Long Bridge Park in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Long Bridge Park: A Community Space
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 7, 2019
Arlington House is a majestic estate overlooking the Potomac River. The mansion's property originally stretched for 1,100 acres and was the home of General Robert E. Lee. During the Civil War, the grounds were selected as the site of Arlington National Cemetery.
Infamous for its racetrack, saloons, brothels and gambling houses, Jackson City developed at the foot of the Long Bridge in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1904, a mob of disapproving local citizens destroyed most of the establishments in the area.
Many of the first African Americans in the Arlington community were forced to work on plantations as slaves. After the outbreak of the Civil War, Union officials set up Freedmen's Village on the former Lee estate to shelter ex-slaves. When the community was dispersed in the late 1800s, many families settled in Arlington nearby.
Arlington Population:
1800: 5,949
1850: 10,008
1900: 6,430
1950: 135,449
2010: 207,627
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Industry & Commerce • Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.
Location. 38° 52.068′ N, 77° 2.689′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Long Bridge Park. Marker can be reached from Long Bridge Drive east of 6th Street South, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 385 Long Bridge Drive, Arlington VA 22202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. From Brownfield to Playing Fields (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fort Runyon (about 700 feet away); A Roadside Respite (approx. ¼ mile away); The Defenses of Washington (approx. 0.3 miles away); A Historic Junction (approx. 0.3 miles away); The March Across the Long Bridge (approx. 0.3 miles away); Fort Runyon: Defending the Capital (approx. 0.3 miles away); Known Units Garrisoned at Fort Runyon (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 7, 2019
Credits. This page was last revised on March 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 7, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 229 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 7, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.