| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Abingdon |
| | Birthplace of Nellie Custis
the adopted daughter of
General George Washington
Original land grant 1669
Purchased by John Parke Custis
in 1778 from the Alexanders
for whom Alexandria Virginia
was named
Destroyed by fire in 1930
The ruins preserved 1933 by the
Washington Branch of the
Association for the Preservation
of Virginia Antiquities — Map (db m15867) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Abingdon Plantation |
| | The land that Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport occupies today was once part of Abingdon Plantation. Abingdon was the home of George Washington’s stepson, John Parke Custis, and birthplace of Washington’s beloved granddaughter, Nelly.
Historically intertwined with prominent families of Virginia, Abingdon weathered the Civil War and the end of plantation live. The encroachment of industry finally took its toll on Abingdon, which deteriorated until it burned in 1930. The ruins of the . . . — Map (db m8381) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Abingdon Plantation Restoration |
| | The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority worked in concert with Federal, state and local historic preservation agencies and professionals in the field to develop the restoration plan for the Abingdon Plantation site. The restoration process involved:
• careful excavation and cataloguing of all archaeological features below ground
• repairs to the original brick foundations, retaining as much of the original building material as possible
• restoring unstable portions of the . . . — Map (db m8386) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Alcova |
| | The oldest part of this house may date from 1836 when John M. Young, a Washington wheelright and carriage maker, purchased the farm from Thomas Hodges, planted a large orchard and used the place as a summer home. In 1905, the farm was acquired by former Virginia State Senator Joseph Cloyd Byars, who several years later expanded the house. Senator Byars named the house Alcova for Alexandria County, Va. (renamed Arlington County in 1920). Byars also developed in this area one . . . — Map (db m884) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Arlington County War Memorial |
| | Panel 1 [WWI]:
1917 – 1918
To the memory of
those who served in
the World War
and those
who gave their lives.
John Lyon, U.S.A.
Henry G. Smallwood, U.S.A.
Robert G. Bruce, U.S.A.
Harry R. Stone, U.S.A.
Irving Thomas Chapman Newman, U.S.A. Aviation
Harry E. Vermillion, U.S.A.
Edward J. Smith Field Artillery
Archie Walters Williams . . . — Map (db m55561) WM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Arlington Post Office |
| | In the first half of the 20th Century, Arlington County changed from a handful of separate neighborhoods to a cohesive community with its own identity and government. The establishment of a central post office was a major factor in this transformation. Built in 1937, the Arlington post office was the first federal building constructed in the county. Lobby murals depicting scenes about Arlington history were painted by Auriel Bessemer in 1939. In 2000, it was named in honor of Joseph L. Fisher, . . . — Map (db m54884) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Arlington — ARPANET |
| | The ARPANET, a project of the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense, developed the technology that became the foundation for the internet at this site from 1970 to 1975. Originally intended to support military needs, ARPANET technology was soon applied to civilian uses, allowing information to be rapidly and widely available. The Internet, and services such as e-mail, e-commerce and the World Wide Web, continues to grow as the under-lying technologies evolve. The . . . — Map (db m47305) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Ball's Crossroads |
| | This intersection has been a focal point since about 1740, when two roads were developed, one from the future site to Alexandria to the mouth of Pimmit Run, the other from Awbury’s Ferry (at the site of Rosslyn) to the Falls Church. The first came to be known as the Glebe Road because it passed the glebe of Fairfax Parish and in order to distinguish it from other roads to the Falls. The second was eventually named Wilson Boulevard in honor of President Wilson. The intersection became known as . . . — Map (db m55969) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Ballston |
| | By 1900 a well-defined village called Central Ballston had developed in the area bounded by the present Wilson Boulevard, Taylor Street, Washington Boulevard, and Pollard Street. More diffuse settlement extended westward to Lubber Run and southward along Glebe Road to Henderson Road. The track of the Washington, Arlington, and Falls Church Electric Railroad ran along what is now Fairfax Drive; the Ballston Station was at Ballston Avenue, now Stuart Street. Here Clements Avenue. now Stafford . . . — Map (db m55968) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 20 — Battery Garesché |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Battery Garesché Here stood Battery Garesché, constructed late in 1861 to control the higher ground dominating Fort Reynolds, 200 yards to the southeast. It had a perimeter of 166 yards and emplacements for 8 guns. — Map (db m5164) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Birchwood |
| | Caleb Birch, a farmer and constable, built a log house here around 1800 on land granted to his grandfather, James Robertson, by Lord Fairfax in 1724. The original house burned and was rebuilt about 1836. A second log cabin was added ten years later. The two cabins, although separate, had a common roof, forming what was known as a “dog trot” house. Later President Theodore Roosevelt rode horseback in this area with his friend and White House physician, Rear Admiral Presley M. Rixey, . . . — Map (db m56520) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Brandymore Castle |
| | This landmark was first described in 1724 by surveyor Charles Broadwater as "the rock stones called Brandymore Castle." Research in 1972 established that the natural formation matched the boundary descriptions on the 18th century land grands from Lord Fairfax to William Gunnel, James Going and Simon Pearson, George Harrison, John Carlye and John Dalton, and Captain Charles Broadwater. The origin of the name "Brandymore" is unknown, but this rocky outcrop resembles the collapsed battlements of an old castle with four mile run serving as a moat. — Map (db m8180) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Buckingham |
| | The Buckingham garden apartment complex was built in stages between 1937 and 1983. It represents a pioneering effort to provide rental housing through the use of "garden city" planning principles, mass production techniques and private capital. The initial developer was industrialist Allie S. Freed, an advisor to President Roosevelt, who wished to make Buckingham a national model. The architect was Henry Wright, assisted by Allan Kamstra, and Albert Lueders. Most buildings reflect the popular . . . — Map (db m56481) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Carlin Community Hall |
| | Since its construction in 1892 as a meeting hall, this building has been in continuous community service. In addition to its use for community meetings, the building also was used for an elementary school, church services, a nursery school, a recreation center, and a temporary library. It originally was named “Curtis Hall,” in honor of William W. Curtis, one of the developers or the Carlin Springs community. Today, the Glencarlyn Citizens Association manages the building. Carlin . . . — Map (db m55375) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Carlin Springs |
| | In 1872 John F. Carlin developed here a popular resort which could be reached by train from Washington and Alexandria. His establishment included two springs, an ice cream parlor, a restaurant, a dance pavilion, and a swimming hole at the confluence of Four Mile Run and Lubber Run. It remained popular until about 1887, when the property was sold to the developers of Glencarlyn. They demolished the resort buildings, but preserved the natural park, which was acquired by Arlington County in 1943. — Map (db m56467) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Centennial of Military Aviation — Fort Myer, Virginia — 1908-2008 |
| | This plaque commemerates the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers flights here at Fort Myer from September 3 to 17, 1908. These flights led to a return series of flights from June 29 to July 30 of 1909 culminating in the first ever cross country flight from Fort Myer to Alexandria, Virginia and return. As a result of these test flights the army then signed a contract with the Wright Brothers and purchased the first aeroplane. These flights make Fort Myer the birthplace of military aviation. — Map (db m22830) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Chain Bridge |
| | In 1797, the merchants of Georgetown built here the first bridge over the Potomac River in order to compete with the Virginia port of Alexandria. The Falls Bridge allowed trade from the "upper country" of Virginia to move directly to Georgetown over the Georgetown-Leesburg Road. After the first two bridges were destroyed by floods, a chain suspension bridge, considered a marvel of engineering with a span of 128 feet between stone towers, was built in 1808. Although this bridge has been replaced . . . — Map (db m3339) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Cherrydale |
| | In 1893 a branch post office at Lee Highway and Pollard Street was named Cherrydale, with reference to Dorsey Donaldson’s large cherry orchard in back of the present firehouse. Quincy Street was then known as Cherry Valley Road. Settlement in this area began after the Civil War and was stimulated in 1906 by the establishment of the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railway Line. Abandoned in 1935, the roadbed became Old Dominion Drive. Military Road was cut through broken and densely wooded country . . . — Map (db m55731) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Cherrydale Masonic Hall |
| | This two-story brick building was built in 1936 as the Cherrydale Masonic Hall. Designed with retail space on the first floor, the building serves as the home of the Cherrydale Masonic Lodge #42. This lodge is the second oldest Masonic organization in Arlington County. The group held its first meeting in the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Station on December 1, 1921. The Cherrydale Masonic Hall is included in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Cherrydale historic district. — Map (db m55810) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Cherrydale Volunteer Firehouse |
| | The Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department was the first fire company in Arlington County. Formed in 1898 and officially established in 1904, it originally consisted of 10 leather buckets, a ladder, and spirited volunteers. A community fundraising effort, including a contribution from U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, resulted in the construction of the Cherrydale Firehouse in 1921. The masonry building became the first permanent firehouse in the county and has continually served the Cherrydale . . . — Map (db m55809) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — C 1 — Clay and Randolph Duel |
| | Although dueling was illegal in Virginia, Secretary of State Henry Clay challenged U.S. Senator John Randolph of Roanoke. Clay called Randolph out to defend his honor after Randolph insulted him in a speech on the Senate floor. Randolph confided to Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri that he had no intention of hurting Clay, who was married and had a child. The duel took place on 8 April 1826 a half mile north at Pimmit Run. Both first shots missed their intended targets. Clay’s second shot . . . — Map (db m2315) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Crossman House |
| | George Grant Crossman built this late Victorian vernacular farmhouse in 1892 for his bride Nellie Dodge. Three generations of Crossman family operated a 60-acre dairy farm on the site until 1949. The Crossman family played a significant role in the development of the City of Falls Church and the East Falls Church area of Arlington. The house is a reminder of Arlington's rural and agricultural heritage. The Crossman House is a designated Arlington County Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. — Map (db m43540) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Edmund Douglas Campbell |
| | Campbell Avenue is named in honor of Edmund D. and Elizabeth P. Campbell, whose accomplishments and civic activism set a high standard for all to follow.
Edmund Douglas Campbell was born March 12, 1899, in Lexington, Virginia, the son of the dean of Washington and Lee University (W&L). He graduated as the valedictorian from W&L in 1918. By 1922, he had received a Master’s degree in economics from Harvard and graduated from the W&L School of Law.
Edmund Campbell moved to . . . — Map (db m65032) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell |
| | Campbell Avenue is named in honor of Edmund D. and Elizabeth P. Campbell, whose accomplishments and civic activism set a high standard for all to follow.
Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl was born December 4, 1902, in Clemmons, North Carolina. She received a Bachelor’s degree in English from Salem College and a Master’s degree in education from Columbia University. At just 25, she became dean of Moravian College for Women in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In 1929, she became dean of Mary Baldwin . . . — Map (db m65033) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Fort Albany |
| | Immediately to the northwest stood Fort Albany, a bastioned earthwork built in May 1861 to command the approach to the Long Bridge by way of the Columbia Turnpike. It had a perimeter of 429 yards and emplacements for 12 guns. Even after Forts Richardson and Craig were built, 1300 yards to the west and north respectively, the heavy guns of Fort Albany served to support them, and to dominate them if they were captured. The ground on which the Fort stood was cut away during the construction of the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway in 1942. — Map (db m5258) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 18 — Fort Barnard |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Barnard Here stood Fort Barnard, a redoubt constructed late in 1861 to command the approaches to Alexandria by way of Four Mile Run and Glebe Road. It was named for General J. G. Barnard, Chief Engineer of the Defenses of Washington. It had a perimeter of 250 yards and emplacements for 20 guns. — Map (db m5158) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 1 — Fort Bennett |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Bennett Here stood Fort Bennett, a small outwork of Fort Corcoran, constructed in May 1861. With a perimeter of 146 yards and emplacements for 5 guns, it was designed to bring under fire the slope northwest of Fort Corcoran, which could not be seen from there. — Map (db m5104) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 17 — Fort Berry |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Berry Immediately to the west stood Fort Berry, a redoubt constructed in 1863 at the north flank of the defenses of Alexandria, but also flanking the Columbia Turnpike and the Arlington Line constructed in 1861. It had a perimeter of 215 yards and emplacements for 10 guns. — Map (db m5154) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Fort C.F. Smith — Defending the Capital |
| | Fort C.F. Smith was constructed in early 1863 as part of the expansion and strengthening of the capital’s defenses that continued throughout the Civil War. With Forts Strong, Morton and Woodbury, Fort C.F. Smith formed the outer perimeter of the fortifications that protected the Aqueduct Bridge of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (located near the site of the present-day Francis Scott Key Bridge). Fort C.F. Smith was built as a lunette with a southern and western face and two flanks, as well as a . . . — Map (db m5099) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Fort C.F. Smith — Mr. Lincoln’s Forts — Defenses of Washington, 1861-1865 |
| | Fort C.F. Smith was constructed in 1863 on farmland appropriated from William Jewell. The fort was named in honor of Gen. Charles Ferguson Smith, who was instrumental in the Union victory at Fort Donelson, Tennessee in 1862. The fortification was constructed to extend the line of forts to the Potomac River and to command a tributary ravine not covered by Fort Strong. Along with forts Strong, Morton and Woodbury, Fort C.F. Smith functioned as part of the outer perimeter defenses that protected . . . — Map (db m5101) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Fort C.F. Smith — Protecting the Capital |
| | The ramps in front of you, now covered with grass, led to wooden platforms on which the various cannons were placed. When built in 1863, Fort C.F. Smith had platforms for twenty-two artillery pieces and four siege mortars. However, only sixteen cannons and four mortars were actually placed in the fort. The list of armaments for Fort C.F. Smith included two 6-pounder brass guns, six 4.5 inch guns, four 24-pounder cannons, three 12-pounder howitzers, one 8-inch seacoast howitzer and four 8-inch siege mortars. — Map (db m5102) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 8 — Fort C.F. Smith |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort C.F. Smith Just to the north are the remains of Fort C.F. Smith. A lunette built early in 1863 to command the high ground north of Spout Run and protect the flank of the Arlington Line. It had a perimeter of 368 yards and emplacements for 22 guns. — Map (db m5103) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 13 — Fort Cass |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Cass During the Civil War, the Union built a series of forts to defend Washington, D.C. By 1865 there were 33 earthen fortifications in the Arlington Line. Fort Cass (1861) was part of this defensive strategy. Built on top of the rise east of this marker, this lunette fort was named for Colonel Thomas Cass, whose regiment constructed the fort. — Map (db m5141) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 2 — Fort Corcoran |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Corcoran During the Civil War, the Union built a series of forts to defend Washington, D.C. By 1865 there were 33 earthen fortifications in the Arlington Line. Fort Corcoran (1861) was part of this defensive strategy. Built east of this marker, this bastion fort guarded the approaches to the Aqueduct Bridge. It was named for Colonel Michael Corcoran, of the 69th New York State Militia. — Map (db m5106) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 15 — Fort Craig |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Craig Here stood Fort Craig, a lunette in the Arlington Line constructed in August 1861. It had a perimeter of 324 yards and emplacements for 11 guns. — Map (db m5150) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 7 — Fort Ethan Allen |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Ethan Allen This embankment was the south face of Fort Ethan Allen, a bastioned earthwork built in September 1861 to command all the approaches to Chain Bridge south of Pimmit Run. The fort had a perimeter of 736 yards with emplacements for 39 guns. The embankments which still remain were the south face less the west bastion; an interior bombproof shelter for protection against artillery fire from Hall’s Hill; The magazine and guard . . . — Map (db m2317) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Fort Ethan Allen — Mr. Lincoln’s Forts — Defenses of Washington - 1861-1865 |
| | Fort Ethan Allen was constructed during the Civil War to provide one of the last lines of defense against possible Confederate attacks aimed at Washington. The fort commanded approaches to Chain Bridge (over the Potomac River) from the south of Pimmit Run. Built by troops from Vermont in September 1861, the fort was named in honor of Ethan Allen, Vermont’s famous Revolutionary War commander. Fort Ethan Allen was a large earthwork garrisoned by as many as 1,000 men. The fort’s perimeter was . . . — Map (db m2318) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 3 — Fort Haggerty |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Haggerty Here beside the Georgetown-Alexandria road stood Fort Haggerty, a small outwork of Fort Corcoran, constructed in May 1861. With a perimeter of 128 yards and emplacements for 4 guns, it was designed to bring under fire the slope south of Fort Corcoran, which could not be seen from there. — Map (db m5111) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 19 — Fort Reynolds |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Reynolds Here stood Fort Reynolds, a redoubt constructed in September, 1861, to command the approach to Alexandria by way of the valley of Four Mile Run. It had a perimeter of 360 yards and emplacements for 12 guns. — Map (db m5155) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 16 — Fort Richardson |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Richardson Here is what is left of Fort Richardson, a detached redoubt constructed in September, 1861, to cover the left flank of the newly built Arlington defense line, It was named for General Israel B. Richardson, whose division was then deployed to defend against attack by way of Columbia Turnpike. It had a perimeter of 316 yards and emplacements for 15 guns. — Map (db m39726) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 5 — Fort Runyon |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Runyon A half-mile to the southwest stood Fort Runyon, a large bastioned earthwork constructed in May 1861 to protect the Long Bridge over the Potomac. Its perimeter, 1484 yards, was about the same as that of the Pentagon. After the construction of the Arlington Line two miles to the west, Fort Runyon fell into disuse. Nearby Fort Jackson, at the Virginia end of the Long Bridge, was no more than a checkpoint to control traffic on the . . . — Map (db m5255) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 6 — Fort Scott |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Scott Here stood a detached lunette constructed in May, 1861, to guard the south flank of the defenses of Washington and named for General Winfield Scott, then General-in-Chief of the Army. It was subsequently relegated to an interior position by the construction of the defenses of Alexandria about 1¾ miles to the west. The Fort had a perimeter of 313 yards and emplacements for 8 guns. A remnant portion may be found immediately to the west. — Map (db m5257) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 9 — Fort Strong |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Strong Nearby to the north stood Fort Strong, a lunette marking the north end of the Arlington Line constructed in August 1861. It had a perimeter of 318 yards and emplacements for 15 guns. — Map (db m5112) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 14 — Fort Tillinghast |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Tillinghast Here stood Fort Tillinghast, a lunette in the Arlington Line constructed in August 1861. It had a perimeter of 298 yards and emplacements for 13 guns. A model of this fort, typical of all lunettes in the Arlington Line, can be seen at the Hume School museum of the Arlington Historical Society. — Map (db m5147) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 12 — Fort Whipple |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Whipple On the high ground to the northeast stood Fort Whipple, a bastioned earthwork built early in 1863 to support the Arlington Line built in 1861. It had a perimeter of 640 yards and emplacements for 47 guns. After the War, Fort Whipple was maintained as a permanent military post. In 1880, the name was changed to Fort Myer in honor of General Albert J. Myer, former post commander and first Chief Signal Officer of the United States Army. — Map (db m5140) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 11 — Fort Woodbury |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Woodbury During the Civil War, the Union built a series of forts to defend Washington, D.C. By 1865 there were 33 earthen fortifications in the Arlington Line. Fort Woodbury (1861) was part of this defensive strategy. Built east of this marker, this lunette fort was named for Major D.P. Woodbury, the engineer who designed and oversaw the building of the entire Arlington Line. — Map (db m5138) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Freedman’s Village — A New Home for African Americans |
| | During the Civil War, many escaped and freed slaves traveled north seeking refuge in Union camps. Thousands crowded into the Federal City. The number of refugees quickly overwhelmed the area’s resources. Overcrowding and disease became prevalent. In response to the unhealthy, crowded conditions that developed in and around the District of Columbia, the federal government selected in May 1863 a site on Arlington Heights to build housing for the freed slaves. A planned community was envisioned . . . — Map (db m5293) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Freedman's Village |
| | After the outbreak of the Civil War, escaped slaves sought refuge at Union Camps and thousands crowded into the Federal City. In response to the unhealthy conditions in Washington, the government selected a site on Arlington Heights in May, 1863, to provide freed slaves with housing and opportunities for work, training and education. Freedman’s Village, which was located in Arlington National Cemetery, was soon built and formally dedicated on December 4, 1863. There were over 50 two-story . . . — Map (db m6409) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — George Nicholas Saegmuller — 1847-1934 |
| | Saegmuller, a native of Germany, came to America at 23 and achieved success as an inventor and manufacturer of scientific instruments. He lived here at Reserve Hill, the home of his parents-in-law, the Vandenbergs, and contributed in many ways to the development of this part of the county. He advanced funds in 1890 for a much-needed school which was named in his honor and which was replaced in 1937 by James Madison School. He was chairman of the County Board of Supervisors and was influential . . . — Map (db m56519) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Hunter's Crossroads |
| | One of the routes at this historic intersection is Glebe Road, developed in the 18-th century to connect Alexandria with northern Arlington. Columbian Turnpike was built in 1808 between the Long Bridge to Washington and the Little River Turnpike at Annandale. In the late 1850s, Louisa Hunter gave land on the norteast corner of the crossroads to a Methodist Church known as Hunter's Chapel. During the Civil War, Federal troops dismantled the church for its building materials after using the . . . — Map (db m59705) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — John Ball House |
| | In 1742, John Ball received a 166-acre land grant from Lord Fairfax and became one of the first settlers in this area. The oldest portion of the present house is a one-story 18th century log cabin that was probably built by John Ball. In 1772, six years after Ball’s death, the property was acquired by William Carlin, once George Washington’s tailor. The Carlin family was associated with this area for over a century thereafter. The two-story portion of the house was added about 1885. In 1975, . . . — Map (db m55374) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — John Saegmuller House |
| | This Prairie style house was built around 1926 for John Leonard Saegmuller. The prominent local family owned about 240 acres of land in this part of the county. John worked for his father George Nicholas designing optical instruments at his factory, Fauth & Company. From 1917-1926, John led the Washington office of Bausch and Lomb, which merged with his father’s business in 1905. From 1926-1939, John and his brothers Frederick and George operated one of Arlington’s most successful dairy . . . — Map (db m57639) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Lacey Car Barn |
| | In 1896, the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway began running electric trolleys from Rosslyn to Falls Church on the present routes of Fairfax Drive and I-66. By 1907, the line linked downtown Washington to Ballston, Vienna, and the Town of Fairfax. In 1910, the railway built at this location a car barn, rail yard, workshop, electrical substation, and general office. In 1912, the rival Washington & Old Dominion Railway began crossing the tracks on a bridge 200 yards west of here, . . . — Map (db m64845) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Little Falls Road |
| | Little Falls Road was originally a trail from the Indian villages at the head of Four Mile Run to the Potomac River fisheries just below the Little Falls. Later it was developed as a wagon road from the settlement at the Falls Church to Thomas Lee’s landing and warehouse at the mouth of Pimmit Run. — Map (db m55811) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — C 72 — Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell — (1902-2004) |
| | Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell was born to a Moravian family in North Carolina, where her upbringing and education led her to devote her life to seeking educational opportunities for others. She served as dean of Staunton's Mary Baldwin College and of Moravian College in Pennsylvania during the 1930s. In Arlington, Campbell in 1947 became the first woman elected to a Virginia school board, serving three terms and intermittently as board chairman until 1963. As president of the Greater . . . — Map (db m55736) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Mary Carlin House |
| | This home incorporates the original log house built about 1800 by William Carlin. It is one of the earliest structures remaining in Arlington. At one time, Carlin had been a tailor in Alexandria whose clients included George Washington. Mr. Carlin’s granddaughter, Mary Alexander Carlin, a school teacher, was born in this house and lived here until her death in 1905. Hers was the last burial in the Ball- Carlin Cemetery adjacent to the Glencarlyn Library. — Map (db m56352) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Maury School |
| | The Clarendon Elementary School was built in 1910 to serve the growing Clarendon neighborhood. The two-story symmetrical building was designed with a central hall and four classrooms on each floor. The school was renamed in 1925 to honor Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873), known as the “Pathfinder of the Seas.” He was a native Virginian, naval officer, geographer, and oceanographer. Prior to the Civil War he was the head of the Naval Observatory. In 1861 he resigned from the U.S. . . . — Map (db m49434) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Maywood |
| | Railroad and trolley lines stimulated the development of many Arlington neighborhoods in the early 20th century. In 1906 the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railway opened a line through this area. From 1909 to 1913 the Conservative Realty Corporation subdivided 73 acres north of Cherrydale to form Maywood. Most of the lots were developed by 1920, with houses reflecting popular vernacular styles of architecture. Maywood has kept a strong sense of neighborhood, and in 1990 became Arlington's first . . . — Map (db m64883) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Minor's Hill |
| | To the northwest is Minor's Hill. So called for George Minor who lived on the far side at the time of the Revolution. It is the highest elevation in the county. In the fall of 1861, it was the site of a Confederate outpost. Afterwards there was a Federal signal station at the top of the hill. Here at the foot of the hill was a large cantonment housing the reserve force supporting the Federal outposts in Fairfax County. — Map (db m24992) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Moses Ball Grant |
| | Moses Ball (1717-1792), the ancestor of generations of prominent Arlingtonians, received a 91-acre grant on this land from Lord Fairfax in 1748. The property remained in the Ball Family until 1818. It is thought that Ball built his home on a rise north of the existing spring about 200 yards east of this marker. George Washington, who owned an adjacent tract of land south of Four Mile Run, surveyed his tract on April, 22, 1785, in company with Moses Ball. — Map (db m56091) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Mt. Olivet Methodist Church |
| | This is Arlington’s oldest church site in continuous use. Land for a Methodist Protestant Meeting House was conveyed in 1855 by William and Ann Marcey and John B. and Cornetia Brown, for whom Brown’s Bend Road (now 16th Street, North) was named. The first church was completed in 1860. During the Civil War Union Troops used the Church as a hospital and subsequently destroyed it. The present structure, erected in 1948-1 949, is the fourth church on the site.
Among those buried in the Mount . . . — Map (db m56225) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Navy and Marine Memorial — Dedicated to Americans Lost at Sea |
| | In war and in peace, in commerce and in travel, in rescue and discovery, in fisheries and in research, this nation has forged a bond with and a dependence on the sea. This monument of waves and gulls memorializes our national life at sea. It is dedicated to the thousands of Americans who have perished in the sea and to those whose destiny still is linked with our naval and maritime services. The reliefs on the sides of the pedestal of the memorial illustrate, by direct or symbolic representation, all these activities. — Map (db m5108) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Old Ball Family Burial Ground |
| | This is one of Arlington’s oldest family burial grounds. Ensign John Ball (1748- 1814), a veteran of the American Revolution (Sixth Virginia Infantry), is buried here. John Ball was the son of Moses Ball, who was one of the pioneer settlers in the Glencarlyn area of Arlington. Also buried in the cemetery are many of John Ball’s direct and collateral descendents, including John Wesley Boldin, a Civil War soldier (Company D, Third Pennsylvania Cavalry), and members of the Marcey. Stricker - Donaldson, and Croson families. — Map (db m56482) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Peck Chevrolet |
| | Bob Peck opened his first Chevrolet dealership in 1939 on Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon. In 1964, he moved the dealership west to Ballston to the very prominent corner of North Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard, 300 feet south of this marker. Taking advantage of the site’s unique location and visibility, local architect Anthony Musolino designed a transparent circular showroom of glass and chrome, with a butterfly roofline whose frieze of diamond-shaped blue panels spelled out . . . — Map (db m64844) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Pentagon Memorial |
| | [Panel 1]:
We claim this ground in remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001.
To honor the 184 people whose lives were lost, their families, and all who sacrifice that we may live in freedom.
We will never forget.
[Panel 2]:
We will be forever grateful to the thousands of people from across the nation and around the world who contributed their time, resources and energy to create this Memorial.
The Pentagon Memorial Fund, Inc. Board of Directors: . . . — Map (db m13109) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Pimmit Run and Chain Bridge |
| | Pimmit Run is a stream that runs from the Pimmit Hills neighborhood in Falls Church and joins the Potomac River immediately south of Chain Bridge. The mouth of Pimmit Run provided Native Americans and settlers access to fresh water and fishing, the transportation of goods, and the opportunity to harness the water's power for industry. This location was the first break in the Potomac palisades (a line of steep cliffs) below Little Falls, which allowed for an early river crossing. Two Indian . . . — Map (db m59708) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 31 — Prospect Hill |
| | The mansion which formerly stood here was built in 1841 by James Roach, a prosperous contractor who supplied most of the brick and stone used in the construction of the Aqueduct Bridge and Alexandria Canal (under construction 1833-1843) and the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad (under construction 1853-1859). His property, which extended to Roach’s Run, was ruined and vandalized during the construction of Fort Runyon and Fort Albany in 1861. His mansion was demolished in 1965. — Map (db m55970) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Site of Arlington Chapel |
| | Arlington's first house of worship, the Chapel of Ease of Arlington Plantation, was near this location. George Washington Parke Custis built it about 1825 for this family, neighbors, and servants. Services were conducted by students from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Alexandria. Union soldiers burned the building at the beginning of the Civil war. The congregation was reestablished after the war when it met in abandoned federal barracks in this vicinity. The trinity Episcopal church, . . . — Map (db m30008) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Southern-Shreve Cemetery |
| | Five generations of the Southern, Shreve, and related families are interred in this burial plot. The Shreve family in Arlington dates from the arrival of Samuel Shreve from New Jersey about 1780. Shreve purchased a tract of land near Ballston in 1791. The earliest grave (1832) is that of John Redin (Sixth Continental Line), a veteran of the American Revolution. Redin’s daughter married Richard Southern. — Map (db m64878) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Southwest No. 8 Boundary Marker |
| | The U.S. Government erected 40 sandstone markers on the boundaries of the District of Columbia in 1791 and 1792. The boundary survey was initiated by President George Washington and executed by Andrew Ellicott, who became Surveyor General of the United States, and black freeman astronomer Benjamin Banneker. The donation of land from Virginia and Maryland fulfilled Article I, Section 8, Clause 12 of the U.S. Constitution, which set aside 10 mile square for the nation’s capital. This stone marked . . . — Map (db m57120) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Stratford Junior High School |
| | On February 2, 1959, Stratford Jr. High became the first racially integrated school in Virginia. The long battle to integrate Virginia's public schools followed the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which held that racially segregated public schools are unconstitutional. The integration of Stratford signaled the end of Virginia's policy of “massive resistance,” which involved closing schools rather than integrating them. The school was built in 1951 . . . — Map (db m55729) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — The Ages of Abingdon — Abingdon Plantation |
| | The land that Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport occupies today was once part of a plantation. This hill and the ruins on it are all that remain of the house that stood here for nearly 190 years.
Abington, as this tract of land on the Potomac River was called, witnessed sweeping historical changes. The land was owned for many years by the Alexander family, for whom Alexandria, Virginia was named. John Parke Custis, George Washington’s adopted stepson, moved his family to Abingdon in . . . — Map (db m8377) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — The Alexander Family — Abingdon Plantation |
| | Abingdon Plantation was originally part of a 6,000 acre tract if land granted to Robert Howson in 1669. As master of a sailing ship, he was given the land in exchange for transporting settlers to the colony of Virginia. Howson sold it to John Alexander for 6,000 pounds of tobacco.
John Alexander was a sea captain and surveyor who emigrated from Scotland to Virginia. After his death in 1677, Alexander’s land was divided between his sons.
By 1746, Gerard Alexander I, John Alexander’s . . . — Map (db m8378) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 10 — The Arlington Line |
| | Historical Site Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 The Arlington Line Here the Arlington Line constructed in August, 1861, crossed the Georgetown-Falls Church road. 100 yards to the northwest stood Fort Morton, a lunette with a perimeter of 250 yards and emplacements for 17 guns; 200 yards to the southeast stood Fort Woodbury, a lunette with a perimeter of 275 yards and emplacements for 13 guns. — Map (db m5161) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — The Ball-Carlin Cemetery |
| | Here between 1766 and 1908 were buried members of the Ball and Carlin families. In 1742 John Ball was granted 166 acres in this area and in 1748 his brother Moses Ball was granted 91 adjoining acres, now the site of Doctor’s Hospital. They were cousins of George Washington who acquired an adjoining tract along Four Mile Run in 1785. After John Ball’s death in 1766, his estate was sold to William Carlin who was one of Washington’s tailors. Fragments of the original Ball-Carlin log house are . . . — Map (db m55376) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — The Custis Family — Abingdon Plantation |
| | John Parke Custis was the adopted stepson of George Washington and had been raised at the nearby Washington estate of Mount Vernon. He and his wife, Eleanor Calvert, lived in New Kent County with their first two daughters. However, Custis wanted to live closer to his parents at Mount Vernon.
In 1778, Custis made a contract with the Alexanders to buy their land. George Washington warned him of the disagreeable terms of sale; however, he wanted so much to live near Mt. Vernon that he ignored . . . — Map (db m8380) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — The Dawson-Bailey House |
| | This house is probably the oldest structure in Arlington County, but its exact age is unknown. This land was first patented in 1696; a house at this site is shown on a survey of 1785. Thomas Dawson enlarged the present house by adding the east end in 1859. He left the place to his daughter. Bessie Lola, who married W. C. Bailey. She lived here for 94 years and died in 1955. — Map (db m56258) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — The Glebe of Fairfax Parish |
| | The glebe was a 500-acre farm provided for the rector of Fairfax Parish, which included both Christ Church, Alexandria, and the Falls Church. The Glebe House, built in 1775, stood here. It burned in 1808 and was rebuilt in 1820, as a hunting lodge; the octagon wing was added about 1850. Distinguished persons who have occupied the house include the Rev. Bryan Fairfax (8th Lord Fairfax), John Peter Van Ness (Mayor of Washington), Clarke Mills(sculptor), Caleb Cushing (first U.S. Minister to China), and Frank Ball (state senator). — Map (db m57022) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — The Hunter Family — Abingdon Plantation |
| | After the Stuarts moved from Abingdon in 1793, the Alexander family once again owned the plantation. Robert Alexander III’s son, Walter, leased Abingdon to several families over the years. In 1807, he advertised the Abingdon estate for sale, ending six generations of ownership by the Alexander family.
The Wise family leased the property from 1808 to 1835. It is reported that the family witnessed the burning of the Capital by British troops while living at Abingdon during the war of 1812. . . . — Map (db m8379) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — The Industrial Age — Abingdon Plantation |
| | During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the encroachment of industry transformed the landscape of Abingdon. Several brick companies purchased the land and began to manufacture brick on the site.
Various modes of transportation converged on Abingdon. In 1892, the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon electric railway was built west of Abingdon and carried tourists to Mount Vernon. In 1924, the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad bought the Abingdon property to extend its rail . . . — Map (db m8385) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — The Mouth of Pimmit Run |
| | Thomas Lee patented land in this area in 1719. Here at the head of navigation of the Potomac River, he established an official tobacco inspection warehouse in 1742, the beginning of Arlington's first industrial complex. After 1794, Philip Richard Fendall and Lewis Hipkins, then owners of 200 acres in the Pimmit Run region built a grist mill, brewery, distillery, cooper and blacksmith shops, and other structures. After 1815, a cloth mill, woolen factory, and paper mill were established along the . . . — Map (db m3337) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Transportation |
| | Near this point the Alexandria Canal crossed Four Mile Run, connecting Alexandria docks and railyards to Georgetown and western Maryland from 1843 to 1886. To the east were the turnpike and railroad. In 1896 the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway began to run electric trolleys beside the abandoned canal in this area, where it also built a car barn, repair shops and a power house. In 1906 the trolley line opened and operated Luna Park west of the tracks, providing a ballroom, . . . — Map (db m22469) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Travers Family Graveyard |
| | John N. and Elizabeth Causins Travers established a 30-acre farm here in 1832, when Arlington was rural and had less than 1,500 inhabitants. Over the years the land was subdivided. Descendants and kin lived here, contributing to the life of Arlington into the 20th century. The graveyard on family land continued a burial tradition common in the rural south. At least 15 members of the related Travers, Whitehead, and Dyer families were interred here, including John N. Travers (d. 1837). His will . . . — Map (db m49800) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Walker Chapel |
| | Walker Chapel, a small frame country church of the Mount Olivet Circuit, was dedicated at this location on July 18, 1876. It was named in honor of the Walker family who donated the Walker Grave Yard as the site for the church. A new frame church was built nearby in 1903 although the original chapel structure continued in use as a Sunday school until its demolition in 1930. The present building dates from 1959. The earliest recorded burial in the adjacent cemetery was that of David Walker, who died in 1848. — Map (db m2316) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Washington's Survey Marker |
| | Although it is no longer legible, this monument marks the northernmost point of an approximately 1200-acre tract of land that George Washington purchased in 1775 prior to the American Revolution. Washington used an oak tree that stood on this site as a corner marker when he surveyed his property in 1785 after the war. Four Mile Run was the eastern boundary of the property. Washington owned the land at the time of his death in 1799 and afterwards it became known as “Washington’s . . . — Map (db m56480) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Watergate Investigation |
| | Mark Felt, second in command at the FBI, met Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward here in this
parking garage to discuss the Watergate scandal. Felt provided Woodward information that exposed the Nixon Administration’s obstruction of the FBI's Watergate investigation. He chose this garage as an anonymous secure location. They met at this garage six times between October 1972 and November 1973. The Watergate scandal resulted in President Nixon’s resignation in 1974. Woodward’s managing editor, . . . — Map (db m55498) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — Welburn Square |
| | This park is named for Dr. Williamson Crothers Welburn, 1874-1964, an Arlington physician whose practice began in 1905. Welburn built his office on this site with a pharmacy/post office downstairs and living space above. The front sidewalk was the first in Arlington. The trolley and historic Ball’s Crossroads at Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard were vital to his practice when Arlington was a semi-rural community. Welburn was the County Medical Examiner for 30 years and helped establish Arlington Hospital. — Map (db m56475) HM |
| Virginia (Arlington County), Arlington — 33 — Wunder's Crossroads |
| | For more than half a century from the mid-1800’s the intersection of Lee Highway and Glebe Road was known as Wunders Crossroads after the family whose farm lay just northeast. Dr. Henry S. Wunder and his son George O. Wunder were leading citizens of the county. Glebe Road was then the “road to the falls.” It was later named for the glebe of Fairfax parish. Its northernmost portion was part of the Little Falls Road from Falls Church. Lee Highway, originally the Georgetown-Fairfax Road was renamed to honor Robert E. Lee. — Map (db m56255) HM |
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