Halley Family Cemetery

 James Halley was born in 1707 in Stafford, Virginia. He married Elizabeth Simpson, who was born in 1717. They married about 1732. James Halley was granted over 900 acres of land in 1742 from Lord Fairfax. The property included most of the area that includes the Fairfax Villa neighborhood and the Fairfax Villa Park.

James and Elizabeth named their property Pleasant Green . The cemetery is the only remaining vestige of the family. It is not known where their home was located. The cemetery dates from the mid-1700s, surrounded by a native stone wall and was once planted with periwinkle and boxwoods. Several boxwoods remain today and are over 200 years old.

James and Elizabeth had 13 children of which 11 survived. Many moved to Kentucky, but several remained in Fairfax. It is believed that several of the Halley sons participated in the Revolutionary War. It is not known how many graves are in the cemetery or who might be buried there.

The land was sold to Newman Burke in 1845 and it is believed that no one else was buried in the cemetery after it was sold.

The cemetery was overgrown with brush and was cleaned periodically by various Boy Scout and Girl Scout initiatives.  Since 2020, through a joint effort between Fairfax Villa residents and the DAR, the cemetery property has been cleared and maintained. The Arlington Chapter of the DAR is responsible for James Haley's headstone and the steps and gate installation.