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Category: Arlington History

Q & A: Arlington’s History Bicycle Tour

Q & A: Arlington’s History Bicycle Tour

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One of the best ways to tour Arlington’s historic buildings and sites is from the saddle of a bike. Thanks to the Arlington History Bike Ride (which hikers can use too), you don’t have to figure out a route by yourself. The tour was created by Randy Swart, a long-time resident of the Barcroft neighborhood (his grandparents lived there too), an active participant in its civic association and other civic activities, and a biking enthusiast. The tour starts at the…

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Long-Awaited Lustron Exhibit Opens in Ohio (Updated)

Long-Awaited Lustron Exhibit Opens in Ohio (Updated)

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On July 13, the Ohio Historical Society opened its highly anticipated exhibition, 1950s: Building the American Dream, featuring a fully rebuilt Lustron house that originated in Arlington and was the subject of a long preservation effort. Both the New York Times and the Columbus Dispatch reviewed the exhibit. (The Dispatch piece includes a terrific slideshow as well.) The exhibit includes a panel acknowledging Arlington County’s contribution (photo courtesy OHS). In honor of the exhibit, our friends at Retro Renovation devoted…

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National Trust’s Move to Watergate Highlights Arlington’s Watergate Connection

National Trust’s Move to Watergate Highlights Arlington’s Watergate Connection

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The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has just completed the sale of 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., the historic Beaux-Arts building in Washington D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood where it has held its headquarters for the past 34 years. To the surprise of some observers, the NTHP has announced plans to move its headquarters to the Watergate complex in Foggy Bottom. The 10-acre Watergate complex, constructed from 1963 to 1971 and famous for its role in the downfall of President Richard…

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The Washington Post on Historic Housing Styles

The Washington Post on Historic Housing Styles

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Today’s “Home and Garden” section of the Washington Post has a handy feature on identifying your home’s architectural style. The article references Arlington’s Ashton Heights neighborhood and describes the main character-defining features of the bungalow, Victorian, Colonial revival, Modern, ranch, and other types of houses in our area. NOTE: The Ashton Heights Style Guide, published in collaboration between the neighborhood’s Conservation Advisory Committee, the Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board, and the Arlington Heritage Alliance (Preservation Arlington’s former incarnation), is…

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The Last Days of the Navy Annex

The Last Days of the Navy Annex

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Built in 1941 during the booming war effort in Washington, D.C., the Navy Annex overlooking the Pentagon is now nearly gone. After more than a decade of negotiating and planning, the Department of Defense is close to completing its demolition of the building to make way for an expansion of nearby Arlington National Cemetery. Once the demolition is complete, the site will be converted to a grass field pending its incorporation into the cemetery. Once known simply as Federal Office…

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Sun Gazette Reports on Carlin Hall Reopening

Sun Gazette Reports on Carlin Hall Reopening

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The restoration and grand reopening of National Register-listed Carlin Hall was the subject of a feature in the Arlington Sun Gazette.  “Meeting place, church, dance hall, library, theater: it served a multitude of functions until, in 1962, the county government took over operations and began using it as a community center,” Scott McCaffrey writes in the piece.

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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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.

Civil War Group Publishes “Day Trips” Brochure

Civil War Group Publishes “Day Trips” Brochure

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If you want to find a Civil War battlefield, historic site, museum, or fort within a two-hour drive of Arlington, the Arlington County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee’s new and improved brochure, “Stepping Back in Time,” should be helpful. Containing more than 60 sites in Virginia, Maryland, the District, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, the brochure will be available this spring at local events around town as well as at this summer’s County Fair. We’ll post a link to the PDF when it…

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