The Randall Estates neighborhood was established in post-World War II Fairfax County as an African American development where Black families could secure housing at a time dominated by exclusionary policies and racially restrictive covenants.  Between the years of 1962-1974, Jube B. Shiver, Sr. and his associates constructed approximately fifty (50) single family houses for Black middle class home buyers. Through the efforts of the community, Randall Estates was listed on the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites in 2022 for its significance to Fairfax County’s cultural heritage, its association with influential people and groups, and its association with a discrete population, ethnic group, or community. The community submitted a Preliminary Information Form (PIF) to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) for the district, and VDHR staff and the State Review Board recommended the district eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2023.

In 2024, VDHR awarded the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, Heritage Resources (DPD-HR), in partnership with W. H. Randall Estates Civic Association, a Certified Local Government grant to complete an architectural survey and National Register nomination for the Randall Estates neighborhood. Additional funding for the study were provided by DPD and the Fairfax County History Commission.  

Timeline

DPD-HR received the grant funds in September 2024 and hired consultant Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc (WJE) to complete the survey and National Register nomination. WJE conducted field work from the public right-of-way in Fall 2024. The final National Register nomination was submitted to VDHR in early June. The Virginia State Review Board approved the nomination on September 18 and added William H. Randall Estates to the Virginia Landmarks Register. The National Register nomination was subsequently passed on to the National Park Service and Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places for approval and listing. In March 2026, DPD-HR was notified that the National Park Service had approved William H. Randall Estates for the National Register of Historic Places.