The community is invited to a ceremony renaming Bailey’s Community Center to the Minnie H. Peyton Community Center at Bailey’s. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the center located at 5920 Summers Lane in Falls Church, VA.
The new name honors Minnie Peyton (1889-1985), a pillar of Springdale, a historically Black community in Bailey’s Crossroads that originated as a home to freedmen since the Civil War. In 1935, Minnie Peyton and her sister, Florence, purchased five acres of land in Bailey’s Crossroads. They sold the land to the Fairfax County School Board in 1954. In 1956, Lillian Carey Elementary school, which served Black students, opened on the sisters’ former land. The former school site is now a part of Bailey’s Community Center.
In September 2023, former Mason Supervisor Penny Gross introduced a Board Matter to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to explore the name change. That was followed by a community engagement meeting in June 2024 and online public feedback survey from June 26 – July 11, 2024. At the request of current Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez, the Board approved the renaming at its meeting on July 16, 2024. For more information on the engagement process, visit Bailey's Community Center Renaming.
Bailey’s Community Center is a multipurpose facility for all ages and abilities. The center’s features include a senior program, gymnasium, computer clubhouse, weight and exercise rooms, outdoor tennis and basketball courts, a baseball diamond, playground and more.
Event Flyers:
Cristin.Bratt@fairfaxcounty.gov