Directions:
From the North: Drive to Washington,
1. D.C. Take the Beltway to 66 West in Virginia. Take 66 West to Rt. 28 south.
2. From Route 28 (Centreville Road) take Manassas Drive southeast over the railroad
tracks to the 4-way stop sign, make a right onto Signal View Drive, the park will
be on your right.
Directions to Kilroy's from Signal Hill Park:
Kilroy?s 5250 Port Royal Rd Springfield, VA
1. Start out going Northeast on SIGNAL VIEW DR toward MANASSAS DR. 0.06 miles
2. Turn LEFT onto MANASSAS DR. 1.47 miles
3. Turn RIGHT onto VA-28 N/ CENTREVILLE RD. Continue to follow VA-28 N. 5.23 miles
4. Merge onto I-66 E toward WASHINGTON. 11.47 miles
5. Merge onto I-495 S/ CAPITAL BELTWAY via exit number 64A toward RICHMOND. 4.82
miles
6. Take the VA-620 W/ BRADDOCK RD WEST exit- exit number 54A-B. 0.47 miles
7. Keep LEFT at the fork in the ramp. 0.02 miles
8. Stay straight to go onto PORT ROYAL RD. 0.11 miles
9. Total Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Total Distance: 23.65 miles
Historical significance:
"Located just off Signal View Drive across the street from entrance to Signal Hill
Park. A Confederate observation post here warned of the Union effort to turn the
flank of the Southern position during the initial stages of the First Battle of
Manassas. It was the first use of wig-wag signals during wartime. Memorial cites
first telecommunication on a battlefield."
"One novel aspect of his (P.G.T. Beauregard's) defenses were four signal towers erected by Captain E. Porter Alexander and his staff. He had devised a system of signaling by waving flags---sometimes called 'wigwag'---while in the United States Army, and Beauregard brought him to Manassas to install his system in order to speed communications all along the line. . . Materials for his operation came slowly, but by July 10, 1861, Alexander had most of his stations communicating with one another by daylight, and some of them by torches at night . . . as the days wore on into July, Alexander's men practiced relentlessly with their flags."