Peter McCandless papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669

Summary

Extent:
16.75 linear feet (34 boxes)
Creator:
Peter McCandless
Abstract:
The Peter McCandless papers contain material relating to Reston, Virginia. The majority of the documents are from the Reston Land Corporation and include correspondence, awards and gifts given to Reston, project reports, newsclippings, press releases, marketing and promotional material.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The Peter McCandless papers contains material relating to Reston, Virginia. The majority of the documents are from the Reston Land Corporation and include correspondence, awards and gifts given to Reston, project reports, newsclippings, press releases, marketing and promotional material.

Series one is titled Correspondence. Included in this series are memoranda and other correspondence relating to Reston, particularly Reston Land Corporation. Some of the subjects of the correspondence includes action reports and the Planned Community Archives. The series is dated from 1983 to 1990 and is contained within boxes 1 through 4.

Series two has information relating to awards that were given to Reston. Among the awards were National Sales and Marketing Council Awards, Finest for Family Living Awards, Three Blue Ribbons to Reston Offices and others. The series is dated from 1983 to 1990 and is contained in box 4.

Series three documents the gifts that were given to Reston, many from the Mobil Foundation. Included among the gifts are Mobil Foundation gift to the Reston Players, Reston Land Corporation Gift of $1000 to Fairfax County Vocational Education Foundation and others. The series is dated from 1984 to 1989 and is contained in box 5.

Series four consists of reports on different projects in Reston. Included in the series are Reston Town Center Phase One Partnership, McCandless Company Public Relations Plan For Reston Land and other projects. The series is dated from 1978 to 1990 and is contained within boxes 6 and 7.

The information in series five relates to marketing plans for Reston and Reston Land Corporation. Included in the series are Public Relations Programs Marketing Part I and II, North Hills Marketing and other plans. The series is dated from 1984 to 1990 and is contained within boxes 7 through 11.

Series six is titled News Releases. The documents in this series are news releases on different events or proceedings in Reston. Among the documents there is information on Northern Virginia Builders Association, promotions, Reston Roadways Beautification and others. The series is dated from 1980 to 1990 and is contained in boxes 11 through 14.

Series seven is titled Reston Land Corporation Newsclippings. This is the largest series in the collection. Included in the collection are newsclippings to the Reston Land Corporation over the years 1986 to 1992 from different newspapers. The series is contained in boxes 14 through 29.

Series eight is titled General Information and is the last series in this collection. The series contains a variety of topics including current media lists, House Beautiful Reston Land Corporation 20th Anniversary, NASA in Reston and others. The series is dated from 1979 to 1990 and is contained in boxes 29 through 34.

Biographical / historical:

Reston is a planned community in Northern Virginia. Robert E. Simon, Jr. was the founder of Reston, and he purchased the land with the proceeds from the sale of Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1961. Construction began in 1963 with the building of Lake Anne. Then Gulf Oil Corporation formed a subsidiary, Reston Gulf, Inc., in 1967 and took complete financial and operational control. When the Mobil Corporation bought the remaining undeveloped land from Gulf Reston in 1978, Reston Land Corporation was formed as a subsidiary. Peter McCandless served as a publicist who worked with developers to market Reston and also co-wrote with Thomas Grubisich, "Reston: The First Twenty Years" (1985).

Acquisition information:
Donated by Peter McCandless in 1992.
Arrangement:

Organized into eight series.

  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1983-1990 (Boxes 1-4)
  • Series 2: Awards, 1983-1990 (Boxes 4)
  • Series 3: Gifts, 1984-1989 (Boxes 5)
  • Series 4: Reports, 1978-1990 (Boxes 6-7)
  • Series 5: Marketing, 1984-1990 (Boxes 7-11)
  • Series 6: News Releases, 1980-1990 (Boxes 11-14)
  • Series 7: Reston Land Corporation Newsclippings, 1986-1992 (Boxes 14-29)
  • Series 8: General Information, 1979-1990 (Boxes 29-34)