Mason Neck, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Wetlands inMason Neck State Park | |
  Mason Neck Mason Neck (Virginia) Show map of Virginia Mason Neck Mason Neck (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:38°39′23″N77°10′45″W / 38.65639°N 77.17917°W /38.65639; -77.17917 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Fairfax |
| Area | |
• Total | 20.0 sq mi (51.9 km2) |
| • Land | 13.9 sq mi (35.9 km2) |
| • Water | 6.2 sq mi (16.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 2,005 |
| • Density | 145/sq mi (55.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| FIPS code | 51-49998 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2584877 |
Mason Neck is apeninsula jutting into thePotomac River inFairfax County, Virginia, southwest ofWashington, D.C.. It is surrounded byBelmont Bay to the west, the Potomac River to the south and east,Gunston Cove to the northeast, andPohick Bay to the north-northeast. Mason Neck forms the southernmost section of Fairfax County inNorthern Virginia. It comprises an area of 20.0 square miles (51.8 km2),[1] two-thirds of which is preserved as parkland by regional, state, and national authorities. The population of the Mason Neck CDP was 2,005 as of the2010 census.[1]
The Mason Neck peninsula was inhabited by theDoeg prior to the arrival of European settlers. The recorded history of Mason Neck began around 1755 with the construction ofGunston Hall, theplantation house ofGeorge Mason, author of theVirginia Declaration of Rights. Mason Neck is also the location ofPohick Church, frequented by both Mason andGeorge Washington, and Cranford Methodist Church, which was built in 1857 and served as a hospital during theCivil War.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the land was used for the logging of maturepine andhardwood timber. Over time, pollution andhabitat destruction caused a decline in thebald eagle population. By the 1960s, much of the forest had grown back, but residential development as a suburb of Washington posed another threat. In 1969, local residents and conservation groups achieved the establishment of theElizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, with the specific objective of protecting the bald eagle.[2] This, along withMason Neck State Park andPohick Bay Regional Park, provides a variety of recreational activities while preserving the land's natural resources.
During the 1980s, the Lynch family traded Fairfax County officials their Mason Neck land holdings in exchange for 900 acres (360 ha) of land near the Lorton Prison. This plot of land became the housing development known asCrosspointe. Many of the suburban subdivisions located around the Lorton Prison are built on land that the Lynch family once owned. The Mason Neck land that was traded to the county later became a state-controlled nature reserve called Meadowood.[3]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,005 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[4] 2010[5] 2020 | |||
Mason Neck was first listed as acensus designated place in the2010 U.S. Census.[5]
In addition to Bald Eagles, Mason Neck is home to over 211 bird species, over 200 plant species, over 31 mammal species, and 40 reptiles and amphibians species.[6][7] Birds includegreat blue herons,Canada geese,ospreys,wood ducks,teal,owls, andwoodpeckers.[8][9]Whitetail deer are common,[6] along withbeavers,muskrats,groundhogs, andfoxes. A diverse population offrogs andtoads can be heard on summer nights.Eastern box turtles, easternsnapping turtles,wood turtles, andspotted turtles can all be found around ponds, streams, and marshes, as well assnakes, such as thenorthern copperhead and thenorthern black racer.[10]
