Virginia Department of Historic Resources
(dhr.virginia.gov)
For Immediate Release
June 2025

Contact:
Ivy Tan
Department of Historic Resources
Marketing & Communications Manager
ivy.tan@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6445

State Historical Marker Unveiled in Fairfax County for ‘Desegregation of Community Clubs’

—In December 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park that excluding African Americans in recreational associations was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1866—

—Text of marker reproduced below—

PLEASE NOTE: DHR creates markers not to “honor” their subjects but rather to educate and inform the public about a person, place, or event of regional, state, or national importance. In this regard, erected markers are not memorials.

RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) announced that a state historical marker approved by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources was dedicated recalling the events in Fairfax County that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1969 ruling in Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, which helped end segregation in recreational community clubs across the nation.

The dedication for the marker was held Sunday, June 29, 2025, starting at 10 a.m., at the marker’s location at the Little Hunting Park Pool and Tennis Club (LHP), located at 7000 Canterbury Lane in Fairfax County (22307). The event was free and open to members of the public.

The dedication ceremony began with an introduction by Jamie Atala, President of the LHP’s Board of Directors. Guests who spoke at the event included Senator Scott Surovell of Virginia’s 34th District; Delegate Paul Krizek of Virginia’s 16th District; Supervisor Dan Storck of the Mount Vernon District in Fairfax County; and Julie Langan, Director of DHR. The marker unveiling took place following the ceremony’s conclusion.

Paul Sullivan rented a house in Fairfax County to Theodore R. Freeman Jr. in 1965. As part of the lease, Sullivan attempted to transfer a Little Hunting Park membership to Freeman. However, the LHP board denied the transfer in part because the Freeman family was African American. Sullivan’s membership was also revoked by the board after he launched a spirited campaign of protest. In 1966, both the Sullivan and Freeman families filed a lawsuit, but lost several appeals. In December 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park that excluding African Americans was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and thus constituted illegal housing discrimination. The case, along with the Fair Housing Act of 1968, led to the desegregation of recreational clubs in communities across the United States.

The Virginia Board of Historic Resources, which is authorized to designate new state historical markers, approved the manufacture and installation of the Desegregation of Community Clubs historical marker in December 2023. DHR covered the manufacturing cost of the marker using funding allocated by the Virginia General Assembly for the diversification of DHR’s Historical Highway Marker Program.

Virginia’s historical highway marker program began in 1927 with installation of the first markers along U.S. Route 1. It is considered the oldest such program in the nation. Currently there are more than 2,600 state markers, mostly maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, except in those localities outside of VDOT’s authority.

Full Text of Marker:

Desegregation of Community Clubs

In 1965, Paul Sullivan rented a house to Theodore R. Freeman Jr. and transferred a Little Hunting Park (LHP) membership as part of the lease. The LHP board denied the transfer in part because the Freeman family was African American. After Sullivan mounted a vigorous campaign of protest, the board also revoked his membership. Both families filed a lawsuit in 1966 and lost several appeals. In Dec. 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Sullivan v. LHP that the exclusion of African Americans was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and thus constituted illegal housing discrimination. This case, along with the Fair Housing Act of 1968, desegregated recreational associations across the U.S.

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