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Airlie Conference Center
The Airlie Conference Center, commonly referred to simply as Airlie, is a historic hotel outside of Warrenton, Virginia.[1] The compound is best known for having become a safe space for dialogue during the US civil rights movement, and as the origin of Earth Day.[2] HistoryOriginal estate 1899-1958In the 1890s, socialite Harry Connelly Groom moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Fauquier County, Virginia. There he purchased land to build a manor from Adeline h. Edmonds.[2] Groom named the estate the "Airlie House," after a Scottish castle.[2] In 1924, a fire and accompanying structural accident caused damage throughout the building.[3] Because of this, Groom renovated the house through the 1930s.[2][1][3] After his death, his daughter Susan Groom Harney inherited the estate.[2] Modern building 1959-1970Harney sold the home to Dr. Murdoch Head in 1959, who embarked on a series of renovations to create a hotel and conference facility.[2] The renamed "Airlie Center," opened in 1961 with a variety of new programs held at the facility including environmental research, public health, and education.[1][2] In 1962, Life Magazine dubbed the Airlie Center an "island of thought" to which professionals could retreat without distractions.[3][2] That year, the NAACP hosted its first annual civil rights conference at Airlie.[3][4] Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Airlie later in the 1960s.[2][3] In 1969, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson sponsored a conference at Airlie to promote Earth Day, a then new holiday he created with U.S. Representative Pete McCloskey.[2][3] 1971-present During the 1980s a film company named Airlie Productions operated at the center.[2] The company produced over 250 documentaries and won three Emmy's.[5] In 1988, more than 150 LGBTQ individuals attended The War Conference to promote human rights. The purpose of this conference was to increase support from legislators and civil rights organizations.[5] In 2014, the Airlie Hotel opened to the public for the first time in its history.[3] The next year, Airlie was inducted into the Historic Hotels of America.[2]  In 2016, the Airlie Foundation entrusted American University with stewardship of the property.[1] Conception of Earth DaySenator Nelson was inspired by the Vietnam anti-war movement to promote environmental conservation.[2] He and Representative McCloskey gave a speech at Airlie in 1969 to establish a new holiday, "Earth Day," to promote their environmental conservationist ideals.[3][4] Earth Day would eventually become a well-established international holiday.[1][4] In 1993, Senator Nelson planted a tree at Airlie to commemorate their 1969 meeting that promoted the Earth Day holiday.[4] References
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