The Story
After the Civil War, near Washington DC. Falls Church, Virginia began rebuilding. The W&OD Railro ad re-opened and a half-day journey by horse took only 35 minutes by train.
In 1875 the Town of Fall Church was incorporated. A respected black merchant, Frederick Foote Jr, was elected to the town council. After that, the town council's other members decided to reduce the black voters' influence by giving up one-third of the town to Fairfax County.
By 1900, Falls Church was the largest town in Fairfax County. In 1915, the town council proposed an ordinance mandating African Americans to live in a specific area. Local black citizens formed the first rural branch of the NAACP to rally against it.
In 1924, Virginia created a separate school district for Falls Church. East Falls Church residents were dissatisfied with the town's priorities and rejoined Arlington County in 1936.
In 1945, Virginia put Fall's Church schools back under Fairfax County's jurisdiction. This decision, along with other concerns, drove an independence movement. Falls Church became a city in 1948 and soon operated its school district again.
In 1961, activists successfully ended segregation in Falls Church schools.
