What’s in a name? In Alcova Heights, the answer to that question is “a lot of local history.” The neighborhood’s name stands for Alexandria County, Virginia (AL – CO – VA), which was the original name of the county until 1920. Today, one of the neighborhood’s many older but well-maintained homes is on the market. Alcova Heights was first developed in 1921 by former Virginia State Senator J. Cloyd Byars, who bought 142 acres from the Columbia Land Company and…
The dictionary defines the term “sweet spot” as “an optimum point or combination of factors or qualities.” If that’s the case, then this renovated circa-1925 bungalow is in a sweet spot indeed. Tucked away on a quiet street between Glebe Road and the scenic Army-Navy Country Club, the house is located close to downtown Shirlington, Columbia Pike, and I-395, making it convenient to many desirable South Arlington amenities as well as downtown Washington, D.C. This three-bedroom, two-bath house still has…
The Woodbury Park affordable housing units are to be stabilized and restored as part of a $57 million tax exempt bond issuance by the Arlington County Industrial Development Authority (IDA). The County Board approved the issuance at their June 14 meeting. Industrial Development Bonds are not a liability of Arlington County. Woodbury Park is a 364-unit, seven-building garden apartment complex located on nine acres of land at the intersection of US Route 50 and North 10th Street. It was built…
Preservation Arlington is beginning a new series called “I Love My Historic House,” in which homeowners answer five short questions about living in an older or historic Arlington home. Our first entry in this series comes from Nancy Iacomini, a member of the Arlington County Planning Commission and a speaker at our May 13 panel discussion. She tells us about how she and her husband Dan overcame “fear at first sight” and updated their home to make it comfortable for…
Ever want to live in the woods on a cul-de-sac with only a few neighbors? This 1920s renovated Dutch Colonial on a half-acre lot in sought-after Arlingwood might just be that sanctuary. Sitting at the ridge above Chain Bridge, the realty listing says it has winter views of the Potomac River. In a neighborhood that has experienced numerous tear-downs and the redevelopment of several large lots, this home has been saved from that fate. Over the years it has been…
“What we have matters…the trends and patterns that shaped Arlington matter.” So said Cynthia Liccese-Torres, the county’s historic preservation coordinator, at Preservation Arlington’s first-ever panel discussion on the State of Preservation in Arlington County. Held on Tuesday, May 13, in the elegant Fillmore Room of the Boulevard Woodgrill on Wilson Boulevard, the panel drew nearly 45 attendees. In addition to Liccese-Torres, the panel consisted of John Richardson, president of the Arlington Historical Society; Joan Lawrence, chair of the Historical Affairs…
Preservation Arlington is pleased to present, on the first day of Preservation Month 2014, the 2014 Arlington’s Protected Historic Places List. Each year, Preservation Arlington releases an Arlington’s Most Endangered Historic Places List to heighten awareness of historic sites and resources in the county and to inspire advocacy on behalf of preservation within the Arlington community. In 2014 we have developed three separate lists — Protected, Lost, and Endangered — that will be released during Preservation Month 2014. During 2013,…
Preserved & Developed is a series of articles by Preservation Arlington highlighting local development projects that have involved both development of a site and preservation of historic resources. The projects highlight a wide range of challenges and solutions over many years. At the time they were completed the projects represented a commitment by the developer and the community to embrace the future and preserve the past. Preservation Arlington is awarding each project a gold, silver, or bronze star based on…
The Arlington Planning Commission’s Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) will hold its first meeting to discuss the proposal for the redevelopment of the Key Boulevard Apartments, located at 1537-1545 Key Boulevard. The agenda for this meeting includes an informational presentation, a discussion of the land use and zoning issues, and the justifications by the applicant for this proposal. Preservation Arlington highlighted this project in a recent post about existing site plan proposals that impact important historic resources. Built in 1943,…
The Arlington Planning Commission’s Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) is continuing to assess plans for the property at 1401 Wilson Boulevard, the location of the “Deep Throat” garage. The agenda for this seventh SPRC meeting outlines three topics to be covered: Open Space, Community Benefit, and Construction Issues. Part of the discussion for “Community Benefit” will include historic preservation issues of the site. Already recognized with a County Historical Marker, the proposed redevelopment of this site has increased awareness of…