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!

Doris McAdams
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our president, Doris McAdams, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Doris was a dedicated member of the Historical Society Board of Directors for many years. She served as Corresponding Secretary from 2010 to 2025 before being elected president. Her commitment and passion for preserving our local history will be greatly missed.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, August 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at Rock Hill Baptist Church, 12 Van Horn Lane, Stafford, Virginia 22556. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.
Interment will take place at Quantico National Cemetery on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
Please keep Doris’s family and loved ones in your thoughts during this difficult time..
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

Evalina Green
Born c.1845 – Died 1926
Evalina Green (c.1845-1926) was enslaved to the Moncure family of Somerset. She was about 17 years of age when Burnside’s troops invaded Stafford. Her family, who were also enslaved at Somerset, left with the soldiers, but Evalina made the difficult decision to remain. Although advised to leave by her mistress, she stayed at the only home she had ever known. She feared that her brother, who became a servant to Ulysses S. Grant, would come back for her after the war and force her to leave, but that never happened. Evalina Green spent the rest of her life with the family she cherished. Her Moncure family cherished her, as well, and she was counted one of them. At a time when most cemeteries were segregated, Evalina was buried at Somerset with her white family. “Her casket was borne to the grave by representatives of three generations of the Moncures–all of whom she had raised. The aristocracy of the State followed the humble slave’s casket to the Moncure graveyard, where bowed heads showed the reverence due to her life of selfless love in ministering to the comfort of all she knew.” According to her lengthy obituary, “there was no scope to the usefulness which this humble old slave rendered–at a time when battles raged and privations marked the wake of Burnside’s armies.” In 1943 the Somerset graves were moved to Aquia Episcopal Church and she continues her rest there with her Moncure family.

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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