Hangman's Tree

Another popular Fairfax County myth is that of “Hangman’s Tree.” During the Civil War, this large oak was rumored to be where Confederate Col. John Mosby (the namesake of West Falls Church neighborhood “Mosby”) would order his men to hang Union Soldiers as a means of retaliation. The legend is largely unsubstantiated and the tree was cut down in 1968, but a marker now stands at the site of the former oak to commemorate the story.