Falls Church is a city in northern Virginia, considered to be a suburb of Washington, DC. Those moving to Falls Church will discover an area with mild summers and somewhat humid temperatures averaging in the high 80s. The winters are cold and can be just in the low 20s. There is little (if any) snowfall. Falls Church is a beautiful and quite historic city, with much to see and do there. Falls Church enjoys a very low crime rate. Anyone thinking of moving to Falls Church will find a small town atmosphere within a city close to all the large city amenities.
Economy:
Falls Church has a median household income nearly twice as large as the average for the rest of the state. The cost of living in Falls Church is considerably higher than the national average. Unemployment is low, just 5.7 percent. The city is home to two Fortune 500 companies: General Dynamics and CSC. Some of the top employers include Kaiser Permanente and DynCorp.
History:
The area was first home to Native people. Europeans began to settle there in the late 17th century. There is a chimney located in the town that is inscribed ‘1699.' The city takes its name from the Falls Church, which was built of wood in 1733. It was first called ‘William Gunnell's Church' but the name changed to reflect the fact that it was on the road from the little falls of the Potomac River. A brick church was built to replace the wooden one in 1761. The church was abandoned after the Revolutionary War and was not occupied until 1836, when an Episcopalian congregation moved in to the building. The area was primarily a farming and plantation community. It grew slowly. In 1948, the city incorporated in an attempt to keep its schools racially segregated. It wasn't until 1963 that African-American children were allowed to attend the school of their choice.
Tourism:
You can tour the historic old Falls Church, built in 1734 and attended by George Washington. You can tour the Cherry Hill Farmhouse, a historical home built in 1845. You can visit Tinner Hall, the first rural branch of the NAACP. You can walk the Historic Trail, a walking tour of the historic city sites. A Civil War recreation is held every May in Cherry Hill Park. In June, there is the Tinner Hill John Jackson Blues Festival. In September, there is a Fall Festival with a Taste of Falls Church. On December 31st, there is a Watch Festival to ‘watch in' the New Year.