A LOOK BACK AT BRADDOCK
History in the Braddock District
In 1977, when my children started school at Laurel Ridge Elementary School in Kings Park West, I took a part-time job at a small law firm in the City of Fairfax. Lorne, the firm's one legal secretary, was a rare native of Fairfax County. When I told her where I lived, Lorne looked thoughtful and said, "I used to ride horses all through the woods where your neighborhood is now." Wow! Since then, whenever I jog or drive through Kings Park West, I imagine what it must have been like 35 years ago-forested hills laced with horse trails.
My staff and I often hear stories about "old time" Braddock, especially when people who have lived here the longest can no longer manage to remain in their older homes or former farm houses and apply to the county to rezone their property. For years, we've talked about capturing these old stories before they are lost forever. Finally, we decided to do it.
At our Oct. 20, Fall Town Meeting, we kicked off our 2004/2005 Miniseries A Look Back at Braddock. The Miniseries continued with our Spring Town Meeting on May 25, 2005. The program for that meeting included discussions about: evidence of Native American activities in our area of the County, early land grants and colonial settlements and Braddock in times of war and conflict. The Miniseries concluded with our Fall 2005 Town Meeting on October 19, 2005 where we learned about Braddock's evolution from early history to the present - our oldest roads and settlements, public institutions and governance and how our present neighborhoods began.
Sincerely,
Sharon Bulova
A Look Back At Braddock - A Video - 18 minutes
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A History of the Braddock
District
A History of Springfield and Annandale
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The A Look Back at
Braddock Heritage Website
Animation (narrated): Growth and Development in Braddock District, 1940 to 2004
For more information about the series,
call the Braddock District office at 703-425-9300, TTY 703-978-7973.