Collections : [Mary Riley Styles Public Library]

These two boxes contain Sue Bachtel’s chronological files of her involvement with the process of designing, planning, funding, and determining the scope of Broad Street Improvements during the 1980s. Bachtel was a Council Member during much of the effort to widen and improve West Broad Street from West Street to almost Haycock Road. These files do not constitute a definitive reporting of the process of Broad St improvements, nor do they contain all the reports that are referred to in the documents as attachments.

The materials include Project Proposals, Primarily Plans, Resolutions, Memorandums, notes, drafts and letters.

Edward B. Strait, a Falls Church resident, collected and held the files of the CBC. These files were donated to the Mary Riley Styles Public Library in 2013 per his instructions. These were added to the files already held by the library.

In addition to the courthouse histories, the files include drafts, correspondence, photographs and negatives. The amount of information varies by county.

The Falls Church Historical Commission Historical Heritage Symposia collection is comprised of documents, correspondence, ephemera and articles related to presentations given from the years 1994-1998. The symposia covered the following subjects: 1994 – the geography, environment, pre-history and Colonial Period of the Falls Church area; 1995 – the Village Period: 1780-1860; 1996 – the Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1875); 1997 – the Town Period (1875-1948); 1998 – the City Period (1948-1998).

The Police archive covering 1939 to 2024, consists of the following documents: Statistics, Reports, Plans, Resolutions.

The library archive from 1935 to 2024 consists of the following documents: Corporate Statistics, Reports, Plans, Correspondence, Programs, Resolutions, etc.

Most of the records involve the real estate business of Merton Elbridge (M.E.) Church, the bulk of which include copies of deeds in which M.E. Church was the trustee, buyer and/or seller. There are also files on his interests in local railways and the Falls Church Telephone and Telegraph Company. Also includes files for son and grandsons.

Most records are from 1950-1970 except The Seedling which is complete through 2006 and a few issues each year from 2008 to 2011. The Yearbooks are through 2003 but many years are missing. There is an additional and more complete set of Yearbooks on the shelf at VaC 635.06 F but note that there is no Yearbook from 1984 nor 2005. The yearbooks contain lists of officers, membership contact information, a calendar of club events and more. There are no photographs in the yearbook.

The files were organized into six series: Series 1 has the articles of incorporation and by-laws as well as a list of their board of directors. Board meeting minutes comprise Series 2 (although not a complete set) and correspondence is in Series 3. Series 4 has the subject files and Series 5 hold the newsletters. The newsletters are often referred to as Annual Reports. Newspaper clippings, photographs and a floppy disc make up Series 5 through 7.