Salona, Fairfax County, Virginia

At the edge of the bustling McLean commercial district, a substantial brick dwelling rises quietly from a pocket of trees, its presence a reminder of a much larger past. The house sits on what was once a 466‑acre parcel carved out of Thomas Lee’s 1719 grant, later named “Langley,” and it may have been built by Reverend William Maffitt, who bought the land in 1812. Legend has it that President James Madison sought refuge there when the British burned Washington, giving the home an early brush with national history.

Through the decades the estate changed hands, passing to Jacob G. Smoot in 1853 and remaining in his family for nearly a century. During the Civil War the grounds hosted Union troops, and after the conflict the property witnessed the gradual subdivision that reshaped the region. In the post‑World War II era, veterans Clive and Susan DuVal acquired Salona, embarking on a careful restoration that turned the house into a community hub for tours, meetings, and celebrations, while securing a historic easement to protect its remaining eight acres for future generations.