In February 2016, a total of twenty-four (24) demolition permits were applied for in Arlington County. Twenty-one (21) were for single-family homes; one was a garden style apartment; one was a commercial building; and one is not classified correctly, so it’s unclear what the structure is. Of the single-family homes, all but one were in North Arlington. Three of the homes are located in National Register Historic Districts:

• 1124 North Kentucky Street, Westover National Register Historic District
• 1517 North Taylor Street, Cherrydale National Register Historic District
• 1124 South Frederick Street, Virginia Heights National Register Historic District

The one home in South Arlington (1124 South Frederick Street) is a Lustron, a rare all-steel house that was briefly popular after World War II.

Two County Board-approved siteplans account for several of the demolition permits. 4100 Wilson Boulevard is the demolition of the former Macy’s Furniture Store and is part of the massive redevelopment of Ballston Mall. A separate siteplan for a large residential building results in the demolition of five single-family homes (1808, 1812 and 1816 14th Street North and 1321 and 1325 North Rolfe Street) and the garden style apartment building (1735 Fairfax Drive).

Totals for 2016
Homes: 34
– 7 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 17 are speculative developments (owned by developers)
Garden Apartments: 1
Commercial Buildings: 1

The looming demolition of these houses and buildings represents an incredible loss of history, architecture, time, energy, and materials. Many had the potential for renovation and additions or, at a bare minimum, reclamation/reuse of building materials. These buildings are often replaced with new construction that is out of scale and proportion to the community. Preservation Arlington urges citizens to adopt Local Historic District designations for their communities, with standards for design, height, and placement that could be customized to reflect community needs while still allowing reinvestment to occur.

Similarly, if you are a property owner and are contemplating a change to your property, Preservation Arlington encourages you to work with your architect or builder to consider how some or all of your house or building could be incorporated into a renovation, or the materials reused.