An application for curatorship has been received for the Lahey Lost Valley historic house. The Fairfax County Park Authority will continue to accept resident curator applications for the rehabilitation and long-term maintenance of the house until Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, by 5 p.m.
The Resident Curator Program offers long-term lease agreements to qualified tenants in beautiful public park settings. The curator leases are without charge in exchange for financial commitment and approved rehabilitation of the Park Authority’s underutilized historic properties.
The Lahey Lost Valley House, located at 9750 Brookmeadow Drive in Vienna, is a mid-18th century brick hall-parlor house with a 1940s brick addition. The house is located on land granted to William Gunnell in 1730. His son Henry Gunnell, together with Henry’s wife Catherine, built a working plantation on the site by 1760. The Gunnell family were leaders in Fairfax County throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The family continued to own the property through the 1930s.
In 1940, the house and 45 acres were sold to Richard and Carlotta Lahey. The Laheys moved a wood framed kitchen addition off the brick house and used it as a freestanding artist’s studio. In its place, the Laheys constructed a two-story brick addition. Between 1990 and 1991, Carlotta Lahey arranged with FCPA a bequest to be included in her will to donate the house, furnishings and 22 acres of land. FCPA took possession of the property after Mrs. Lahey passed away in 1999.
To identify potential lessees in the Resident Curator Program, FCPA is seeking proposals for the rehabilitation of the house in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Curators will be determined through an open and competitive process, based on several criteria, including a formal proposal, demonstrated experience and competency in historic preservation techniques, financial capabilities and the incorporation of public benefits.
Complete application forms and additional information about the properties are available by visiting Lahey Lost Valley webpage.
For more information, contact Stephanie Langton, Resident Curator Program manager at 703-324-8791 or by email at stephanie.langton@fairfaxcounty.gov.