Falls Church dates back to the late 1600s as an early Colonial settlement shared with Native Americans. The community was established around The Falls Church (Episcopal) that was founded in 1734. Falls Church became a township in 1875 and an independent city in 1948, when parents successfully obtained its separation from Fairfax County in an effort to establish a highly acclaimed school system. More information about the city’s storied past is available at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library Local History Room.