Long Bridge Park in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
From Brownfield to Playing Fields
This small piece of land has a long history of light industrial use: brickyards, construction, a service station, and a scrapyard. When Arlington acquired the property, the County entered the site into the Voluntary Remediation Program, allowing state oversight of the cleanup process to ensure the site's safety for recreational use.
Bricks from the West Brothers Brick Company (pictured here around 1935) were used in the Pentagon, the Capitol and the White House. West Brothers was one of many companies to use this land as a brickyard.
You can see some light industrial use of the land in this 1999 aerial view of the future Long Bridge Park site.
The County removed heavily contaminated soil from the site. The remaining soil was isolated in designated Placement Zones and covered with up to two feet of clean fill dirt to further safeguard park visitors.
Erected by Arlington County.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1999.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 38° 52.005′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found 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 location: A different marker also named From Brownfield to Playing Fields (here, next to this marker); Arlington's Natural Side (within shouting distance of this marker); Long Bridge Park: A Legacy of Recreation (about 500 feet away); Looking Beyond the Park (about 500 feet away); A Historic Junction (about 600 feet away); Significance of Roaches Run Sanctuary (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort Runyon (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Roadside Respite (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Other markers no longer nearby. Long Bridge Park: A Community Space (was about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named A Historic Junction (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker. There are slight differences in inscription.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 7, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 276 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 7, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
