Vale Schoolhouse Named Historic Site of the Month

Just as Vale Schoolhouse is gearing up to celebrate being named to both the and the earlier this year, it has earned the honor of being named the Virginia Department of Historical Resources' Historic Site of the Month for October.

DHR has featured the site on its homepage with a link to a slideshow describing Vale Schoolhouse's historical significance.

Built around 1883 as a one-room schoolhouse, the building expanded to two rooms in 1912. Vale Schoolhouse is now the best-preserved two-room schoolhouse in Fairfax County, with much credit due to the Friends of Vale Schoolhouse.

After the school shut down, a newcomer to the area, Florence Jodzies, revived use of the building for the newly formed Vale Home Demonstration Club. Over time, the group evolved into what is now known as the Vale Club.

Friends of Vale Schoolhouse is the charity organization that raises money to maintain the building. Vale Club is the social club associated with the schoolhouse.

Celebrate Vale

For decades, the Vale Club has . This year, they're tweaking it — and renaming it to Celebrate Vale — to celebrate both the schoolhouse's recent milestones on historical registers and the area in which the schoolhouse resides.

The event will feature games and activities for children, but it will also feature organizations and businesses in the area — including Oakton Patch — along with vendors who often sell their products at farmers markets or other local events. The groups within Vale Club, such as wine tasting, gourmet, book clubs, will also have display tables.

"It's to celebrate the Vale community," said Carol Cross, the Friends of Vale Schoolhouse. "Some people live in this neighborhood and not only do they not know about Vale Club or the schoolhouse, but don't know the history of this community. This will help get them acquainted."

Some of the groups scheduled to participate:

• Friends of Oakton Library
• Northern Virginia Audubon Society
• Master Gardeners
• 4-H
• Historical Society of Fairfax
• Hunter Mill Defense League
• League of Women Voters
• Westmoreland Berry Farm

Celebrate Vale is from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 15. The ceremony to recognize Vale Schoolhouse for being listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places will begin at 1 p.m.

Vale Schoolhouse is located at the corner of Fox Mill and Vale roads. Free parking is available at the Vale United Methodist Church across the street from the schoolhouse.