Issues of the Fairfax Herald are now publicly accessible and searchable for the first time ever! Over the last several months, Fairfax County Public Library’s Virginia Room has partnered with the Library of Virginia to digitize the Fairfax Herald, which at one time was Fairfax County’s longest running newspaper. In January 2022, all Herald issues from 1886-1964 are now available for searching on Virginia Chronicle, the Library of Virginia's online historical archive of state newspapers. To search for historical news in other Fairfax-area newspapers, check out our Historic Newspaper Index.
Formed in 1742, Fairfax County has a long and fruitful history. The Virginia Room, located on the second floor of the City of Fairfax Regional Library, collects, preserves, and makes accessible local history resources. Researchers can find historical information on Fairfax County individuals, locations, and events. This Local History page serves as a guide to some of our local history resources which include:
This Guide Is Intended For:
Questions? Email the Virginia Room: va_room@fairfaxcounty.gov
Burke Historical Society Lecture Series.
Tom Shoop will speak on his newly published book, A Place Called Ilda: Race and Resilience at a Northern Virginia Crossroads. The book examines the history…
Join the Virginia Room as they read This Was Vienna, Virginia by Connie and Mayo Stuntz. Published in 1987, the book features a collection of hundreds of photographs of Vienna and is regarded as the u…
Join us as Alexandria Historical Society (AHS) member and historian, David Heiby, presents on the history and legacy of The Alexandria National Cemetery. Established in 1862, it serves as the second o…
The Virginia Room has created a new guide to research materials relating to Black history in Fairfax County, Virginia. While this guide aims to offer a robust selection of available resources, it is not exhaustive. Included are books, school yearbooks, oral histories, manuscript collections, photographs, and subject files available in the Virginia Room on Black history. This guide will be periodically updated with additional resources.
Beginning in April 2020, the Virginia Room began collecting digital submissions from Fairfax County residents describing their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. About 100 community members contributed approximately 300 items such as photographs, journal entries, poems, and artwork. A small sample of this collection is available for viewing through the FCPL’s Biblioboard Creator platform.
