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Month: May 2013

Introducing the Center for Local History

Introducing the Center for Local History

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A valuable local history resource in Arlington County has been given a new name and a new sense of purpose. As part of the ongoing renovations and changes at Central Library, the Virginia Room is now the Center for Local History. The center has three primary components — the Virginiana Collection, a collection of library holdings including books, newsletters, maps, and other materials pertaining to the history of the Arlington area specifically and Virginia more generally; the Arlington Community Archives,…

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Carlin Hall Ribbon Cutting!

Carlin Hall Ribbon Cutting!

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Historic Carlin Hall has been structurally restored, and all are invited to an official ribbon-cutting to celebrate its reopening. Constructed in 1892, Carlin Hall is a one-story Victorian structure that is listed in both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. As part of the Glencarlyn Day festivities, the ribbon cutting will be held to celebrate this Arlington treasure following the neighborhood parade and before the fun fair begins. DATE:       Saturday, June 1 TIME:    …

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UPCOMING MEETING: Shreve Apartments/W&OD Railway Site Under Consideration

UPCOMING MEETING: Shreve Apartments/W&OD Railway Site Under Consideration

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This Thursday night, May 30, the Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) of the Arlington Planning Commission will discuss Shreve Apartments, a planned mixed-use development that may impact one of the last remaining sections of the Washington & Old Dominion Railway. Preservation Arlington included the historic train trellis on its 2013 list of Arlington’s Most Endangered Historic Places. Located on a 1.7-acre site in East Falls Church, the proposal includes 180 dwelling units and 1,449 square feet of ground-floor retail, with…

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Blue Goose, Other Endangered List Sites Make News

Blue Goose, Other Endangered List Sites Make News

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Preservation Arlington and our 2013 Endangered List have made local headlines, with coverage in ArlNow, the Arlington Sun Gazette, the Arlington Patch, and the City BizList for Washington, D.C. Much of the coverage focused on the Blue Goose, the mid-century modern office building in Ballston, as well as the Arlington House Woods, which made both Preservation Arlington’s and Preservation Virginia‘s endangered lists this year. “To save the Blue Goose, preservationists will have to convince its owner, Marymount University, to abandon…

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CBS News Highlights Historic Preservation

CBS News Highlights Historic Preservation

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This CBS News segment highlights preservation battles of the past, such as the fight to save Grand Central Station, and features architecture critic Paul Goldberger and traditional design firm Roman and Williams. “Historic architecture is part of our culture, just the way art, music, literature, all of these are part of our culture,” Goldberger says in the piece.

County Board Approves RTA for Expanded Fraber House Local Historic District

County Board Approves RTA for Expanded Fraber House Local Historic District

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At their May 18 meeting, the County Board approved the “Request to Advertise,” or RTA, for public hearings on the creation of a local historic district for the Fraber House, a 100-year-old bungalow in Cherrydale. The hearings will be held before the Planning Commission on June 3, 2013, and the County Board on June 15, 2013. Significantly, the Board agreed to expand the scope of the proposed district to allow for continued discussions on the future of the house’s garage,…

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Preservation Arlington’s 2013 List of Endangered Historic Places

Preservation Arlington’s 2013 List of Endangered Historic Places

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National Register neighborhoods, historic and natural resources at Arlington National Cemetery, low-rise commercial architecture, and other buildings and sites make up Preservation Arlington’s 2013 list of Arlington County’s Most Endangered Historic Places. 1.       National Register Neighborhoods.  The proximity of Arlington’s historic neighborhoods to urban amenities has caused property values to skyrocket and consumers seeking larger homes for their purchasing dollar. The social and architectural fabric of these older neighborhoods is being threatened by over-sized and incompatible in-fill development and this…

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ALERT: County Board To Consider Historic Status for Fraber House

ALERT: County Board To Consider Historic Status for Fraber House

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This Saturday, May 18, 2013, the County Board will consider the Request to Advertise for the boundaries of a new local historic district known as the Fraber House. This historic bungalow is in the Cherrydale neighborhood at the corner of North Quincy and 17th Street North. Two different proposals are being forwarded to the County Board.  The staff-proposed district would encompass just the historic bungalow.  The Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) and the Planning Commission both voted to…

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Preservation Virginia Names Arlington Cemetery as “Most Endangered”

Preservation Virginia Names Arlington Cemetery as “Most Endangered”

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At a press conference at Arlington National Cemetery today, Preservation Virginia announced that the cemetery’s cultural landscape was one of eight historic places on its 2013 “Most Endangered Historic Sites” list. With representatives from Preservation Arlington, the Arlington County Historic Preservation Office, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), and others in attendance, Preservation Virginia Executive Director Elizabeth Kostelny raised concerns about the planned 27-acre Millennium Project expansion, which threatens a 12-acre section of Arlington House Woods as well as its old…

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Arlington Magazine Highlights Maywood, Other Historic Sites

Arlington Magazine Highlights Maywood, Other Historic Sites

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Arlington magazine’s recent “10 Great Neighborhoods” feature includes several historic sites and neighborhoods, including Maywood, the only whole neighborhood in Arlington that is a local historic district, National Register neighborhoods like Aurora Highlands and Lyon Village, and historic places like the Hume School, the Eden Center, and the Charles Drew house.