Tag: history
The plantation and the Pizza Hut: A suburban county reconsiders its history
The Oak Hill plantation in Annandale. This article is an excerpt from a longer piece in Route Fifty that also discusses the history of the Ilda community in Fairfax. By Tom Shoop On Nov. 5, 1861, Pvt. Edward S.E. Newbury and Cpl. Thomas Edwards of the Third Infantry Regiment of the New Jersey Volunteers went … Continued
Historic marker to commemorate Vietnamese immigrants
A new historic highway marker will commemorate Vietnamese immigrants in Northern Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam announced. It is one of five historical markers highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander history in Virginia. The suggestions for the new markers were submitted by students in a contest for AAPI Heritage Month.
Margaret White wouldn’t have wanted a ‘resident curator’ for the park that bears her name, her son says
The flowering plants at the White Gardens are being overtaken by invasives. The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking a “resident curator” to live in and restore the house at the Margaret White Gardens, but that’s not what Margaret would have wanted, says her son Doug White. “She didn’t care whether the house was torn … Continued
Park Authority seeks ‘resident curator’ to restore the house at the Margaret White Gardens
The house at the Margaret White Gardens. The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking a “resident curator” to live in and rehabilitate the house at the Margaret White Gardens in the Falls Church area of Mason District. There will be a public information meeting on the Resident Curator Program for the house July 27 at … Continued
Explore a Park: The woods in Poe Terrace Park draw homeless campers
Poe Terrace Park as seen from Hillbrook Drive. This article is part of our series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The last piece in this series explored Pine Ridge Park in Annandale. Poe Terrace Park is a 14.3-acre undeveloped park at the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Hillbrook Drive in Annandale across … Continued
Board of Supervisors appoints task force to consider renaming roads that honor Confederates
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on July 13 appointed a 30-member task force to examine renaming Lee Highway (Route 29) and Lee Jackson Memorial Highway (Route 50). The Confederate Names Task Force, chaired by Evelyn Spain, includes residents and representatives of civic organizations, homeowner associations, faith groups, historical groups, and the business community. The … Continued
Explore a Park: Pine Ridge Park displaced a small Black community
The Bo White Community Gardens This article is part of our series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The last piece in this series explored Toll House Park. The 42.7-acre Pine Ridge Park in Annandale features several ball fields, community gardens, a trail through the woods, a cemetery, and a fascinating history. The site … Continued
Explore a park: Toll House Park is the focal point of Annandale
Toll House Park as seen from Little River Turnpike. This article is part of our series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The last piece in this series explored Bren Mar Park. Toll House Park is a tiny “pocket park” at the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Annandale Road. Some county documents … Continued
When Justice Park was created, Black families were displaced
By Marie Reinsdorf As previously reported in the Annandale Blog, Fairfax County Public Schools and the Park Authority have plans to pave over a portion of Justice Park to build a satellite parking lot for Justice High School. FCPS would construct the parking lot, demolish the basketball/multi-use court to make room for the parking lot … Continued
Explore a Park: Bren Mar Park is a woodsy oasis in an urban area
This article is part of our series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The last piece in this series explored Mason District Park. The 32.4-acre Bren Mar Park is off Edsall Road west of Interstate 395 in a densely populated area of Mason District. Features: There is a playground, trails, picnic shelter, baseball field … Continued
Explore a Park: Roundtree Park has been recently upgraded
The newly remodeled picnic shelter at Roundtree Park. [Keith Pham] This article is part of the Annandale Blog’s Explore a Park series. Previous parks in the series include Manassas Gap Park, Luria Park, and Fitzhugh Park in Annandale and Lillian Carey Park and Hogge Park in Bailey’s Crossroads. Features – Roundtree Park is on Annandale … Continued
Explore a Park: Hogge Park get an upgrade
This article is part of Annandale Today’s Explore a Park series. Previous parks in the series include Manassas Gap Park, Luria Park, and Fitzhugh Park in Annandale and Lillian Carey Park in Bailey’s Crossroads. Updated June 3, 2023: The 6-acre Boyd A. and Charlotte M. Hogge Park, at 3139 Glen Carlyn Road in Bailey’s Crossroads, … Continued
Explore a Park: Ecological restoration and history at Fitzhugh Park in Annandale
This article is part of the Annandale Blog’s Explore a Park series. Previous parks in the series include Manassas Gap Park and Luria Park in Annandale and Lillian Carey Park in Bailey’s Crossroads. Fitzhugh Park is a 10-acre park in Annandale between the Bristow Village condominium, the Ravensworth-Bristow neighborhood, and the beltway. Features: Playground, basketball … Continued
History Commission documents Confederate place names in Fairfax County
A report by the Fairfax County History Commission on Confederate names in the county offers exhaustive details on the origin of John Marr Drive in Annandale and reveals a couple of communities in the Annandale area – Broyhill Crest and Ravensworth – with many streets named for Confederate military leaders. The Fairfax County Board of … Continued
Explore a Park: Luria Park is a green oasis on the edge of Holmes Run Stream Valley Park
This is the third article in the Annandale Blog’s Explore a Park series. The previous stories were about Manassas Gap Park in Annandale and Lillian Carey Park in Bailey’s Crossroads. Luria Park is a 5.3-acre neighborhood park at 7624 Holmes Run Drive in the Holmes Run Acres neighborhood in the Falls Church area of Mason District. It’s … Continued