Travelling Back in Time

A bridge across Cain's Branch provided important passage for people traveling to and from Sully along rural stone and mud roads. It was likely built during the Haight's residency at Sully from 1842 to 1869. Sully's original entrance came from the southeast, crossing Cain's Branch toward the slave quarter and barn area before reaching the main house. The bridge was abandoned in the early 1900's in favor of a road leading toward the growing Town of Herndon. An 1878 Dranesville District map marks Alexander Haight, Sully's later owner Conrad Shear, and neighboring properties, and shows the road running south and east from Sully to Little River Turnpike, U.S. Route 50. The stream was said to be named for Cain, an early trapper who used the creek area for campsites in the early 1700s.

Sully Square, Virginia · United States