.

I thought that just before the property was sold (about 10+ years ago), there was an old man cutting grass and flipped his tractor over and on top of himself.

Interesting property

I grew up within walking distance of that house - down Clifton Rd a little ways. Back in the late 80's/early-mid 90's we all thought that house was haunted... which of course was probably just a reaction to it looking old and unoccupied. I don't know if it really was unoccupied then, but we certainly never saw anyone going in or out of it until later in the 90's/2000's. It didn't look so 'kept up' back then, but the dude who bought it really made it look nice. That exterior fence was not there - at least not the big fancy posts - and the house out back was more like a shack. Looks way different now.

if you look at the jogging/bike path that runs along 123, they actually have signs posted saying that there is a driveway ahead and slow down.

crosspointe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember this being something of a "feel good"
> story at the time..nice coverage in the Connection
> as a "save the historic house" tale, although it
> doesn't show up in their archives. Maybe not so
> much now. Even so, the house is a well-kept part
> of the neighborhood.
>
> The prior resident must have had some difficulty.
> At one point in the late 90's, there was a large
> sign on the lawn that said something like "Thank
> you good neighbors for helping me!!" It seemed
> like a tough situation that ended in a happy way.


I believe that sign about the neighbors helping, was when the tractor flipped over on him...

It was a house and tavern in the civil war. One of the last war skirmishes was fought there when someone thought prostitutes were working there for the soldiers. Not sure which army, etc. Today it is a private residence.

He's not a physician. He's some sort of minister. (a physician could not afford this piece of property)

Judge Paul Brown, owner of Brimstone Hill, was one reason the international airport originally slated to be built in Burke, was moved to Chantilly.

http://braddockheritage.org/content/vault/Sheads_Delbert%20and%20Sisson_Elsie%20Part%201_147394e271.pdf

This topic was previously mentioned on FU.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:TcqWIwRN5eEJ:www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read.php%3F2,205465,206207,quote%3D1+judge+brimstone+hill+burke+%22paul+brown+%22&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

Judge Brown owned the property. He no longer does.

nice house - I like the little signs they put up on the bike trail about the driveway :)

http://braddockheritage.org/resources/item/7/

family cemetery: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GScid=2312758&CRid=2312758&pt=Arundell%20Family%20Cemetery&;

Current owner: http://www.onegodministry.org/index.php/about/about-the-apostle-chairman-and-trustee

This was my great uncle Paul Brown's estate. Uncle Paul was a judge and purchased Brimstone Hill.

the judge was my great uncle Paul Brown

The property was inherited in the 1930s by Elma Donovan Brown. Her father, Jeremiah Donovan, bought the house and several hundred acres at the turn of the century. Elma's husband was Judge Brown. He died in 1966. After she died, the property stayed in the family until it was sold to Dr. Edosomwan. Kathy, I'd love to talk to you to find out how you are related.

It was the home of Judge Paul and Elma Brown. Elma was a Donovan so that might be where the Donovan's corner name comes from. Elma was my first cousin 2x Removed. I spent some time out there as a child. My grandmother lived in Georgetown and would come out to the house when she was young. A census from 1930 shows they were in the house then. Elma died in 1979 at 75.

This short video was shot on location, looks like an interesting place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLbho4byh-c

Here is some information on the home via Zillow:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/51929422_zpid/

absolutely gorgeous old oak tree in front of the house too.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/23/AR2005122301514.html

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether Fairfax City illegally discriminated against a religious institution when it blocked construction of a 200-seat church after neighbors expressed concern about potential congestion.

The federal government's intervention in the city's treatment of One God Ministry is the Washington area's first test of a five-year-old law that gives special protection to religious institutions facing zoning reviews.

Fairfax, a city of 22,000 in the center of Fairfax County, counts several churches in its 6.3 square miles, and city leaders say they welcome them. But the case of One God Ministry has dragged on for 15 months, roiling local politics, generating lawsuits, angering neighbors and racking up thousands of dollars in legal fees.


The City Council approved pastor Johnson A. Edosomwan's application for a special permit last week in an attempt to persuade the Justice Department to end its investigation.

"This was pure and simple a land-use issue, like we get with fast-food restaurants and commercial establishments," Mayor Robert F. Lederer said. "This was not a religious issue."

Edosomwan is a businessman and self-described apostle who owns a dozen properties on and around Chain Bridge Road, one of the city's main arteries. In September 2004, following the planning staff's recommendation, the council approved his application for a special permit to build a two-story, 11,000-square-foot church at 4280 and 4282 Chain Bridge Road. Another church sits across the street. But two weeks later, after meeting with neighbors, the council took another vote and reversed the approval.

Then Edosomwan sued the city, alleging that the mayor and two council members had met illegally with 20 residents to discuss concerns about the project. After negotiating with the city and agreeing to drop the lawsuit, Edosomwan tried again, resubmitting his proposal with more parking. He was turned down again in February and filed two more lawsuits against the city seeking to overturn the decision.