News

The clock is ticking on a chance to live in Tysons rent-free — if you’ll agree to restore and maintain the historic property.

The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is accepting applications until Aug. 24 at 5 p.m. for a resident curator for Ash Grove, one of the county’s few still-standing houses from the 18th century.


News

For just under $40 million, you could stand on the same ground where Amelia Earhart once landed an airplane.

Ballantrae Farms, a 6.3-acre McLean estate whose house pre-dates the American Civil War, is currently up for sale with an initial asking price of $39.995 million. The property’s “storied past” includes a landing by Earhart in the 1930s, according to a listing that Washington Fine Properties posted last week.


News

The Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees is considering changing Woodrow Wilson Library’s name to Culmore Community Library following “significant community input.”

Library Board of Trustees Chair Brian Engler said many community members in the Mason District, where the library is located, have testified during public comment periods in recent months that they want the name changed.


News

Following the spring discovery of two 200-year-old bottles of plump cherries at Mount Vernon, archeologists have now unearthed another 35 glass bottles containing more berries from the 18th century.

Of the 35 bottles recently discovered in five storage bins in the mansion cellar, 29 are intact and contain perfectly preserved cherries and berries, likely gooseberries or currants, Mount Vernon said in a news release.


Countywide

When students arrive at Oakton High School, they will now encounter a historical marker honoring civil rights activist Lillian Blackwell, whose own children might not have been allowed inside when the school opened in 1967 if not for her advocacy.

Fairfax County officials unveiled the plaque detailing Blackwell’s legacy, including her fight against the segregation of local public schools and movie theaters, at a ceremony on Saturday (June 1) attended by some of her family members and the students who suggested her for the recognition.


News

Fairfax County will hold a community meeting later this month to gather feedback on its efforts to document one of the region’s oldest African American communities.

The first meeting — scheduled for Tuesday, May 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Gum Springs Community Center (8100 Fordson Road) — will give community members a chance to learn more about the timeline and goals of the Gum Springs Heritage Resources Study.


News

Nearly 14 years after Clifton Elementary School shuttered, its sign has been repurposed.

The sign now serves as a bulletin for local organizations, businesses, and community groups to promote events such as farmers markets, cultural celebrations and educational workshops.


News

Reston is sort of an odd duck — an Epcot-like planned community named for its founder Robert E. Simon — and anyone curious about how it came together can learn all about it at a walking tour this weekend.

The Reston Museum has opened registration for a historic walking tour.


News

It’s been 20 years since an iconic sculpture honoring Reston’s founder Robert E. Simon was unveiled at Lake Anne Plaza.

To celebrate the anniversary of the sculpture’s installation, Reston Museum is hosting an event featuring its creator, artist Zachary Oxman. The event will take place at Reston Community Center Lake Anne (1609-A Washington Plaza North) next Wednesday, March 13 at 7 p.m.


Countywide

(Updated at noon) Fairfax County landowners interested in comparing their current tax assessment with what they might’ve been charged at the tail end of the 19th century will soon be able to find that information online.

Local land tax books from 1891 and 1896 are among the records that the Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office plans to preserve and digitize after receiving a nearly $21,270 state grant.


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