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The original Fairfax Station was constructed in the 1850s by Irish immigrants who settled in the surrounding area, creating the town that became the station's namesake. Central to the station's historical significance are the Civil War battles of second Manassas and Chantilly.

During the Civil War the railroad and the station were of great strategic importance. Serving first as a supply base for Union forces during the summer of 1862, Fairfax Station became a center for emergency treatment and transportation of the wounded to Alexandria. Clara Barton nursed many of over 3,000 wounded soldiers that lay on the hill between historic St. Mary's church and the depot. On September 2, as the Confederates were advancing toward Fairfax Station, General Haupt ordered the depot destroyed. Union troops later rebuilt it.

In the years of peace that followed, Fairfax Station became the primary railroad station serving the growing county seat, the City of Fairfax. In 1973 Southern Railway closed the station, which was the last operating railroad station in Fairfax County.

In 1975 a group of concerned local residents began efforts to save the station building from destruction. Assisted by local financial support and volunteer efforts in 1986, the Friends of Fairfax Station, Inc. recreated an exact replica destined to serve as both a museum of Civil War railroad history and a bustling community center.

Text © 1994 Dianne Harrah, Drawing © 1994 Bill Harrah