Editing Fairfax, Virginia (section)

==Architecture==
[[File:Piney Branch Water Mill, 1212 Pope's Head Road, Fairfax, Fairfax City, VA HABS VA,30-FAIRF,1- (sheet 5 of 5).tif|thumb|Piney Branch Mill, part of the Hope Park estate of Edward Payne in the 1800s]]
The former Fairfax County Courthouse is the oldest historic building in Fairfax. The first Fairfax courthouse was established in 1742 near present-day [[Tysons Corner, Virginia|Tysons Corner]], and is the namesake for Old Courthouse Road.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.viennava.gov/getting-to-know-vienna/history |website=viennava.gov |publisher=Town of Vienna, VA |access-date=July 6, 2024}}</ref> It intersects with Gallows Road, which today is a major commuter route, but at the time was the road where condemned prisoners were led to the [[gallows]] at the old courthouse.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://braddockheritage.org/resources/item/100/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005053804/http://braddockheritage.org/resources/item/100/|url-status=dead|title=A Look Back at Braddock District History|archive-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref> 

In 1752, the courthouse was moved to [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], which offered to build the new courthouse at their own expense. The reason the courthouse was moved from the Tysons Corner location was because of "Indian hostilities", as noted on the stone marker at the northwest corner of Gallows Road and [[Virginia State Route 123|Route 123]]. The courthouse operated there until 1790, when Virginia ceded the land where the courthouse was located for the creation of Washington, D.C. The General Assembly specified that the new courthouse should be located in the center of the county, and was established at the corner of what was Old [[Little River Turnpike]] and is present-day Main Street and Ox Road at [[Chain Bridge Road]] on land donated by town founder Richard Ratcliffe.<ref>[http://www.historicfairfax.org/HFCI31.pdf HFCI31.pmd] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128034727/http://www.historicfairfax.org/HFCI31.pdf |date=November 28, 2007 }}. (PDF) .</ref> The courthouse changed hands repeatedly during the [[American Civil War]]. The first [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] officer battle casualty, John Quincy Marr, occurred on the grounds of the courthouse.<ref>[http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/courts/history.htm History of the Courthouse – Fairfax County, Virginia]. Fairfaxcounty.gov (November 26, 2008).</ref> The first meeting of the Fairfax Court was held April 21, 1800.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Netherton|first1=Nan|title=Fairfax County, Virginia: A History|date=January 1, 1978|publisher=Fairfax County Board of Supervisors}}</ref>{{rp|45}}

The oldest two-story building in Fairfax, the [[Fairfax Public School (Old Fairfax Elementary School Annex)|Fairfax Public School]]{{efn|name=OFES|was Old Fairfax Elementary School Annex, now the Fairfax Visitor Center and Museum}} was built in 1873 for $2,750.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitfairfax.com/2011/fairfax-museum-and-visitors-center/ |title=Fairfax Museum and Visitors Center |publisher=City of Fairfax |access-date=October 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023055351/http://www.visitfairfax.com/2011/fairfax-museum-and-visitors-center/ |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In addition to elementary school use, the building has also housed special education, adult education, and police academy training.<ref name=VAnom>{{cite web |url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Fairfax_City/151-0038_Fairfax_Public_School_1992_Final_Nomination.pdf |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Fairfax Public School |author=Susan E. Smead |date=February 1992 |publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources |access-date=March 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126203500/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Fairfax_City/151-0038_Fairfax_Public_School_1992_Final_Nomination.pdf |archive-date=January 26, 2017 |url-status=dead  }} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Fairfax_City/151-0038.FairfaxPublicSchool.photo.html ''Accompanying photo''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418060054/https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Fairfax_City/151-0038.FairfaxPublicSchool.photo.html |date=April 18, 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Netherton" />{{rp|144}} 

On July 4, 1992, the building became the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center.<ref name="Netherton">{{Cite book|last=Netherton|first=Nan |display-authors=etal |title=Fairfax, Virginia: A City Traveling Through Time|publisher=Fairfax, VA: History of the City of Fairfax Round Table|year=1997|location=Fairfax, VA|isbn=0-914927-26-4}}</ref>{{rp|156–157}} [[Joseph Edward Willard]] built the town hall building in 1900 then gifted it to the then town in 1902.<ref>{{cite web|title=Old Town Hall|url=http://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/parks-recreation/reservations/rental-venues/old-town-hall|website=City of Fairfax|access-date=March 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315121227/http://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/parks-recreation/reservations/rental-venues/old-town-hall|archive-date=March 15, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> 

The Old Town Hall now houses the Huddleston Library and the Fairfax Art League.<ref>{{cite web|title=City of Fairfax, Commission on the Arts|url=http://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/parks-recreation/cultural-arts/cultural-arts|website=City of Fairfax|access-date=March 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315091314/http://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/parks-recreation/cultural-arts/cultural-arts|archive-date=March 15, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Sites on the National Register of Historic Places ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Site
! Built
! Address
! Listed
|-
|| [[29 Diner]]{{efn|Tastee 29 Diner}}
|| 1947
|| 10536 Fairfax Boulevard
|| 1992
|-
| [[Historic Blenheim|Blenheim]]
| 1859
| 3610 Blenheim Blvd.
| 2001
|-
|| [[City of Fairfax Historic District]]
|| 1800
|| Junction of VA 236 and VA 123
|| 1987
|-
|| [[Old Fairfax County Courthouse]]{{efn|name=ce|Within the county exclave within the city.}}
|| 1800
|| 4000 Chain Bridge Road
|| 1974
|-
|| [[Old Fairfax County Jail]]{{efn|name=ce}}
|| 1891
|| 10475 Main Street
|| 1981
|-
|| [[Fairfax Public School (Old Fairfax Elementary School Annex)|Fairfax{{nbsp}}Public{{nbsp}}School]]{{efn|name=OFES}}
|| 1873
|| 10209 Main Street
|| 1992
|-
|| [[Ratcliffe-Logan-Allison House|Ratcliffe-Allison House]]
|| 1812
|| 10386 Main Street
|| 1973
|}