The park features softball and baseball diamonds, grandstands, basketball & horseshoe courts, an outdoor fireplace, picnic tables, and a drinking fountain. — — Map (db m214518) HM
In 1775, Prince Hall (a freed slave) and fourteen other African Americans joined Lodge No. 441, Grand Lodge of Ireland (a military lodge in Boston. After the British vacated Boston, the black masons were left with limited powers but . . . — — Map (db m184532) HM
The entrepreneurial spirit of Green Valley was born of necessity. Businesses emerged in the shadow of segregation as owners supplied services that otherwise were denied to their community.
[Captions:]
James Chinn established . . . — — Map (db m214454) HM
Dr. Roland Herman Bruner, born on March 7, 1902 in Burkittsville, Maryland, served Arlington County for over 40 years. He should be remembered not only for his commitment to medicine and generosity to the community and his patients, but also for . . . — — Map (db m130993) HM
In 1945 a new segregated elementary school was built for Arlington’s African American population in the Green Valley, now Nauck, neighborhood. It was the only Arlington school to be built in the Art Moderne architectural style. Originally called . . . — — Map (db m69192) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m5158) HM
As a business and civil rights leader, Leonard "Doc" Muse established Arlington County's first African-American owned and operated pharmacy at 2415 Shirlington Road in 1952. He overcame the challenges of racism, segregation, and inequality to bring . . . — — Map (db m130989) HM
John D. Nauck, Jr. buys and subdivides 69 acres of land that became known as Nauckville and later simply Nauck, and Green Valley. — — Map (db m214464) HM
African American residents struggled through segregation and also faced challenges during the integration of Arlington Public Schools. Therefore, leaders sought solutions to accommodate the increasing population as schools and housing were . . . — — Map (db m214459) HM
The Little Zion Congregation was organized in 1866 by residents of Freedman's Village. The congregation purchased this site in 1874. In 1867, T.H. Lomax was elected Bishop of the AME Zion Church and assigned to the Washington, D.C. area. The Little . . . — — Map (db m130988) HM
Macedonia Baptist Church was the first African-American church established by residents in the Nauck community. Founded in 1911, the church traces its origins to prayer meetings held in 1908 at the home of Bonder and Amanda Johnson at 22nd Street . . . — — Map (db m69190) HM
As soon as the smoking guns of the Civil War were finally silenced, a group of former slaves banded themselves together in what was then known as Freedmen’s Village, a government reservation in the area of Arlington National Cemetery, and founded a . . . — — Map (db m69189) HM
The Nauck community has a long and diverse history. The area that now comprises the Nauck neighborhood was originally granted to John Todd and Evan Thomas in 1719. The land was later acquired by Robert Alexander and sold to John Parke Custis in . . . — — Map (db m2504) HM
Freedman's Village, established by the federal government in 1863, was intended to provide temporary accommodation for newly freed slaves, but it survived as a community for over thirty years. When the government closed it, many residents . . . — — Map (db m130991) HM
Green Valley, formerly Nauck, is a traditionally African American neighborhood. Levi Jones first settled in this area and was later joined by other African American families such as Thornton and Selina Gray, William Augustus and Ellen Rowe, and . . . — — Map (db m214449) HM
Churches fulfilled a critical role in the growth and development of Green Valley. They served as social and spiritual anchors while providing sanctuary for generations of residents.
[Captions:]
The Methodists were the first . . . — — Map (db m214455) HM
County facilities for African Americans during segregation were limited. Jennie Dean Park offered outdoor play fields and tennis courts. Neighbors also gathered to enjoy seasonal sports, express support for local teams, and participate in social . . . — — Map (db m214457) HM
The 100-ft wide W&OD has been called "the skinniest park" in Virginia. But it is also one of the longest parks, 45 miles of paved trail for walking, running cycling and skating and more. Built on the roadbed of the former Washington & Old . . . — — Map (db m131543) HM
March 20, 1847 - Incorporated as the Alexandria &
Harper’s Ferry Railroad.
March 15, 1853 - The corporate name changes to the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad Company.
February 25, 1855 - . . . — — Map (db m2500) HM
W & OD Trail.
The 100-foot-wide Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park (W&OD Trail) features a 45-mile asphalt trail for walking, running, skating, bicycling and other activities and a 33-mile parallel, gravel bridle path for . . . — — Map (db m2406) HM
The surrounding neighborhood of Nauck, also known as Green Valley, is one of the oldest African American communities in Arlington County. Its history traces to 1844, when freedman Levi Jones purchased land to build a home and farm . . . — — Map (db m131544) HM
Ernest E. Johnson: His work let Arlington play.
In 1949, Arlington County formally established a Department of Recreation. Mirroring the public school system, all classes, clubs and activities sponsored by the Department were . . . — — Map (db m131545) HM
In the early part of the 20th century, due to widespread racial segregation, the residents of Green Valley relied upon each other's generosity and community spirit to access recreational amenities which were otherwise forbidden to them. Community . . . — — Map (db m214520) HM
After the purchase by the County, the County Board delegated Anna P. Belcher, a member of the Arlington Interracial Commission, to name the playground. She named it after Jennie Serepta Dean, who founded the Manassas Industrial School for Colored . . . — — Map (db m214522) HM
This wall is a reminder of racial segregation in the historically African American community of Hall's Hill. During construction of the Woodlawn Village subdivision in the 1930s, a wall of various materials and heights was built here to separate . . . — — Map (db m157671) HM
This acroterion originally decorated the pediment over the main entrance of the Abbey Mausoleum, which overlooked Arlington National Cemetery. Built in 1926 by the United States Mausoleum Company, the Romanesque-style building featured an . . . — — Map (db m66941) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m5255) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m134976) HM
This stretch of riverside has hosted many diverse communities over time. Nameroughquena tribal homes, the large estates of the Lees and other prominent families, raucous Jackson City, and historic African-American neighborhoods have all existed in . . . — — Map (db m134978) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m5147) HM
For many years, Harlan and Ruth Rockwell owned this land and made it available to the community as a park. In 2010 Ruth sold this property to the Northern Virginia Conservancy Trust for a fraction of its value. In 2011, the Trust donated these . . . — — Map (db m144995) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m8180) HM
Cherrydale Station
The first steam locomotive reached Cherrydale and Thrifton (now Maywood) in the spring of 1904. There were two rail lines in Alexandria (now Arlington) County that served the young community. There were many stations along . . . — — Map (db m125007) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m5104) HM
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
This sign marks the spot where Dr. Bay Jacobs and his wife Eva built their home, a beautiful stone castle. Dr. Jacobs was a prominent physician who served on the staff of both Georgetown and Arlington Hospitals. The location of this property, . . . — — Map (db m153395) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m56258) HM
This spring and the property on which it is located is rich with the recorded history of Arlington. Its first owner, Thomas Owsley, patented the land in 1696. by law, Owsley would have been required to build a house on the land within one year, . . . — — Map (db m129247) HM
The oldest trees in this forest probably began growing around 1865. Before that time, most of the trees along Arlington's Palisades were cut down to establish a clear line of sight for the Civil War fortifications surrounding Washington. The most . . . — — Map (db m186870) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m5106) HM
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, . . . — — Map (db m5111) HM
Dedicated to all men and women wounded in all our wars.
My stone is red for
The blood they shed
The medal I bear
Is my Country's way
To show they care.
If I could be seen
By all mankind
Maybe peace will
Come in . . . — — Map (db m82494) WM
Rosslyn traditionally has served as a principal gateway to Arlington and to Virginia. Captain John Smith explored this area in 1608. Awbrey's Ferry carried travelers across the Potomac for more than a century in the 1700s and 1800s. The Aqueduct . . . — — Map (db m82493) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m55498) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m56255) HM
Fort Ethan Allen's star-shaped design enabled soldiers to defend all sides of the fort.
Constructed primarily from earth and wood, Fort Ethan Allen was a bastion-style fort. Bastions are angular structures that jut out from the enclosing . . . — — Map (db m129227) HM WM
Fort Ethan Allen had emplacements for 36 guns.
The forts that formed the Defenses of Washington were placed at half-mile intervals, supplemented with artillery batteries and rifle pits, making a nearly continuous connection between . . . — — Map (db m129236) HM
No enemy could have gotten as close to Fort Ethan Allen as you are now.
A half-mile perimeter of earthen walls and deep ditches enclosed the fort. Inside, as many as 1,000 soldiers manned the fort's 36 gun emplacements. Some pieces of . . . — — Map (db m132581) HM
Fort Ethan Allen was a repeating station, transmitting messages back and forth to other nearby stations.
A series of signal stations linked the forts of the Defenses of Washington. The soldiers who relayed secret messages from station to . . . — — Map (db m129238) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m2318) HM
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 south of . . . — — Map (db m213839) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m2317) HM
The earthen mounds that surround you are the remains of the fort's construction.
The model behind you re-creates Fort Ethan Allen as it was depicted in U.S. Army engineering drawings published after the Civil War. Use the drawing and model . . . — — Map (db m129237) HM
At the peak of the Civil War, as many as 1,000 soldiers were garrisoned at Fort Ethan Allen.
The men who built and defended the fort belonged to volunteer regiments recruited from New York, Massachusetts, and other northern states. While . . . — — Map (db m129240) HM
Fort Ethan Allen depended on more than its thick exterior walls to protect it from enemy attack.
Guards stationed outside the fort in sentry boxes checked unfamiliar wagons for valid passes before allowing entry to the fort. Inside, . . . — — Map (db m129242) HM
Saegmuller Public School stood on this site from 1901 to 1939. It was one of the first schools in Arlington and was named in honor of George Saegmuller (1847-1934). He personally donated funds for the construction of the building. During most of the . . . — — Map (db m129244) HM
Fort Ethan Allen Chain Bridge Gulf Branch Sanctuary for Wildlife and not so wildlife herineafter referred to as…
The Sanctuary
…Historical Site of Civil War Fort Ethan Allen which commanded all the approaches south of Pimmit Run to . . . — — Map (db m129245) HM
Company M, 2nd New York Heavy Artillery, August 1865
The war ended in April 1865, but troops continued to occupy the fort temporarily. With their guns cleaned and polished, Company M would be mustered out in Washington, D.C., on September 29. . . . — — Map (db m129232) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m2316) HM
Much survives of Fort Ethan Allen, a critical part of the Defenses of Washington, D.C., during the Civil War.
Fort Ethan Allen defended the southern approaches to Chain Bridge, one of the three Potomac River crossings that Confederate . . . — — Map (db m129223) HM
Dr. Charles R. Drew lived in this house from 1920 to 1939. His groundbreaking research led to the modern-day blood bank and proved that blood plasma could be used in place of whole blood transfusions. He served as director of the Red Cross Blood . . . — — Map (db m134967) HM
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
Founded in 1903, the congregation of St. John's Baptist Church proudly recalls African-American heritage in Arlington County. Some of the early members were emancipated slaves or relatives of emancipated slaves who either lived in slave quarters at . . . — — Map (db m134970) HM
Three radio towers similar to the Eiffel Tower in construction were erected here in 1913. One stood 600 feet and the other two 450 feet above the 200-foot elevation of the site. The word "radio" was first used, instead of "wireless," in the name of . . . — — Map (db m134969) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m5258) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m55970) HM
Barns were an integral part of life for early farmers who once tilled the local soils. They housed livestock and were used for storing feed, produce, and farm equipment. Though the farmers are now gone, the remains of the old barns can still be . . . — — Map (db m197941) HM
The Donaldson family lived and farmed here from the 1840's to the 1930's. During that time, this straight, wide path was a farm road they used for getting around. The Donaldsons were "market farmers", growing crops like wheat, oats, corn, potatoes, . . . — — Map (db m197939) HM
This natural spring was referred to as the "Indian Spring" by local farmers in the early 1900's who found arrowheads and other artifacts left behind by the land's former occupants.
Today, many springs in Arlington have gone dry as the . . . — — Map (db m197944) HM
Explore the natural world on 67 acres of wild and cultivated land at Potomac Overlook Regional Park in Arlington, Virginia. Hike two miles of trails while following interpretive displays to learn about the park's natural and cultural history. . . . — — Map (db m197927) HM
[Left panel:]
Four Mile Run and Flooding
The population of the neighborhoods near Four Mile Run grew extensively in the 1940s and 1950s, following World War II. Many new buildings and roads were constructed covering more . . . — — Map (db m147126) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m47305) HM
Following the Civil War four regiments (9th and 10th Cavalry; 24th and 25th Infantry) of African-American enlisted men, under the command of white officers, were formed to fight on the Western frontier. They did so with distinction being . . . — — Map (db m41108) HM
The United States Marine Corps War Memorial stands as a symbol of our nation's high regard for the honored dead of the Marine Corps. Although the statue depicts one of the most famous events of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines . . . — — Map (db m129450) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m5161) HM
On the morning of February 23, 1945, the fifth day of battle, a 40-man Marine combat patrol ascended the rocky slopes of Mount Suribachi, a 550-foot extinct volcano at the southern tip of Iwo Jima. The patrol, led by First Lieutenant Harold G. . . . — — Map (db m129449) HM
Dedicated to the Marine dead of all wars, and their comrades of other services who fell fighting beside them.
Created by Felix de Weldon, and inspired by the immortal photograph taken by Joseph J. Rosenthal on February 23, 1945, atop Mt. . . . — — Map (db m4914) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m3339) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m2315) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m15867) HM
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. . . . — — Map (db m8381) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m8386) HM
U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial
Learn more about the U.S. Marine Corps' long history of service. Sculpted from a famous photograph of the second flag-raising during the World War II battle for Iwo Jima, the monument honors all Marines who . . . — — Map (db m130982) HM
The statue of Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States from 1981-1989, is located northeast of this location at the driving entrance to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
In 1987, President Reagan's Secretary of . . . — — Map (db m70983) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m8377) HM