About the Historical Society of Fairfax County
Documenting Fairfax County Since 1950
The Historical Society of Fairfax County, Virginia traces its beginning to February 18, 1950, when twenty-six county citizens gathered at Woodlawn Plantation at the invitation of J.W. Rixey-Smith to organize a society devoted to preserving the historical sites and traditions of Fairfax County. The new organization received its charter from the Commonwealth of Virginia on May 26, 1950, and held its first annual meeting that June at the Jackson House in McLean. More than seven decades later, the society continues its founding purpose of promoting and preserving the history of one of Virginia's oldest and most storied counties.
The society is best known for its publications. Since 1951 it has published journals exploring the richness of Fairfax County's past, and it continues that tradition today with a biennial yearbook of historical articles prized by genealogists, historians, archaeologists, and students of local history. Most volumes remain available for purchase, and out-of-print yearbooks can be consulted in the Virginia Room at the City of Fairfax Regional Library, which also holds the society's organizational records.
Public programming is the other pillar of the society's work. It hosts lectures and book talks by historians and authors on topics ranging from George Mason to African American history and the county's surviving historic structures, such as one-room schoolhouses and family farms. Recent programs have been held at George Mason University's Fenwick Library and at the historic Oakton Schoolhouse on Hunter Mill Road, and the society welcomes new members at several membership levels.
Plan Your Visit
The Historical Society of Fairfax County is based in Fairfax, Virginia, and holds its lectures and meetings at venues around the county, including George Mason University's Fenwick Library and the Oakton Schoolhouse. For the current program schedule, publication sales, and membership information, visit fairfaxhistoricalsociety.org.
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