Village Boards
Consulted on Plaque Locations

Below is the text of a letter sent on July 15, 1999, by the Fairlington Historic District Communications Committee, on behalf of the Fairlington Historic District, to each of the Boards of Directors of the seven Fairlington villages and to the Fairlington Citizens Association.

The letter provides the Boards with the results of the Plaque Committee study on possible locations along with the agreed upon wording of the plaques and seeks their concurrence with the recommendations.

As you know, Fairlington was listed as a historic district in the Virginia Landmarks Register on December 2, 1998, and in the National Register of Historic Places on March 29, 1999. These listings follow a massive volunteer effort by more than 60 Fairlington residents and friends of Fairlington. These volunteers carried out the extensive building surveys, photography, data gathering and data entry required by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to qualify Fairlington for this distinction.

This recognition permits our community to display plaques at appropriate locations, consistent with Commonwealth, County and National Park Service recommendations. The Fairlington Historic District Committee has consulted with representatives from these organizations and from all governmental jurisdictions to determine the most likely locations for the plaques.

Most importantly, we are now seeking your concurrence in the specific location recommendations of our Committee. At issue are the appropriate locations for: (1) the "Arlington County Marker" (enclosure I); (2) the "Virginia Historic Landmark" plaque (enclosure II); (3) the "National Register of Historic Places" plaque (enclosure III); and (4) the combined "National Register and Virginia Landmark" plaques (enclosure IV). A map is enclosed (enclosure V) which points out the locations referenced below.

Here are the Committee's recommendations:

• Arlington County Marker - along Quaker Lane at 32nd Road. There is a very attractive triangle of grass just below the brick wall that displays the "Fairlington" neighborhood sign.
• Virginia Historic Landmark plaque and National Register of Historic Places plaque - presented together on a granite (or other material) stand placed in an open area in the vicinity of the North Fairlington Management Office on Abingdon Street.
• Combined National Register and Virginia Landmark plaques - on each of the brick walls at the entrances at (1) 30th Street at King Street, (2) South Wakefield at King Street, (3) 36th Street at Quaker Lane, and (4) 32nd Road at Quaker Lane. (NOTE: there is sufficient room to the left (or to the right in some instances) of the "FAIRLINGTON" letters on each of these walls for the oval plaques, which are 12 inches high by 15 inches wide.)

We would appreciate your concurrence on the line below. Please return this concurrence letter in the enclosed self-addressed, stamped envelope prior to August 27, 1999. Thanks so much for your support.

Last updated: August 3, 1999