“A Place of Refuge”

The area which is now Manassas, Virginia was formerly known as Tudor Hall. William Weir owned a plantation of about two thousand acres. In the 1840’s, Mr. Weir had a small grocery store and post office. The post office became the center of Tudor Hall. The first railroad line came by Tudor Hall in the early 1850’s. It connected the Shenandoah Valley to the Washington area. Two major Civil War battles were fought here.

The true origin of the city’s name cannot be definitely established. The most commonly accepted theory of the origin of the name is actually a combination of two closely associated legends. An old Frenchman named Manassas was said to have lived in a gap that cut through the mountains. The area became known as “Manassa’s Gap.” In another legend, an “Old Jew” called Manasseh is said to have lived in the vicinity of the gap. Thus, our city became known as Manassas.

In 1873, Tudor Hall was incorporated as a town under the name of Manassas. From that time, Manassas has seen steady growth. Located just 25 miles west from Washington, D.C., Manassas has become a home for many commuters. Manassas currently has a population of approximately 35,000. There are approximately 374,915 (3-15-99) that live in Prince William County. The Washington metro area has 5.1 million people. Northern Virginia, is home to 1/3 of the States population.

—Information for this article gathered from Manassas City Web Page, and the Manassas Community Development Department.

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