For us? You shouldn’t have. We believe living in Northern Virginia is the greatest gift of all, but our city has also received some wonderful donations. From parks to sculptures and more, check out these four gifts given to the city.
Fairfax
Old Town Hall | In 1900, Joseph E. Willard gifted the newly built Old Town Hall to the citizens of Fairfax. This landmark now houses the Huddleson Library and Fairfax Art League.
Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House | The city’s oldest residence is also a present. The historic 1812 home’s last private owner, Kitty Pozer, gave it to the city in 1973. The gift preserved one of Fairfax’s oldest residences as a public museum and heritage site.
The Torpedo Factory Art Center once served as a storage facility for important artifacts, from dinosaur bones to captured Nazi trial records.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Alexandria
Museum collections | Step into any museum in Alexandria, and you’ll see plenty of gifts — and not just in the gift shop. Over time, individuals have donated thousands of objects to the city’s museum system. These gifts now comprise part of the 30,000+ objects (plus more than two million archaeological artifacts and 25,000 archival documents) held in public trust by the city.
The Torpedo Factory | Originally a munitions factory during WWII, this art center is itself a gift of adaptive reuse.
Carlyle House | Roam the rooms and enjoy the park. The 18th-century estate is effectively a long-term civic gift to Alexandria.
Arlington
Netherlands Carillon | Okay, this gift wasn’t for Arlington specifically — but we’re keeping it safe for the entire nation. In 1954, the Netherlands gifted a 49-bell carillon to the US in gratitude for American aid during WWII.
Arlington Historical Museum | Built in 1891 and deeded to the community in 1960, this historic schoolhouse was converted into a museum preserving Arlington’s local history.
Reston
Reston Museum | The building that houses the Reston Museum is a gift from the owners, valued at roughly $200,000. This donation ensures the nonprofit has a permanent home.
Public art installations | Since 2007, Public Art Reston has added dozens of permanent and temporary artworks — murals, sculptures, underpass installations — creating a long-term cultural gift to the community.
And something for our sister city. Our partnership with Nyeri, Kenya focuses on education. As part of that effort, Reston raised $50,000 in funds to build a special education facility in the 1980s. Read more about the project.
Leesburg
George C. Marshall’s historic home | The renovation of this historic landmark was a multi-million-dollar gift from local donors, foundations, and international partners in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Ida Lee Park | Leesburg’s largest park exists because of a historic gift from a prominent family. In 1843, Ida Lee left property to the town, which later became Ida Lee Park.
Unity Sculpture | This stainless-steel abstract sculpture was donated to the town by local philanthropists and artists to mark community harmony and the town’s growing modern arts scene.
Ashburn
Trailside Park | Baseball fields, open space, and trail access — what a gift. A significant portion of the land for this park was donated to Loudoun County as part of agreements with local developers.
The Broadlands Nature Center | The best kind of gift benefits everyone. When the Broadlands development was created, the Nature Center and surrounding environmental education areas were gifted to the HOA and the community as part of a long-term stewardship commitment.
Vienna
Public art | “Taking Flight,” the LOVE Sign, and many murals — all with love from VPAF + VPAC. The Vienna Public Art Foundation partners with the town’s Vienna Public Art Commission to fund and manage public art projects.
Salsbury Spring | According to the town’s historic register, this too was a gift. In 1938, the widow of a former dairy-farm owner (Capt. H.L. Salsbury) deeded Salsbury Spring to the Town of Vienna — gifting the local government a reliable water source and land asset.
