Feedback Sought On Lee, Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway Renamings In Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County's Confederate Names Task Force is taking public feedback on whether Lee Highway and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway.

The task force was appointed by the Board of Supervisors in July to determine if the two highways should be renamed. In 2020, the board asked the History Commission create an inventory report identifying Confederate monuments, street names and places in Fairfax County. The report found at least 157 locations within the county with Confederate-associated monuments, names and places.

The two highways being considered for renaming were the primary Confederate-named highways on the list. Both highway names are associated with Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway references Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson. Both highways were named or renamed for the Confederate generals between 1919 and 1922.

U.S. Route 29 in Virginia is largely called Lee Highway, except in the City of Falls Church where it is Washington Street. Arlington County's board voted to rename its portion of Lee Highway as Langston Boulevard, but sign changes have not occurred yet. The Route 309 portion of Lee Highway/Old Lee Highway will be considered for renaming in Arlington as soon as November.

U.S. Route 50 in Virginia has portions called Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway and John Mosby Highway, both of which have Confederate references. Route 50 in Fairfax City is known as Fairfax Boulevard, and known as Arlington Boulevard east of Fairfax City in Fairfax County and Arlington County.

The Fairfax County task force is asked to make a recommendation on renaming the two highways by the end of 2021. If the task force recommends changing the names, it would provide recommendations on alternative names. The task force has met since August and consists of residents and representatives of civic organizations, homeowner associations, faith groups, historical groups, and the business community.

The final decision to rename the highways lies with the Board of Supervisors.

Input can be provided to the task force through Nov. 12. A survey is available in a variety of languages online and at Fairfax County libraries and district offices. Comments may also be provided by email to DOTConfederateNamesTaskForce@fairfaxcounty.gov; mail to Fairfax County Department of Transportation, 4050 Legato Road, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22033; or by phone to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation at 703-877-5600.

A number of listening sessions will be held in the coming days to collect more input:

• Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Providence Community Center, 3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031
• Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Fairfax County Government Center, Board Auditorium 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA 22030
• Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, 7-8:30 p.m. WebEx Virtual Community Listening Meeting: https://fairfax.webex.com/fairfax/onstage/g.php?MTID=e0c5594bc080cc6ce62b19b3f6f9cfc3a, or join by phone at 1-844-621-3956 (toll free) with access code 2339 357 4472
• Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd, Chantilly, VA 20151

See more information and past meetings on the Confederate Names Task Force website.