The Stacy C. and Geraldine Sherwood Collection,
1903 - 2013
Extent
approx. 10 linear ft.; 15 boxes, 4 map drawers
Creator
Geraldine Estep Sherwood, Stacy Charles Sherwood
Language
English
Abstract
This collection contains correspondence, clippings, legal documents, blueprints, plats, photographs and realia from the personal
and professional lives of Stacy and Geraldine Sherwood. The materials date from 1903 to 2013.
Stacy Charles Sherwood was born on Main Street in what is now the City of Fairfax on September 17, 1922. He was the youngest
of four children born to Albert Reuben and Annie Belle Myers Sherwood. He graduated from Fairfax High School in 1940 and served
in the Army Air Forces during World War II. At the age of 27, he married Geraldine Frances Estep. He attended Strayer Business
College and Georgetown University and began his banking career in 1950.
Stacy Sherwood started as a teller with The National Bank of Fairfax and gradually rose to the position of senior vice president.
He retired in the early 1980s.
In the course of his banking career, Stacy Sherwood also became involved in local politics. In 1956, he was elected to fill
his father’s newly vacated seat on the Fairfax Town Council. When The City of Fairfax was incorporated in 1961, Stacy Sherwood
continued to serve until 1964. During this time, he played a key role in securing the land donated to the University of Virginia
for the establishment of George Mason College, which grew into George Mason University.
Upon losing his bid for re-election to the City Council in 1964, Stacy Sherwood took a seat on the Board of Zoning Appeals
and served in this capacity for more than 20 years. A lifelong resident of the City of Fairfax, Stacy Charles Sherwood died
in 2002 at age 79.
Geraldine "Gerry" Frances Estep Sherwood committed herself to a life of music at an early age. Declaring that nothing less
than a "real" piano would do, she received the gift of a baby grand piano at age six.
Born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on February 18, 1927, to Hubert L. and Elton Steam Estep, Gerry Sherwood attended Madison
College in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she graduated in 1947 with a B.S. in Music Education and a concentration in Voice.
She was a member of Kappa Delta Pi (International Honor Society in Education), Alpha Sigma Alpha social sorority, and the
glee club. She attended The Julliard School of Music in 1948. Upon graduation, Gerry Sherwood took a job at Fairfax High School,
where she spent seven years developing a choral music program. During her time at Fairfax High School, she met Stacy C. Sherwood,
whom she married in 1950.
As a young homemaker, Gerry Sherwood turned her attention to developing the cultural life of Fairfax. In addition to giving
private voice and piano lessons, she worked with the choir at the Fairfax United Methodist Church and was a founding member
of the Arts Council of Fairfax County. She was involved with Fairfax Community Concerts from 1970 to 2007, served on the Board
of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, and held various positions with the Women’s Association of the Symphony. She also spent
50 years working with The Fairfax Music Guild and The Fairfax Choral Society.
In her later years, Gerry Sherwood gave many gifts to the City of Fairfax. The crown jewel of her donations is the Stacy C.
Sherwood Community Center. Named to honor her husband’s lifetime of service to The City of Fairfax, this 14,000-square-foot
facility opened in 2011, offering a wide range of arts-related activities and programs. The center received the Best New Facility
award from the Virginia Recreation and Parks Society in 2012. Geraldine Frances Estep Sherwood died on August 5, 2013.
Subseries 1.1: Stacy Charles Sherwood, 1911-2002
This series contains papers and photographs from the personal and professional life of Stacy C. Sherwood. Of particular interest
is the election memorabilia from the time period when Sherwood served on the Fairfax City Council.
Subseries 1.2: Geraldine Estep Sherwood, 1927-2011
This series contains papers, photos and clippings from Geraldine "Gerry" Sherwood. These items highlight her career as a Fairfax
High School music teacher, along with her involvement in several local music-related organizations.
Subseries 1.3: Albert Reuben Sherwood, 1903-1962
This series contains papers, photographs, building plans and log books from Stacy Sherwood's father, Albert. A well known
local builder and real estate developer, Albert planned and supervised many commercial and private projects in Washington,
DC and northern Virginia.
Subseries 1.4: Myers Family Postcards, 1907-1949
This series contains correspondence in the form of postcards between members of the Sherwood and Myers families. Stacy Sherwood's
mother, Annie Belle Myers moved to Tyson's Corner from Boonesboro, Maryland around the turn of the century.
Subseries 1.5: Fairfax Music Guild, 1955-1976
This series contains yearbooks, scrapbooks and administrative files from The Fairfax Music Guild.
Series 2: Realia, 1936-2013
This series contains memorabilia and artifacts from several prominent businesses located throughout the City of Fairfax and
Fairfax County.
Series 3: Oversize, 1912-1962
This series contains maps, plats and blueprints, most of which Stacy Sherwood inherited from his father, Albert. Included
are detailed plans and drawings for local commercial and residential building projects. The only known set of plans for Fairfax
High School is contained here.
![[logo]](http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/logos/FairfaxCoPL.jpg)