Falls Church, Virginia
City of Falls Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Independent City |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Robin Gardner |
| Elevation | 325 ft (99 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 10,377 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Website | http://www.fallschurchva.gov |
Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States. The population was 10,377 at the 2000 census. This city is a part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. A much larger number of people reside in Greater Falls Church and use Falls Church as their mailing address. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Falls Church (along with Fairfax City) with Fairfax County for statistical purposes. Although two stations on the Washington Metro subway system have "Falls Church" in their names, neither is in the City of Falls Church. (One is in Arlington County and the other is in Fairfax County.)
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.2 km² (2.0 mi²), all land.
Falls Church is the smallest county-level political subdivision in the United States by area and, obviously, the smallest by size in Virginia. The smallest independent city by population in Virginia is the City of Norton.
While parts of neighboring Fairfax County share the Falls Church mailing address, the city remains an independent city. Falls Church also borders Arlington County.
The church from which the city takes its name was first built in 1734 of wood. George Washington was one of the churchwardens. On December 17, 2006, the church voted to break away from the Episcopal Church and join the Church of Nigeria under Archbishop Peter Akinola. This was set in motion by the Episcopalians' consecration of Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, as Bishop of New Hampshire. [1]
History
For thousands of years, up to about 1667, Native Americans inhabited the area in and around present-day Falls Church. Today's Broad Street and Great Falls Street follow their prehistoric footpaths.
In the late 17th century, settlers from the Tidewater region of Virginia began to migrate to the area. The former "Big Chimneys" house, located on Annandale Road about a block west of Maple Ave., was built in 1699. Thus 1699 is generally accepted as the founding date of Falls Church.
In 1734 a wooden church was built to serve Truro Parish, which had been formed two years earlier from a larger parish centered in Quantico. By 1757, the building was commonly known as "The Falls Church", as it was along the main north-south road to the Great Falls on the Potomac. The present-day 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.
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 world's first wartime aerial reconnaissance was carried out from Taylor's Tavern (near Seven Corners) by Thaddeus Lowe and his hot-air balloon. Falls Church later became the world's first target of an aerially-directed bombardment, courtesy of Lowe and his balloon.
Following Reconstruction, Falls Church was a sleepy rural community. It gained township status in 1875. Its first mayor after this status was Dr. John Joseph Moran, known as the attending physician when Edgar Allan Poe died.[1] A 1915 law passed by Commonwealth allowing segregation led to the establishment of the NAACP's first rural chapter, which successfully prevented the measure from being enforced in the area. In 1948, Falls Church became an independent city in order to control its own school system.
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 | Meridian Street & Williamsburg Boulevard | 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 |
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 10,377 people, 4,471 households, and 2,620 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,013.4/km² (5,225.8/mi²). There were 4,725 housing units at an average density of 916.8/km² (2,379.5/mi²). 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 Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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.
In the city the population was spread out with 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.
Politics
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, all incorporated cities are what are called "Independent Cities" and automatically independent jurisdictions which are separate from and legally equivalent to a county. This means that, in many cases, independent cities and the counties near them sometimes have political rivalries as a result, especially if the particular city sits near more than one county. In some cases this can result in friction in a number of areas. For many of its operations, the city is too small to support operating some functions, and either makes arrangements or contracts with another jurisdiction to perform these functions. For Falls Church, this 'other jurisdiction' is usually Arlington County. A number of services provided by Arlington County at special rates or with special privileges only available to county residents, are also available to residents of the City of Falls Church. This, as a result, has generally tended to cause friction between Fairfax County and the city. One result of this is one specific border street between Fairfax County and Falls Church, in which the east side of the street is in Falls Church, has the name S. Washington Street, and odd street addresses running under 1000, and the west side of the street is in Fairfax County, has the name Lee Highway, and also has odd street addresses running in the 7000-8000 series.
Notable residents
- Victor Borge, pianist and comedian lived there for a period of time.
- Dr. Milton Eisenhower, brother of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- Molly Henneberg, television journalist
- Reza Pahlavi, son of the Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, and the current pretender
- James Thurber, who had a childhood summer home here, where he lost his left eye in an accident.
- Ted White, science fiction author and editor
- Ann Downer, fantasy author, spent part of her childhood in Falls Church and attended its schools
- Nancy Kyes, actress in 1978 Halloween movie.
- Eric Denton, Defender for Red Bull New York of Major League Soccer
- Arthur Douglas, leader of Virginian Jousting Association VJA
- Jim Fowler, zoologist and host of Wild Kingdom (Falls Church News-Press article)
- Mike Hercus, player for the United States national rugby union team
Education
The city is served by Falls Church City Public Schools:
- Mount Daniel Elementary School, which includes pre-school, kindergarten and first grade.
- Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (TJ), which includes grades 2 - 4.
- Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School ([MEH]), which includes grades 5 - 7.
- George Mason High School (GMHS), a highly-regarded, nationally ranked high school (#1 in the DC Area by the Washington Post, #6 in the nation by Newsweek) which includes grades 8 - 12.
The city is also home to Saint James Catholic School.
Falls Church High School is not part of the Falls Church City Public School system, but rather the Fairfax County Public School system. The school does not serve the city of Falls Church.
Transportation
- The Washington Metrorail system has two stations, East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA, located just outside of the city.
- The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority provides bus service throughout the Washington metropolitan area, including Falls Church.
- The city, through the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, provides GEORGE, a city-wide bus service which services both Falls Church Metro stations.
- A small portion of the 45-mile Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park runs through the city. 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 Four Mile Run Trail begins in the city at Van Buren Street.
Trivia
- Falls Church was the site of the first Roy Rogers fast food location; the restaurant opened in 1968.
- Of the four schools that compose the Falls Church City Public Schools, only one (Thomas Jefferson Elementary School) is located within the city; the other three are located in neighboring Fairfax County.
- Fictional headquarters of Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy is situated in Falls Church (TV series JAG).
- Red Auerbach was buried in Falls Church, Virginia at the King David Memorial Gardens / National Memorial Park on October 31, 2006.
- As of May 26, 2007, Falls Church is Amazon.com's "Harry-est Town in America", meaning that on a per capita basis, Falls Church residents have pre-ordered the most copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from Amazon.com of any other town in America.
References
- ^ Bandy, W.T. "Dr. Moran and the Poe-Reynolds Myth" in Myths and Reality: The Mysterious Mr. Poe. Baltimore: Edgar Allan Poe Society, 1987. pp. 34-5
External links
- City of Falls Church
- Falls Church City Public Schools
- St. James Catholic School
- The Falls Church
- Falls Church News-Press
- Falls Church Community Television
- Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society
- The Winter Hill Neighborhood of Falls Church
- Falls Church Environment - information on gardening, wildlife protection, watersheds, recycling, and conservation for city residents.
- James Thurber biography
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- Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems - DC region location of Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems
