Falls Church, Virginia
Encyclopedia : F : FA : FAL : Falls Church, Virginia
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 Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. A much larger number of people reside in Greater Falls Church and use Falls Church as their mailing address (included in this outlying portion is Skyline City, a group of towering 26-story apartment buildings). 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. It continues to be part of the Episcopal Church, although it is also now affiliated to the Anglican Communion Network.
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. 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.
Falls Church came to national attention during the Beltway Sniper Attacks, when Linda Franklin was shot dead at a Home Depot in Fairfax County just outside of the Falls Church city limits.
In the early 1960s the City of Falls Church sold a square mile of land to Fairfax county because it was populated largely by African Americans and other "undesirables."
Sites on the
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
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2004 | 10,781 |
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] 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.
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 Cyrus 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.
- Mitch Wallerstein, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counterproliferation Policy
- Ted White, science fiction author and editor
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.
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.
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.
External links
- [City of Falls Church]
- [City of Falls Church Schools]
- [The Falls Church]
- [Falls Church News-Press]
- [Falls Church Community Television]
- [Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society]
- [Falls Church's Historical Markers]
- [James Thurber biography]
- [Maps and aerial photos]
- * Street map from [Google Maps] or [Yahoo! Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image or topographic map from [TerraServer-USA]
- * Satellite image from [Google Maps] or [Windows Live Local]
- [Fairfax Underground] - a message board designed to improve communication between residents of Northern Virginia
- [Fairfax Crime] - A crime map of Fairfax County and sex offender locations
- [Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems] - DC region location of Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems
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