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Gwyneth’s Gift Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was established in loving memory of Gwyneth Griffin, a Stafford teenager who tragically passed away in 2012 after collapsing on the school track. Gwyneth’s life may have been saved with early and sustained CPR, and it is the Foundation’s steadfast commitment to ensure that others do not face…

War came unexpectedly to all Americans on December 7, 1941. It came to Stafford in October 1942, when the Marine Corps Base at Quantico required expansion of its training facilities and maneuver areas in. On October 6, 1942, the U.S. Government formally notified those living in the northernmost one-fifth of Stafford that their lands were…

Stafford Regional Airport opened in December of 2001. It covers an area of 566 acres. The airport is located 3 miles from the Stafford Courthouse and approximately 40 miles south of D.C. and 60 north of Richmond. It is owned and operated by the Stafford Regional Airport Authority. Stafford Airport Runway

Stafford Hospital opened in 2009 on a 70-acre site near Stafford County Courthouse. The site currently includes one medical office building and is operated by Medi Corps, the parent company of Mary Washington Hospital. Stafford Hospital – view from the back

— in 1880 and 1900, Stafford had less than 1 percent of its population in villages of fewer than 2,500 people. — in 1900, only 2.6 percent of Stafford families had a member engaged in manufacturing. Industries generally were attracted to urban environments. The closest approximation to that in the Rappahannock Region was Fredericksburg. Several…

The hospitality industry (food and lodging) attracted some commerce along the U.S. Route 1 corridor until the I-95 era. Housing – particularly affordable housing for Washington area governmental workers and for returning veterans and, in the Baby Boom era, increased populations – became a Stafford growth industry. Relatively cheap land, relatively low taxes, and a…

Colonial Circuits, located in the Hartwood District on U.S. 17, represents the small businesses which have become an economic mainstay for Stafford. About 1,700 smaller businesses provide jobs to Staffordians. Colonial Circuits Geico represents one of the substantial businesses which have become an economic backbone for Stafford. GEICO   Over 40 national companies are already…

With care and perseverance, old buildings can be given new life and commercial viability. For example, the large brick building in the featured photo became Amy’s Café in Falmouth. Amy’s Cafe Sometimes, however, historic places are removed but their names remain. Doctor Hawkins Stone’s house was removed when Doc Stone Plaza was created off of…

Mary Washington College opened a Stafford branch in the fall of 1999. It was specifically designed for mid-life professionals seeking academic degrees. It was originally called James Monroe campus. Later on, Mary Washington changed its name to The University of Mary Washington. The Stafford campus name was changed too to be University of Mary Washington,…

After they are brought to Dover Air Force Base, all fallen soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors are escorted home to their families and loved ones by a uniformed member of the U.S. armed forces. In mid-April 2004, 38-year-old U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Michael R. Strobl, a manpower analyst assigned to the Combat Development Command in…

by Eric Powell   While modern highways are a 20th Century feature, transportation has always played an important role in Stafford’s History.  Bordered by both the Potomac and the Rappahannock Rivers, the earliest highways were the rivers.  The local tribes traveled these by canoe, trading with other tribes throughout the Chesapeake.  When the English arrived,…