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Upcoming Events
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Fairfax County’s 5th Annual History Conference
Fairfax: This is YOUR County
When: Saturday November 7, 2009
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Where: James Lee Community Center
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
Conference Brochure & Registration Form
Cost: $20.00 per person (Includes continental breakfast, lunch, and free parking.)
Welcome & Opening Remarks: Sharon Bulova, Chairperson, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Keynote Speaker: Dr.
Robert A. Selig
The American Revolution & the Washington-Rochambeau Route in
Northern Virginia
Additional Speakers: Marion Dobbins
James Lee’s Journey of Freedom
Patrick O’Neill
The War of 1812
Don Hakenson
Lesser Known Fairfax County Stories of the Civil War
Jack L. Hiller
The Origins of Springfield, VA
Panel Presentation: Our Appreciation of Fairfax
County's Veterans
Veterans Share Their Foreign Service Experiences
Program includes:
- Historical Exhibits
- Historical Book Signings
- Tours of the County Archaeology Labs and Collections Storage Facility
Previous Events
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Laurel Grove Colored School and Church Marker Dedication
On June 13, 2009, the grounds of the Laurel Grove Colored School and Church were filled with people who came together to celebrate the dedication of a historical roadside marker that memorializes the actions of a community of freedmen and freedwomen who organized a congregation and provided educational opportunities for their children after the Civil War.
Fairfax County History Commissioners Esther McCullough, Debbie
Robison,
Anne Barnes, Naomi Zeavin, Phyllis Walker Ford, and Sallie Lyons
at the Laurel Grove Colered School and Church Marker Dedication.
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Fairfax County’s Fourth Annual History Conference – November 15, 2008 “Our 20th Century”
Nearly 100 Fairfax County history lovers descended upon NOVA’s Ernst Community Cultural Center on November 15th to learn of numerous Fairfax County historical events that occurred in the 20th Century.
The keynote speaker was The Honorable Vince Callahan, a 40-year member of the Virginia House of Delegates who shared his reminisces about the time he has served and what all was occurring on the Virginia, Fairfax County, and national stage during his tenure. He witnessed the de-segregation of schools, the Kennedy assassination, the war in Viet-Nam, the growth and blossoming of George Mason University, and the diverse population shifts of this great county. Many attendees encouraged him to write a book about his many, colorful, amusing, and also dramatic experiences!
Fairfax County History Conference Keynote Speaker,
The Honorable Vince Callahan (Virginia House of Delegates, Retired)
Newly-elected Congressman of Virginia’s 11th District and Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Gerry Connolly kicked off the well-attended conference by reminding us of the urgent need to preserve history – the people, places, and events that have marked Fairfax County’s history – particularly as they have affected the history of the United States. He presented two Distinguished Service Awards to Barbara Smith and David Bettwy who have given countless hours of volunteer time to preserve history in their areas of McLean and Great Falls, respectively. Connolly also received a Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the Fairfax County History Commission for his consistent and passionate support of maintaining Fairfax County’s historical resources and for being willing to so deftly open all the Annual Conferences to date. He generously offered to join us, again, next year! Other Fairfax County Supervisors in attendance included Sharon Bulova, Braddock District and Penny Gross, Mason District.
The focus of the conference included three topic areas:
(1) Breaking Barriers – which included presentations on “Asian
American Arrivals” (team led by Anne Cahill, Cora Foley & Brigette
Le) in Fairfax County; “The Progressive Era - Suffragists, Single
Mothers & Society’s Sinners” (Lynne Garvey-Hodge, Fairfax County
History Commission) and “The De-segregation of Fairfax County Schools”
(Megan Garnett, FCPS teacher).
(2) Bricks & Mortar – involved three presentations
including, “The Preservation of Mt. Vernon – Setting the Preservation
Stage” (Dr. Dennis Pogue, Mt. Vernon Ladies Association); “20th Century
Architecture” (John Burns, Chairman, Fairfax County’s Architectural
Review Board) and “Seven Corners: A Post WWII Transformation” (Dr.
Chris Martin, Historian, Fairfax City).
(3) Changing Patterns – “Fairfax County: Rooted in Agriculture”
(Yvonne Johnson, Fairfax County Park Authority); “Roosevelt’s Tree
Army: the Civilian Conservation Corps” (Mary Lipsey, Fairfax County
History Commission) and “All Roads Lead to Fairfax: Tourist Courts
& Diners” (Randy Lytton, George Mason University)
- Ira Gabrielson Marker Dedication
On Saturday April 26, 2008, a roadside historical marker honoring the achievements in wildlife conservation of Dr. Ira Gabrielson was dedicated at the Oakton Library. Trish Strat, an Oakton resident, spearheaded the effort. Through her research, text development, and coordination with the History Commission, Ms. Strat has provided the public with an appreciation and understanding of Dr. Gabrielson’s accomplishments.
Oakton resident Dr. Ira Noel Gabrielson was a pioneer conservationist, distinguished field ornithologist, and renowned author. He served as the first director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and an international leader of conservation projects. Gabrielson was a founder and the first chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and first president of World Wildlife Fund-US. For his life’s work, he was inducted into the National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Hall of Fame in 1978. His land, between Leeds Road and Difficult Run, is a Fairfax County park known as Gabrielson Gardens Park .
- Civilian Conservation Corps Marker Dedication
A county marker was dedicated on April 5, 2008 in Lake Accotink Park on the 75th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps. It marks a fire trail carved out of the forest by the CCC in the 1930s.
- 2007 History Conference
Fairfax County played host to its Third Annual History Conference,
Saturday, October 27, 2007 at the Annandale campus of the Northern
Virginia Community College. "The Fairfax Four Hundred: 400 Years
of Fairfax County History" was the theme of the event,
referencing the Jamestown 400 celebration in May that marked 400
years of the Commonwealth of Virginia History. Dr. Doug Owsley, who
provided much of the Jamestown 2007 anthropological and
archaeological work, was the keynote speaker at the Oct. 27
conference.
- Ivakota Farm Marker Dedication
On May 12, 2007 the IVAKOTA Farm marker was dedicated.
Fairfax County History Commissioner Lynne Garvey Hodge, Clifton, VA with members of the Kate Waller Barrett Alexandria DAR Chapter
- The Orange and Alexandria Railroad Trestle
Nearly two dozen people braved blustery winds and light rain to attend the unveiling of Fairfax County's newest historic marker on June 5, 2004. It commemorates a Civil War-era Orange & Alexandria Rail Road (O & ARR) trestle that once spanned Accotink Creek. Completed in the 1850s, the O & ARR was a vital transportation link through Fairfax County into central Virginia.
Lake Accotink Park Manager Tawny Hammond summarized the research and fundraising done to place the marker. Fairfax County Park Authority Board Chair Winnie Shapiro also made remarks, along with History Commissioner Jack L. Hiller and Fairfax County Supervisors Sharon Bulova and Dana Kauffman. Speaking over the roar of Accotink's spillway less than 100 feet behind him, Supervisor Kauffman acknowledged the continued importance of transportation within Fairfax County, remarking, "Although I can't imagine someone putting up a marker to the Beltway 100 years from now!"
Admiring the newly unveiled historic marker at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield on June 5, 2004, are (from left) Fairfax County Supervisor Dana Kauffman and son, Fairfax County Supervisor Sharon Bulova, Lake Accotink Park Operations Manager Lee Ann Shenefiel, and Fairfax County Park Authority Board Chair Winnie Shapiro.
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