Falls Church, Virginia
Encyclopedia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city
in Virginia
, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area
. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church
, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township
status within Fairfax County
in 1975. In 1948, it was incorporated as the City of Falls Church, an independent city with county-level governance status. It is also referred to as Falls Church City. The city's corporate boundaries do not include all of the area historically known as Falls Church; these areas include Seven Corners and other portions of the current Falls Church postal districts of Fairfax County
, as well as the area of Arlington County
known as East Falls Church, which was part of the town of Falls Church from 1875 to 1936. For statistical purposes, the US Department of Commerce's
Bureau of Economic Analysis
combines the City of Falls Church with Fairfax City and Fairfax County
.
, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all of it land. The center of the city is the crossroads of Virginia State Route 7
(W. Broad St./Leesburg Pike) and U.S. Route 29
(Washington St./Lee Highway).
The Tripps Run watershed
drains two-thirds of the City of Falls Church, while the Four Mile Run
watershed drains the other third. Four Mile Run flows at the base of Minor's Hill
, which overlooks Falls Church on its north, and Upton's Hill
, which bounds the area to its east.
Falls Church is the smallest independent city, by area, in Virginia. Since independent cities in Virginia are considered county-equivalents, it is also the smallest county-equivalent in the United States by area.
-speaking world, outside the fringes of the powerful Powhatan paramount chiefdom
to the south. It was part of the Anacostan chiefdom, centered on the lower Anacostia River
near present-day Washington, D.C. (John Smith visited them in 1608); the Anacostans were organized under the Piscataway paramount chiefdom (not part of the Powhatan alliance), which by the 1630s claimed to have had thirteen successive rulers. Tauxenent/Doegs
, who had shifted politically from Powhatan's
alliance to Iroquois
alliances, migrated physically into the Piscataway territories in the 1660s.
The earliest known settlement within the current city limits of Falls Church (whether Anacostan or Doeg is unclear) was on the south side of present day Lee Highway at its intersection with Columbia Street. Just east of Falls Church, on Wilson Boulevard, is Powhatan Springs, where Powhatan is said to have convened autumn councils. Today's Broad Street and Great Falls Street follow long-established trade and communication routes.
In the late 17th century, especially after Bacon's Rebellion
in 1676, English settlers from the Tidewater
region of Virginia
began to migrate to the area. According to local tradition, one of the chimneys of the "Big Chimneys
" house and tavern was inscribed "1699"; based on this claim, 1699 is often taken to be the first European settlement in the immediate vicinity. (The house site is now Big Chimneys Park, on W. Annandale Rd. north of S. Maple.)
, from which the City takes its name, was first called "William Gunnell's Church," built of wood in 1733 to serve Truro Parish
, which had been formed two years earlier from a larger parish centered in Quantico
. By 1757, the building was referred to as "The Falls Church", as it was located along the main tobacco rolling road from the Little Falls of the Potomac River
. George Mason
became a Vestryman
in 1748, as did George Washington
in 1763. A brick church designed by James Wren replaced the wooden one in 1769, at which point it became the seat of the newly-formed Fairfax Parish. Following the Revolution
, in 1784, the Commonwealth
of Virginia enacted disestablishment of the Anglican Church, meaning it was no longer the state church. Shortly thereafter, in 1789, The Falls Church was abandoned and was not re-occupied again until 1836, by an Episcopal
congregation. The Wren building remains on the site, between S. Washington, E. Broad, and E. Fairfax Streets.
to Washington, D.C., in 1800 brought a gradual influx of workers to nearby Falls Church. Taverns also opened to serve travelers going to and from the federal district.
By the start of the American Civil War
, Falls Church had seen an influx of Northerners seeking land and better weather. Thus the township's vote for Virginian secession
was about 75% for, 25% against. The town changed hands several times during the early years of the war. Confederate
General James Longstreet
was headquartered at Home Hill (now the Lawton House on Lawton Street) following the First Battle of Manassas. The earliest known instance of U. S. wartime aerial reconnaissance
was carried out from Taylor's Tavern
at Seven Corners by aeronaut Thaddeus S. C. Lowe
of the Union Army Balloon Corps
. When Confederates took Falls Church, the town became one of the earliest targets of aerially-directed bombardment, with Lowe operating air reconnaissance from Arlington Heights and directing Union guns near the Chain Bridge by telegraph. These events have now been documented extensively, particularly the military encampments on Minor's Hill
and Upton's Hill
.
Following Reconstruction, Falls Church remained a rural farm community. It gained township
status in 1975. Its first mayor after this status was Dr. John Joseph Moran, known as the attending physician when Edgar Allan Poe
died.
In 1887, the town of Falls Church retro-ceded to Fairfax County the section south of what is now Lee Highway, then known as "the colored settlement."
In 1912 the Commonwealth allowed municipalities to enact residential segregation
, and Falls Church's town council soon passed an ordinance designating a "colored" residential district, in which whites were not allowed to live and outside of which blacks were not allowed to live (black property owners already living outside that district did not have to move, but could only sell to whites). The Colored Citizen's Protective League formed in opposition to this ordinance and worked to prevent it from being enforced. The League incorporated as the first rural chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) in 1915. In November 1917 the segregation law was formally nullified by the Virginia State Supreme Court
, though the Falls Church City Council did not formally repeal it until February 1999.
One of only three Frank Lloyd Wright
houses built in Virginia once stood at 1005 Locust Street, Falls Church (just outside current city limits, in Fairfax County). Commissioned in 1939 by journalist Loren Pope
and his wife Charlotte Pope, it followed Wright's Usonian design principles and was completed in 1941. The Popes sold it to Robert and Marjorie Leighey in 1946. In 1963, the house was threatened with condemnation for the construction of Interstate 66
. Marjorie Leighey (then a widow) donated it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation
in 1964; it was dismantled, moved, and reconstructed at Woodlawn Plantation
, where it opened to the public as the Pope-Leighey House in 1965.
In 1948, Falls Church became an independent city in order to control its municipal services, including the school system, which, at the time, was segregated by race and under pressure from rapid population growth. These boundaries did not encompass the entire area of Falls Church, however, and the city immediately worked to annex an area reaching north beyond Pimmit Run, west to Holmes Run, and south to Lake Barcroft, including all of Seven Corners. Had this effort been successful, the present city boundaries would have included most of the Fairfax County Falls Church ZIP Codes 22042, 22043, and 22044, in addition to the parts of 22046 not already in the current city boundaries.
With the desegregation
crisis following the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education
, one city school board member pushed to allow black students to attend Falls Church City schools (they attended Fairfax County schools, with the city paying tuition to the county), but others delayed, and the state government's "Massive Resistance
" laws (known as the Stanley plan
) prevented desegregation of any schools. In the 1959 school board elections, candidates supported by the Citizens for a Better Council (presently known as Citizens for a Better City, or CBC), which lobbied for increased school funding overall, won the majority of the school board. These more "progressive" school board members then allowed "pupil placement" of selected black students into Falls Church schools as allowed by Virginia's 1959 "freedom of choice" law. Three students applied for fall 1961, two for Mason High School and one for Madison Elementary; all were approved and attended city schools that fall. In 1963, one of these Mason students helped gain full desegregation for the State Theatre, on Washington Street, which had previously excluded black patrons.
Northern Virginia is home to a sizable Vietnamese-American community that began to develop with immigration from South Vietnam
after the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War
in 1975. One visible sign of this community is Eden Center
, a Vietnamese-American shopping plaza constructed in 1984 in the southeast corner of Falls Church City, at Seven Corners, and marked by a traditional gateway, guardian lions, and a clock tower
modeled on one in Saigon. It houses restaurants, bakeries, and shops.
farmhouse and 1856 barn, owned and managed by the City of Falls Church, are open to the public select Saturdays in summer.
Tinner Hill
Arch and Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation represent a locus of early African American history in the area, including the site of the first rural chapter of the NAACP.
Two of the District of Columbia's original 1791 boundary stones (see: Boundary Stones (District of Columbia)
) are located in public parks on the boundary between the City of Falls Church and Arlington County. The West Cornerstone stands in Andrew Ellicott
Park at the West Cornerstone, 2824 Meridian St., Falls Church/N. Arizona Street, Arlington, just south of West Street. Stone number SW9 stands in Benjamin Banneker
Park on Van Buren Street, south of 18th Street, near the East Falls Church Metro station. (Most of Banneker Park is in Arlington County, across Van Buren Street from Isaac Crossman Park at Four Mile Run).
Sites on the National Register of Historic Places
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,377 people, 4,471 households, and 2,620 families residing in the city. The population density
was 5,225.8 people per square mile (2,013.4/km²). There were 4,725 housing units at an average density of 2,379.5 per square mile (916.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.97% White
, 3.28% Black or African American
, 0.24% Native American, 6.50% Asian
, 0.07% Pacific Islander
, 2.52% from other races, and 2.43% from two or more races. 8.44% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos
of any race.
Eden Center
, a large mall of Vietnamese specialty stores, is located in Falls Church City, and draws Asian consumers from the region. The area also has a significant population of ethnic Salvadorans.
There were 4,471 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 47.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.01.
The age distribution was 23.4% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $74,924, and the median income for a family was $97,225. Males had a median income of $65,227 versus $46,014 for females. The per capita income for the city was $41,051. About 2.8% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over. Falls Church City was the nation's most affluent municipality in 2002.
form of municipal government, with a city manager
hired by the council to serve as the city's chief administrative officer.
Candidates for city elections do not run under a nationally affiliated party nomination. The dominant organizing force for city politics for many years has been the Citizens for a Better City (CBC) which endorses a slate of candidates for each election. The origin of the CBC relates, in part, to the high number of federal employees in the city falling under the Hatch Act
restrictions on partisan political activity. Funding levels for city schools, tax rates, quality of city services, and land use decisions are among the prevalent themes in city elections.
City services and functions include education, public safety and law enforcement, recreation and parks, library, land use, zoning, and building inspections, street maintenance, storm water, and water and sanitary sewer service. Often named Tree City USA
, the City has one full-time arborist. Some public services are provided by agreement with the City's county neighbors of Arlington and Fairfax, including certain health and human services (Fairfax); and court services, transport, and fire/rescue services (Arlington).
The City provides water utility service to a large portion of eastern Fairfax County, including the dense commercial areas of Tysons Corner
and Merrifield
. The City of Falls Church and Fairfax County in 2009 entered into a legal dispute about the areas of coverage that each respective entity should provide. In January 2010, the Fairfax Circuit Court ruled the City's water fee an unconstitutional tax on non-City residents, as those revenues are transferred to the City's general fund. The City has appealed this decision to the Virginia Supreme Court, while the City and County have settled the anti-trust lawsuit out of court.
General Dynamics
and Northrop Grumman
have their corporate headquarters in West Falls Church, near Falls Church. DynCorp, ENSCO, Inc.
, and Computer Sciences Corporation
are headquartered in Annandale, near Falls Church.
:
Of these four Falls Church City Public Schools, only one, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
, is located within city limits; the other three are located in neighboring Fairfax County. Falls Church High School
is not part of the Falls Church City Public School system, but rather the Fairfax County Public School system; it does not serve the city of Falls Church.
Falls Church City is eligible to send up to three students per year to the Fairfax County magnet school, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
The city is home to Saint James Catholic School, a parochial school serving grades K-8, and to Stratford University, a private college.
Although two stations on the Washington Metro
subway
system have "Falls Church" in their names, neither lies within the City of Falls Church: East Falls Church is in Arlington County and West Falls Church is in Fairfax County
.
is a free weekly newspaper founded in 1991 that focuses on local news and commentary and includes nationally syndicated columns.
The Falls Church Times is an online community news and opinion outlet founded in 2008.
The area is also served by national and regional newspapers, including The Washington Examiner, The Washington Times
, and The Washington Post
.
WAMU Radio 88.5 produces several locally-oriented news and opinion programs.
Memorial Day Parade. Held since at least the 1950s, with bands, military units, civic associations, and fire/rescue stations, in recent years the event has featured a street festival with food, crafts, and non-profit organization booths, and a 3k fun run (the 2009 race drew some 3,000 runners).
Tinner Hill Blues Festival is hosted every summer by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation and the City of Falls Church at locations across the city, including Cherry Hill.
New Year's Eve Watch Celebration, co-sponsored by the City of Falls Church and the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation.
Weekly and monthly events
Falls Church Farmer's Market is held Saturdays year-round, Jan. 3 – April 25 (9 am – Noon), May 2 – Dec. 26 (8 am – Noon), at the City Hall Parking Lot, 300 Park Ave. In addition to regional attention, in 2010 the market was ranked first in the medium category of the American Farmland Trust's contest to identify America's Favorite Farmers' Markets.
First Fridays of Falls Church features food, arts, and music events at local shops and restaurants across the city the first Friday of every month.
Cultural institutions
The Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society was originally founded in 1885 by Arthur Douglas and re-established in 1965 to promote the history, culture, and beautification of the city.
The Mary Riley Styles Public Library
, 120 N. Virginia Ave., is Falls Church's public library; established in 1928, its current building was constructed for the purpose in 1958 and expanded in 1993. In addition to its circulating collections, it houses a local history collection, including newspaper files, local government documents, and photographs.
The State Theatre, 220 North Washington St., stages a wide variety of live performances. Built as a movie house in 1936, it was reputed to be the first air-conditioned theater on the east coast. It closed in 1983; after extensive renovations in the 1990s, including a stage, bar, and restaurant, it re-opened as a music venue.
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church
The Falls Church
The Falls Church historically refers to the church from which the City of Falls Church, Virginia, near Washington, D. C., takes its name. The parish it originally served was established in 1732 and the brick meeting house preserved on site dates to 1769....
, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
status within Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
in 1975. In 1948, it was incorporated as the City of Falls Church, an independent city with county-level governance status. It is also referred to as Falls Church City. The city's corporate boundaries do not include all of the area historically known as Falls Church; these areas include Seven Corners and other portions of the current Falls Church postal districts of Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, as well as the area of Arlington County
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
known as East Falls Church, which was part of the town of Falls Church from 1875 to 1936. For statistical purposes, the US Department of Commerce's
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Bureau of Economic Analysis
The Bureau of Economic Analysis is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides important economic statistics including the gross domestic product of the United States. Its stated mission is to "promote a better understanding of the U.S...
combines the City of Falls Church with Fairfax City and Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all of it land. The center of the city is the crossroads of Virginia State Route 7
Virginia State Route 7
State Route 7 is a major primary state highway and busy commuter route in Northern Virginia, United States. It travels southeast from downtown Winchester to State Route 400 in downtown Alexandria...
(W. Broad St./Leesburg Pike) and U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29 is a north–south United States highway that runs for from the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, to Pensacola, Florida. This highway's northern terminus is at Maryland Route 99 in Ellicott City, Maryland...
(Washington St./Lee Highway).
The Tripps Run watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
drains two-thirds of the City of Falls Church, while the Four Mile Run
Four Mile Run
Four Mile Run is a stream in northern Virginia that starts near Interstate 66, at Gordon Avenue in Fairfax County and proceeds southeast through Falls Church to Arlington County in the U.S. state of Virginia...
watershed drains the other third. Four Mile Run flows at the base of Minor's Hill
Minor's Hill
Minor’s Hill is a geographic eminence located in the western tip of Arlington County, Virginia. Its summit rises to 459 feet above sea level.- Location :...
, which overlooks Falls Church on its north, and Upton's Hill
Upton's Hill
Upton’s Hill is a geographic eminence located in western Arlington County, Virginia. Its summit rises to above sea level. - Location :Upton’s Hill straddles the border of Arlington County and Fairfax County, Virginia. The hill is generally conical in shape with its summit lying astride Wilson...
, which bounds the area to its east.
Falls Church is the smallest independent city, by area, in Virginia. Since independent cities in Virginia are considered county-equivalents, it is also the smallest county-equivalent in the United States by area.
History
When the City of Falls Church was incorporated in 1948, its boundaries included only the central portion of the area historically known as Falls Church; those other areas, often still known as Falls Church (although they lie in Fairfax and Arlington Counties), are considered here for historical reasons.Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the area of present-day Falls Church was part of the AlgonquianAlgonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-speaking world, outside the fringes of the powerful Powhatan paramount chiefdom
Powhatan
The Powhatan is the name of a Virginia Indian confederation of tribes. It is estimated that there were about 14,000–21,000 of these native Powhatan people in eastern Virginia when the English settled Jamestown in 1607...
to the south. It was part of the Anacostan chiefdom, centered on the lower Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
near present-day Washington, D.C. (John Smith visited them in 1608); the Anacostans were organized under the Piscataway paramount chiefdom (not part of the Powhatan alliance), which by the 1630s claimed to have had thirteen successive rulers. Tauxenent/Doegs
Doeg (tribe)
The Doeg were a Native American tribe who lived in northern Virginia. They spoke an Algonquian language and may have been a branch of the Nanticoke tribe, historically based on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Nanticoke considered the Algonquian Lenape as "grandfathers"...
, who had shifted politically from Powhatan's
Chief Powhatan
Chief Powhatan , whose proper name was Wahunsenacawh , was the paramount chief of Tsenacommacah, an alliance of Algonquian-speaking Virginia Indians in the Tidewater region of Virginia at the time English settlers landed at Jamestown in 1607...
alliance to Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
alliances, migrated physically into the Piscataway territories in the 1660s.
The earliest known settlement within the current city limits of Falls Church (whether Anacostan or Doeg is unclear) was on the south side of present day Lee Highway at its intersection with Columbia Street. Just east of Falls Church, on Wilson Boulevard, is Powhatan Springs, where Powhatan is said to have convened autumn councils. Today's Broad Street and Great Falls Street follow long-established trade and communication routes.
In the late 17th century, especially after Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an uprising in 1676 in the Virginia Colony in North America, led by a 29-year-old planter, Nathaniel Bacon.About a thousand Virginians rose because they resented Virginia Governor William Berkeley's friendly policies towards the Native Americans...
in 1676, English settlers from the Tidewater
Tidewater region of Virginia
The Tidewater region of Virginia is the eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia formally known as Hampton Roads. The term tidewater may be correctly applied to all portions of any area, including Virginia, where the water level is affected by the tides...
region of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
began to migrate to the area. According to local tradition, one of the chimneys of the "Big Chimneys
Big Chimneys
Big Chimneys Park is located in Falls Church, Virginia. It marks the site of a log house built in 1699. It is located on Annandale Road about a block west of Maple Avenue.An inscription on a historical marker, placed by the City of Falls Church, reads:...
" house and tavern was inscribed "1699"; based on this claim, 1699 is often taken to be the first European settlement in the immediate vicinity. (The house site is now Big Chimneys Park, on W. Annandale Rd. north of S. Maple.)
Eighteenth century
The Falls ChurchThe Falls Church
The Falls Church historically refers to the church from which the City of Falls Church, Virginia, near Washington, D. C., takes its name. The parish it originally served was established in 1732 and the brick meeting house preserved on site dates to 1769....
, from which the City takes its name, was first called "William Gunnell's Church," built of wood in 1733 to serve Truro Parish
Truro Parish
Truro Church is an Anglican church in Fairfax, Virginia, US.-History of Truro Church:The original Truro Parish was created by the General Assembly of Virginia on November 1, 1732 when Hamilton Parish was divided along the Occoquan River and Bull Run...
, which had been formed two years earlier from a larger parish centered in Quantico
Quantico, Virginia
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there are 561 people, 295 households, and 107 families living in the town. The population density is . There are 359 housing units at an average density of .-Racial composition:...
. By 1757, the building was referred to as "The Falls Church", as it was located along the main tobacco rolling road from the Little Falls of the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. George Mason
George Mason
George Mason IV was an American Patriot, statesman and a delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention...
became a Vestryman
Vestryman
A vestryman is a member of his local church's vestry, or leading body. He is not a member of the clergy.In England especially, but also in other parts of The United Kingdom, Parish Councils have long been a level of local government rather than being solely ecclesiastical in nature...
in 1748, as did George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in 1763. A brick church designed by James Wren replaced the wooden one in 1769, at which point it became the seat of the newly-formed Fairfax Parish. Following the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, in 1784, the Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
of Virginia enacted disestablishment of the Anglican Church, meaning it was no longer the state church. Shortly thereafter, in 1789, The Falls Church was abandoned and was not re-occupied again until 1836, by an Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
congregation. The Wren building remains on the site, between S. Washington, E. Broad, and E. Fairfax Streets.
Nineteenth century
Falls Church, like many colonial Virginia settlements, began as a "neighborhood" of large land grant plantations anchored by an Anglican Church. By 1800, the large land holdings had been sub-divided into smaller farms, many of them relying on enslaved labor. With the soil exhausted by tobacco, new crops including wheat, corn, potatoes, and fruit were grown for area markets. At the same time, the movement of the US Capital from PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
to Washington, D.C., in 1800 brought a gradual influx of workers to nearby Falls Church. Taverns also opened to serve travelers going to and from the federal district.
By the start of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Falls Church had seen an influx of Northerners seeking land and better weather. Thus the township's vote for Virginian secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
was about 75% for, 25% against. The town changed hands several times during the early years of the war. Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
General James Longstreet
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
was headquartered at Home Hill (now the Lawton House on Lawton Street) following the First Battle of Manassas. The earliest known instance of U. S. wartime aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance that is conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles or reconnaissance aircraft. Their roles are to collect imagery intelligence, signals intelligence and measurement and signature intelligence...
was carried out from Taylor's Tavern
Taylor's Tavern
Taylor's Tavern was a significant outpost for Union Forces during the US Civil War. It was among the first locations in Virginia where the two opposing sides came into contact...
at Seven Corners by aeronaut Thaddeus S. C. Lowe
Thaddeus S. C. Lowe
Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt Lowe , also known as Professor T. S. C. Lowe, was an American Civil War aeronaut, scientist and inventor, mostly self-educated in the fields of chemistry, meteorology, and aeronautics, and the father of military aerial reconnaissance in the United States...
of the Union Army Balloon Corps
Union Army Balloon Corps
The Union Army Balloon Corps was a branch of the Union Army during the American Civil War, established by presidential appointee Thaddeus S. C. Lowe...
. When Confederates took Falls Church, the town became one of the earliest targets of aerially-directed bombardment, with Lowe operating air reconnaissance from Arlington Heights and directing Union guns near the Chain Bridge by telegraph. These events have now been documented extensively, particularly the military encampments on Minor's Hill
Minor's Hill
Minor’s Hill is a geographic eminence located in the western tip of Arlington County, Virginia. Its summit rises to 459 feet above sea level.- Location :...
and Upton's Hill
Upton's Hill
Upton’s Hill is a geographic eminence located in western Arlington County, Virginia. Its summit rises to above sea level. - Location :Upton’s Hill straddles the border of Arlington County and Fairfax County, Virginia. The hill is generally conical in shape with its summit lying astride Wilson...
.
Following Reconstruction, Falls Church remained a rural farm community. It gained township
Township (United States)
A township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with being the norm.The term is used in three ways....
status in 1975. Its first mayor after this status was Dr. John Joseph Moran, known as the attending physician when Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
died.
In 1887, the town of Falls Church retro-ceded to Fairfax County the section south of what is now Lee Highway, then known as "the colored settlement."
Twentieth century
By 1900, Falls Church was the largest town in Fairfax County, with 1,007 residents. Many of the residents at that time had come from the northern states or elsewhere. A 1904 map of the town shows 125 homes and 38 properties from two to 132 acre (0.53418552 km²). The town had become a center of commerce and culture, with 55 stores and offices and seven churches. In 1915 the town had a population of 1,386 (88% white, 12% black).In 1912 the Commonwealth allowed municipalities to enact residential segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
, and Falls Church's town council soon passed an ordinance designating a "colored" residential district, in which whites were not allowed to live and outside of which blacks were not allowed to live (black property owners already living outside that district did not have to move, but could only sell to whites). The Colored Citizen's Protective League formed in opposition to this ordinance and worked to prevent it from being enforced. The League incorporated as the first rural chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(NAACP) in 1915. In November 1917 the segregation law was formally nullified by the Virginia State Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Virginia
The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears appeals from the trial-level city and county Circuit Courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative law cases that go through the Court of Appeals of Virginia. It is one of...
, though the Falls Church City Council did not formally repeal it until February 1999.
One of only three Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
houses built in Virginia once stood at 1005 Locust Street, Falls Church (just outside current city limits, in Fairfax County). Commissioned in 1939 by journalist Loren Pope
Loren Pope
Loren Brooks Pope was an American writer and independent college placement counselor.In 1965, Pope, a former newspaperman and education editor of The New York Times, founded the College Placement Bureau, one of the first independent college placement counseling services in the United States...
and his wife Charlotte Pope, it followed Wright's Usonian design principles and was completed in 1941. The Popes sold it to Robert and Marjorie Leighey in 1946. In 1963, the house was threatened with condemnation for the construction of Interstate 66
Interstate 66
Interstate 66 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81; its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an...
. Marjorie Leighey (then a widow) donated it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
in 1964; it was dismantled, moved, and reconstructed at Woodlawn Plantation
Woodlawn Plantation
Woodlawn Plantation is a historic home located in Fairfax County, Virginia, and was originally a part of Mount Vernon, George Washington's historic plantation estate....
, where it opened to the public as the Pope-Leighey House in 1965.
In 1948, Falls Church became an independent city in order to control its municipal services, including the school system, which, at the time, was segregated by race and under pressure from rapid population growth. These boundaries did not encompass the entire area of Falls Church, however, and the city immediately worked to annex an area reaching north beyond Pimmit Run, west to Holmes Run, and south to Lake Barcroft, including all of Seven Corners. Had this effort been successful, the present city boundaries would have included most of the Fairfax County Falls Church ZIP Codes 22042, 22043, and 22044, in addition to the parts of 22046 not already in the current city boundaries.
With the desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
crisis following the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
, one city school board member pushed to allow black students to attend Falls Church City schools (they attended Fairfax County schools, with the city paying tuition to the county), but others delayed, and the state government's "Massive Resistance
Massive resistance
Massive resistance was a policy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. on February 24, 1956, to unite other white politicians and leaders in Virginia in a campaign of new state laws and policies to prevent public school desegregation after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision...
" laws (known as the Stanley plan
Stanley plan
The Stanley plan was a package of 13 statutes adopted in September 1956 by the U.S. state of Virginia designed to ensure racial segregation in that state's public schools despite the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, 347 U.S. 483 ....
) prevented desegregation of any schools. In the 1959 school board elections, candidates supported by the Citizens for a Better Council (presently known as Citizens for a Better City, or CBC), which lobbied for increased school funding overall, won the majority of the school board. These more "progressive" school board members then allowed "pupil placement" of selected black students into Falls Church schools as allowed by Virginia's 1959 "freedom of choice" law. Three students applied for fall 1961, two for Mason High School and one for Madison Elementary; all were approved and attended city schools that fall. In 1963, one of these Mason students helped gain full desegregation for the State Theatre, on Washington Street, which had previously excluded black patrons.
Northern Virginia is home to a sizable Vietnamese-American community that began to develop with immigration from South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
after the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in 1975. One visible sign of this community is Eden Center
Eden Center
Eden Center is a Vietnamese American strip mall located near the crossroads of Seven Corners in the City of Falls Church, Virginia. The City's Economic Development commission considers it the #1 Tourist Destination in the City. The center is home to over 100 shops, restaurants and businesses...
, a Vietnamese-American shopping plaza constructed in 1984 in the southeast corner of Falls Church City, at Seven Corners, and marked by a traditional gateway, guardian lions, and a clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
modeled on one in Saigon. It houses restaurants, bakeries, and shops.
Historic sites
Cherry Hill Farmhouse and Barn, an 1845 Greek-RevivalGreek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
farmhouse and 1856 barn, owned and managed by the City of Falls Church, are open to the public select Saturdays in summer.
Tinner Hill
Tinner Hill
Tinner Hill is an historic area of Falls Church, Virginia, named after Charles and Mary Tinner, an African-American couple who bought land there in the late 19th century....
Arch and Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation represent a locus of early African American history in the area, including the site of the first rural chapter of the NAACP.
Two of the District of Columbia's original 1791 boundary stones (see: Boundary Stones (District of Columbia)
Boundary Stones (District of Columbia)
The Boundary Markers of the Original District of Columbia are the 40 milestones that mark the four lines forming the boundaries between the states of Maryland and Virginia and the square of 100 square miles of federal territory that became the District of Columbia in 1801...
) are located in public parks on the boundary between the City of Falls Church and Arlington County. The West Cornerstone stands in Andrew Ellicott
Andrew Ellicott
Andrew Ellicott was a U.S. surveyor who helped map many of the territories west of the Appalachians, surveyed the boundaries of the District of Columbia, continued and completed Pierre Charles L'Enfant's work on the plan for Washington, D.C., and served as a teacher in survey methods for...
Park at the West Cornerstone, 2824 Meridian St., Falls Church/N. Arizona Street, Arlington, just south of West Street. Stone number SW9 stands in Benjamin Banneker
Benjamin Banneker
Benjamin Banneker was a free African American astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author and farmer.-Family history and early life:It is difficult to verify much of Benjamin Banneker's family history...
Park on Van Buren Street, south of 18th Street, near the East Falls Church Metro station. (Most of Banneker Park is in Arlington County, across Van Buren Street from Isaac Crossman Park at Four Mile Run).
Sites on the National Register of Historic Places
| Site | Year built | Address | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch House (Joseph Edward Birch House) | 1840 | 312 East Broad Street | 1977 |
| Cherry Hill (John Mills Farm) | 1845 | 312 Park Avenue | 1973 |
| The Falls Church | 1769 | 115 East Fairfax Street | 1970 |
| Federal District Boundary Marker, SW 9 Stone | 1791 | 1976 | |
| Federal District Boundary Marker, West Cornerstone | 1791 | 2824 Meridian Street | 1991 |
| Mount Hope | 1790s | 203 South Oak Street | 1984 |
Demographics
| Historical populations | |
|---|---|
| Census year | Population |
| 1930 | 2,019 |
| 1940 | 2,576 |
| 1950 | 7,535 |
| 1960 | 10,192 |
| 1970 | 10,772 |
| 1980 | 9,515 |
| 1990 | 9,578 |
| 2000 | 10,377 |
| 2005 | 10,781 |
| 2008 | 11,200 |
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,377 people, 4,471 households, and 2,620 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 5,225.8 people per square mile (2,013.4/km²). There were 4,725 housing units at an average density of 2,379.5 per square mile (916.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.97% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 3.28% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.24% Native American, 6.50% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.07% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 2.52% from other races, and 2.43% from two or more races. 8.44% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race.
Eden Center
Eden Center
Eden Center is a Vietnamese American strip mall located near the crossroads of Seven Corners in the City of Falls Church, Virginia. The City's Economic Development commission considers it the #1 Tourist Destination in the City. The center is home to over 100 shops, restaurants and businesses...
, a large mall of Vietnamese specialty stores, is located in Falls Church City, and draws Asian consumers from the region. The area also has a significant population of ethnic Salvadorans.
There were 4,471 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 47.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.01.
The age distribution was 23.4% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $74,924, and the median income for a family was $97,225. Males had a median income of $65,227 versus $46,014 for females. The per capita income for the city was $41,051. About 2.8% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over. Falls Church City was the nation's most affluent municipality in 2002.
Politics and city services
Falls Church is governed by a seven member city council, each elected at large for four year, staggered terms. Council Members are typically career professionals holding down full-time jobs during the day. In addition to attending a minimum of 22 Council meetings and 22 work sessions each year, they also attend meetings of local boards and commissions and regional organizations (several Council Members serve on committees of regional organizations as well). Members also participate in the Virginia Municipal League and some serve on statewide committees. In January 2010, the Falls Church City Council voted to move the date of municipal elections from May to November. The change will take effect in 2011. Members elected in May 2008 and 2010 will have their terms shortened by six months but will continue in office until their successors are elected in November 2011 and 2013. The Mayor is elected by vote of the members of council. The City operates in a typical council-managerCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
form of municipal government, with a city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
hired by the council to serve as the city's chief administrative officer.
Candidates for city elections do not run under a nationally affiliated party nomination. The dominant organizing force for city politics for many years has been the Citizens for a Better City (CBC) which endorses a slate of candidates for each election. The origin of the CBC relates, in part, to the high number of federal employees in the city falling under the Hatch Act
Hatch Act of 1939
The Hatch Act of 1939 is a United States federal law whose main provision is to prohibit federal employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the President and the Vice President, from engaging in partisan political activity...
restrictions on partisan political activity. Funding levels for city schools, tax rates, quality of city services, and land use decisions are among the prevalent themes in city elections.
City services and functions include education, public safety and law enforcement, recreation and parks, library, land use, zoning, and building inspections, street maintenance, storm water, and water and sanitary sewer service. Often named Tree City USA
Tree City USA
Tree City USA is a tree planting and tree care program sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation for cities and towns in the United States.- Requirements :...
, the City has one full-time arborist. Some public services are provided by agreement with the City's county neighbors of Arlington and Fairfax, including certain health and human services (Fairfax); and court services, transport, and fire/rescue services (Arlington).
The City provides water utility service to a large portion of eastern Fairfax County, including the dense commercial areas of Tysons Corner
Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area located in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner lies between the community of McLean and the town of Vienna along the Capital Beltway . The population was...
and Merrifield
Merrifield, Virginia
Merrifield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 11,170 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Merrifield is located at...
. The City of Falls Church and Fairfax County in 2009 entered into a legal dispute about the areas of coverage that each respective entity should provide. In January 2010, the Fairfax Circuit Court ruled the City's water fee an unconstitutional tax on non-City residents, as those revenues are transferred to the City's general fund. The City has appealed this decision to the Virginia Supreme Court, while the City and County have settled the anti-trust lawsuit out of court.
Economy
In 2011, Falls Church was named the richest county in the United States with median annual household income of $113,313.General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
and Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
have their corporate headquarters in West Falls Church, near Falls Church. DynCorp, ENSCO, Inc.
ENSCO, Inc.
ENSCO, Inc. is a provider of engineering services, products, and advanced technologies for national security, transportation safety and asset management, information sciences, data management including information management systems for weather monitoring, aerospace and avionics, and R and D for...
, and Computer Sciences Corporation
Computer Sciences Corporation
Computer Sciences Corporation is an American information technology and business services company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, USA...
are headquartered in Annandale, near Falls Church.
Top employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falls Church City Public Schools Falls Church City Public Schools Falls Church City Public Schools is an independent public school division that serves students who live in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Falls Church, Virginia as well as tuition students who live outside the city limits. The school division's four schools served 1,991 students in the 2009-10... |
386 |
| 2 | City of Falls Church | 284 |
| 3 | Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield... |
260 |
| 4 | Tax Analysts Tax Analysts Tax Analysts is a nonprofit publisher of weekly magazines and daily online journals on tax policy and administration. Tax Analysts also promotes transparency in tax policymaking and holds regular conferences on key tax issues.-History:Thomas F... |
184 |
| 5 | Koon's Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... & Nissan Nissan Motors , usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn .... |
175 |
| 6 | BG Healthcare Services | 150 |
| 7 | Giant | 145 |
| 8 | Care Options | 100 |
| 9 | Don Beyer Volvo Volvo Cars Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish... |
92 |
| 10 | Home Instead Senior Care Home Instead Senior Care Home Instead Senior Care is an American-based multinational network of franchises specializing in non-medical in-home care for the elderly, in support of aging in place. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, it is the largest senior care franchise in the world, with 850+ independently owned and... |
82 |
Education
The city is served by Falls Church City Public SchoolsFalls Church City Public Schools
Falls Church City Public Schools is an independent public school division that serves students who live in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Falls Church, Virginia as well as tuition students who live outside the city limits. The school division's four schools served 1,991 students in the 2009-10...
:
- Mount Daniel Elementary School, which includes pre-school, kindergarten and first grade.
- Thomas Jefferson Elementary SchoolThomas Jefferson Elementary SchoolThomas Jefferson Elementary School serves grades 2 through 4 in the Falls Church City Public Schools system. It is the only school physically located within Falls Church City . Other FCCPS schools are in bordering Fairfax County.-External links:**...
, which includes grades 2 – 4. - Mary Ellen Henderson Middle SchoolMary Ellen Henderson Middle SchoolMary Ellen Henderson Middle School serves grades 5-7 in the Falls Church City Public Schools system. MEH is located in Idylwood, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, near Falls Church....
, which includes grades 5 – 7. - George Mason High SchoolGeorge Mason High SchoolGeorge Mason High School is a comprehensive public high school serving the independent City of Falls Church. It is located in the unincorporated area of Idylwood, in Fairfax County, Virginia, adjacent to Falls Church City....
, which includes grades 8 – 12.
Of these four Falls Church City Public Schools, only one, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School serves grades 2 through 4 in the Falls Church City Public Schools system. It is the only school physically located within Falls Church City . Other FCCPS schools are in bordering Fairfax County.-External links:**...
, is located within city limits; the other three are located in neighboring Fairfax County. Falls Church High School
Falls Church High School
Falls Church High School is a high school located in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia. While the school has a Falls Church, Virginia mailing address, the school is not located in the city of Falls Church and does not serve the City of Falls Church, which is served by...
is not part of the Falls Church City Public School system, but rather the Fairfax County Public School system; it does not serve the city of Falls Church.
Falls Church City is eligible to send up to three students per year to the Fairfax County magnet school, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is a Virginia state-chartered magnet school located within Fairfax County, Virginia, United States...
The city is home to Saint James Catholic School, a parochial school serving grades K-8, and to Stratford University, a private college.
Transportation
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system have "Falls Church" in their names, neither lies within the City of Falls Church: East Falls Church is in Arlington County and West Falls Church is in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
.
- Metro's Silver LineSilver Line (Washington Metro)The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, formally dubbed the Silver Line, is an extension of the Washington Metro rapid transit system, currently under construction with the goal of providing rapid transit service to Dulles International Airport and Tysons Corner...
, under active construction in early 2010, will serve East Falls Church station beginning in 2013. It will run between Stadium-Armory in the east, following the Orange Line route until it reaches East Falls Church, where it will branch off towards the northwest, eventually reaching Dulles International Airport. East Falls Church will be a key transfer point.
- The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityWashington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityThe Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess...
provides bus service throughout the Washington metropolitan area, including Falls Church.
- The City, by contract with Arlington TransitArlington TransitArlington Transit is a bus transit company that operates in Arlington County, Virginia. It includes part of the Pike Ride service along Columbia Pike, shared with WMATA. Most of its services are designed to connect city neighborhoods with nearby Metro stations...
, provided a limited-service bus, named GEORGE, to both nearby Metro stations; however, due to budget constraints, this service was suspended on September 27, 2010.
- A small portion of the 45 miles (72.4 km) Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail (W&OD Trail) runs through the City (see: Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional ParkWashington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional ParkThe Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park is a popular and unusually-shaped regional park in Northern Virginia. The park's primary feature is the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail , an asphalt-surfaced paved rail trail that runs through densely populated urban and suburban...
). The trail enters the City from the west between mile markers 7 and 7.5 (near Broad Street). The trail enters the city from the east between mile markers 5.5 and 6. The W&OD Trail travels on the rail bed of the Washington and Old Dominion RailroadWashington and Old Dominion RailroadThe Washington and Old Dominion Railroad was an intrastate short-line railroad located in Northern Virginia. Its oldest line extended from Alexandria on the Potomac River northwest to Bluemont at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Snickers Gap, not far from the boundary line between...
and various predecessor lines, which provided passenger service from 1860 to May 31, 1951, with exception of a few years during the U.S. Civil War. Freight service was abandoned when the railroad closed in August 1968. The Four Mile Run TrailFour Mile Run TrailThe Four Mile Run Trail is a 7-mile, paved bike trail in Arlington County, Virginia that runs along Four Mile Run from Falls Church to the Mount Vernon Trail near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where Four Mile Run empties into the Potomac River...
, which ends at an intersection with the Mount Vernon TrailMount Vernon TrailThe Mount Vernon Trail is a popular running and bike path in Northern Virginia that follows the west bank of the Potomac River from near Theodore Roosevelt Island to Mount Vernon. The northern, urban half is open and has views of Washington, D.C. across the river. The southern below Alexandria is...
near Ronald Reagan Washington National AirportRonald Reagan Washington National AirportRonald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
, begins in the city at Van Buren Street. These trails comprise a major bicycleBicycleA bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
commuting route to Washington, D.C.
News and media
The Falls Church News-PressFalls Church News-Press
The Falls Church News-Press is a weekly newspaper publication based in Falls Church, Virginia. Founded in 1991 by Owner/Editor-in-Chief Nicholas F. Benton, the News-Press offers "Local News...
is a free weekly newspaper founded in 1991 that focuses on local news and commentary and includes nationally syndicated columns.
The Falls Church Times is an online community news and opinion outlet founded in 2008.
The area is also served by national and regional newspapers, including The Washington Examiner, The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
.
WAMU Radio 88.5 produces several locally-oriented news and opinion programs.
Culture and events
Annual eventsMemorial Day Parade. Held since at least the 1950s, with bands, military units, civic associations, and fire/rescue stations, in recent years the event has featured a street festival with food, crafts, and non-profit organization booths, and a 3k fun run (the 2009 race drew some 3,000 runners).
Tinner Hill Blues Festival is hosted every summer by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation and the City of Falls Church at locations across the city, including Cherry Hill.
New Year's Eve Watch Celebration, co-sponsored by the City of Falls Church and the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation.
Weekly and monthly events
Falls Church Farmer's Market is held Saturdays year-round, Jan. 3 – April 25 (9 am – Noon), May 2 – Dec. 26 (8 am – Noon), at the City Hall Parking Lot, 300 Park Ave. In addition to regional attention, in 2010 the market was ranked first in the medium category of the American Farmland Trust's contest to identify America's Favorite Farmers' Markets.
First Fridays of Falls Church features food, arts, and music events at local shops and restaurants across the city the first Friday of every month.
Cultural institutions
The Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society was originally founded in 1885 by Arthur Douglas and re-established in 1965 to promote the history, culture, and beautification of the city.
The Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, 120 N. Virginia Ave., is Falls Church's public library; established in 1928, its current building was constructed for the purpose in 1958 and expanded in 1993. In addition to its circulating collections, it houses a local history collection, including newspaper files, local government documents, and photographs.
The State Theatre, 220 North Washington St., stages a wide variety of live performances. Built as a movie house in 1936, it was reputed to be the first air-conditioned theater on the east coast. It closed in 1983; after extensive renovations in the 1990s, including a stage, bar, and restaurant, it re-opened as a music venue.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places in Falls Church, Virginia