Historic Blenheim celebrates its Civil War history, and the history of the region with a special day of activities, historic artisans and vendors, presentations, reenactors, and museum tours.

Silhouettes By Hand will be cutting silhouettes for visitors (for a fee) as well as presenting on the fascinating "sciences" of Physiognomy and Phrenology (no additional fee). Visitors will also be able to review Physiognomy display on their own, or participate in lively presentation.

Historic Blenheim is a central-hall plan brick farmhouse built by Albert Willcoxon (c. 1859) just prior to the Civil War (1861-65). It is nationally significant for the voluminous quantity and quality of examples of Civil War inscriptions. More than 120 signatures, pictographs, games, and thoughts were left on the house walls by Union soldiers during their occupation of the Fairfax Court House area in 1862-63. This "diary on walls" provides insight into typical soldier life and extends to the effect of this war on local residents--such as the Willcoxon family--and free and enslaved people of African descent.

The Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim further interprets the site's history and the Civil War in the greater Fairfax area. In the exhibition gallery, house inscriptions, and pictographs from the house are reproduced and discussed in detail in the replica attic with full-scale images. The gallery also includes an illustrated timeline of Civil War events, artifacts that interpret the everyday soldier, biographies of several of the wall signers, and temporary displays.