University of Virginia Library

RILEY ESTATE AT FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA:

At a meeting of the Board of Visitors held at the University on Friday, June 13, 1947, Mr. Perkins made
the following statement.

Joseph Harvey Riley, by his last will and testament which was admitted to probate in the Clerk's Office
of the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, Virginia, on February 24, 1942, made the following provision:

"My residence with 8.312 acres of surrounding real estate I bequeath to my sisters, Mrs. Margaret
R. Parker and Mrs. Maude K. Gage, as tenants in common during their lives. At the death of the survivor,
the property and residence to become the property of the University of Virginia to be disposed of and
the funds realized from the sale to be used as a nucleus of a fund to found a School and Museum of
Vertebrate Zoology."

The property in question is situated in the Town of Falls Church and borders on what is known as the
"Old Block and Birney Subdivision."

I am advised that a contract has been executed for the sale to Messrs. Muhleman and Kahoe of Richmond,
Virginia, of a large part of this subdivision. A plat of this subdivision is recorded in Liber M No. 5,
page 601, and shows numerous proposed streets and alleys and by reference to said plat it is now desired
to vacate, discontinue, abandon and close all of the alleys in Blocks A, B, F, G and H in said Subdivision,
and the following Streets: (1) that part of Fulton Avenue running from Pennsylvania Avenue to Virginia
Avenue; (2) that part of Virginia Avenue running from Park Avenue to Maryland Avenue; (3) Maryland Avenue for
its entire length; and (4) Main Avenue for its entire length.

I am further advised that the closing of these alleys and streets has been agreed to by the Town of Falls
Church and by a majority of property owners holding other property in this Subdivision.

I was advised that Mr. Christopher B. Garnett was familiar with this situation and I therefore asked
his advice. In a letter to me dated May 26, 1947, Mr. Garnett stated that:

"After a careful examination of the property and a consultation with Mr. John A. K. Donovan,
Counsel for the Town of Falls Church, I would recommend that the University should join in such a deed
because in my opinion it is clearly to the advantage of the University as residuary legatee of the 8
acres of land that the streets and alleys be vacated and that the purchasers, Muhleman and Kahoe, may
be allowed to develop the property."

I am therefore presenting to this meeting a deed prepared by Mr. Lytton H. Gibson, Attorney for Mrs.
Margaret R. Parker and Mrs. Maude K. Gage by which the University of Virginia consents to the vacation,
discontinuance and closing of the streets and alleys above referred to.

After a discussion of the situation the following resolution was adopted:

RESOLVED: That the vacation, discontinuance and abandonment of the alleys and streets in
the Old Block and Birney Subdivision in Falls Church, described in the foregoing statement, is hereby
approved by this Board and J. L. Newcomb, President, is hereby authorized and directed to execute, in
the name and on behalf of The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, the deed dated
June 13, 1947, prepared by Mr. Lytton H. Gibson and presented to this meeting by Mr. Perkins by which
deed said vacation, discontinuance and closing of said streets is effected, and E. I. Carruthers,
Secretary of this Board, is hereby instructed to affix the corporate seal to this deed and deliver
the same to Mr. Lytton H. Gibson, Attorney as aforesaid.