The Grayson Family Vault, Woodbridge, VA

Influential Virginians

The mortal remains of our ancestors rest in a variety of places, each uniquely special. Among the earliest of these American ancestors are the Graysons of Colonial Virginia. Benjamin Grayson (1684-1757) was a planter and merchant who traded in tobacco and baked goods in the town of Dumfries, in the mid-1700s a significant port at the head of Quantico Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River. Benjamin married the wealthy widow Linton about 1731 – the former Susannah Monroe (1695-1752). Benjamin and Susannah had as many as ten children including our 5th great-grandfather Reverend Spence Monroe Grayson (1734-1798) and, most notably, William Grayson (1736-1790), who in 1789 (along with Richard Henry Lee) became Virginia’s first elected Senators. Upon William’s death the following year he was succeeded by his younger cousin James Monroe. The Graysons were also well-acquainted with George Washington, George Mason, and George William Fairfax.

Belle Air Plantation

Benjamin and Susannah Grayson owned a large plantation they named “Belle Air.” According to an unpublished family history: “Belle Air was situated in the southeast corner of Prince William County, Va. The broad Potomac flowed in front about a mile distant. [The town of] South Colchester was distant about two miles west. The view of the Potomac was particularly fine extending as it did up and down many miles and including Indian Head, directly opposite on the Maryland shore… The Plantation consisted of 700 acres of fine folling [sic] and well watered land…. In nearly the center of the plantation there rose a beautiful table land elliptical in shape and large enough for the dwelling, out houses, shade trees, walks, gardens, lawns, etc. and exclusively used for that purpose…. The residence was a fine large mansion built in manorial style, with lofty columned front, and with massive carved oaken doors, and wainscotting. The estate was largely cultivated and filled with fruit and flowers.”¹

Grayson’s Tomb

On the hillside northeast of the mansion was situated the Grayson family tomb, in which Susannah was laid to rest in 1752. The vault was said to have been designed in the manner of the family vault at nearby Mount Vernon, then owned by George’s older brother Lawrence Washington, since made a great deal more grand after the death of the Father of our Country. According to the family history, the Grayson grave site was selected because it “furnished an ample bulwark -vs- purvincle (?) bouyancy in that direction.” ¹ The meaning of the phrase, probably copied from an earlier history, was apparently lost by the late 1800s based on the inserted question mark. Benjamin was buried with Susannah in 1757, as were their sons Spence and William and their spouses upon their deaths. Had William not served as a U.S. Senator, it is likely the burial site would have been lost to suburbanization. Its survival is somewhat remarkable nonetheless. A newspaper article stated, “Despite the role [William] played in the country’s history, Grayson was not long remembered. Over decades, his grave crumbled and was vandalized.” ² A 1981 historical survey confirmed that the vault “has been vandalized. Tomb needs repaired if it is to last much longer.” ³

Restoration of a Crumbling Memorial

The newspaper article continues, “The [Belle Air] plantation was used as a field hospital during the Civil War and then torched by departing Union soldiers. According to local lore, the tomb was dynamited. By the end of the 19th century, the tomb had a more humble covering: a large stone hump. Decades of rainfall seeped into the cement, froze, thawed, and caused cracks, which filled with more rainfall and led to bigger cracks. Chunks of stone tumbled away.” Bill Olson, a leader in the Prince William County (VA) Historical Commission and chair of the Cemetery Committee, offered to personally fund the repair of the vault.

“County [archaeologists] cut a hole in the tomb and used a camera purchased by Olson to look inside. They saw no bones, though… they could be there, buried beneath the soil. The work also brought a surprise: When the workers peered in using the camera they saw a peace sign and initials painted inside the six-foot-deep tomb as well as a string of beads. Based on the groovy graffiti, the team dates the intrusion to sometime in the decade or two before the previous repair, conducted in the 1980s by the Daughters of the American Revolution.” ²

Remembrance

The Grayson family vault stands beautifully restored today on what was once the Belle Air plantation, since completely swallowed by the Marumsco Hills subdivision of Woodbridge, Virginia. Believed to be buried within are Benjamin and Susannah Grayson, Rev. Spence and his wife Mary Elizabeth Wagener Grayson (1741-1810), and Sen. William and his wife Eleanor Smallwood Grayson (1744-1789, whose brother William Smallwood was Governor of Maryland from 1785-1788). In a recent write-up in family possession of unclear sourcing titled “Prince William’s Patriots,” Robert Moser II writes:

“Although [William Grayson’s] name is not on the tip of your tongue when it comes to founding fathers, it is refreshing to know that he is not forgotten. As a result of the efforts of local civic-minded organizations and individuals, the final resting place for Benjamin, Spence, William, and other Grayson family members has been rejuvenated and respected in proper form.”

Getting There

The Grayson family vault is about two driving miles east of I-95 and one mile west of U.S. Route 1 off the Prince William Parkway (VA Rte. 294) in Woodbridge, Va. From Rte. 294 turn southwest onto W. Longview Drive. Proceed five blocks past Matthews Drive and Grayson Road, then turn left into the driveway at the historical marker. A small lot on the left is reserved for visitors, from which a walkway leads to the tomb. Please do not proceed further up the driveway, as this is private property.

¹ “The Grayson Family” (unpublished manuscript) Likely author John Breckenridge Grayson, Jr. (ca. 1877-1890) based on the papers of Peter Lund Washington (son-in-law of Benjamin and Susannah Grayson, ca. early 1800’s)

² Zauzmer, Julie “In 224 Years, Va. tomb has seen war, hippies. And now public-private partnership.” The Washington Post, August 29, 2014

³ Virginia Historical Landmarks Commission survey #76-259, negative no. 5177 (1981), “William Grayson’s Tomb and Belle Air Site”