Title

My Grandfather's Lee Highway

Repository

Fairfax County Government

Date Created

Winter 2008

Creator

By: William Page Johnson, II
Published in "The Fare Facs Gazette," the newsletter of Historic Fairfax City Inc.

Description

Article written in a local newsletter about the history of building the Lee Highway, and the impacts it had on Northern Virginia. Page 9 holds an important quote that demonstrates the power of the myth of progress. Quoting Merton E. Church, a real estate agent from Falls Church who wrote to the Washington Post, they state the rise in value of homes, the increases in profits, and the amount of new development along the road due to its construction. Yet, Tinner Hill, who was spllit down the middle by this road experienced few to no economic gains - only displacement in the case of multiple homeowners who were required to leave or move their homes. Page's article also neglects to mention the impact of the road on Tinner Hill.

Research Themes

Slow Violence
Myth of Progress
Displacement
Tinner Hill
Falls Church
Lee Highway

Type

Document

Researcher Name

Jacob Connelly

Bibliographic Citation

Johnson, II, William Page. “My Grandfather’s Lee Highway.” The Fare Facts Gazette, Winter 2008. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/sites/transportation/files/Assets/Documents/PDF/Confederate/Document%20-%20History%20of%20Lee%20Highway%20for%20a%20Historic%20Fairfax%20City%2C%20Inc.%20Newsletter.pdf.