Maywood in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Cherrydale & Maywood
Glimpses of History
This inexpensive, reliable transportation enabled people to commute to work in the city and live in the quiet country atmosphere this area provided. This railway played a vital role in the everyday life of this community for over 30 years. Not only did it provide transportation to and from work, it was also a route to fun and good times. Sometimes folks would ride to catch a breeze on a hot summer day.
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As the CVFD grew they realized they needed a "Central Fire House". Ground was broken in 1918 and the cornerstone was placed on November 10, 1919. Actual construction of the large two-story brick edifice took a little less than two years, using all volunteer labor and all donated materials.
Through the years the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department has served their community in many ways from sponsoring parties, parades, dances, movies, and bingo games, to fighting fires and saving lives. From the twelve member informal bucket brigade of 1898, to the modern, efficient crew, the people of the CVFD have always been ready to "protect and serve". The CVFD has been an important and integral part of life here for years, working to make our community a better, safer place to live.
"A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert."
Andrew Carnegie
Cherrydale Branch Library at its present location, 2190 N. Military Rd., is the first purpose-built
Depicted in the panel are Harvey Lampshire (1912-1993), president of the Cherrydale Citizens' Association, who successfully lobbied for the creation of a new building for the library during 1957-60; the yellow, red, and blue logo for Cherrydale Library, designed in 1998 by Michael Gessel, president of the Citizens for Cherrydale Library; and the large Chinese chestnut treean Arlington Notable Treethat shades the front of Cherrydale Library and which predates the library's construction.
This area was continually occupied by Federal troops for the four years
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 13, 2018
3. Mural depicting history discussed on marker
The war radically changed the landscape and the fortunes of the people who lived here. Most of the scars from the Civil War are gone, and it is difficult to imagine the presence of so many soldiers in these backyards except when residents dig up artifacts while gardening
"True belonging is born of relationships not only to one another but to a place of shared responsibilities and benefits. We love not so much what we have acquired as what we have made and with whom we have made it." Robert Finch
Over the years Maywood and Cherrydale have each maintained their tight knit small community feel here in this busy, dense metro DC/Arlington area. Customs and traditions are important in maintaining these seamless relationships.
We use regular meetings, listservs and newsletters to stay close and provide strong involvement in Arlington decision making. We gather too for caroling,
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 13, 2018
4. Mural depicting history discussed on marker
Maywood and Cherrydale owe their early development to the arrival of the railroad and electric streetcar in the early twentieth century. They derive their historical significance from the fact that they are among the earliest and most intact of Arlington County's trolley car suburbs. While changing with the times, the area has managed to retain its sense of identity, community, and architectural character throughout it's history.
Erected by Christopher Companies, The Cherrydale Citizens Association, The Maywood Community Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work • Railroads & Streetcars • War, US Civil.
Location. 38° 53.76′ N, 77° 6.247′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Maywood. It is at the intersection of Langston Boulevard (U.S. 29) and North Monroe Street, in the median on Langston Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3520 Lee Highway, Arlington VA 22207, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cherrydale Masonic Hall (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Cherrydale Drug Fair Sit-In (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cherrydale Volunteer Firehouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cherrydale (approx. 0.3 miles away); Mary M. Lockwood (approx. 0.4 miles away); Taking Action: Michael Jones, Gloria Thompson, Ronald Deskins, Lance Newman (approx. half a mile away); Taking Action: E. Leslie Hamm, Jr. (approx. half a mile away); Maywood (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 15, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 752 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 15, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
