Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 10/14/1986
NRHP Listing Date 10/27/1987
NRHP Reference Number 87001432
The modern city of Fairfax had its origins in 1798 when the General Assembly directed that the Fairfax County seat be relocated near the county’s geographic center. The site, named Providence in 1805, was at the junction of the Little River Turnpike and the Ox Road. These historic routes remain heavily traveled thoroughfares through the City of Fairfax Historic District. Centered around the 1800 courthouse, the district includes some forty-eight buildings, six of which predated 1850. The rest are an assemblage of modest-scale commercial and residential structures. A focal point of the City of Fairfax Historic District is the 1900 frame town hall, built for community use by Joseph E. Willard, a lieutenant governor and diplomat. During the Civil War town life was subjected to constant disruption by continuous troop movements and guerrilla raids. Although now located in an incorporated city greatly expanded beyond its 19th-century confines, Fairfax’s historic core retains a small-town character.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: March 14, 2023
