Lorton in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lorton Nike Missile Site
Erected 1994 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number E-97.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.
Location. 38° 42.393′ N, 77° 15.119′ W. Marker is in Lorton, Virginia, in Fairfax County. Marker is on Furnace Road (County Route 611) 0.4 miles west of Lorton Road (County Route 642), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lorton VA 22079, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Development of a Progressive-Era Model Penal System (approx. 0.6 miles away); Occoquan Workhouse (approx. 0.6 miles away); Prisoners at the Workhouse (approx. 0.6 miles away); Irma Clifton (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Occoquan Workhouse (approx. 0.7 miles away); Evolution of a Landscape – Plantation, Prison, Park (approx. ¾ mile away); Silverbrook United Methodist Church (approx. 1.4 miles away); Occoquan River Bridges (approx. 1½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lorton.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . . Historic Context of the Nike Missile Site. (Submitted on September 4, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
Additional commentary.
1. National Site
The Lorton site was often called the “National Site” and used to demonstrate the Nike system to domestic and foreign dignitaries. The official site ID was W-64. The actual control facility and launchers were used for a time as a maximum security prison. (Reference: “Rings of Supersonic Steel” by Mark L. Morgan and Mark A. Berhaw.)
— Submitted July 3, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 26, 2019. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2006, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 10,126 times since then and 247 times this year. Last updated on March 24, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 26, 2006, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.