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TextHistory Commission Accomplishments
Fairfax County History Commission Accomplishments in 2008
This committee was formed in the fall of 1997 in response to the increasing demographic diversity of Fairfax County's population. The one hundred languages spoken within schools show the diversity of the population. It has been estimated that in less than fifty years the County's white population will drop below 50 percent. The committee set as a goal to explore the ways in which more ethnic segments might be encouraged to record their experiences and community history since their arrival in Northern Virginia.
The members of the Ethnic committee are Naomi Zeavin, Anne Barnes, Sallie Lyons, Lynne Garvey-Hodge and Chairperson, Esther McCullough.
In 2004, at the suggestion of then-Chairman Connolly, the Commission formed a subcommittee of the Ethnic Committee to seek a project for recording and presenting oral history in Fairfax County. The subcommittee is researching ways to present oral history that convey to the County and the youth that the history of all people is important. In addition, that history is not just the past, but is made each day.
A plan has been formed to interview people who can give history on (1) World War II; (2) African-Americans who grew up in the County; and (3) the many ethnic groups in the County. These will be conducted over a two-year span.
Led by Esther McCullough, the committee includes Naomi Zeavin, Anne Barnes, Sallie Lyons and Lynne Garvey-Hodge.
During 2008, the Fairfax County History Commission's Publications Committee focused primarily on the reprinting of out-of-stock books and maps (Beginning at a White Oak: Patents and Northern Neck Grants of Fairfax County, Virginia; Fairfax County, Virginia in 1760; Legato School: A Centennial Souvenir; and Mount Air, Fairfax, Virginia). This entails converting the documents into an electronic format; continuing discussions regarding publishing the “Fairfax County in 1860” manuscript and map; and assisting map author Guinevere Jones with content additions and the reprinting of “African American Landowners, Churches, Schools and Businesses: Fairfax County Virginia (1860–1900)” from which the Commission has withdrawn.
Members of the Publications Committee are Mary Lipsey (Chair), Mayo Stuntz, Elise Ruff Murray, Barbara Naef, Lynne Garvey-Hodge, Anne Barnes, Gretchen Bulova and Suzanne Levy, ex officio, Virginia Room.
The Fairfax County History Commission has established several awards programs to honor achievements in Fairfax County history and historic preservation. These programs include the Distinguished Service Awards, which are typically awarded to individuals, developers, corporations, or groups that have contributed to preserving history in Fairfax County.
The Fairfax Heritage Awards are designed to encourage and reward original research in Fairfax County history. The highest award is the Nan Netherton Award, which includes a $1,000 prize. The Mary Fahringer Memorial Award is a very special award recognizing outstanding achievement in education, concentrating in areas of history and architecture. The award for $1,000 is not an annual one, but is reserved for truly unique and meritorious contributions.
At the 4th Annual Fairfax County History Conference on November 15, 2008, the Commission presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Gerry Connolly for his consistent and passionate support of maintaining Fairfax County’s historical resources; and Distinguished Service Awards to David Bettwy and Barbara Smith, who have given countless hours of volunteer time to preserve history in McLean and Great Falls, respectively.
The members of the Awards Committee are Lynne Garvey-Hodge, Chair, Jack Hiller and Bob Beach.
Fairfax County’s Historical Marker Program began in January 1998 when the History Commission approved a design and agreed to fund a distinctive marker for Fairfax County. While this marker was generally modeled after Virginia’s roadside markers, by state code it had to have a distinctive appearance. With colors derived from George Washington’s Fairfax Militia uniform, these buff and blue roadside markers emblazoned with the Fairfax County seal, stand ten feet from ground level.
In the ten years that the program has existed, twenty-five Fairfax County markers and five state markers have been funded. Many of the requests for historical markers are initiated by the public or by proffers from developers. These sources have provided more than half of the funds supporting the program to date. All requests are reviewed by a committee for historical accuracy and editorial continuity before being submitted to the entire Commission for approval.
In 2008, the Commission approved two county markers and one state marker. The Laurel Grove Colored School and Church marker was installed in October on Beulah Street in the Franconia area marking a standing structure that served as a community school until 1932. The marker will be dedicated on June 13, 2009. The second marker was approved for Beacon Hill Shopping Mall on Route 1, south of Alexandria, which was the location of the Beacon Field Airport from the 1930s until it closed in 1959. Installation is awaiting the approval of the shopping mall management. The Commission approved and partially funded a state marker requested by a Fairfax City citizen to be placed on County property in front of the County Court House entitled: “First Confederate Officer Killed.”
Serving on the Marker Committee are: Joe Balicki, Don Hakenson, Mary Lipsey, Esther McCullough, Jim Cox and Jack L. Hiller, the Chairman.
The Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites is one of the History Commission’s longest standing responsibilities. It serves as both an honorific and a planning tool. The Comprehensive Plan includes the Inventory sites in the Heritage Resources section of each Planning District. In November 2007, the Board of Supervisors authorized an Out of Turn Plan Amendment. The purpose of this Countywide Heritage Resources Comprehensive Plan Amendment was to:
· Update the Inventory of Historic Sites tables that appear in the district-wide recommendation section of each planning district;
· Update the language in the Overview and Heritage Resources sections of the district-wide recommendation section of each planning district to reflect changes that have taken place;
· Consider editorial changes to reflect changes to site names;
· Modify the Plan Glossary definition for Heritage Resources; and
· Update the language in the Heritage Resources section of each planning sector to reflect changes that have taken place, and revise text where more accurate information has been discovered through additional research.
At its January 2008 meeting, the History Commission voted to approve the revised Inventory, which now stands at 342 sites. In addition to housekeeping changes, each demolished building was identified and reviewed for archaeological or cultural significance. Of the 86 demolished buildings identified, 53 were determined to retain significance and will remain on the Inventory list, marked as demolished. The remaining 23 buildings were deemed to retain no archaeological or cultural significance and were removed from the Inventory; however, records of these properties will be retained. Three community meetings were held in March 2008 at sites throughout the County to provide information to the public on the proposed plan amendment and to solicit citizen’s comments.
After a meeting between the History Commission and the Planning Commission Committee of the Whole on October 28, 2008 and a public hearing on November 20, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve the proposed plan amendment at their December 4 meeting. The History Commission is grateful to the Planning Commission for their consideration and thoughtful comments, especially to James Hart for shepherding the process.
After much hard work by many people, the plan amendment came before the Board of Supervisors for a public hearing on January 26, 2009 and was approved at the same meeting with the direction that staff work with the History and Planning Commissions to develop a process for updating the County Inventory of Historic Sites in the Comprehensive Plan on a systematic basis.
Linda Cornish Blank, the County’s Preservation Planner oversaw the rehabilitation of the Inventory and the Out of Turn Plan Amendment process. Sterling Wheeler, at the direction of Fred Selden, Planning Division Director, oversaw the creation of planning district maps identifying all Inventory sites. DPZ Planning Division staff, Indrani Sistla, Senior Planner, and Harry Rado, Graphics Supervisor, contributed to the Out of Turn Plan Amendment by, respectively, developing the GIS program for the Inventory and producing the planning district maps showing the Inventory sites. Planners Maya Dhavale, Jayjeev Hada, Mubarika Shah and Mary Ann Welton provided invaluable technical assistance at the community meetings. In addition, Liz Crowell and John Rutherford of County Archaeology, Park Authority Cultural Resource Management Section also provided invaluable assistance, especially in evaluating demolished structures.
Because the plan amendment required that a fixed list go forward to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, the Commission did not add any sites to the Inventory in 2008. During the plan amendment process, numerous suggestions for additional sites were received which the Commission striving to accommodate. The current Inventory list along with its background, nomination forms and research guidelines are accessible to staff and the general public on the County website. (www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/historic/ihs).
In July 2005, the Commission hired Susan Hellman to begin the task of updating the Inventory for the first time since 1994. She reviewed and updated information on Inventory sites; proposed revisions to the guidelines and nomination form; reviewed and organized a large backlog of files; visited numerous sites; and photographed most Inventory structures. She began the revisions to the Comprehensive Plan. After seeing the Commission through the public meetings, Ms. Hellman left DPZ and joined the Virginia Room staff. In June 2008, Laurie Turkawski began work on the Out of Turn Plan Amendment, completing the project in January 2009. She revised the Plan text and Inventory tables, conformed site names to the National Register standard and made presentations to both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.
This Commission is very grateful to the Board of Supervisors for funding the Historian I position in the Department of Planning and Zoning for Fiscal Years 2007 through 2009. Due to budget constraints, DPZ was unable to fund the position for FY 2010. The Commission felt that it was so important to continue to work on and improve the Inventory of Historic Sites that the Commission transferred $46,000 to DPZ to fund the Limited Term Historian I position in FY 2010. Currently, Ms. Turkawski’s work includes managing the Inventory, revising the Inventory nomination form, writing a “how to guide” and a sample nomination to aid the public in preparing nomination forms and developing a process whereby the Inventory can be routinely updated in the Comprehensive Plan. The Department of Planning and Zoning continues to be supportive. The Commission continues to work with County Staff to establish procedures for obtaining notice of impending demolition of Inventory sites, which might require a change in the Zoning Ordinance.
Sallie Lyons, Elise Ruff Murray, Barbara Naef and Debbie Robison serve on the Inventory Committee, in cooperation with Laurie Turkawski and Linda Cornish Blank of DPZ.
Since 2000, Vicki Monken has put in over 2,180 hours entering archaeological data into the computer for the County archaeology (CRMP). In addition to current data entry, she is working through reams of forms filled out by the County Archaeology Program in the course of its 30 years of operation. The Commission provides her a modest grant to do this invaluable work.
The History Commission provided a grant for two summer interns, Kira Bonomo and Katherine Maskell, to assist the Cultural Resource Management Section in fulfilling the mandates of the Cultural Resource Management Plan. In 2008, Fairfax County celebrated 30 years of county-sponsored archaeology. The Section undertook a number of activities to celebrate this milestone. Interns prepared a grant proposal, exhibits, webpage content, brochures and supporting documentation for the 30 years celebration held in October 2008. They conducted documentary research and prepared PowerPoint presentations for the event. The interns conducted public outreach activities with schoolchildren, scouts, campers and senior citizens. They conducted archaeological excavations, lab projects and prepared sections of reports. One intern assisted staff with linking text and photographs to GIS maps.
The History Commission's web page includes recent marker dedications, publications information, member contact information and Commission accomplishments. It serves as an easy, up to date and readily available tool for anyone interested in our County's history. The committee consists of Mike Irwin, Chair, and Debbie Robison. (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/histcomm/)
At the Board of Supervisors request, the Commission compiled a list of people willing and interested in speaking on topics related to Fairfax County history. The resulting Speaker’s Bureau List includes a variety of countywide history topics with related speakers and contact information, including name, email address and phone number. Numerous members of the Commission are included. It is a continuous work in progress and is customized and updated as necessary.
Members of the Fairfax County History Commission continue to be active in speaking before various civic, community and historic groups.
Anne Barnes has presented talks on the early historical Fairfax County “Colored” schools at the annual Fairfax County History Conference, Gunston Hall and historic one room Laurel Grove School located in Franconia, Virginia.
Don Hakenson is a well sought out speaker and has given presentations to countless Civil War, historical and civic organizations around the entire State of Virginia. In July 2008, Mr. Hakenson gave a presentation to a Civil War Historical Group in Orlando, Florida. He also conducts presentations and book signings on his books, This Forgotten Land: a Tour of Civil War Sites and Other Historical Landmarks South of Alexandria, Virginia and Rangers Frank H. Rahm & John H. Lunceford, and his two books co-authored with Gregg Dudding about Colonel John S. Mosby and his men. Mr. Hakenson conducts Mosby & Civil War bus tours with Gregg Dudding for the Stuart-Mosby Historical Society and for other historical organizations and has provided special Civil War tours and information to prominent writers and other out of state historians.
Jack Lewis Hiller spoke to eight different groups in 2008, in addition to giving 22 tours of Gunston Hall. Typically, he is asked to speak in public schools, to civic associations, historical groups, senior citizens or to private groups. Many of Mr. Hiller’s lectures are given with slides and focus on Springfield. Titles of his lectures include: “Murder at the Mill: My Search for William H. Keene,” “Henry Daingerfield and Origins of Springfield,” “Oakgrove: The Home that John H. Broders Built,” “The Hidden History of Hidden Pond Park,” “Here Lies Fairfax County,” and “An Introduction to Fairfax Archaeology.”
Lynne Garvey-Hodge has a particular interest in the Progressive Era of the United States (1890–1920) and re-enacts suffragist Mrs. Robert Walker for a variety of community events, including the ribbon cutting of the launch of the suffragist memorial dedication at Turning Point Plaza in Occoquan Regional Park, the League of Women Voters, public schools, George Mason, University Girl Scout troops and the History Conference. She has over 11 re-enactments scheduled for 2009 thus far. Ms. Garvey-Hodge also gives talks about her recently completed book for Arcadia Publishers’ Images of America Series, Clifton. She gives presentations using music, photo boards and games on the history of Clifton to local groups.
Mary Lipsey continues to provide presentations on a variety of topics related to the “Braddock’s True Gold” project, Annandale history, women's history and firsts in American history.
Sallie Lyons promotes preservation and archeological and historical research in the old town of Colchester, Colchester Park and Preserve and Mason Neck, speaking frequently to groups and at the History Conference.
Naomi Zeavin speaks at the Rotary and schools, etc. on Historic Mason District.
Fairfax County History Commission Members continue to be active in a variety of ways in the local community. This is not meant as a comprehensive list but merely a means to highlight the wide variety of activities of commission members.
Anne Barnes is a member of the Board of Directors of the Laurel Grove School Association.
Irma Clifton is the President of the Lorton Heritage Society, Inc., and is historian and collections manager for the Lorton Arts Foundation. She owns a historic house in Falmouth, where she also is active in historic preservation.
Five years ago, Jim Cox joined the Board of Directors of the Franconia Museum and has filled many different roles in the development of the organization.
Don Hakenson is the past President for the Stuart-Mosby Historical Society and is on the board of directors for the Franconia Museum. He also is an advisor for the Mosby Foundation & the Friends of Laura Radcliffe.
Carole Herrick is the co-chair of the McLean & Great Falls Celebrate Virginia as it prepares for the 100th commemoration.
Lynne Garvey-Hodge’s re-enactment of suffragist Mrs. Robert Walker and talks on her book, Clifton, were featured on Cox Cable. Lynne Garvey-Hodge serves on the Town of Clifton Historic Preservation Committee, which she instigated; serves as co-chair of the Clifton Betterment Association’s Clifton Oral History Project; and as the co-chair of the Annual Historic Candlelight Tour of the Town.
Sallie Lyons promotes preservation and archeological and historical research in the old town of Colchester, Colchester Park and Preserve and Mason Neck. For the Gunston Hall Seeds of Independence program, she chaired the Logtown committee, researching lost slave quarters. As Lyonshare Studios, LLC, with her husband Gerald Lyons, she is providing pro bono design of a W3R wayside informational kiosk under a TEA-21 grant, for the Washington Rochambeau Army passage and encampment at Colchester and also an interpretive display for the David archaeological site. In 2008, she did historical illustration for Peculiar Affinity by Gerald Norde, a sociological study of slave/master relationships. She attended the Mid Atlantic Archaeological Conference presenting a poster, is secretary of the Lorton Heritage Society and an active member of the APVA and the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Archaeological Society of Virginia.
Elise Murray served as the President of the Historical Society of Fairfax County and is now, along with Mayo Stuntz, on the Board of Directors.
As the Archaeologist Representative on the Commission, Barbara Naef continued to meet regularly with the Park Authority Cultural Resource Management and Protection (CRMP) Section Manager, to keep advised and updated on the various activities and projects involving the countywide archaeology programs that are managed through CRMP. She attended and provided some volunteer help at the conference held at James Lee Center to mark 30 years of archaeology in Fairfax County. Barbara Naef continued volunteer work with Park Authority Collections staff. Her primary projects include a continuation of research and documentation of objects in the Lahey collection of furnishings and decorative arts. She initiated and worked with staff to research and prepare a DVD presentation reflecting over 30 years of Park Authority historic preservation projects that was offered at the occasion of Michael Rierson’s retirement in July 2008 and is now doing research in order to gather information located in Collections files and archives that would be useful in marking the upcoming Park Authority 60th anniversary. As a volunteer at the Reston Museum, Ms. Naef has been participating in planning associated with the anticipated renovation of the facility and the installation of new interpretive exhibits.
Debbie Robison led costumed historical walking tours of the Centreville Historic District during Centreville Day, as well as volunteered for the Fairfax Fair. She assisted the Friends of the Vale Schoolhouse with a nomination to place the schoolhouse on the National Register of Historic Places. Similarly, Ms. Robison assisted the Friends of Historic Centreville with their nomination to place the Historic Centreville District on the National Register of Historic Places, which received preliminary approval from the State Board. Ms. Robison was a member of the Fairfax County Park Authority citizen advisory committee to review the Historic Centreville Park master plan, and participated on the Fairfax County History Museum governance subcommittee. In addition she is a member of the Historic Centreville Society Board and serves on the Centreville Joint Committee reviewing proposed developments in the Centreville Historic District.
Naomi Zeavin led the first Oral History project at the Clark House in 2005 highlighting the history of two African-American families. Completed in 2006, the video and transcribed interviews are available for research in the Virginia Room. She has prepared a video for Gunston Hall on African American Gladys Bushrod and the local black history in the area. Supervisor Penny Gross sponsored reproducing ten volumes of Ms. Zeavin’s research to put in all county libraries and the Virginia Room. In addition, each library and the Virginia Room received eight copies of some of her historical videos. Naomi Zeavin serves on the board of directors of the Capitol Hill Civil War Roundtable.
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