At the top of the hill on the Fairfax Station Road, Schroeder's full brass band, dressed in colorful uniforms with the bright yellow instruments reflecting the sun, waited for the columns of soldiers to form. The hundreds of people who had come to witness this historic occasion, in their enthusiasm to view everything, delayed the parade for one and a half hours.
Finally, the people were persuaded to make room for the lines to form and the proud procession began. First came the vivid brass band playing its lively military music. Next came Judge D. M. Chichester as Chief Marshal. He was assisted by Capt. J. O. Berry, Dr. W. D. McWhorter, and Benjamin Simpson, Esquire. Then followed the columns of veterans. The procession led from the top of the hill at the court house, turned left up The Little River Turnpike and then proceeded to the town cemetery.
Here on a crest stood the monument made of Richmond granite. It covered the remains of two hundred heroes. As the people gathered respectfully near the monument, the Rev. J. Cleveland Hall opened the service with a prayer. Capt. Ballard then gave the presentation speech. Gov. William Fitzhugh Lee made appropriate response on behalf of the Ladies' Memorial Association. The Honorable James L. Gordon, who was poet of the day, rendered an "eloquent poem".
The assemblage then returned to the court house which had been decorated with flags and flowers. Here they heard Senator John W. Daniel, General Eppa Hunton, Gen. M. D. Corse, Col. Arthur Herbert, and Col. Berkley. Afterwards, they were served a delicious dinner by the ladies, who also held a fair inside the court house to help raise money for the monument. (It cost $1200.00).
Although we do not have a picture of this occasion, through the courtesy of The Honorable Paul E. Brown, Judge of the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, we are able to show a picture of the commemoration of the Marr monument, which took place in June of 1904 and was probably similar in many ways.
Social life continued and in 1891 a Phantom Ball was given by Messrs. Joseph E. Willard, C. Vernon Ford, Charles and Fay Kilbourne, and Dr. W. P. Malone. Miss Helen Moore was listed among the guests.
In 1892 when the town was chartered, there were two hundred people living at Fairfax Court House. There were three white churches—one Episcopal, one north and one south Methodist. There were two black churches. There was a school for white and a school for black, three or four stores, a newspaper office, a number of comfortable old homes, an old-fashioned tavern, and an undertaker's shop. The bell at the Court House called three to four hundred people to business, to law, and to religion.
Today, approximately 14,000 people live at Fairfax Court House. There are seven white churches—Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, and Christian Science. There are two black churches. There are three schools for elementary students, one junior high school, and one senior high school, and construction will begin soon for a college. There are three shopping centers, several apartment buildings, a medical center, two large telephone buildings, a library, and a bank. Extensive additions have been made to the original court house and an eight acre tract of land has been purchased on South Payne Street for the future Town Hall.