Welcome to The McLean History Portal! This page serves as a guide to McLean, Virginia historical collections found within Fairfax County Public Library's Virginia Room.
Click on the tabs directly above to browse the many different types of McLean documents found in our vast archive.
Since 1964, The Virginia Room has been collecting and preserving original records and documents of the organizations, businesses, and individuals of Fairfax County. Below is a list of our collections containing subjects related to McLean, VA. Processed collections have a highlighted hyperlink to their finding aids. Unprocessed collections without a finding aid remain closed to researchers at this time. Please email va_room@fairfaxcounty.gov to make an appointment to view processed collections.
Record Group 2: Businesses
Ticket Stub Collection, 02-11
Record Group 3: Communities
McLean Virginia Collection, 03-13
Record Group 5: Community Organizations
Ballantrae Ski Club Records, 05-40
Chesterbrook Methodist Church Collection, 05-23
Franklin Area Citizens Association Records, 05-36
Franklin Civic Association Records, 05-35
Franklin Park Civic Improvement League Records, 05-17
Franklin Park Women’s Club Collection, 05-37
McLean Citizens Association Records, 05-16
McLean Estates Civic Association Records, 05-65
Optimist Club of McLean, Virginia Scrapbook, 05-51
School and Civic League of McLean, Virginia Minutes, 05-25
Thursday Morning Garden Club Collection, 05-47
Woman's Club of McLean Papers, 05-55
Record Group 6: Personal Papers
Elizabeth Miles Cooke Collection, 06-41
Richard H. Darne Papers, 06-01
Steve Dryden Papers on Pimmit Run Research, 06-65
Bill Elvin Collection, 06-91
Bayard D. Evans Collection, 06-40
Manning Gasch Papers, 06-39
Alvaine T. Hamilton Collection, 06-35
Edgar R. Hon Collection on Tysons Corner Silver Line Metro Development, 06-53
Henry C. Mackall Papers, 06-59
John Mackall Real Estate Records, 06-59
Charles "Mark" Merrell Papers, 06-63
Samuel E. Neel Papers, 06-02
Lilla Richards Collection, 06-97
Donie Rieger Papers, 06-11
Hugh L. Robertson Collection, 06-69
Record Group 7: Family Collections
Smoot Family Collection - McLean Community Library, 07-23
Record Group 8: Book Manuscripts
Ellen L. Anderson Manuscript Papers on Salona (1979), 08-17
The Virginia Room holds a collection of Fairfax County school yearbooks. Yearbooks from schools located in McLean are listed below, some of which have been digitized and can be viewed by clicking on the blue links below. The Virginia Room's entire digital collection of 257 yearbooks can be accessed here: Browse digitized FCPL Yearbooks. Only pre-1977 yearbooks can be digitized at this time. We welcome yearbook donations to add to our collection.
LANGLEY High School "Shire"
1966 Vol. 1
1967 Vol. 2
1971 Vol. 6
1972 Vol. 7
1974 Vol. 9
1975 Vol. 10
1981 Vol. 16
1982 Vol. 17
1983 Vol. 18
1984 Vol. 19
MADEIRA School (Private)
1936
1937
1940
1945
MCLEAN High School "Clan"
1962 Vol. 7
1963 Vol. 8
1965 Vol. 10
1973 Vol. 18
The Virginia Room contains historical city directories and telephone books for the Northern Virginia region. Below is a select list of directories covering the McLean community.
Northern Virginia Yellow Pages
VRARE 384.6058 N 1975-1989
VREF 384.6058 N 1990-2018
Northern Virginia White Pages
VRARE 384.6058 C 1962-1989
VREF 384.6058 C 1990-2018
Fairfax County not criss cross
Fairfax County, Virginia, directory.
VRARE 917.5529 F 1906
Falls Church criss cross
Hill's Falls Church (Fairfax County, Virginia) city directory...: including Annandale, Lake Barcroft, Pimmitt Hills and Seven Corners
VRARE 917.55293 H 1957
VRARE 917.55293 H 1959
VRARE 917.55293 H 1961
VRARE 917.55293 H 1963
VRARE 917.55293 H 1965
VRARE 917.55293 H 1967
VRARE 917.55293 H 1969
VRARE 917.55293 H 1971
VRARE 917.55293 H 1972
VRARE 917.55293 H 1973
VRARE 917.55293 H 1974
VRARE 917.55293 H 1975
McLean - Greater McLean Community Directory
Lions Club, McLean, Virginia
VREF 917.5529 G 1954
VREF 917.5529 G 1956, 1962
VREF 917.5529 G 1960
VREF 917.5529 G 1964
VREF 917.5529 G 1966, 1969
VREF 917.5529 G 1970-1971
VREF 917.5529 G 1972-1973
VREF 917.5529 G 1974-1975
McLean - McLean Business and Professional Directory
McLean Business and Professional Association
VREF 917.5529 M 1964
VREF 917.5529 M 1965
McLean - McLean Handbook
Handbook Group
VREF 917.5529 M 1986-1987
VREF 917.5529 M 1989
VREF 917.5529 M 1991
VREF 917.5529 M 1995
VREF 917.5529 M 1996
VREF 917.5529 M 1997
VREF 917.5529 M 1999
McLean - McLean Settlers Clan
VREF 917.5529 M 1990
McLean - Yearbook/Directory: American Association of University Women: McLean Area Branch
American Association of University Women
VREF 917.5529 A 1973-1974
VREF 917.5529 A 1974-1975
VREF 917.5529 A 1975-1976
The Photographic Archive of Fairfax County, Virginia - The General Collection (Index)
The Photographic Archive of Fairfax County, Virginia includes more than 13,000 images of the people places and events of Fairfax County.
William J. "Bill" Elvin Collection (Index)
In addition to 27 boxes of McLean Providence Journal files that Bill Elvin maintained as editor and owner of the newspaper, his collection contains 1,329 photographic files of McLean-related images used in the newspaper.
Helen Snow Jones Photo Album on “Edgecombe” (McLean, Va.) (Index)
This photo album consists of 39 pages of photographs of Jones' Edgecombe estate located in McLean, Virginia and spans the years 1932-1933. Photographs depict various scenes on the Edgecombe estate; Merrywood; Little Gables; the Potomac River; automobiles; horses; and a peach orchard on Chain Bridge Road. Individuals pictured include Edgecomb Lee Jones; George A. Southall; Evelyn Southall; Annie Southall; the Noyes family; Mickey the dog; and other unidentified individuals.
Hugh L. Robertson Collection (Index)
Hugh L. Robertson was a resident of McLean from 1954 until his death in 2005. A commercial photographer and McLean Volunteer Fire Department firefighter, Robertson’s collection contains many images depicting the Fairfax County Fire Department in action, including scenes in McLean.
Fairfax County Office of Comprehensive Planning Heritage Resources Branch Slide Collection (Index)
Contains 940 slides depicting mostly historic Fairfax County structures spanning the years 1967-1993. Staff at the Fairfax County Heritage Resources Department photographed sites in Accotink, Alexandria, Annandale, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Dranesville, Dulles, Fairfax, Fairfax Station, Falls Church, Floris, Fort Belvoir, Great Falls, Groveton, Gum Springs, Herndon, Idylwood, Langley, Lewinsville, Lorton, McLean, Mount Vernon, Newington, Reston, Seven Corners, Tysons Corner, and Vienna. Some slides in this collection are duplicated slides which pre-date 1967. Images of historical documents and historic portraits are also included..
Henry H. Douglas Slide Collection (Index)
The Henry H. Douglas Collection consists of 215 slides spanning the years 1968-1979 and depicts various historic scenes in Fairfax County, Virginia including Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Dranesville, Dunn Loring, Fairfax, Falls Church, Great Falls, McLean, Herndon, Lorton, Merrifield, Mount Vernon, Newington, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, Tysons Corner, and Vienna.
Ruth and Wayne Hill Slide Collection (Index)
The Wayne and Ruth Hill Slide Collection contains over 1,300 photographic slides spanning the years 1946-1988, the bulk of which is 1984-1987, and depict scenes of Fairfax County, Virginia. Subjects include Fairfax County buildings, churches, historic sites, roads, businesses and schools in Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Dunn Loring, Fairfax, Great Falls, Herndon, Mason Neck, McLean, Merrifield, Reston, Tysons Corner and Vienna.
Stuntz Collection on Rambler Photographs (Index)
The Stuntz Collection of Rambler Photographs consists of 485 print photographs dating from 1900-1922 and taken in Virginia by J. Harry Shannon for “The Rambler” column which ran in the Washington Evening Star newspaper from 1912 to 1928. The prints were made from the original negatives which are stored off-site. Descriptions of each image are in J. Harry Shannon’s own words, and the negatives are arranged numerically according to Shannon’s numbering system. The subjects vary from the famous to the mundane, including old houses, cemeteries, roads, public buildings, and battlefields. Counties and cities in Virginia include Alexandria, Appomattox, Arlington, Caroline, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren, Westmoreland, York, and Jefferson County, WV.
These newspapers are not indexed, however other historical Fairfax County newspapers have been indexed that reported news on the McLean community. Click Here To Search The Historical Newspaper Index.
Mrs. T.M. (Charlotte) Corner, August 12, 1971
Charlotte Troughton Corner (1893-1988) was one of the first teachers at the Franklin Sherman School in McLean. She was a resident of McLean for over half a century.
Marvin Kirby on January 24, 1971 and Ernest E. Webb on February 12, 1972
Marvin H. Kirby (1903-1983) was born in Langley, Virginia and Ernest E Webb (1887-1975) was a life-long resident of McLean.
Miss Louise Millard and Miss Emma Millard on November 15, 1972
Carrie Louise Millard (1906-1982) and Martha Emma Millard (1902-1981) were long-time residents of McLean.
Cecil C. Swink on August 23, 1971 and interviewed on October 28, 1972
C. C. Swink (1895-1981) was the son of E.F. Swink owner of Swink's Mill.
Samuel R. Pearson and Alfred T. Souder on October 26, 1978
Samuel Ralph Pearson (1901-1989) was born in Lewinsville, Virginia and lived his whole life in McLean. Pearson and Alfred T. Souder (1905-1992) discuss their recollections of McLean, Virginia including historic houses, properties, businesses, the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad, and the origins of the McLean Volunteer Fire Department.
Oral history of McLean Virginia [video] / Historical Society of McLean, Virginia, 1997 VREF 975.529 O
A 3-DVD set that includes interviews with Diane Alden, Roger Mudd, Clive Duval, Jack Smoot, Jeanette Marr, Tanya Beauchamp, Marge Brother, Bob Alden, Art Scheid, Grace Kempton, Dorothy McCormick, Pat Pickeral, Carole Herrick, David Rampy, Mae Hall, Jean Voltz, Janet Beall, Clyde Clark, Henry Mackall, Pete Nordlie, Billy Jones, Phil Graves, Bill Elvin, Ora Larson, Tom Corner, Milburn Sanders, Bruce Jolly, George Jessup, Tabitha Chung, Arthur Arundel, Ron Shafer, James Luriaquist, Vince Callahan, Bob Andrews, John Shacochis, Edward B. Sabine II, and Ellyn Crawford.
Yesterday: 100 Recollections of Mclean & Great Falls, Virginia by Carole L. Herrick, 2007. VREF 975.529 H
This book is a broad overview of two communities, McLean and Great Falls (formerly Forestville), Virginia as told by the many people who lived there.
Yesterday: additional recollections of Mclean & Great Falls, Virginia, Volume II by Carole L. Herrick, 2009. VREF 975.529 H
This second volume of oral histories collected within the McLean and Great Falls communities.
Since the establishment of the Virginia Room, librarians have continuously maintained vertical subject files on Fairfax County’s history and infrastructure. The Virginia Room Vertical and Historic Landmark Files consist of over 2,000 files on Fairfax County historical landmarks, communities, buildings, neighborhoods, churches, schools, and general county topics. The files contain newspaper clippings, reports, brochures, photocopies, correspondence, ephemera, and articles and are accessible in the Virginia Room.
Listed below are files pertaining to the McLean community
HLF - Churches - Charity Baptist Church - McLean (Va.)
HLF - Churches - Chesterbrook Methodist Church - McLean (Va.)
HLF - Churches - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - McLean (Va.) – Mormonism
HLF - Churches - First Baptist Church of Chesterbrook - McLean (Va.).
HLF - Churches - Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek Catholic Church - McLean (Va.)
HLF - Churches - Immanuel Presbyterian Church - McLean (Va.). – Presbyterian
HLF - Churches - Lewinsville Presbyterian Church - McLean (Va.). – Presbyterian
HLF - Churches - Lutheran Church of the Redeemer - McLean (Va.)
HLF - Churches - McLean Baptist Church - McLean (Va.)
HLF - Churches - McLean Bible Church - McLean (Va.).
HLF - Churches - McLean Presbyterian Church - McLean (Va.)
HLF - Churches - Pleasant Grove Methodist Church - McLean (Va.). – Methodist
HLF - Churches - Shiloh Baptist Church - McLean (Va.).
HLF - Churches - St. John Catholic Church - McLean – Catholic
HLF - Churches - St. John Episcopal Church - McLean – Episcopal
HLF - Churches - St. Luke Catholic Church - McLean – Catholic
HLF - Churches - Trinity United Methodist Church - McLean (Va.)
HLF - Churches - William Watters United Methodist Church - McLean (Va.)
HLF - Claude Moore Colonial Farm - - McLean
HLF - Cooke House - 00808 Swinks Mill Rd – McLean
HLF - Cottonwood Road neighborhood (McLean)
HLF - Downscrest - 1049 Crest Lane – McLean
HLF - Egan House - - McLean
HLF - Eight Oaks (McLean, Va.).
HLF - Evans Farm Inn (McLean, Va.).
VF - Fire & Rescue - Companies - McLean VFD - Station 1
VF - Fx. Co. - Planning & Zoning - Planning Districts – McLean
HLF - Jamestown - 400th Anniversay - McLean / Great Falls
HLF - Langley Area - History
HLF - Langley Hall - Stormbrook - McLean, VA
HLF - Langley Mansion House (Langley, Va.).
HLF - Langley Ordinary (Langley, Va.).
HLF - Langley Toll House (Langley, Va.).
HLF - Leiter Estate (McLean, Va.).
HLF - Lewinsville Area - History
HLF - Lewinsville House
HLF - Lewinsville Post Office
HLF - Lewis/Oliver House (McLean, Va.). - Mackall Cabin - 1032 Towlston Road
VF - Libraries - Branches - Dolly Madison
HLF - Mackall-Hall House - McLean - 1011 Turkey Run Road
HLF - McLean - (1950-1965)
HLF - McLean - (1966-1970)
HLF - McLean - (1971-1980)
HLF - McLean - (1981-1990)
HLF - McLean - (1991-2000)
HLF - McLean - (2001-2010)
HLF - McLean - Bank's Home Bombing (1974)
HLF - Mclean - Commons of McLean
HLF - McLean - Crest Lane [Subdivision]
HLF - McLean - Crest Lane [Subdivision] Edgecomb
HLF - McLean - Federal Highway Administration Time Capsule
HLF - McLean - Federal Highway Administration Time Capsule
HLF - McLean - Half-House
HLF - McLean - Historic Homes
HLF - McLean - History
HLF - McLean - Laughlin House
HLF - McLean - LeFrak House
HLF - McLean - McLean Central Park
HLF - McLean - McLean Citizens Assoc./Citizens Council
HLF - McLean - McLean Community Center
HLF - McLean - McLean Hamlet [Subdivision]
HLF - McLean - Minor's Hill
HLF - McLean - Post Office
HLF - McLean - Roads
HLF - McLean - Springhouse - (Linway Terrace)
HLF - McLean - Storm Farm
HLF - McLean - Ted Kennedy House
HLF - McLean - Town Status
HLF - Odrick [Alfred] Farmstead (McLean, Va.).
VF - Police - Sub-Stations – McLean
VF - Schools - Elementary - Franklin Sherman E.S.
VF - Schools - High - McLean H.S.
VF - Schools - Private - Madiera School
HLF - Storm Farm (McLean, Va.).
HLF - Tulip Hill - - McLean
HLF - Turkey Run Farm (McLean, Va.).
Click Here to Browse the complete index to the Virginia Room's Vertical and Historic Landmark Files
The Voice of McLean : one hundred years of the McLean Citizens Association, historical summary, 1914-2014 by Merrily Pierce and Paul Kohlenberger, 2014, VREF 061.755 P 2014
Legendary Locals of McLean, Virginia by Carole L. Herrick, 2014, VREF 920 H 2014
The Clearview Manor Neighborhood of McLean, Virginia by Laura Nielsen, 2010, VREF 975.529 N 2010
McLean by Carole L. Herrick, 2011, VREF 975.529H
Hickory Hill: McLean, Virginia by Carole L. Herrick, 2016, VREF 975.529 H
McLean Little League 50th Anniversary by Ronald G. Shafer, 2005, VREF 975.529 S 2005
Lands Along Colshire Drive, McLean by Edgar R. Hon, 2001, VREF 975.529 H 2001
A History of the McLean Community Center by Jan Auerbach, 2000, VREF 711.558 M 2000
A History of Salona: a Virginia historic home by Clive L. DuVal, 1994, VREF 975.529 D 1994
A Historical Study of the McLean Community by Martha Catlin, 1988, VREF 975.529 C 1988
Play Ball: The History of the McLean Little League by Ronald G. Shafer, 1985, VREF 975.529 S
The History of the Old Georgetown Pike by Elizabeth Miles Cooke, 1977, VREF 975.529 C 1977
McLean Remembers by Louise C. Curran, 1967, VREF 975.529 C
McLean Remembers Again by Louise C. Curran, 1976, VREF 975.529 C
The History of Ingleside by David Ecker, 1975, VREF 975.529 E
The Flights of the Madisons by Robert A. Alden, 1974, VREF 973.52 A
The Madeira School: Fifty Years of Growth, 1906-1956, Greenway, Virginia, 1956, VREF 373.755 M 1956
The origins of the McLean History Portal date back to 1997. In that year, the McLean Citizens Association and the McLean Historical Society sought to establish a centralized repository for a McLean community archives at the Dolley Madison Library. Three longtime McLean residents who had significant archival collections that also pushed for establishing a “McLean Room” in the library included former Supervisor Lilla Richards, lawyer Henry C. Mackall, and former McLean Providence Journal owner and editor William J. Elvin (pictured above). The three principles collaborated with the McLean Citizens Association and McLean Historical Society to advocate for a McLean Room.
The Library Director of Fairfax County Public Library initially affirmed the concept of a McLean Room, but following the 2004 passing of a multi-million dollar bond to renovate the Dolley Madison Library, the Library Board turned down the McLean Room concept citing the Virginia Room as the county’s official archive for such collections. Between 2004-2019, Lilla Richards and the families of Henry Mackall and Bill Elvin donated their collections to the Virginia Room complementing an already existing collection of historical McLean documents. A generous grant from the McLean Community Foundation in 2018-2019 allowed the McLean Citizens Association, McLean Estates Civic Association, and the Lilla Richards collections to be processed and made accessible to the public.
In May 2019, the McLean History Portal went live to serve as a “virtual McLean Room” in honor of the initial efforts to create a McLean community archive and to aid researchers interested in McLean, Virginia's history. The McLean History Portal gathers together historical collections ranging from manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, newspapers, school yearbooks, and more.
