Tinner Hill is a residential neighborhood and historic district on the border of Falls Church, Virginia and Fairfax County named for former resident, Joseph Tinner. It was the site of the first rural branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Tinner Hill also contains Tinner Hill Historic Park, a memorial park dedicated to the Tinner family, which is administered by NOVA Parks.
In 1912, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law permitting localities to create "segregation districts" restricting where Black residents could live. Using this law, the Falls Church Town Council proposed ordinance forcing Black residents into a small district in the southern part of Falls Church. In response, on January 8th, 1915, a group of residents led by Joseph Tinner and Edwin Bancroft Henderson formed the Colored Citizens Protective League (CCPL) to organize resistance against the proposed ordinance.
CCPL efforts included writing to town officials, speaking at town halls, and coordinating protests. On June 8th, 1915, a referendum on the segregation ordinance passed, however, the CCPL received an injunction through the Fairfax Circuit Court preventing the law from taking effect. The ordinance was rendered void in 1917 by the U.S. Supreme Court case Buchanan v. Warley, which found that segregation ordinances violated the 14th Amendment. Due to the CCPL, the segregation ordinance was never enforced. The ordinance was repealed in February, 1999.
In 1918, the NAACP granted a charter to the CCPL, allowing it to become an official branch of the national organizational. The branch, known as The Falls Church and Vicinity NAACP, was the first rural branch of the NAACP. The branch had 40 members, with Joseph Tinner as President and Dr. Henderson as secretary. The Falls Church and Vicinity Branch was rechartered as the Fairfax County Branch in 1944, with Joseph Tinner and Dr. Henderson once again acting as founding members. In 1997, The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation was founded with the mission to preserve and bring awareness to Tinner Hill's civil rights history.
At the heart of Tinner Hill stands the Tinner Hill Historic Site, a revered symbol of courage and activism. This site commemorates the founding of the first rural branch of the NAACP in 1915, a pivotal moment in the fight for civil rights. Through immersive exhibits and engaging programs, visitors can trace the footsteps of those who dared to dream of a more just and equitable society.
The Tinner Hill Historic Site was built on the site of the original home to Joseph and Elizabeth Tinner. The couple fought segregation laws after the borders of neighbouring towns were redrawn, cutting directly through their thriving community. Their actions led to the first rural branch of the NAACP.
The Tinner Hill Arch was erected by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation in 1999 at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Tinner Hill Road. The fifteen-foot monument honors Joseph Tinner, Dr. E.B. Henderson, and the men and women of Tinner Hill.
The Tinner Hill Arch was dedicated in 1999 and stands 14 feet tall with plaques commemorating the residents of Tinner Hill and the NAACP. The Arch is inspired by a large stand-alone arch paying tribute to one of Joseph Tinner's greatest stonework achievements that stood two miles away at Seven Corners decades ago.
The pink granite used for the arch, trondhjemite, was retrieved from demolished buildings in Falls Church that were originally built with stone that Tinner quarried, cut, and shaped in Falls Church before 1922. Over 30 Falls Church property owners generously donated these stones for the monument. The monument was designed so that it can not be disassembled without destruction; the remaining local rock is now irreplaceable, as it is too friable to use in a stand-alone arch.
Local high school art teacher John Ballou drew the concept design with the assistance of architect Mark Coupard and Structural Engineer Guy Razzi. The masonry for the monument was crafted by Roy Morgan of Washington, D.C., and James Ware of Virginia.
Painted in strikingly vibrant tones by local artist Bryan King, the mural depicts influential civil rights, business, cultural, and educational figures and early residents of the historically segregated Tinner Hill neighborhood.
Reference include the Tinner Hill Arch, the community churches and ministers, the Falls Church Colored School, founding community leaders Joseph Tinner, Dr. E.B. Henderson, and educators Mary Ellen Henderson and Lola Saunders. In the background, a wayfaring arrow points to the Tinner Hill Historic site which is up the hill to the left.
Interest in Tinner Hill history was reinvigorated with the founding of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, Inc, in 1997. The Foundation is responsible for building monuments, conducting oral histories, painting murals, constructing a heritage trail, and erecting historic markers in the area. The Foundation successfully encouraged the local school system to name its middle school for Mary Ellen Henderson, the principal of the Falls Church Colored School. The Foundation also hosts an annual music festival to entertain and help carry our message of community well being here in Falls Church.