Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

None

Use Restrictions

Consult repository for information.

Preferred Citation

Holmes Run Acres Civic Association Collection, MSS 05-77, Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library

Acquisition Information

Donated by the Holmes Run Acres Civic Association in May 2021.

Processing Information

Mitch Toda and Chris Barbuschak, 2021.
EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2023

Historical and Biographical Information

Holmes Run Acres began in 1945. Mr. Herman Schmidt, a Washington investor and the owner of a 122-acre tract, filed a Deed of Declaration naming the tract Holmes Run Acres. Among other restrictions was one that no dwelling selling for less than $3,000 was to be built.

The community was developed and houses were constructed by three builders: the Luria brothers, (Gerald and Eli), Gaddy Construction Company and Andre Bodor. The Luria brothers built approximately 160 units west of Executive Avenue, Gaddy built approximately 127 units east of Executive Avenue and Bodor built the last 13 units at the connection of Surrey Lane and Gallows Road.

Development began in 1950. The Luria project of approximately 160 homes featured lots ranging in size from 10,000 to 15,000 square feet and a choice of either a one level house of 902 square feet or a two-level house of approximately twice the area. Carports were an option available for those models without a garage. The price for a one level house was $13,750. Prices for the two-level homes were $16,900 or $17,450, depending on the model.

Construction of all the Gaddy houses east of Executive Avenue was complete in 1955. Surrey Lane, Sherwood Court and Little John Court were filling up then but Surrey was not finished through to Gallows Road. In 1957, there were 326 homes in Holmes Run Acres. Andre Bodor purchased the remaining 13 lots from Gaddy to build homes on upper Surrey. He was to complete Surrey Lane through to Gallows.

The Holmes Run Acres Civic Association (HRACA) was founded in 1952. The Holmes Run Acres swimming pool opened in the summer of 1954. Construction of the first phase of Luria Park was completed in 1955. Luria Park is the hub of the two spokes of Holmes Run Acres, connecting the area east of Executive Avenue developed and built by the Luria brothers through to Hartwell Court on the west side developed by Gaddy Construction Company and Andre Bodor.

For more details on the history of Holmes Run Acres see the 1976, 1991 and 2001, versions of Holmes Run Acres: The Story of a Community. These publications discuss in detail the history of Holmes Run Acres, its activities and significant events and some of the people who have lived here, past and present. (This history note primarily comes from the Holmes Run Acres website by Sherri Thompson-Brusca and Mitch Toda)

The Holmes Run Acres Civic Association Archives were started by Florence Strickler, who created the first scrapbook to celebrate the 10th anniversary of HRA in 1961. Following Strickler, Vivian Smith was the HRA Historian and Archivist. Through the guiding hands of Smith, the archives grew and more scrapbooks, documents, and photo albums were gathered. Of particular interest in this collection are the subject notebooks that Smith gathered to cover specific topics of importance to HRA. After being stored at the Smith home for many years, the archives were first transferred to the home of Sherri Thompson-Brusca and then finally to the home of Mitch Toda. HRACA donated the archives to Fairfax County Public Library’s Virginia Room in May 2021.

Presidents: Holmes Run Acres Civic Association:
1952-1953: L. H. LaFaver
1953: Charles Burbach
1954: Martha Powell
1954-1955: Jim Wright
1955-1956: Paul A. Putnam
1956-1957: C. K. Lyman
1957-1958: Joe Cragwall
1958-1959: Ralph Wanderer
1959-1960: Henry Lowenstern
1960-1961: Eleanor Godfrey
1961-1962: Ed O’Flaherty
1962-1963: Don Patch
1963-1964: Don Bozarth
1964-1965: Pete Peterson
1965-1966: Lee Skillman
1966-1967: Walt Stine
1967-1969: Jim Carscadden
1969-1971: Jim Freehof
1971-1972 Arvydas Barzdukas
1972-1973: George Lawson
1973-1975: Keith Gardiner
1975-1976: Scott Steele
1976-1977: Ed Zimmerman
1977-1978: Pete Peterson
1978-1979: Frank Spielberg
1979-1980: David Sayre
1980-1981: Larry Rosenberg
1981-1983: Deedee Kaman
1983-1984: Louise Sayre
1984-1985: Scott Steele
1985-1986: Larry Wolford
1986-1987: Pam Allen
1987-1988: Donald McCarthy
1988-1989: David Howe
1989-1990: Phil Waggener
1990-1992: David Parker
1993-1994: Kim Petersen
1994-1995: Jim Davey
1995-1996: Jim Gasson
1996-1997: Fernando Gaitán
1997-1998: Norm Atkins
1998-2000: Catherine Johnston
2000-2002: Keith Peterson, Jr.
2002-2003: Bob Harris
2003-2004: Vicki Hancock
2004-2006: Catherine Johnston
2006-2007: Brenda Mantz
2007-2009: Ann Johnson
2009-2012: Catherine Fort
2012-2015: Erik Ulmen
2015-2017: Chris Verhoff
2017-2019: Edith MacArthur
2019-2021: Mitch Toda
2021-2022: Matt Harris

Scope and Content

The Holmes Run Acres Civic Association Collection consists of 14.5 linear feet and spans the years 1951-2021. This collection contains materials that document the history of the Holmes Run Acres (HRA) neighborhood in Falls Church, Virginia as well as the Holmes Run Acres Civic Association (HRACA). Documented are the history of the founding of the Holmes Run Acres Civic Association, its members, the various programs and events it organized, the problems and issues that were of importance to the neighborhood, its anniversary celebrations, its architecture, and its publications. Of note are the materials related to the creation of Luria Park by HRA neighbors, the Holmes Run Acres Recreation Association (the pool), and the efforts to get HRA listed on the National Historic Register of Places. Materials include correspondence, memoranda, reports, cards, publications, directories, election ballots, surveys, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, brochures, architectural drawings, floor plans, scrapbooks, color photographs, color negatives, black-and-white photographs, black-and-white negatives, presentation boards, video recordings, VHS tapes, audiocassettes, floppy disks, CDs, and awards.

Series 1: Administrative, 1951-2021, Boxes 1-2

Sub-series 1-1: General, 1951-2021, Boxes 1-2
This series is comprised of general subject files maintained by the Holmes Run Acres Civic Association. Included are by-laws, surveys, lists, forms, notes, letterhead, flyers, histories, certificates, reports, correspondence, and a plaque.

Sub-series 1-2: Neighborhood Issues, 1976-2016, Box 2
This series contains correspondence, notes, studies, and other papers relating to issues encountered in the Holmes Run Acres neighborhood.

Series 2: Architecture, 1951-2016, Boxes 2-3

This series contains materials regarding the architecture of Holmes Run Acres. Included are brochures, manuals, drawings, floor plans, certificates, magazines, and news clippings and articles.

Series 3: Activities, 1956-2016, Boxes 3-6

Sub-series 3-1: Anniversaries, 1961-2011, Boxes 3-6
Holmes Run Acres held their first anniversary celebration in 1961, ten years after the completion of the first homes. The neighborhood has since held subsequent anniversary events. Included here are relevant anniversary celebration materials featuring notes, correspondence, publications, photographs, negatives, albums, VHS tapes, DVDs, floppy disks, and CD-ROMs. Some items in this sub-series have some water damage.

Sub-series 3-2: Day in the Park, 1993-2013, Box 6
Holmes Run Acres residents have held neighborhood gatherings in Luria Park ever since the Luria Brothers donated the parcel to the Fairfax County Park Authority. At the time of the donation, residents assisted the Park Authority with turning what was a dump site into the first neighborhood park in Fairfax County. Holmes Run Acres’ 10th anniversary celebration in 1961 featured numerous events in the park. The first Concert in the Park occurred in 1968 which became an annual “Day in the Park” event featuring live music. This series contains flyers, notes, statistics, photographs, correspondence, and other papers related to the Day in the Park event.

Sub-series 3-3: House and Garden Tour, 2009-2013, Box 6
The Holmes Run Acres House and Garden Tour is another neighborhood tradition held each spring. The annual tour offers glimpses inside a changing itinerary of private houses in the neighborhood. Included in this series are a tour program, flyer, and photographs.

Sub-series 3-4: International Dinner, 1999-2011, Box 6
Holmes Run Acres held international dinners dating back to at least the 1960s where families provided main dishes, salads, and deserts from various cultures. In March 1999, the annual event was first paired with an HRACA silent auction. Included in this series are flyers, notes, auction programs, and correspondence.

Sub-series 3-5: Oktoberfest, 2014, Box 6
In the 2000s, the neighborhood first held an annual Oktoberfest in Luria Park featuring food and entertainment. Included in this series is an undated Oktoberfest flyer and email correspondence concerning the event from 2014.

Sub-series 3-6: Open Holmes, 1978-2016, Box 6
Holmes Run Acres has always lacked a clubhouse, and in 1978 residents proposed having informal get-togethers in the house of a volunteer homeowner. The first “Open Holmes” event occurred on January 12, 1979, in Dave and Vivian Smith’s residence with 32 people attending. This series contains papers documenting the history of Open Holmes events including notes, flyers, schedules, and correspondence.

Sub-series 3-7: Various Activities, 1956-2001, Box 6
This series contains flyers, sign-up sheets, and correspondence from various events held in the Holmes Run Acres neighborhood over the years. Included are materials for the 1st Hobby Show, Area 6 Block Party, Community Yard Sale, Flowering Tree Planting Project, Ice Skating Party, Needy Family Christmas Project, and the Annual Food and Clothing Drive.

Series 4: Scrapbooks, Photographs, and Audiovisual Materials, 1950s-2016, Boxes 6-9 and 23-24

Sub-series 4-1: Scrapbooks, 1950s-2016, Boxes 6-7 and 23-24
This series contains multiple scrapbooks that document the history and development of the Holmes Run Acres neighborhood. Included in the scrapbooks are flyers, notes, reports, newspaper articles, photographs, and other papers.

Sub-series 4-2: Photographs, 1950s-2002, Boxes 7-8 and 23
This series contains photographs and negatives documenting a variety of events and activities occurring in the Holmes Run Acres neighborhood.

Sub-series 4-3: Videotapes (VHS), 2001, Box 8
This series contains two VHS tapes from 2001 documenting 50th anniversary activities including the Holmes Run Acres House Tour, Day in the Park, and other events.

Sub-series 4-4: Audiocassettes, 1971, Box 9
This series contains one audiocassette tape from 1971 which is a recording of entertainment at Holmes Run Acres’ 20th anniversary celebration event.

Sub-series 4-5: Compact Discs (CDs), 2001-2012, Box 9
This series contains two CD-ROM discs. The 50th anniversary disc features covers of old Holmes Runners and Holmes Run directories, photos from 50th anniversary events, a snapshot of the MediaStudio Holmes Run Acres website and other digital items. The other disc contains a video celebrating the life of Holmes Run Acres resident Sarah Lahr.

Series 5: Special Interest/Subject Files, 1952-2018, Boxes 9-12

This series contains HRACA subject files which include brochures, fliers, notices, forms, photographs, newspaper clippings, notes, reports, and correspondence.

Series 6: Holmes Run Acres Recreation Association (otherwise known as the Holmes Run Pool), 1955-2014, Boxes 12-13

In 1953, Holmes Run Acres Recreation Association, Inc. was formed to develop, operate and maintain recreational facilities in Holmes Run Acres, specifically a community swimming pool. The pool officially opened on September 5, 1953, and formerly opened on May 29, 1954. Included in this series are by-laws, certificates of incorporation, memorandums of agreement, a procedure manual, histories, photographs, negatives, brochures, flyers, meeting minutes, newsletters, and other documents relating to the swimming pool.

Series 7: National Register of Historic Places, 2002-2007, Boxes 13-17

In March 2007, Holmes Run Acres was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Materials in this series consist of research, correspondence, survey forms, notes, maps, and the nominations submitted to get the neighborhood listed on the register.

Series 8: Publications, 1952-2012, Boxes 18-19

Series 8-1: The Holmes Runner, 1952-2012, Box 18

This series contains various issues from HRACA’s newsletter, The Holmes Runner which was first published in August 1952. Also included are lists of editors and articles, and a Christmas card.

Series 8-2: General Publications, 1961-2011, Boxes 18-19

This series contains an assortment of HRACA-related publications including cookbooks, histories of the community, anniversary booklets, a report, and a coloring book.

Series 9: Directories, 1954-2021, Boxes 19-22

This series contains directories for Holmes Run Acres beginning with the second directory published in January 1954 and ending with the 2020-2021 directory. Directories contain street addresses and telephone numbers of residents, and advertisements for local businesses.

Series 10: Clippings and Articles, 1951-2020, Boxes 22-23

This series contains articles, news clippings, printouts, and photocopies from newspapers, magazines, and websites that reported on the Holmes Run Acres neighborhood. Included are two undated newspaper advertisements from when Holmes Run Acres was originally on the market.

Series 11: Oversize Materials, 1951-2011, Boxes 23-24 and Oversize Drawer

This series contains oversize items including poster boards, certificates, newspapers, a scrapbook, original architectural drawings, and a Virginia General Assembly resolution.

Related Material

Issues of The Holmes Runner from 1951 to the present are available in the Virginia Room’s public stacks, as well as other HRACA publications.

Separated Material

None

Index Terms

• Citizens' associations -- Virginia -- Fairfax County
• Fairfax County (Va.) -- History
• Falls Church (Va.) -- History
• Holmes Run Acres Civic Association (Fairfax County, Va.)

Adjunct Descriptive Data