Please join us for the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Burke Historical Society, 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 26th. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, 6304 Lee Chapel Road, Burke, VA 22015. BHS members Mary Lipsey and Christine Zinser will tell the fascinating story of Burke’s initial selection as the site of Washington’s new airport in the 1950s, and the events that followed. The meeting will begin with some business and a “State of the Society” review, but we’ll keep things brief.
On June 13th, 1951, Burke citizens learned of the federal government’s intention to build an airport in Burke. 4,500 acres of land was to be condemned and purchased by the government. The Burke community's opposition to the airport lasted for eight years, until the government finally decided to change the location to Chantilly. That new location became Dulles International Airport. Learn the background and human interest stories about this event, which would have changed Burke permanently.
Mary Lipsey serves on the BHS Research Committee and spent 29 years teaching seventh-grade American History at Lake Braddock Secondary School. She serves on the Fairfax County History Commission, as president of the Fairfax County Cemetery Preservation Association, and as a docent at the National Museum of American History and the National Archives. She is the author of A Christmas Flight: Aviation Pioneer, Dr. William Christmas and the co-author of Braddock’s True Gold: 20th-Century Life in the Heart of Fairfax County. Christine Zinser serves on the Board of Directors of the BHS. This is her first presentation about a subject that has long interested her. She hopes that it will encourage other Society members to become active in researching Burke topics that are of particular interest to them.
The Burke Historical Society is a group of local enthusiasts interested in exploring and preserving the history of Burke. We are seeking new members who share this interest. No commitment is needed; all are welcome!
