August 24, 1814 describes the British invasion to the City of Washington.  Chapters are devoted to the British advance up the Patuxent River in search of Commodore Barney’s flotilla, the shameful defeat of American militia forces at Bladensburg, the flights of President James and Dolley Madison, the burning of America’s seat of government, the surrender of the City of Alexandria, and the writing of the “Star Spangled Banner.”  The destruction by the British to America’s capital city was a very small part in the War of 1812, but nothing in American history parallels this disastrous event.  The horrific events of Pearl Harbor and 9-11 were basically surprise attacks, but the invasion and burning of Washington City, and the subsequent sacking of the City of Alexandria, should have never happened.  They were definitely preventable.  That is the overall theme of the book.  The torching of Washington City, rallied the people, and combined with the American victory at Baltimore three weeks later, a wave of patriotism was unleashed that began a much needed unification of the fledging nation.

August 24, 1814 describes the British invasion to the City of Washington.  Chapters are devoted to the British advance up the Patuxent River in search of Commodore Barney’s flotilla, the shameful defeat of American militia forces at Bladensburg, the flights of President James and Dolley Madison, the burning of America’s seat of government, the surrender of the City of Alexandria, and the writing of the “Star Spangled Banner.”  The destruction by the British to America’s capital city was a very small part in the War of 1812, but nothing in American history parallels this disastrous event.  The horrific events of Pearl Harbor and 9-11 were basically surprise attacks, but the invasion and burning of Washington City, and the subsequent sacking of the City of Alexandria, should have never happened.  They were definitely preventable.  That is the overall theme of the book.  The torching of Washington City, rallied the people, and combined with the American victory at Baltimore three weeks later, a wave of patriotism was unleashed that began a much needed unification of the fledging nation.

Images of America: McLean is part of the Arcadia Publishing series of books that help preserve and make people aware of the history of communities across the nation.  McLean begins with Captain John Smith exploring the Potomac River in 1608 and ends with the McLean Centennial Celebration in 2010.  In between are numerous photographs and illustrations that present a chronological history of McLean.  For Virginia, McLean is relatively new.  It was a farming community in 1910, when Henry Alonzo Storm established a general store that included the McLean Post Office; the opening of Storm’s Store is considered McLean’s unofficial beginning.  The store was located on Chain Bridge Road beside a stop of the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad that ran from Rosslyn to Great Falls Park.  The stop was named after John R. McLean, a founder of the trolley and owner of the Washington Post Newspaper.  A village and vibrant community gradually developed around this area.

Yesterday, 100 Recollections of McLean & Great Falls, Virginia (Volume I) is a book about two communities, McLean and Great Falls (formerly Forestville), and their rapidly changing landscapes as seen through the eyes of many who grew up in a rural environment.  They witnessed their bucolic homes replaced with suburban mega-residences and commercial buildings.  Rural America, as they knew it, is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.  Most recognize that change is inevitable, but ask, “At what price?”  This changing environment is not limited to just the immediate area the book covers, but is something that is taking place across America.  This book could easily be titled “Any Town USA.”  The book includes numerous photographs, many of which were contributed by participants, and have not been previously available to the public.

Yesterday, Additional Recollections of McLean & Great Falls, Virginia (Volume II) continues the broad recollection collection of two communities, McLean and Great Falls (formerly Forestville), Virginia, as seen through the eyes of many who laid the foundations for the generations that followed.  Everyone has a story, and each one is different.  Nothing is more valuable to a community than preserving its past history through the remembrances of those who took part in framing it.  This book also includes numerous photographs, many of which were contributed by participants, and have not been previously available to the public.

McLean’s historic Hickory Hill was built upon land that was part of a land grant of 2862 acres taken out by Thomas Lee in 1719 from the Northern Neck Proprietary. But it wasn’t until ca.1870 that George Franklin Means Walters, the owner of 88 acres of the former grant, built the house near Langley Fork facing Chain Bridge Road. It was he who named the house Hickory Hill after the stately old hickory trees that once lined his semicircular driveway. Only a portion of the original 88 acres remain with the house today. Over the succeeding decades nine different families have resided at Hickory Hill: Walters, Speer, Fitch, Lyon, Rocca, Jackson, Kennedy (JFK), Kennedy (RFK) and Dabbiere. Each family has its own separate story and has put its stamp of change or “improvements” to the property to fit their lifestyles. Today’s house bears little resemblance to the residence Walters built after the Civil War. Even though the original house may no longer be recognizable, Hickory Hill majestically remains as a historic landmark for McLean, Virginia and the nation.