On Nov. 17, about 40 Great Falls locals gathered at the Fairfax County Park Authority-owned Great Falls Grange No. 738. No one present was a granger, even though the Grange was once the focal point of the farming hamlet of Forestville. As a social organization in the community until 1980, the Grange encouraged families to work together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and agriculture.
Official logo for the newly recognized [2019] Great Falls Grange Foundation.According to Vienna Connection, "The Foundation intends to take back from the Fairfax County Park Authority the management and marketing of the Great Falls Grange Complex, leading to the Grange ultimately becoming once again a community gathering place through its rentals. Two resources named on the National Register of Historic Places are located in the complex at 9818 and 9812 Georgetown Pike, Route 193. They are the one-and-a-half-story 1929 Great Falls Grange Hall No. 738 by builder L. B. Morris; and the adjacent Forestville Schoolhouse, built on the site in 1889 as a one-room schoolhouse and expanded in 1911. Both are contributing structures added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 (VDHR # 29-441), together with a non-contributing picnic shelter. The complex also includes its grounds and a parking lot."
As per Vienna Connection, "For the much-needed Grange renovation project that included a wheelchair lift, Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) assisted in securing $350,000 from county carry-over funds in 2013, and the Fairfax County Park Authority funded the balance, reported by the Connection Newspapers in 2015. These initiatives failed, though, to reverse the pattern of limited rentals that predated the COVID-19 pandemic."
Maryam N. is a Senior Writer at Nesbitt Realty. She is an expert on Fairfax County. Maryam has also worked previously as a geologist. She is a foodie and enjoys cooking and exploring new restaurants.
