Resident Curator Program: Lahey Lost Valley

The Fairfax County Park Authority will soon begin evaluating a Resident Curator Program application for curatorship of the historic Lahey Lost Valley house, located at 9750 Brookmeadow Drive, Vienna. The assessment process will include livestreamed work sessions, a public meeting and a public comment period.

Background

The Lahey Lost Valley House is a mid-18th century brick hall-parlor house with a 1940s brick addition. The house is located on land granted to William Gunnell in 1730. His son Henry Gunnell, together with Henry’s wife Catherine, built a working plantation on the site by 1760. The Gunnell family were leaders in Fairfax County throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The family continued to own the property through the 1930s.

In 1940, the house and 45 acres were sold to Richard and Carlotta Lahey. The Laheys moved a wood framed kitchen addition off of the brick house and used it as a freestanding artist’s studio. In its place the Lahey’s constructed a two-story brick addition. Between 1990 and 1991, Carlotta Lahey arranged with FCPA a bequest to be included in her will to donate the house, furnishings, and 22 acres of land. FCPA took possession of the property after Mrs. Lahey passed away in 1999.

Evaluation Team Work Sessions

The evaluation team will convene its initial work session at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 10. The session will be livestreamed below and a recording will be made available following the meeting.

A public meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 13 at Oakton Library located at 10304 Lynnhaven Pl, Oakton, VA. During this meeting, the applicant will present their proposal for curatorship and the community will have an opportunity to provide comments and ask questions.

At least one subsequent session will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 17. While the work sessions on November 10 and November 17 will be viewable by the public, they will not include a public comment period.

Public Comment

In addition to the public meeting on November 13, public comments will be accepted online and via mail starting October 9 through November 14 at 5 p.m.

If submitting via mail, the community can send comments to the following address:

Park Authority Public Information Office

Attn: Historic Mount Gilead Comments

12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 925

Fairfax, VA 22035

If providing feedback online, comments can be submitted via the box below.

NOV 10