Hannafin led historic renovations in Prince William, moves to Fairfax parks

Brendon Hannafin is the new development director for the Fairfax County Park Authority.

He will oversee the development and master planning for new parks and facilities in Virginia’s largest jurisdiction.

Hannafin took the job after retiring from the Prince William County Government, where he spent 22 years working on planning parks there and preserving a string of historic properties.

Hannafin began his restorations with Rippon Lodge in 2001. The home dates back to 1747, is one of the oldest homes in the county, and sits between the Potomac River and Neabsco Creek in Woodbridge.

It took one year to stabilize the lodge, peel back the modern walls installed over the years, and shore up leaky roofs. Historians then decided to restore it to its original setting and open it to the public for tours and events.

Over the years, Hannafin also restored the Brentsville Courthouse, Williams Ordinary in Dumfries, Bristoe Station battlefield outside Manassas, and the Ben Lomond House, a military hospital during the first Battle of Manassas in 1861.

“The biggest challenge we had is that [the properties] are sold old. They’re historic, and you had to be really careful what you did to them because if you damaged it, you couldn’t get it back,” Hannifon told Potomac Local News.

Hannafin said one of his most memorable restorations was the Barnes House, which stands outside the Montclair Library. The structure once stood near the Prince William County Landfill and was moved into storage when crews widened Route 234 from two to four lanes in 2004.

Initially serving as a tavern in the early 1800s, the cottage would eventually be the home of Eppa Barnes, a black farmer. He returned to Prince William County after the Civil War to manage a successful farmstead.

The home sat in storage at the landfill until Hannafin’s team restored it and placed it at the library when it opened in 2015.

“We got to tell the underrepresented history of the county. I’m going to miss it a bunch,” said Hannafin.

Hannafin was working as the planning and development director for the Prince William County Parks and Recreation Department at the time of his retirement. He will have many of the same responsibilities in Fairfax County.

Before working for the Prince William County Government, Hannafin worked as an assistant manager at Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge.

The Prince William County Historic Preservation team is working on revitalizing the William Dawes House across from the Brentsville Courthouse. The Board of County Supervisors approved nearly a half-million dollars to restore the 200-year-old home once owned by Jane Williams, widow of John Williams, who had served as the county clerk from 1795 until he died in 1813. Jane filled in as county clerk until her brother Phillip Deveraux Dawe became clerk the following year.

Historic Preservation Manager Rob Orrison said crews must replace the roof and chimney and remove “lots of molds” and lead paint.

The new roof should be added by the end of the year. Afterward, crews will continue stabilization work and determine if new floors and a new foundation are needed to preserve the home.

The house sits on five acres and would be ideal for events and meetings, says Orrison. It takes about five years for the county to restore a historic property fully.