Burke Historical Society

In-Person Meeting: Hidden History of Herndon
2023-08-27 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Barbara Glakas from the Herndon Historical Society will speak on her new book Hidden History of Herndon.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/

In-Person Meeting: Lorton Prisons
2023-09-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Kenena Spalding from the Lucy Burns Museum at the Workhouse Arts Center will speak on her new book Lorton Prisons.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/

In-Person Meeting: The History of Lake Accotink
2023-10-29 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Debi DeLoose, Mike DeLoose, and Mary Lipsey will jointly recount the fascinating history of Lake Accotink, from wartime exigency to recreational facility.
This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/

In-Person Meeting: Gee Gee and Speedee—The Historical Saga of McDonald’s in Fairfax County
2023-11-26 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
In 1957, the Gee Gee Food Corporation opened the first McDonald’s in Virginia on Route 1 in Alexandria. Chris Barbuschak will describe how they built the largest single franchise operation of the McDonalds chain in the nation until Ray Kroc bought them out in 1967.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

BHS around Town: Gold in Local History
2023-12-11 19:00 - 20:00 | George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA, 22003, United States
Learn some of the science of gold and hear about the national and regional history of the 79th element, including mining operations and tales of lost treasure.
*This program will be presented in person at George Mason Regional Library. Registration is available but not required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/10628763
The BHS is pleased to offer guest speakers to local libraries and other groups. For more information, please see our Speakers Bureau page.

In-Person Meeting: Construction of Camp Humphreys
2023-12-17 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Patrick O’Neill from the Burke Historical Society will speak on the origins of Fort Belvoir, which began in 1915 as Camp A.A. Humphreys, an engineer training facility for the U.S. Army.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/9927274

BHS around Town: History of the 14th Street Bridges
2024-01-08 19:00 - 20:00 | George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA, 22003, United States
Today’s bridges are only the latest versions of various spans dating almost to the capital’s founding. Learn about about the fascinating history of the 14th Street bridges into Washington, historically known as the Long Bridge over the Potomac.
*This program will be presented in person at George Mason Regional Library. Registration is available but not required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/11154046
The BHS is pleased to offer guest speakers to local libraries and other groups. For more information, please see our Speakers Bureau page.

In-Person Meeting: Images of America: Burke
2024-01-28 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
A panel from the Burke Historical Society will discuss the Society’s own contribution to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series. Hear how the book came together and enjoy some fascinating photographs and stories from Burke’s history!
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

BHS around Town: The Beginnings of D.C.
2024-02-12 19:00 - 20:00 | George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA, 22003, United States
Learn about the land, early houses and founding of Washington, D.C.—a planned city that, after much compromise, finally succeeded previous seats of government.
*This program will be presented in person at George Mason Regional Library. Registration is available but not required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/11154047
The BHS is pleased to offer guest speakers to local libraries and other groups. For more information, please see our Speakers Bureau page.

In-Person Meeting: Desegregation in Northern Virginia Libraries
2024-02-25 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Suzanne LaPierre and Chris Barbuschak will speak on their recent book Desegregation in Northern Virginia Libraries, which details the history of unequal access across the region’s various library systems and the efforts that led to their integration.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

BHS around Town: A Place Called Ilda
2024-03-11 19:00 - 20:00 | George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA, 22003, United States
Ilda was a mixed-race community in the area of Little River Turnpike and Guinea Road. Fairfax County History Commission member Tom Shoop will share what he learned while writing his new book, A Place Called Ilda: Race and Resilience at a Northern Virginia Crossroads.
*This program will be presented in person at George Mason Regional Library. Registration is available but not required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/11154048
The BHS is pleased to offer guest speakers to local libraries and other groups. For more information, please see our Speakers Bureau page.

In-Person Meeting: Joyana Peters on Historical Fiction
2024-03-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Joyana Peters, local author of The Girl from Saint Petersburg and The Girl in the Triangle, will discuss her historical fiction and her approaches to research and writing.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: Understanding Maps and the Stories They Tell
2024-07-28 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Ronald Grim from the Washington Map Society (and past Curator of Maps for the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library) will discuss the significance and layered meanings to be found in historic maps.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/11353178

In-Person Meeting: The History of Quilting in Virginia
2024-08-25 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Bunnie Jordan, a quilt maker, appraiser, author, collector, and teacher, will speak on the long history of quilting in the Old Dominion, sharing anecdotes of especially significant quilts and quilters.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: The NIKE Missile Site at Lorton
2024-09-29 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Alan McKie will speak on the United States’ NIKE missile air defense system built during the Cold War, and in particular on its largest installation at Lorton.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: Black Communities of Fairfax: A History
2024-10-27 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Co-authors Etta Willson, Rita Colbert, Linneall Naylor, Rondia Prescott, and Jenée Lindner will speak on their recently published book, which documents the history of the free Black communities that developed around Fairfax Court House.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: The Jewish Community of Northern Virginia
2024-12-15 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Co-authors Susan and Shawn Dilles will speak on their recently published book, describing the Jewish community that has been a part of Northern Virginia for over 175 years.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: Amazing Trailblazing Women of the Ball–Sellers House
2025-12-28 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Annette Benbow from the Arlington Historical Society will discuss one of the oldest structures in Northern Virginia, Arlington’s Ball–Sellers House. In particular, she’ll discuss four remarkable women who have called this place home over the centuries.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: The Manassas Gap Railroad
2026-01-25 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Michael McDonnell will discuss the Manassas Gap Railroad, incorporated in 1850 to connect Alexandria to the Shenandoah Valley. Although construction was never completed, you might still find some remnants of the MGRR around Fairfax County.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: Regional Air Defenses of the Cold War
2026-02-22 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Christopher J. Bright, Ph.D., will speak on the U.S. Army’s antiaircraft defenses in Fairfax County from 1950 to 1974, the community reaction, and Soviet efforts to learn more about these measures.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: The W&OD Railroad
2026-03-29 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
NOVA Parks Historian Paul McCray will speak on the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, sharing some of the thousands of photographs he’s collected. Conceived to haul freight and open western trade to Alexandria, the W&OD transitioned to electrified passenger service during the first half of the 20th century.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: Ladies of the American Revolution
2026-05-31 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
The ladies of the American Revolution included authors, soldiers, spies, business owners, cooks, nurses, etc. Their bravery, leadership, and wisdom should be honored and remembered throughout history. Mary Lipsey shares several stories of women who fought for America’s independence.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: The History of George Mason University
2026-06-28 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Robert Vay, University Archivist at George Mason University’s Special Collections Research Center, will discuss the history of Mason, Virginia’s largest public research university.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: A History of Gentrification in Washington, D.C.
2026-07-26 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Johanna Bockman, Associate Professor of Sociology and Global Affairs at George Mason University, will discuss gentrification and its impact on inequalities and democratic participation in Washington, D.C., from the 1940s to the present.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar

In-Person Meeting: Mrs. Lincoln’s Lawyer
2026-08-30 15:00 - 16:00 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
Mary Lipsey will speak on Mary Todd Lincoln and Myra Bradwell, who became neighbors and friends when Mrs. Lincoln moved to Chicago after Lincoln’s assassination. In 1875, Mrs. Lincoln’s son, Robert, had her sent to an insane asylum. Myra used her legal background to gain Mrs. Lincoln’s release.
*This program will be presented in person at Pohick Regional Library. No registration is required.*
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar
