Tag: history
Lake Accotink celebrates 60th anniversary
The Fairfax County Park Authority hosted a 60th-anniversary celebration of Lake Accotink Park Aug. 27. There were remarks by public officials, informational tables hosted by county agencies and nonprofit organizations, free activities, food trucks, and a cake. In 1960, the Park Authority leased 242 acres from the federal government to create the park. There were … Continued
Historic Overlay District proposed for Holmes Run Acres
Holmes Run Acres residents appear to be divided on whether their community should have a Historic Overlay District (HOD). How residents stand on the issue won’t be known until October when the results of a poll will be announced. The poll opened Aug. 1 and will close Sept. 9. Supporters say an HOD will prevent … Continued
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 … Continued
Broyhill Crest celebrates 70th anniversary
The Broyhill Crest neighborhood is 70 years old this year. Residents and former residents are invited to an anniversary celebration July 4, 12-4 p.m., at the Broyhill Crest Recreation Club. The Broyhill Crest Community Association is planning live entertainment, children’s activities, a showcase of local businesses, a raffle, and giveaways. Anyone who would like to … Continued
New historic marker honors Vietnamese immigrants
A new historic marker unveiled May 24 on Wilson Boulevard in front of the Eden Center honors Vietnamese immigrants as an important part of Northern Virginia history. The marker was approved by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in 2021. Nomination for the historic marker was made by two students – eighth-grader Oliver Hardi and … Continued
Mason District not likely to be renamed
The Fairfax County Redistricting Advisory Committee is not expected to recommend that the name “Mason District” be changed. According to the RAC’s draft report, the Mason and Mount Vernon Subcommittee agreed neither district be renamed. The RAC is scheduled to present its recommendations to the Board of Supervisors by March 1. The BoS will make … Continued
Alternative names proposed for Lee Highway
The Confederate Names Task Force has recommended renaming Lee Highway and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway and presented several possible alternatives to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Feb. 8. For Lee Highway (Route 29), the task force recommended these new names:• Cardinal Highway• Route/Highway 29• Langston Boulevard/Highway• Lincoln-Douglass Highway• Fairfax Boulevard/Highway For Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway (Route … Continued
Historic marker project engages students
The Historical Marker Project, launched by the Fairfax County School Board and Board of Supervisors earlier this month, is aimed at encouraging students to bring attention to the accomplishments of lesser-known people and communities. The project will initially focus on the county’s Black/African American communities and will expand to other underrepresented stories in the coming … Continued
Should Mason District be renamed?
The Redistricting Advisory Committee has agreed to consider whether five of the nine Fairfax County supervisory districts should be renamed. That list includes Mason District, as well as Lee, Mount Vernon, Springfield, and Sully. The committee will make a recommendation by March 1 on whether any of those districts should be renamed but will not … Continued
Growing up in a log cabin – in Annandale
The log cabin, before it was expanded and enclosed. [Brenda Gemmell] When Brenda Libeau Gemmell grew up in Annandale in the 1950s, the area was still quite rural. Her house was a log cabin at the end of Libeau Lane off Gallows Road. Libeau Lane is still a country lane, although it’s now in the … Continued
FCPS launches Covid vaccine program for kids at the first school to pioneer the polio vaccine
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and First Lady Jill Biden visit the Fairfax County school where the first kids got the polio vaccine in 1954. [Donnie Biggs/FCPS] Fairfax County Public Schools kicked off the national rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 Nov. 8, when First Lady Jill Biden visited the school … Continued
Public feedback sought on changing the name of Lee Highway
Fairfax County’s Confederate Names Task Force is seeking public input on whether the names of Lee Highway and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway should be changed and what alternative names should be considered. Members of the public are invited to take a survey and send comments via email on the potential name changes.
Explore a Park: Eakin Community Park was the first park in Fairfax County
Springtime wildflowers along the trail in Eakin Park. This article is part of our series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The last piece explored Spring Lane Park in Bailey’s Crossroads. See other stories in the series on the Parks page. The 57-acre Eakin Community Park, located at 8515 Tobin Road in Annandale, was … Continued
New historic marker commemorates James Lee Elementary School
Descendants of James Lee pull the cord to unveil a historic marker commemorating James Lee Elementary School. Alma Amaker, who attended James Lee Elementary School when it opened in 1948 in Falls Church, remembers it as the “very best concept of a neighborhood school.” Amaker spoke at the unveiling of a historic marker Oct. 2 … Continued
Annandale United Methodist Church restores Little White Church for its 175th anniversary
Annandale United Methodist Church is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year by restoring and rejuvenating the Little White Church, an Annandale landmark established in 1846. The old church is on Columbia Pike at Gallows Road, adjacent to the much larger and newer AUMC building.