Falls Church’s efforts to mark the nation’s 250th birthday could spill into 2027.
One of the goals for 2026, improvements to Fort Taylor Park, has yet to pan out. However, leaders hope that it could be completed with the support of local Eagle Scout candidates.
“That will probably be the route” to support improvements to the historic site, said William Ackerman of the Recreation and Parks Board.
Ackerman is vice chair of the Falls Church 250 Committee, established by the City Council to oversee efforts marking the nation’s birthday.
Although the committee will go out of business at the end of the year, Ackerman said at the Sept. 10 meeting that he had not given up on improving the park.
“We’ll get there,” he said.
Efforts to connect local scouting troops to the improvement projects haven’t been successful so far due to scheduling challenges. But Ackerman said there are always new scouts looking to complete a cornerstone project on the way to Eagle Scout status.
The historic site is on Roosevelt Street near Koons Ford, Oakwood Cemetery and the Eden Center. It played a small but key role in the Civil War when, in June 1861, aeronaut Thaddeus Lowe made several aerial ascents to gauge locations and strength of Confederate forces near Fairfax Courthouse.
At that moment, American military aerial reconnaissance was born.
An ARLnow visit to the park several months ago found a facility that, while not completely neglected, could stand some sprucing up.
The Falls Church 250 Committee chair, Jim Coyle, also has pressed for city officials to install more visible signage both in front of the park and on nearby Broad Street.
“It’s just a shame” that the park is not promoted more, Coyle said.
At the Sept. 10 meeting, committee members began the final stretch of their work commemorating the nation’s 250th birthday.
One key event on the horizon is the “Demystifying Democracy” community forum, to be held at Mary Riley Styles Public Library on Saturday, Sept. 26.
The event, which will run from 2-3:30 p.m., is “all about how to make civic engagement accessible,” said Holly Irwin, the city’s arts and humanities supervisor.
Panelists are expected to include elected officials from the local, state and federal levels, and participants will participate in a survey to determine whether they are a civic “nurturer,” “defender,” “connector” or “amplifier.”
The event is free and registration is not required.
City officials are also continuing to create a series of monthly videos focused on the community. The video for September will focus on Hispanic culture, while the following months will address Civil War history, Indigenous history and the past year’s events.
The Demystifying Democracy program and upcoming videos will be “a nice way to wrap up and send [the commemoration] off into the sunset,” committee member Callie Hawkins said.
Soapbox events are also expected to continue, giving the public a chance to stand on a literal soapbox and voice opinions on the issues of the moment.
In addition, the city library has an ongoing roster of 250th-related events planned through the rest of the year.
“It’s amazing, the work that’s been done and the work that’s still to be done,” said City Council member David Snyder, who serves as the Council’s liaison to the committee.
The local committee worked in conjunction with the statewide VA250 Commission, with Falls Church hosting the VA250 mobile museum over Memorial Day.
