This road is now locally known as the old Braddock Road, named after General Braddock who presumably traversed it on his way to Ft. Duquesne. Although historians disagree on the authenticity of this route being taken by Braddock, around the road has grown a legend of "buried treasure". The story goes that the road was impassable and the weather extremely inclement when Braddock and his men used it. They had to cut down trees and other growth to clear their way. Added to this was the fact that they were carrying a chest of gold coins, with which to pay the men. They had two cannons, which were proving extremely burdensome, and were constantly becoming bogged down in the mud. Finally, having lost so much time due to the condition of the road and the heaviness of his cannons and gold, Braddock decided to lighten his load. Taking the gold coins, he stuffed the nozzles of both cannons with the coins and then buried the cannons near a spring on the road near Centreville. The story continues that the spring has since dried up and although many people, including the British, have searched for years for the "buried treasure", it has never been found. Near the intersection of Ox Road and Braddock Road was a tract of land (the future site of George Mason College, the northern Virginia branch of the University of Virginia) which was owned by the Farr family. The large home on this tract of land was burned by Union forces during the Civil War in retaliation for a very brave act by the young fourteen year old Farr boy. This young boy, knowing that Union troops were located at Fairfax Station waiting to attack the Court House, built a road block of logs across the Ox Road over which these troops had to pass. Hiding himself in the underbrush nearby, he fired so heroically upon the enemy troops, as they approached, that they assumed there was a large group of Confederates waiting for them and withdrew to Fairfax Station. When they learned of the hoax, they returned and burned the Farr home to the ground. [Illustration] V. THE TOWN Historically, the most important house in the town of Fairfax is the Ratcliffe-Logan-Allison House at 10386 Main Street. This little brick house was built in 1805 when the town was founded and the original half meets the specifications of the 1805 Virginia State Legislature. It is sixteen feet square, has a brick chimney, and is "fit for habitation." The Ratcliffe-Logan-Allison House is considered to be in "pristine" form and unchanged from its original condition except for an 1830 addition which is believed to have been built by the same brick mason.[1] [1] _The Richard-Ratcliffe-Allison House is listed on the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register and on the National Register of Historical Places. It belongs to the City of Fairfax and is an integral part of the founding of the town._