H. Stewart Jones represents the heart and soul of Hartwood. By Lee Woolf

Date published: 4/23/2005

NYONE who knows H. Stewart Jones would not be surprised to learn that the gray cat who shares her Stafford County home is named "Hartwood," or "Woody" for short.

You see, Jones lives in the house in which she was born on Hartwood Church Road. She resides across the street from her beloved Hartwood Presbyterian Church. From her living room windows, she can watch children enjoying recess at Hartwood Elementary School. And her view from the other side of the house looks toward the Hartwood Volunteer Fire Department.

Given these facts, if you conclude that the Hartwood community represents Jones' pride and joy, then this retired educator probably would give you an A-plus.

"I haven't always lived here," Jones said of the white, two-story building that was first lived in by her grandparents in the 1870s. "But this house has always been home. I always came back for Christmas, summer breaks and holidays, no matter where I was working."

So, what makes Hartwood--a tiny crossroads off U.S. 17 about six miles west of Falmouth --so special?

"It's the peopleoh, my, yes," said Jones. "Plus, we have an historic church and we're in a very historic area of Stafford."

Jones is a tiny woman who retired from Stafford County public schools in 1980. But don't be fooled by her small stature or advanced years. She is respected throughout the region as a historian, preservationist and community activist--and as a person who gets things done.

"I'm 35 and holding," Jones said, although she admits to being one of the oldest members of the Hartwood church--both in age and in years of service.

It is largely through Jones' efforts that Hartwood Presbyterian Church is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. It also is an American Presbyterian Reformed Historical Site.

Jones also sponsored a roadside marker from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources that was dedicated in January and documents both the history of the church and a Civil War battle fought on the grounds in 1863.

Jones has helped to preserve other historic buildings in Stafford and also has worked to oppose development projects--including a quarry and an automobile race track--that threatened Hartwood's scenery and rural atmosphere.

"She's an icon in Stafford County--especially in Hartwood," said Anita Dodd, the chairman of the Stafford County Historical Commission, of which Jones is a member.

"It seems like she knows just about everyone in Stafford. And when Stewart says she wants something, people listen. Sometimes, all it takes is a phone call from her to bring about a change in the system."

John Pearce, the director of the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library in Fredericksburg, has worked with Jones on a number of projects.

"She's one of the most stick-to-it people I know," he said of Jones. "She's just one of those folks who can make people of any age perk up their ears when it comes to history."

Date published: 4/23/2005