Chopawamsic (plantation) facts for kids

Chopawamsic was a large farm, known as a plantation, in Virginia during the 1700s. It was located on Chopawamsic Creek in Stafford County. This place was an important home for the Mason family, a well-known family in Virginia's history.

History of Chopawamsic

After George Mason I passed away, his oldest son, George Mason II, moved to a new property. He called this place Chopawamsic. The name "Chopawamsic" comes from the Algonquian people and means "Isolated Lodge."

Chopawamsic was a very big property, covering more than 2,000 acres (about 8 square kilometers). George Mason II built his main house along Chopawamsic Creek. He used strong blocks of local sandstone for the building. On his farm, Mason planted an orchard with fruit trees. He also grew tobacco, which was a very important crop at the time. Besides crops, he raised animals like sheep and cattle.

Later, George Mason III, like his father, owned many large areas of land. These lands were in several counties, including Stafford, Fauquier, Prince William, and Fairfax. Most of his land was rented out to other farmers. These farmers would pay their rent with tobacco. George Mason III also earned money from a fishing business. He also ran a ferry service across the Occoquan River.

A few years after he married Ann Thomson in 1721, Mason and his family moved to Charles County, Maryland. Chopawamsic was then used only sometimes. When Mason died in 1735, his wife and children, including George Mason IV, moved back to live there. Ann Thomson Mason chose Chopawamsic as her home after her husband's death. She managed the Mason family's businesses from the estate for the rest of her life.

George Mason IV spent his early teenage years at Chopawamsic. He also started his education there. He lived at Chopawamsic until he was 24 years old. Then, he moved to what is now Fairfax County. Stevens Thomson Mason, who was the son of Thomson Mason, was born at Chopawamsic in 1760. Thomson Mason and his family lived at Chopawamsic, where most of his children were born. They later also lived at Raspberry Plain in Loudoun County.

The large sandstone house at Chopawamsic was destroyed during the American Civil War. In 1942, a big part of the land that was once the Chopawamsic estate was taken over by the United States Department of Defense. This land became part of Marine Corps Base Quantico.