Community Partnerships
The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF) is proud to work with partners in our community to develop learning models and educational materials for students and families.
George Mason University African American Studies Program
George Mason and the THHF created 100 Years of Black Falls Church, providing access to primary source materials relating to the African American community of Falls Church, Virginia. The website is complemented by a sidewalk virtual tour of African American homes, churches, and landmarks in Falls Church, Virginia.
Virginia Tech
On Feb. 21, 2009, THHF partnered with Virginia Tech and Primary Source Learning to present at a teachers’ institute featuring collections from Tinner Hill and the Library of Congress. The primary source materials and local history supported the Virginia Standards of Learning.
Virginia Tech and THHF jointly apply for grants in the areas of oral history and architecture. Virginia Tech provides academic, professional, and administrative support while THHF provides technical, administrative, and community-based support in fulfilling the obligations of the grants. To date, the partnership has resulted in a successful architectural contest for the design of the Tinner Hill Historic Site and the initiation of an oral history project at Tinner Hill.
NOVA Parks
Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation worked with the City of Falls Church and Fairfax County to create Tinner Hill Historic Park located at 106 Tinner Hill Road in Falls Church, VA. The historic park is the site of what was home to Joseph and Elizabeth Tinner, the couple who fought segregation laws after the borders of neighboring towns were redrawn to cut directly through their thriving community. The Tinner’s actions led to the first rural branch of the NAACP.
Visit the park’s picnic pavilion today and see the Zig Zag Monument, a sculpture that follows the original location of the segregation line.
Fairfax County
The County purchased one lot on Tinner Hill and provided a 40-year lease with an option to buy for the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation.
The National Park Service Heritage Preservation
Two grants have been administered that will allow THHF to develop the resources to build the Tinner Hill Historic Site and the John Jackson Center for Piedmont Blues. These funds were appropriated through Congressman Jim Moran.
The City of Falls Church
The City purchased one lot on Tinner Hill and provided a 40-year lease enabling the Tinner Hill Historic Site. Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation receives two grants from the City of Falls Church in support of its annual operations and its arts programs including the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March and Program.
ArtsFairfax
Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation Receives ArtsFairfax Project Support Grant
Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF) is proud to announce that it has received an ArtsFairfax Project Support Grant as part of ArtsFairfax’s FY26 funding cycle. It awarded $160,000 in Project Support Grants to 13 local arts organizations to encourage wider participation in the arts through innovative and culturally meaningful programming. With this support, THHF will present From Archives to Art: Their Stories Lead Us, a public history and arts education initiative focused on uncovering and sharing the untold stories of African American and women trailblazers in Falls Church. The project will develop a series of interpretive walking tour scripts and educational materials that transform archival research into accessible, engaging experiences for the public. ArtsFairfax Project Support Grants fund programs across four categories: Arts in Education, Opportunity, Partnerships, and Arts Access. They are designed to strengthen arts engagement, particularly among under-resourced and underserved communities. Through From Archives to Art: Their Stories Lead Us, THHF continues its mission to preserve local history while fostering inclusive learning and community connection through the arts.