In the latter part of 1966, a few residents from the area of 16th Street and Ridge Place formed a Beautification Block Club, to work together at keeping their street clean and at beautifying the community.  The founding members of the association were: Margaret Darden, Helen Desperate, James Desperate, Frances Jackson, Juanita Jefferson, William Lauray, Booker Tolbert, Clois Tolbert, and William Willis.  Their first meeting was held in the home of William Willis on Ridge Place.  Frances Jackson was elected the first president, and she served from 1966 to 1971.

The Beautification Club members tried to join the existing Fairlawn Civic Association, but they were not welcomed. As Fairlawn residents, mostly black and relatively new to the area, joined the Beautification Club, its members decided to rename themselves the Fairlawn Citizens Association (FCA).

The FCA was incorporated as a non-profit organization by registering with the District of Columbia, Department of Regulatory Affairs, Corporations Division (now Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection).

FCA joined the D.C. Federation of Civic Associations, Inc., and held its first Community Luncheon as a fundraiser.  Ora Glover compiled a brief history of the Association for the program bulletin of our First Community Luncheon.

Our first Annual Christmas Tree Lighting in Fairlawn Park at Minnesota Avenue and Marion Barry Avenue (formerly Good Hope Road).

In the early 1990s, Patricia Jones created the current FCA newsletter.

Patricia Jones received, on behalf of FCA, the Washington Post Award for Outstanding Community Newsletter from the DC Federation of Civic Associations.

The FCA held its first Annual Harvest Ball, a dinner and dance to raise money for the FCA Scholarship Fund.

The Association participates in a Humanities Council of Washington, DC, Community Heritage Project and publishes Fairlawn: From the Flats to the Heights, (https://planning.dc.gov/publication/fairlawn-flats-heights).