Background
In 2024, Fairfax County was selected to participate in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) Cost Share Survey and Planning Grant Program. This program assists local governments in surveying their communities to identify cultural and historic resources. In addition to identifying traditional historic landmarks, the program prioritizes documentation of recent past resources that represent the forefront of historic preservation. Grant funds were used to complete a study examining the development and growth of Fairfax County as it relates to regional, state, and national patterns during the late 20th Century (1970-2000). The study included the development of a historic context for the Post-Modern period for the County, and evaluated the impact of proximity of the county to metropolitan Washington DC; federal, state, and local governmental programs and policies; industrial and commercial trends and growth; socioeconomic trends; transportation improvements and network expansions; land development and zoning trends; and economic development incentive programs. County documents and policy plans, primary and secondary sources including the American Institute of Architects and the County's James M. Scott Exceptional Design Awards, were used to identify significant buildings in the region, and develop a historic context in which to evaluate them. Robinson & Associates, Inc. was selected by VDHR to complete the study.
A directed architectural survey of approximately 50 individual commercial buildings and office complexes was used to illustrate the Post-Modern historic context and support the study's conclusions and recommendations. Identified geographic areas of focus included the Dulles Technology Corridor, areas close to major transportation corridors, and areas of concentrated commercial and industrial development based on county planning policies and zoning regulations during the study period.
This project built upon and continued the work of two previous Cost Share Program studies conducted in Fairfax County: Reston, A Planned Community in Fairfax County, Virginia (2021) and Modern Architecture Selective Survey, Fairfax County, Virginia (2024), in partnership with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR). An ongoing goal of the county’s historic resources survey and documentation efforts is to increase awareness of the significant heritage resources and historic properties in Fairfax County and support the county’s long-range preservation planning efforts.
