Midge Wang Named Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal

Midge Wang, a key figure in preserving the history of the Cherry Hill Farmhouse, will be grand marshal for the 2018 City of Falls Church Memorial Day Parade, Monday, May 28. The Recreation and Parks Advisory Board selected Wang based on her lifelong dedication to Falls Church and her efforts to preserving and educating the public about its historical properties.

"I think that all the historic houses in the City belong to the community," said Wang, who has lived in Falls Church since 1963. "They should be part of the fabric of the City. Not that I don't enjoy everything else I've worked on, but I think so much of my time and effort has been to raise awareness of the historic homes in the City."

Wang herself owns and lives in Mount Hope, a historic Victorian house on South Oak Street. If you visit Mount Hope, you'll see a historical marker in her front yard - one of several interpretative markers at key sites throughout Falls Church that she designed and fundraised for. Most of the historical markers are listed on the Victorian Map of Falls Church, a walking tour of all the historic properties that Wang has helped produce.

Wang is a member of the Friends of Cherry Hill Farmhouse and a fixture at the historic 19th century house and property. Along with her role as founder of the Victorian Society of Falls Church, She has worked for decades to bring visibility to Cherry Hill Farmhouse, which includes creating a living history program in the mid-1990s. "Twenty years later, having historic reenactors may seem normal, but it was Midge that introduced it in a way that allows residents and visitors to learn in a fun way the very important local history that happened here," states one nomination letter,

Wang served on the Board of the Village Preservation and Improvement Society for nearly 20 years, was a long-time member of the City's Historical Commission and Arts and Humanities Council, and was the driving force behind the Victorian-style restoration and public use of Frady Park. She worked with city staff to "gain consensus for the Victorian vision for the park, raise private funds to buy the fountain and other stylistic elements to set the Victorian tone of the park," according to another nomination letter.

For more on the Memorial Day Parade and festival, visit www.fallschurchva.gov/MemorialDay.

Image via City of Falls Church