The Emerging City 1920 - 1950
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1950 and Beyond

The Emerging City 1920 - 1950, also, 1950 and Beyond. . , The Emerging City , 1920 - 1950 , From Horses to Highway , Prior to the 1920s, local roads were winding and narrow, cheap to build, and easy to maintain as they followed the land's contour to accommodate horses and wagons. Automobiles required straighter, paved roads to allow for increased speed, safety, and visibility. In 1919, the association for planning national highways proposed what is now U.S. Route 29 as a coast-to-coast road. The first portion was completed by 1928 and provided a paved road from southwest Virginia to Washington, D.C. A local businessman, Merton E. Church, whose company paved the road with concrete from Falls Church to the Fairfax courthouse, was mostly responsible for routing the road through town. It improved the regional transportation network and benefited development. At the same time, its construction disrupted businesses and bisected many residents' properties, including the thriving African American community., Growing Pains , Between the two World Wars, and despite the Great Depression, Falls Church prospered. It grew in population as a suburban community for the nation's capital, with many residents working in government related jobs. In 1924, Virginia established a separate school district for the town. Two years later, Madison Elementary School opened, and the Jefferson Institute became a four-year high school. Both schools were for white students only. It was not until after World War II that Mary Ellen Henderson successfully advocated for the modern James E. Lee Elementary School to be built for black children. In 1930, the town built a municipal water system to serve the growing community. East Falls Church residents, dissatisfied with the town priorities, voted to rejoin Arlington County in 1936. That same year, the air-conditioned State Theater opened, making the town a popular local destination. Increasing car ownership led to the end of the local trolley service in 1939., World War II and City Status , During World War II, 25 Falls Church servicemen died or went missing. In 1945, Virginia abolished the independence of the town's schools, placing them under Fair fax County jurisdiction. This decision, along with concerns about property taxes, municipal water, transportation, and town planning, led to a drive for independent status. Falls Church became a city in 1948, with the population topping 5,000 and rising due to the postwar "baby boom." Civic and social organizations flourished. In 1949, the City once operated its school district with 927 students. Virginia continued to be a highly segregated state, and the Falls Church community and schools excluded blacks from social and cultural services. Denied access to many civic institutions, African Americans founded their own chapter to service groups, such as Mother's Council, Masons, and Eastern Star., 1950 and Beyond , A Small Independent City , Continuing the early 20th century's struggles and successes, African American residents led efforts to obtain full civil rights. In 1961, for example, a diverse coalition of City activists successfully ended segregation in Falls Church schools, becoming only the second Virginia community to do so. Even so, this action came a full six years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision mandating desegregation., By the end of the 20th-century, the City's population had reached 10,000. Its housing and neighborhoods had become a unique mix of preserved pre-1910 houses and newer residential construction with affordable housing as a continuing challenge. Commercial development and transportation improvements from the 1950s to the 1980s (Seven Corners, Tyson's Corner, Capital Beltway, Metro, and Route 66) have emphasized Falls Church's place in the greater Washington region. IN 2014, Falls Church City's boundaries were expanded for the first time, following the sale of the municipal water system to Fairfax Water., The City's cultural diversity broadened in the last decades of the 20th-century, as immigrants from Asia, Central America, and South America joined the community. Opened in 1964, The Eden Center provides a home for thriving Asian-owned businesses, the largest of its kind on the East Coast. Data from the 2020 Census showed that the City of Falls Church was the fastest growing jurisdiction in Northern Virginia, with foreign-born persons making up nearly 20 percent of the population., The City was recognized as an All-American City by the National Civic League in 1961. It continues to be named a state leader in Tree City USA recognition annually through the National Arbor Day Foundation. During unprecedented growth and change, the City continues to maintain its identity and provide high-quality schools, environmentally friendly green spaces, and small-town character.