In the winter of 1863-1864, thousands of Pennsylvania soldiers encamped in the farms and woodlots surrounding Bristoe Station. With easy access to the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, a pair of north-south and east-west roads, and a source of water, Bristoe proved to be an excellent camp site. With the army in one position for an extended period of time, the soldiers encamped here quickly built log cabins to replace their small canvas tents. While there was no standard hut, most soldiers learned that the most convenient type was a small rectangular building that housed 4-8 soldiers. The completed huts were arranged in company streets, with the officers' huts at the head of each street. By April 1864, most of the huts built here were abandoned when the soldiers were sent south to begin the bloody Overland Campaign. The vacant buildings were quickly destroyed, and with them the camps.
