Fairview

Fairview

Sandwiched between Allen to the south and McKinney to the north, Fairview wasn’t incorporated until 1958, and, as the town’s website says, they are still “keeping it country” here.  Though there are some newer zero-lot-line subdivisions, many of the lots for sale are big enough to keep horses on.  Look around, and you’ll find areas with rolling hills and mature trees. That low density offers a huge benefit: Fairview was ranked in May 2017 as the fourth safest city in the state of Texas by the National Council for Home Safety and Security.   But it’s not all wide open spaces.  Just down Stacy Road, right off Central Expressway, you’ll find the mammoth Village at Fairview mall (and its equally huge counterpart across the street, in Allen).  (Courtesy D Magazine)Fairview is a close-knit town of 8,648 residents. Residents also have close access to McKinley National Airport, golf courses such as the Heritage Ranch & Golf Country Club, and the sizable Lavon Lake.  Neighboring the 289-acre Heard Wildlife Sanctuary which has nature trails, gardens, and an 1880’s prairie village.

Interesting Facts:

• Estimated median house value $416,300
• Median income:   $103,127
• 63% of students are enrolled in AP/IB classes

HISTORY:

Keeping It Country

The Town of Fairview was incorporated in 1958 with a population of 50. A petition to request an incorporation election for Fairview was submitted to the county judge and commissioners’ court on April 21, 1958. Fairview came into existence following an election held at what was called the Fairview Grocery on May 7, 1958. Ordered by Collin County Judge W. E. Button after submission of a petition, the purpose of the voting was to determine whether or not the Town of Fairview would be incorporated as a town. The ballot choices were simple: “Corporation” or “No Corporation.” A total of fifty ballots were cast, with only two of those opposing incorporation. Judge Button signed the order incorporating Fairview on May 12, 1958. According to accounts, the town’s name might just as easily have been Wetsel because there were two communities included in the incorporated land – Fairview and Wetsel. The latter community began when Henry Wetsel, a Pennsylvania immigrant and carpenter by trade, sold his grist and flour mill in McKinney (a three- to five-oxen operation described as a “first-class ox mill”) and head right a square mile of land four to five miles south of town. That land is memorialized today as the Henry Wetsel Survey. He built his cabin on the Fisher and Sawyer stage road that ran from Austin through McKinney on its way to the Red River. One account suggests Henry operated a new grist mill on the northwest corner of today’s Stacy Road and SH 5 beginning in about 1850. Either here or at his McKinney mill he lost an arm in a terrible accident. He also supposedly built a two-story house with large cedar trees in the front yard on the west side of the stagecoach road, and brought Bermuda grass back from East Texas and had the first lawn of its kind in the area. This story seems not to ring true, however. Lawns were not really “invented” for many more years, so the grass story may have more accurately described one of Henry’s descendants. Since that time, it has grown steadily to today's population of almost 9,000. The community is marked by large houses on large lots, expansive open spaces, numerous horse farms, excellent schools, rolling hills, vast hardwoods, beautiful creeks, and the extensive Village at Fairview shopping area and mixed-use center.

SCHOOLS

Fairview is served by the Lovejoy ISD.  The district covers approximately 17 square miles and is home to over 4000 K-12 students.  Lovejoy is categorized as a 5A school district for athletics, fine arts and academic competitions.  Lovejoy will remain a district with only one high school with 9-12 enrollment not to exceed 1,900 students.  Lovejoy graduated its first senior class in 2010 and consistently receives both state and national recognition for post-secondary readiness. (Courtesy Lovejoy ISD)

• In August 2015, StartClass ranked the Lovejoy Independent School District as the #1 public school district in the State of Texas and the #5 public school district in the United States.
• Winner of the State of Texas HEB Excellence in Education Award for school districts.
• Two-time winner of the prestigious UIL Lone Star Cup.
• Ranked #2, out of 1,217 school districts, in performance on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams.  One of 24 districts in Texas recognized for college readiness.
• Lovejoy High School ranked as one of the top 500 high schools in the United States by “U.S. News and World Report,” in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and a 2016 ranking of 222 out of nearly 20,000 high schools.
• The College Board designated 253 Lovejoy High School Advanced Placement Scholars in 2016.  212 Lovejoy High School Advanced Placement Scholars earned this distinction in 2015.
• The College Board has designated Lovejoy High School as an AP Honor Roll Recipient.