The Nan Netherton Northern Virginia history collection contains Netherton's research and notes from her book "Reston: A New
Town in the Old Dominion: A Pictorial History" (1989), as well as "Arlington County in Virginia : A Pictorial History" (1987)
and "Fairfax County in Virginia : A Pictorial History," coauthored with Ross Netherton. Within the collection there are outlines
for chapters, the copies of all the illustrations for the book, and the sources that Nan Netherton used during the writing
process. The collection also contains oral histories, reports, brochures, photographs, executive budgets, and newsletters
on historic sites in Northern Virginia.
Nan Netherton Northern Virginia history collection, Collection #C0147, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Nan Netherton on November 16, 1989 and by Nan and Ross Netherton in 2001, 2002, and 2007.
Processing Information
Processed in January 2009 by Emily Martin. The Nan Netherton Reston history collection was originally attached to the larger
Planned Community Archives collection currently in the Special Collections and Archives. In 2009 the documents were removed
and organized into a separate collection still housed in the Special Collections and Archives at George Mason University Libraries.
The old box and folder numbers are also included as part of the new arrangement. Later, fourteen more boxes of materials donated
by Nan and Ross Netherton on other areas of Northern Virginia were added to the six boxes containing research materials and
transcripts on Reston. Thus the finding aid does not yet list the folders in boxes 7-20, but a new finding aid will be forthcoming.
Nan Netherton was an author and historian who wrote books about the origins, growth and customs of communities in Northern
Virginia. The books include pictorial and narrative histories of a dozen Virginia counties. Some of the books that she wrote
are "Fairfax County Virginia: A History" (1978), "Clifton: Brigadoon in Virginia" (1980), and "Books and Beyond: Fairfax County
Public Library's First Fifty Years" (1990). She died on June 9, 2003 in Arlington, Virginia.
The Nan Netherton Northern Virginia history collection contains Netherton's research and notes from her book "Reston: A New
Town in the Old Dominion: A Pictorial History" (1989), as well as "Arlington County in Virginia : A Pictorial History" (1987)
and "Fairfax County in Virginia : A Pictorial History," coauthored with Ross Netherton. Within the collection there are outlines
for chapters, the copies of all the illustrations for the book, and the sources that Nan Netherton used during the writing
process. The collection also contains oral histories, reports, brochures, photographs, executive budgets, and newsletters
on historic sites in Northern Virginia.
Materials include brochures on the Woodlawn Plantation and Calvin Run Mill; comprehensive reports on plans for the Fairfax
County Park Authority; audio tapes and transcripts of interviews with curators and historical preservationists, including
an interview with former Gunston Hall curator Benny Brown and another with former Reston land developer Robert E. Simon, Jr.;
newsclippings and an essay on Gunston Hall and a pamphlet calling for public opposition to the cutting of funding for Gunston
Hall and the privatization of the Virginia Museum of Natural History; and eight boxes of images used in Netherton's pictorial
histories of Fairfax and Arlington.
Series one is comprised of Nan Netherton's writings. The documents in this series are the outlines for her book in chapter
format. There are ten chapters in order in the series. The books begins with the founding of Fairfax and ends with Reston,
following the take over by the Gulf Oil Coporation in the late 1960s.
Series two contains the illustrations from Nan Netherton's book. Like the chapters, the illustrations are in order with pages
numbers on the folders that correspond with the page numbers they would be placed in the book. Some of the illustrations
are copies of documents from the 18th and 19th centuries. There are also slides and photographs from the 1960s and 1980s.
Series three is a general series of the sources that Nan Netherton used in her research. The series is organized in alphabetical
order. The sources in this series are the more contemporary sources that deal primarily with Reston from the 1960s to the
1980s. Some of the sources include directories and maps from the Reston area.
The Special Collections and Archives also holds the Planned Community Archives and other personal papers and organizational
records that document Reston, Virginia, and other planned communities.
The documents in this series are the outlines for her book in chapter formate. There are ten chapters in order in the series
which outlines the history of Reston beginning with the founding of Fairfax County.
box: 1
Folder: 1
Reston Study: First Increment
1981
172.1
box: 1
Folder: 2
Chapter 1: Reston Great Falls Manor
1980s
172.2
box: 1
Folder: 3
Chapter 2: Thornton, (1852-1886)
1960s-1980s
172.3
box: 1
Folder: 4
Chapter 3: Wiehle Traum, (1886-1908)
1960s-1980s
172.4
box: 1
Folder: 5
Chapter 4: Dr. Hugh B. Hutchison, (1908-1927)
1960s-1980s
172.5
box: 1
Folder: 6
Chapter 5: Bowmans and Sunset Hills, (1927-1961)
1960s-1980s
172.6
box: 1
Folder: 7
Chapter 6: Robert E. Sunon, Jr. and "Reston", (1961-1967)
Series two is the illustrations from Nan Netherton's book. The illustrations are in the order they appear in the book with
page numbers. Included are slides, photocopies and photographs.
This series is organized in alphabetical order. The documents in this series are the sources from Netherton's book and are
the contemporary sources that deal primarily with Reston from the 1960s to the 1980s.
box: 4
Folder: 7
"A Place Called Reston"
1984-1985
179.4
box: 4
Folder: 8
Appendix-reston Design Awards
1973
174.9
box: 4
Folder: 9
Business Directory
1989
179.6
box: 4
Folder: 10
Bylaws of the Reston Homeowner Association
1970
177.4
box: 4
Folder: 11
Correspondence and Notes
1989
178.1
box: 4
Folder: 12
Directory of Business and INdustry
1987-1988
179.5
box: 4
Folder: 13
"Dispersing Population" by James L. Sundquist
1975
179.1
box: 4
Folder: 14
Greater Reston Arts Center, Incorporated
1980s
178.4
box: 4
Folder: 15
Handbook, Reston Residents
1968
177.8
box: 4
Folder: 16
Homeowners Associations in Reston
1969
177.1
box: 4
Folder: 17
Houe Beautiful "Best Small House"
1984
178.2
box: 5
Folder: 1
Information on "The Builders' House" Correspondence
1985
178.2
box: 5
Folder: 2
Maps of Washington D.C.
1980s
178.7
box: 5
Folder: 3
"Naturescaping: Your Guide to Reforestation and Meadowmaking"
1980
177.6
box: 5
Folder: 4
Newsletter: "Reston Realtor Alert"
1987-1988
178.5
box: 5
Folder: 5
Northern Virginia Legal Directory
1984
179.3
box: 5
Folder: 6
Notes
1981-1984
12.10
box: 5
Folder: 7
Publicity and Newsclippings
1987
177.10
box: 5
Folder: 8
Program Budget for the Reston Homeowners Association