After almost nine years of planning, the Fairfax County Park Authority said construction is finally beginning this month on Ruckstuhl Park.
Located at 2445 Idylwood Rd. in the Falls Church area, the 7.2-acre park — which includes lawns, meadows, and forests — will feature a picnic pavilion, open play area, fitness cluster, nature-themed playground, trail loop, and parking lot. There will be no athletic fields at the park, due to the conservation easement on the property.
Costs are currently estimated to total $2.5 million. The project is being funded with monies from 2020 voter-approved park bond.
According to the Park Authority, the intention of the park is to “preserve a sense of the open landscape, inspire community sponsored and supported uses that bring the community together while also providing low impact community recreation opportunities that appeal to a variety of users including small groups, families, and individuals who want to enjoy a mix of recreation facilities, or open green space.”
The land that will be home to the Ruckstuhl Park was formerly the estate of resident-owner Dr. Lily Ruckstuhl. The property was donated to the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust in 2009 before being acquired by the Park Authority in 2011 for $250,000 with a conservation easement.
Ruckstuhl lived on the property from the 1950s until her death in 2008. Photos from 1997 show the land with three houses, multiple outbuildings, and a pasture for her farm animals. During the mid-1700s, the property that encompassed the now park was known as “The Mount” plantation and owned by the Lindsay family. Around 1900, the section of land that became the park was sold off for smaller farms and house lots.
Those living near Ruckstuhl Park can expect occasional construction traffic along Idylwood Road. Construction of the park is set to be completed by summer 2024.
Feature image courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority
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