The personal papers of Nan Netherton, 1946-1987.
(Adult Reference)

This collection was donated by Mrs. Netherton in August 1998.

Please contact the Center for Local History in advance to view these materials. There are no research restrictions.

The personal papers in this collection were generated by Nan Netherton. They date from 1946 to 1987 with the bulk of dates ranging from the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's. Much of the material in this collection is generated from her research on Theodore Roosevelt Island and economic, residential, and physical development of Arlington

Anne "Nan" Netherton (1926-2003) was a prominent figure in capturing the history of Arlington County and all of Northern Virginia. Netherton and her husband Ross co-wrote a book on Arlington County titled Arlington County in Virginia: A Pictorial History in 1987. Born in Illinois, Netherton moved to Northern Virginia in 1950 after working on the Manhattan Project during World War II and found that the area, while in a period of transition from rural to suburban, was historically interesting and important. She worked for Fairfax County as a staff member for the Office of Comprehensive Planning and compiled an 800-page history of the county for the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations in 1976. The Nethertons published many works on the history and development of Northern Virginia, especially in Fairfax County, where they resided, including Memories of Beautiful Burke, Virginia (1988), Fairfax County, Virginia: A History (1978), and Reston: A New Town in the Old Dominion (1989). Additionally, Nan volunteered for the Fairfax Historic Landmarks Commission, was elected president of the Northern Virginia Association for History in 1988, and received the Association's Joseph Harsh Award for her work in historic preservation of local history in 2000.

Finding aid is available in the library.