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Fairfax County History

Virginia Room Research Last Updated: Mar 25, 2024 1:13 PM

Local History Libraries & Archival Repositories

See also genealogy libraries and archives, and the Virginia Room's local history and genealogy resources.

  • Alexandria Black History Museum
    The Museum's Watson Reading Room permits visitors to use a growing collection of books, periodicals, oral histories and videos on African American history.

  • Alexandria Public Library's Special Collections/Local History Branch
    Includes searchable genealogy indexes, photographs, house histories and more. Many Fairfax County and Northern Virginia residents are included.

  • Arlington Public Library's Center for Local History
    Arlington was once part of Fairfax County until 1789. The Center For Local History preserves and makes accessible Arlington newspapers, photographs, oral histories, and more.

  • The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center
    The archives and preserves historical documents and photographs pertaining to the history and people from the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford in Virginia. Some of their collections are digitally accessible. 

  • Central Rappahannock Regional Library (Fredericksburg, Virginia)
    Includes searchable articles, indexes and pictures. Many families have Fairfax County connections. There is also an extensive section of information on African American families.

  • District of Columbia Public Library
    The People's Archive (formerly known as the Washingtoniana Collection) includes a collection guide and useful links. Many Fairfax County families have close ties to Washington, DC. One highlight of their collection is the photo archive of the Washington Evening Star newspaper.

  • George Mason University Special Collections Research Center
    George Mason University’s SCRC acquires, preserves and makes accessible collections and documents pertaining not only to the university but also Fairfax County’s history. The archives contain local oral histories, Northern Virginia photographs and postcards, as well as many documents on the history of Reston, Virginia. 

  • Loudoun County's Thomas Balch Library
    The Thomas Balch Library of Leesburg is home of the collections on Leesburg and Loudoun County. Includes a searchable cemetery database with more than 27,000 entries.

  • Mary Riley Styles Public Library Local History Room (Falls Church, Virginia)
    The Local History Room collects, preserves and makes accessible Falls Church photographs, newspapers, maps, and more.

  • Prince William Public Library's RELIC Room
    The website of the Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center, or RELIC, includes a collection guide, quarterly newsletter and an index to recent newspapers. The library system also provides a Digital Library, which includes a selection of birth, marriage and death records, and indexes to historic sites, photographs and maps.

  • The Stewart Bell, Jr. Archives
    Located in the Handley Library, the archives has more than 10,000 photographs online and an extensive collection of materials about the Lower Shenandoah Valley, especially Winchester and Frederick counties.

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