Lee District to be renamed Franconia

Fairfax County Supervisor Rodney Lusk (Lee District) urged the Board of Supervisors to begin the process to change the name of his district to Franconia. 

“Over the last two and a half years, my office has held three town hall meetings to hear directly from the community on what the name Lee District means to them,” Lusk told the board at its June 28 meeting. 

For many residents, “the name Lee District invokes images of the Old Gravel Pits, footsteps along the boardwalk at Huntley Meadows, or pride in the history of Laurel Grove School,” he said. 

“However, for others, the name Lee stands for the most recognizable Confederate figure in history, General Robert E Lee, he said. “I also learned that the overwhelming majority of those who participated in this yearlong process support changing the name of this district.” 

“After considering the feedback that my office has received from the community, the recommendations from the Redistricting Advisory Committee, and after much contemplation, it is my personal conclusion that the time has come to change the name of our district,” Lusk said

Changing the name to Franconia was the overwhelming preference of community members. 

“Franconia is a name that is synonymous with our community,” Lusk said. “From Franconia Road, the Franconia Springfield Metro, the Franconia Museum, and the Franconia Governmental Center, the name Franconia has always been central to our identity. It is also a name that memorializes a place and not a person.”

The county executive will now begin the process to formally change the name from the Lee District to the Franconia District, said Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay. The county executive will report back to the board on the administrative process and timeline to implement this change.

The board also directed staff to conduct extensive community outreach to the businesses and other entities affected by this change and recommend strategies for supporting them throughout the transition. 

McKay said that support should include a grant program to help local organizations, particularly nonprofits, adjust to the name change.