ABOUT

Manassas (formerly Manassas Junction) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010, the population was 37,821.

History
In July 1861, the First Battle of Manassas – also known as the First Battle of Bull Run – the first major land battle of the American Civil War, was fought nearby. Manassas commemorated the 150th anniversary of theFirst Battle of Manassas during July 21–24, 2011.The Second Battle of Manassas (or the Second Battle of Bull Run) was fought near Manassas during August 28–30, 1862. At that time, Manassas Junction was little more than a railroad crossing, but a strategic one, with rails leading to Richmond, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Shenandoah Valley. Despite these twoConfederate victories, Manassas Junction was in Union hands for most of the war. Following the war, the crossroads grew into the town of Manassas, which was incorporated in 1873. In 1892, Manassas became the county seat of Prince William County, replacing Brentsville, Virginia. In 1975, Manassas became an independent city. The Manassas Historic District, Cannon Branch Fort, Liberia, and Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.