Bristow is an unincorporated town in Prince William County, Virginia. The former town proper was located on Va. 619, Bristow Road, about 1 mile Southwest of the intersection with Va. 28, Nokesville Road, at the Norfolk Southern Railway crossing. There are no active businesses left at this location, though a crew change point for the railroad is just up the tracks from the railroad crossing. The new town center has, in general, relocated further West around the Braemar Parkway area. Bristow is rapidly being absorbed into the expanding suburbs of the city of Manassas, including such developments as Bristow Station.

The area is mostly upper-middle-class residential managed communities including but not limited to: Braemar Community Association, Bridlewood, Bridlewood Manor, Brookside, Crossman Creek, Foxborough, Kingsbrooke, New Bristow Village, Sheffield Manor and Victory Lakes. The community is home to the Nissan Pavilion outdoor concert stage.

The majority of the Bristow Area was previously part of the Linton's Ford Plantation, owned by the Linton Family from the 1700s. In 1894, Sarah Linton converted to Catholicism, and the property was deeded to the Roman Catholic Church. The Linton Hall School was founded, for which the main road was named: Linton Hall Road. However in the late 20th Century, much of the original property was sold to developers to raise money to support the school. The result was a population boom for the Bristow area (and increased enrollment for the school.) The Linton Family (with the exception of Sarah Linton) are buried in the Linton Family Cemetery in the Braemar Community. The cemetery is legally unowned due to records loss when the Brentsville Courthouse burned in the Civil War. However maintenance is provided by the Braemar Community Association with coordination with the Benedictine Sisters at Linton Hall.

According to the Geographic Names Information System, Bristow has also been known as Briscoe, Bristoe, Bristoe Station, and Bristow Station. The Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Bristow as the community's name in 1906.

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