Historic Location

Fairview Elementary School is located in Fairfax County on Ox Road about four miles south of the Fairfax County Courthouse. It is within sight of the old St. Mary's Catholic Church where Clara Barton did her first nursing. In the churchyard are buried soldiers who died of wounds received in the Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War. George Mason University is located about two miles north of the school.

One of Oldest Elementary Schools

The Fairview School site is one of the oldest in Fairfax County, dating back to 1899. The original frame one-room building was said to have been so drafty that a former teacher"frosted her feet while standing at the blackboard." A second room was added in 1912. According to one local historian, Fairview was served in 1928 by the first Fairfax County school bus, a market wagon drawn by two horses. From this humble beginning, the county bus fleet has grown the largest in the United States.

By 1932 the enrollment had increased sufficiently to warrant a 20 ft. x 25 ft. addition costing a total of $374.80. In 1939, the Public Works Agency replaced the original building with a four-room brick school with an auditorium and office space. In 1952, an addition consisting of a kitchen and cafeteria, a clinic, a teachers' lounge, a library and three new classrooms was completed on the back of the building.

A second addition, finished in 1965, consisted of a new library, an administrative suite, a special instruction room and five classrooms. This addition faces Ox Road and gives the impression that Fairview is a much newer building. Residents continued to be attracted to the Fairview area, making it necessary to add seven new classrooms, "relocatables," in 1977.

More Renovations

Although Fairview's appearance has changed continuously, the goal has always been to maintain the small school atmosphere in which students, parents and staff feel a strong sense of belonging and close relationships.

In 1979 the entire school was renovated. The cafeteria and library were enlarged and the gymnasium was built. City water was added and the old well and septic field were eliminated. The office, library, gymnasium and cafeteria were air-conditioned. An elevator was added so disabled persons could access the cafeteria, gymnasium and other parts of the school facility.

To accommodate the growth in the area, a 21-room addition was built in 1984, in place of the "relocatables," to house the expanded student body. During the 1998-1999 school year, Fairview began a brand new renovation to the entire facility. That renovation was completed in 2001.

Today

Fairview continues to grow. In 2011, renovations inside the building added new classrooms as the school welcomed more students.

Our students are continuing to blossom as 21st century learners, and our classrooms reflect that digital education with interactive whiteboards and computers in every classroom. Even though evidence of that original one room school house exists in our walls, our school reflects the winds of change as we move forward in the 21st century!