Colonel of Virginia Militia, who served as County Sheriff and Justice, and, with George Washington as Burgess of Fairfax County to the Convention at Williamsburg on August 1, 1774.

Alexandria Gazette, March 21, 1806, p.3: "On Thursday the 20th instant, departed this life Col. CHARLES BROADWATER, of Fairfax County, Virginia, in the 87th year of his age. This gentleman during his long life ever supported the character of a respectable citizen and filled with vigilance and fidelity, the different public offices of colonel, high sheriff, representative of his county and judge of the court. All of those trusts he resigned through indisposition of body; and as above stated, gave up his breath in the presence of a number of his neighbors, with great apparent peace and tranquility."

His will is recorded: Fairfax County, Virginia
Book I, page 471, February 10 1806 - April 22, 1806
Witnesses: Thomas Sinclair and J. Hunter.

The plantation house, Springfield, a portion of which dated to the 18th century with wings from the 1840s-50s, was demolished in 1980 by developers of the Vienna Woods subdivision.

The graves of Colonel Broadwater, his son, Lieutenant Charles Lewis Broadwater (1751-1841) and his grandson, Lieutenant Charles Guy Broadwater (1786-1827), were the only clearly marked graves among several other obvious graves in the family cemetery at the time that it was demolished. Those stones were later reset as near their original location as could be ascertained by local historians Mayo and Connie Stuntz. There was also a section of the cemetery containing a number of slaves' graves.

Town of Vienna, Virginia, Comprehensive Plan, March 15, 2010: "The Broadwater Cemetery has three graves, believed to be those of Colonel Broadwater, who died in 1806; his son Charles Broadwater, who died in 1841; and grandson Charles G. Broadwater, who died in 1827. Colonel Broadwater was appointed by King George III to be Fairfax County's first sheriff; his son Charles served as Burgess with George Washington to the convention in Williamsburg in 1774. The cemetery is on the site of the Springfield House (circa 1750), which was built by Colonel Broadwater's father on property obtained through an original land grant dated 1726."



Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 47 (July 1939), pp. 234-284: "Career of Col. Charles Broadwater," by Robert Lee Haycock, Washington, D.C.
p. 234: "Not far from the town of Vienna, Va., on the road to Fairfax Courthouse is the site of an old manor house, "Springfield", the colonial homestead of the Broadwaters. Close by is the resting place of many members of the Broadwater family. At three graves the Fairfax County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has erected monuments. Beneath a holly tree of great age a white marble headstone is inscribed: 'Colonel Charles Broadwater, Colonial Service, Died 1806'. Not far away are two marble headstones, one inscribed: 'Lieut. Charles L. Broadwater, 10th Va. Regt., Revolutionary War'; the other inscribed 'Lieut. Guy Broadwater, 60th Va. Militia, War of 1812.'
"During the critical period in American history following the French and Indian war and just prior to the Revolution, Charles Broadwater was associated with prominent Virginians including George Washington and George Mason in events which took place in Fairfax County and at Williamsburg on the very eve of the war for independence.
"In his diary recording incidents that occurred in July, 1774, Washington wrote:
'July 5, 1774--Went up to Alexandria to a meeting of inhabitants of this county. Dined at Arrell's, and lodged at my own house.
'July 14--Went up to the election, where I was chosen, together with Maj. Broadwater, Burgess. Staid all night to a Ball.' "

See also The Washington (DC) Sunday Star, October 5, 1919.

p 238 (VA State Papers, Vol 1 p 141) 14 Aug 1710, Inspection of Ship Jamaica Merchant, lying at anchor in upper James River Dist. Signed by 7 inspectors: Charles Broadwater & 6 others.

Henning's "Statutes at Large" Vol 4 pg 268) Establishing Warehouses, May 1738, at Quantico upon Robert Brent's land, at Great Hunting Creek on Broadwater's land in Prince William Co, VA was under 1 inspection.

"Capt. Charles Broadwater, the shipmster, received a grant of land in that part of Prince William Co which later became Fairfax Co, VA; & in old age settled into his manor house near Fairfax Courthouse. He married Miss Simes/Semmes of Maryland."

Charles Broadwater's son Col Charles Broadwater m wid/o Dr Pearison, maiden name was Ann Amelia Markham who desc'd from an old English family. Charles & Ann Broadwater had 3 ch:
Daus: Jane m John Hunter, emigrant from Ayreshire, Scotland, owned land where Vienna, VA is today & had plantation called Ayre Hill. Sallie m Col John West of a historical family of Fairfax. Son Charles Lewis Broadwater was an officer of VA troops in the Rev War.
Ann Hunter, d/o Jane (Broadwater) & John Hunter, m Pressley Gunnell of a historic Fairfax family. Their dau m John Haycock, who grandson was Wm Harrison Haycock, father of the author of this work.


(Memorial Plaque)
SITE OF THE MANOR HOUSE
SPRINGFIELD
BUILT CIRCA 1750 ON 1120 ACRE
LAND GRANT OF 1726
TO CAPTAIN CHARLES BROADWATER
OF SURREY, ENGLAND
WHO WAS APPOINTED BY KING GEORGE III
AS FIRST SHERIFF OF FAIRFAX COUNTY.
HE WAS THE FATHER OF
CHARLES BROADWATER (1717-1806)
COLONEL OF VIRGINIA MILITIA
WHO SERVED AS COUNTY SHERIFF AND JUSTICE
AND
WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON
AS BURGESS OF FAIRFAX COUNTY
TO THE CONVENTION AT WILLIAMSBURG
ON AUGUST 1, 1774.
COLONEL BROADWATER IS BELIEVED TO REST HERE
WITH HIS SON
LIEUTENANT CHARLES LEWIS BROADWATER (1751-184((1)
AND HIS GRANDSON
LIEUTENANT CHARLES GUY BROADWATER (1786-1827)
MEMORIAL ERECTED NOVEMBER 1986
BY HISTORIC VIENNA, INC

Location: Corner of Tapawingo Rd and Frederick St SW, Vienna, Virginia.