The Great Falls Historical Society, founded in 1977, is a relatively young organization with memories of teams of volunteers working on substantial historical accomplishments together – memories often buried or lost, but that occasionally return to view.
Our local organization has gotten by on a modest budget: a web site, a few file cabinets, a storage room that has been closed to save a few hundred bucks a year, and boxes of files and books in various members’ garages around town. Conversations have occurred about building an archive, always to be postponed until the next year due to lack of a “place” to work, and a place to store and exhibit the results.
On Saturday, Jan. 24.The Great Falls Historical Society displayed 5 boards of local schoolhouse history in the back room at the Old Schoolhouse during the farmers market. It was amazing to notice the surprise in visitors’ faces as they recognized and learned the past of places in their midst. They were visibly struck by the amount of information about our village that they did not know. They lingered and enjoyed looking at the photos and newspaper articles, the local architecture and children’s dress and faces over the life of the various local schoolhouse buildings. (Exhibits will continue on Feb. 7.)
THROUGH OUR HISTORY GATHERING efforts, oral histories, filming, and contributions of materials from various members and other local residents, the need for a place for our intellectual capital – an archive – grows. Further, having a place for people to come see our collection - a place for us – a physical place in our village would allow us to nourish our community with the local story, as a historical society is meant to do.
Many non-profits in our village experience the identical lack of place. We are not alone. How can we live in an affluent village and experience such an acute paucity of community space? How can our local story be so uprooted, so orphaned? When will we properly house all the elements of a remarkably creative community so that our entire community thrives?
It is time for us to give serious consideration to a special tax district for the purpose of developing community spaces for our village. A special tax district would require that each resident contribute a modest percentage of their real estate taxes – in Reston and McLean that amount is 2.5 percent - for the sole purpose of funding their community space - their community center. Such funds could be dedicated to the purpose our community defines, whether to fund the maintenance fees of a resident curatorship, the construction of a new performance center, the purchase of land for donation to the National Conservation Trust or to be used for agricultural purposes, etc.
The community of Great Falls is abundant with creative talent. Our ability to socialize our children in many layers of the world: the home and school, the beach, the mountains and ski slopes, the world of the spirit, the arts, the sciences, technology, philosophy…exploration in nature, taking walks, journeying on the river, photographing nature, looking out the window while doing homework - connecting with the tree spirits, the herd of deer, the birds outside the window, all hanging out in the same tree. Our children deserve access to remarkable mentors, experts in a field who make themselves available to young, raw talent and show them everything they know without limitation – to transfer our best knowing for the next generation to advance.
We cannot move forward without financial viability – not wealth that shows, but with simplicity - the pick-up truck, the blue jeans, humility of possession as the farmers before us managed their resources in a practical, earthy manner.
Whether moms and dads in a tent, sharing how to cook a Jerusalem artichoke or a bunch of physicists gazing at the stars, discussing constellations, or artists sharing how to layer the paint to achieve a certain effect, our community is robust with talent and deserves sufficient community space to nurture and grow the wide diversity of creative talent that is ours.
IN OUR LONG JOURNEY of lobbying to leave as much of our land untouched, we have denied ourselves of sufficient vibrant community space to experiment, practice, perform, show, become, accomplish, share with others, so as to grow a thriving legacy for future generations to enjoy.
Now that the Grange has been made handicap accessible, now that the Turner Farm and Purple House is potentially eligible under the Resident Curatorship program, let’s begin the conversation about finding a place for us – and gathering the resources needed to become truly our place.