The City of Fairfax Historic District [†] contains over forty properties that reflect the growth and development of the city’s downtown central business district from its initial founding to the early twenty-first century. The community was originally founded as the Town of Providence at the intersection of Chain Bridge Road (Route 123), also known as Ox Road, and the Little River Turnpike (Route 236). The county’s original courthouse was constructed at this intersection in 1799. A settlement grew up around the courthouse in the early nineteenth century. The settlement evolved from a government center to a local trade center throughout the nineteenth century, and further evolved into a suburban enclave in the twentieth century as Fairfax County’s population increased as a result of suburbanization trends.
The district’s diverse collection of property types includes single-family dwellings, commercial buildings, professional buildings, churches, and government buildings that reflect discernible patterns of development from the nineteenth century continuing into the twentieth century. Most of the buildings within the historic district are located along Chain Bridge Road and Main Street, which corresponds with present day Route 236. Portions of North Street, which intersects with Chain Bridge Road north of Main Street, and University Drive also extend through the district.
The Fairfax County Courthouse complex is located on the west side of Chain Bride Road, south of its intersection with Main Street. The courthouse building is set back approximately 50-70 feet from the roadway and a three-foot stone retaining wall fronts the property along Chain Bridge Road. The east side of Chain Bridge Road opposite the courthouse is lined with one and two-story buildings that include residences, commercial buildings, and professional buildings of minimal setback from the streetscape. Lining the street in front of these building is a brick paved sidewalk. Metal lanterns set atop metal posts are within the sidewalk at regular intervals. Chain Bridge Road between Main and North streets is primarily lined with professional buildings mixed with two single-family residences and one commercial building. These buildings are also minimally setback from the roadway which is lined by a brick sidewalk with regularly spaced metal lanterns.
Only the properties on the west side of Chain Bridge Road north of North Street are located within the district. These properties are all single-family houses, most of which are set back from the roadway on more spacious lots containing significantly more tree cover than other portions of the district. Chain Bridge Road curves to the northwest as it exits the district. Brick retaining walls front some of the properties along the roadway.
The portion of Main Street that extends through the historic district between Chain Bridge Road and University Drive are primarily lined with commercial buildings that exhibit a similar simple massing and scale, consisting of rectangular two-story buildings set on narrow lots. Most of these building reflect the growth of the business district during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Notable exceptions include the service station at 10423 Main Street, a Colonial Revival service station constructed in 1954, a Colonial Revival commercial building at 10409 Main Street constructed c. 1950, and the International Style commercial building at 10426 Main Street, constructed c. 1955. All the buildings within this block of Main Street are built on narrow lots and are modestly set back uniformly from the roadway. Brick lined sidewalks extends alongside Main Street with metal lamp posts set within the sidewalk at regular intervals.
Construction east of University Drive transitions to more residential property types. Victoria Square consists of a collection of Victorian dwellings on the south side of Main Street that have been converted into commercial properties. The two oldest single-dwelling houses, the Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House (10386 Main Street) and the Draper House (10364-10370 Main Street), are located on north side of Main Street. These buildings all modestly set back from the roadway which is lined by brick sidewalk with metal lamp post set with the sidewalks at regular intervals. Portions of the sidewalks on the north side of the street are shaded by mature trees planted adjacent to the sidewalks on properties fronting the north side of the street.
The south side of Main Street, west of Chain Bridge Road, is part of the county government complex. The stone retaining wall lining Chain Bridge Road curves around and extends approximately 50-70 feet ending at a set of stairs that accesses a walkway leading to the historic courthouse. At the end of the stone fence, a metal pipe fence extends along the county property fronting the roadway. The north side of the street opposite the county complex formerly contained a Bank of America and the National Bank of Fairfax (10440 Main Street), an early twentieth century Colonial Revival bank building. West of this building is a parking lot located east of the intersection of West Street and Main Street. The Truro Church complex located west of the intersection forms the westernmost end of the district.
The remaining buildings in the district not fronting Chain Bridge Road and Main Street are located along North Street and University Drive. These buildings include a Colonial Revival professional office building located at 10460 North Street that was constructed in 2008 (non- contributing), two notable local government buildings on University Drive, Old Town Hall located at 3999 University Drive, and a restaurant that previously served as a fire station at 3998 University Drive.
Several resources have been demolished or removed since the historic district was originally designated in 1987. The John Q Marr Memorial, a Civil War memorial commemorating a local Confederate Soldier, was removed from the Courthouse property in November 2020. Several buildings located along North Street and Old Lee Highway at the northeast corner of the district have been demolished, including the houses at 10413 and 10415 North Street, the barn at 3936 Old Lee Highway, and the commercial buildings at 3934 and 3940 Old Lee Highway
† Adapted from: Eric Griffitts and Benjamin Walker, EHY Traceries, City of Fairfax Historic District Update, nomination document, 2021, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.
Street Names
Chain Bridge Road • Main Street • North Street • Old Lee Highway • University Drive