Welcome to
Discover Stafford

Stafford County spans more than 400
years of significant contributions in the
building of our nation.

We invite you to explore the stories we
know, add the stories not yet told, and
stay engaged as we celebrate and
Discover Stafford together!

Stafford Stories

Explore the stories and images of Stafford County. These stories are part of the history of a county, then a state, then a nation. It’s all connected. Stafford’s stories are America’s stories.

Heritage Trail

Explore and experience Stafford’s African American history spanning 300 years in Stafford County.

Historical Figure of the Week

Clarence Newman Knight

Born 1878 – Died 1945

Clarence Newman Knight (1878-1945) often appears in records as C. Newman Knight, C. N. Knight, or Newman Knight.  He was the son of Capt. John Wesley Knight (1846-1937) who ran sailing ships out of Coal Landing and operated a store there.  Newman owned the Knight Motor Car Company in Fredericksburg.  He also operated a Ford dealership by the same name on what’s now the lawn of the Stafford County administration building.  At this same location he had a gas station and auto repair shop.  Across U. S. Route 1 from this he operated another gas station.  In 1902 Newman Knight married Carrie I. Burton (1880-1953) of Hartwood, Stafford County and the couple resided upstairs above the gas station on the east side of Route 1.  In 1953 a car driven by a Quantico Marine ran off the road, hit one of Knight’s gas pumps, and the resulting explosion set fire to the service station.  Carrie was asleep upstairs and was so badly burned that she died.

History in Stafford

Explore the past with our interactive historical map, featuring artifacts and locations throughout history. Zoom in to discover more information and click on markers to learn more about specific time periods and places.

Get Involved

Discover Stafford is looking for volunteers for our upcoming events and projects. If you can spare some time to help out, it would be greatly appreciated. Even just a few hours can make a big difference.

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Stay Tuned

Learn about upcoming Society and Museum news. Become a member so you can be one of the first to know.

Come Join Us!

Memorial Day Celebration

Monday, May 25th 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Fabulous Friday: American Revolution

Friday, June 26th 4:15 PM – 5:00 PM