Partner Maria Bowen Chapin
Queer Places:
Rock Creek Cemetery, 201 Allison St NW, Washington, DC 20011, United States
Saint Barnabas Church, 14111 Oak Grove Rd, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774, United States
Mary Cecelia Fairfax (December 26, 1871 - February 28, 1935) was born on December 25 or 26, 1871, in Prince George's County, Maryland, into an aristocratic
family. She was the daughter of John Contee Fairfax (1830–1900) and Mary Brown Kirby Fairfax (1838–1912). Growing up, she shared her life with her
siblings: Caroline Snowden Fairfax (1858–1924), Josephine (Fairfax) Smith (1866–1950), Albert Kirby Fairfax (1870–1939), and Charles Edmund Fairfax
(1876–1939).
Professionally, Mary dedicated her life to education. In 1901, she joined the faculty of Miss Chapin's School, which had been established by
Maria Bowen Chapin. Mary worked closely alongside Maria Bowen Chapin and eventually succeeded her, serving
as the second Headmistress of The Chapin School from 1932 until 1935.
Mary Cecelia Fairfax passed away on February 28, 1935, at the age of 63. Following her death, she was interred at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington,
District of Columbia, though she also has a memorial site listed at Saint Barnabas Church Cemetery in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
References:
- Genealogical Compendium: The "Carlyle family and descendants of John and Sarah (Fairfax) Carlyle; The Carlyle House and its associations" compiled by Richard Henry Spencer (Whittet & Shepperson, Richmond, VA, 1910) – documents Mary Cecelia Fairfax’s birth data, lineage, and family background (page 26).
- Federal Census & Vital Records: Historical U.S. Federal Census records spanning 1880 through 1930, tracking Mary Cecelia Fairfax's residence, household status with her parents (John Contee Fairfax and Mary Brown Kirby Fairfax), and professional life in New York.
- Find a Grave Memorial #21122363: Documentation and photographic records for Mary Cecelia Fairfax, noting her life dates and initial placement/memorialization at Saint Barnabas Church Cemetery in Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, Maryland.
- Interment Records: Rock Creek Cemetery official registry, Washington, District of Columbia, documenting her final resting place following her death on February 28, 1935.
- The Chapin School Archives: Official historical documentation from The Chapin School, Ltd. detailing her tenure starting from her arrival as a mathematics teacher in 1894/1901, her appointment as Associate Headmistress in 1910, and her service as co-Headmistress alongside Ethel Grey Stringfellow from 1932 to 1935.
- Periodical Profiles: Contemporary coverage and historical retrospectives published in TIME Magazine ("Education: Death of Miss Chapin," March 1934 archive) outlining the domestic and professional partnership between Maria Bowen Chapin and Mary Cecelia Fairfax.
- The Chapin School Leadership History: Published institutional biographies tracking the school's transition periods, building committee leadership (notably Mary Fairfax's oversight of the East End Avenue facilities project), and institutional archives.
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