Fairfax County Historical Commission

Fairfax County Historical Commission
Name	Fairfax County Historical Commission
Formation	1967
Type	Historic preservation commission
Headquarters	Fairfax County, Virginia
Region served	Fairfax County, Virginia
Parent organization	Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Contents

Fairfax County Historical Commission The Fairfax County Historical Commission advises the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on preservation policy, identifies and documents historic resources, and promotes awareness of local heritage across Northern Virginia, Alexandria, Virginia, Arlington County, Virginia, Prince William County, Virginia, and the broader Commonwealth of Virginia. Established during a period of expanding preservation movements that included initiatives like National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and programs from the National Park Service, the commission situates Fairfax County within regional networks such as the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the Historic Alexandria Foundation. The commission interacts with federal and state programs including listings on the National Register of Historic Places, participation in Virginia Landmarks Register nominations, and coordination with municipal historic districts like Old Town Alexandria and planning efforts tied to transportation agencies such as the Virginia Department of Transportation.

History

The commission traces its origins to postwar growth in Fairfax County, Virginia and the rise of preservation activism exemplified by cases like the preservation of Mount Vernon and the creation of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Early commissioners worked alongside agencies such as the Fairfax County Park Authority and civic groups like the Fairfax County Historical Society to survey sites connected to events including the American Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, and the development of the Chesapeake Bay region. Landmark preservation efforts in the county intersected with national trends like the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and regional conservation models found in Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg. Over decades the commission influenced local designations, coordinated archaeology related to Potomac River settlements, and navigated conflicts around suburban development spearheaded by entities similar to Merrifield redevelopment and corporate growth tied to Dulles International Airport.

The commission comprises appointed members representing magisterial districts and thematic expertise in archaeology, architectural history, and cultural resource management. Appointments are made by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with input from advisory entities such as the Fairfax County Planning Commission and municipal partners including City of Fairfax. Members often come from academic institutions like George Mason University, professional associations such as the Society of Architectural Historians, and nonprofit organizations including the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. The commission operates through committees modeled on practices used by the National Park Service and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources—for nominations, markers, and surveys—and collaborates with consultants accredited by the Register of Professional Archaeologists and preservation architects familiar with styles from Georgian architecture to Victorian architecture.

The commission evaluates nominations for local historic overlay districts and landmark status, advises on mitigation for projects involving federal undertakings under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and issues recommendations for archaeological investigations related to sites tied to Native American history and colonial-era settlement patterns. It prepares survey reports compatible with the National Register of Historic Places format, provides testimony to bodies like the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Commonwealth Transportation Board, and consults on adaptive reuse projects analogous to transformations seen in Old Town Alexandria and the Torpedo Factory Art Center. The commission also administers historic marker programs in alignment with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and partners on easements similar to those stewarded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust.

Programs include a county historic overlay district designation process, treatment guidelines informed by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and incentive initiatives such as tax credits paralleling state and federal rehabilitation credits. The commission endorses conservation easements, participates in surveys modeled after the Historic American Buildings Survey, and helps manage curation standards akin to those of the Smithsonian Institution for recovered artifacts. It also supports local cemetery preservation, battlefield stewardship that echoes efforts at Manassas National Battlefield Park and Gettysburg National Military Park, and preservation planning tied to corridor projects involving agencies like the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

The commission produces county-level survey inventories, nomination dossiers for the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register, and reports that integrate methodologies from historical archaeology and architectural historiography. Publications include thematic studies on agricultural landscapes, transportation corridors such as Richmond Highway (U.S. Route 1), and community histories of areas like Mason District and Sully District. Research collaborations with institutions like George Mason University, the Library of Virginia, and the Smithsonian Institution yield documentation that informs planning agencies including the Fairfax County Planning Commission and regional entities such as the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

Outreach efforts feature walking tours, heritage marker dedications, and public programs held with partners including the Fairfax County Park Authority, the Fairfax County Public Library, and the Fairfax County Historical Society. Educational initiatives target schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools system and coordinate with curriculum resources from the Virginia Department of Education and museums like the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History. The commission hosts workshops for property owners on preservation best practices aligned with guidance from the Secretary of the Interior and promotes volunteer opportunities similar to those run by the Friends of the Fairfax County Archaeology Program and local historical societies.

Category:Organizations based in Fairfax County, Virginia