Arlington Historical Society

Ball-Sellers House museum to get three bronze plaques memorializing people enslaved there

By Jo DeVoe
The Ball-Sellers House (via Google Maps)

Bronze plaques dubbed “stumbling stones” will honor the lives of three people once enslaved in what is likely Arlington’s oldest house, the Ball-Sellers House.

The three commemorative markers are the first of their kind and will be the subject of a dedication event later this month. The event will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Ball-Sellers House (5620 3rd Street S.), which is now a free museum.

The markers remember a woman named Nancy and two unnamed men who were enslaved by the Carlin family, which lived in the house from 1772 to 1887. The Carlins are the namesake for Glencarlyn, one of Arlington’s oldest neighborhoods, in which the Ball-Sellers House is located.

The Arlington Historical Society (AHS) found records of these three enslaved people while combing through historical records. This effort is part of an ongoing project to uncover the lives and restore the humanity of enslaved people.

The project, dubbed Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington, 1669-1865, is led by AHS Board Member Jessica Kaplan, with help from volunteers and support from the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington,

“Few records exist in Arlington that document enslaved individuals, and even fewer that provide names,” the historical society said in a release. “Yet, after two years of research, Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington has shed light on these early Americans, and many others, who contributed so much to the economic, social, and cultural development of our county.”

Black Heritage Museum Director Scott Taylor tells ARLnow the museum believes “it is vital and important having these plaques around” Arlington.

“I just know it will make us a better and healthier community as we recognize those unsung heroes who had a stake filled with blood, sweat and tears in efforts to making us triumphant,” he said.

One of the memorialized slaves is Nancy, who was born around 1775 and died between 1835-38. As an older woman, Nancy “waited on” her enslaver, Elizabeth Carlin, from the 1820s until Elizabeth died in 1834, according to probate records AHS reviewed.

Elizabeth was the wife of William Carlin, who bought the Ball-Sellers House from the estate of John Ball in 1772. She also enslaved one of the unnamed men who will be memorialized.

The second unnamed man was enslaved by Letitia Carlin, the widow of James Carlin, one of William’s sons, per census records from 1850 AHS reviewed. For the two enslaved men, only their birth years are known, circa 1806 and in 1844, respectively.

While Nancy and the two unnamed men were identified through probate and census records, others could have come and gone between census years, Kaplan says.

“[The Carlins] could have hired many enslaved people which was common but the records don’t exist to tell us about it,” she tells ARLnow.

As for the plaques honoring them, AHS made a point of involving Arlington Public Schools teachers and students. Career and Technical Education teachers helped design the plaques and students at Arlington Tech and Washington-Liberty High School will make them, Kaplan said.

“Students… will be cutting the bronze for the Ball-Sellers House plaques, engraving them, mounting them on hand poured concrete pillars and helping put them into place at Ball-Sellers,” she said. “All the students involved have learned about the three enslaved people they are making the plaques for and given an overview of slavery in Arlington.”

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Insect damage jeopardizes the oldest building in Arlington

By Hallie LeTendre
The Ball-Sellers House (image via Google Maps)

The oldest home in Arlington is in jeopardy of being destroyed, the Arlington Historical Society says, and insects are to blame.

The Ball-Sellers House was originally built in the 18th century, sometime within the mid-1700s, according to the historical society.

The home is a Virginia state historical landmark and has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, an Arlington Historical Society article said.

Despite weathering several centuries, the house is now being threatened by something just about a quarter of an inch long: powderpost beetles.

“The beetles eat the wood the house is made of and make it become like sawdust,” Annette Benbow, who serves on the Ball-Sellers House Committee and the Arlington Historical Society board, tells ARLnow.

Benbow says she believes the beetles have been caught in time to save the home. However, money needs to be raised to cover the cost.

The Arlington Historical Society created a GoFundMe page that has raised, as of Tuesday morning, $1,375 of its $6,000 goal.

“We need to spray the home with a very expensive material that will not hurt the house, but will prevent the furthering of damage that the beetles have caused,” Benbow said.

The house remains open to the public — from 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays, April through October, according to the historical society. It is located on 5620 3rd Street S., in the Glencarlyn neighborhood.

If the $6,000 is not raised online, the Arlington Historical Society will still pay for the spray, but the expense would affect the society’s budget and take away funds for other projects and historic buildings, Benbow said.

“We do not get money from any governmental level. All of our money comes from donations or membership dues,” she said. “The house must be saved as it is a structural and historical artifact that is irreplaceable and rare.”

Image via Google Maps

Historical Society to homeowners: please don’t tear down your old house

By ARLnow.com
Demolition of Rouse estate in Dominion Hills (file photo by Jay Westcott)

The Arlington Historical Society is trying to convince homeowners of older and potentially historically significant properties to consider alternatives to tearing their homes down or selling to homebuilders.

The society said earlier this week that it “has sent an appeal letter to dozens of area homeowners, home-builders and real estate agents” which “asks that owners, builders and agents conduct research on their properties before rushing to the tear-down option.”

The society cited the demolition of the Febrey-Lothrop house on the 9-acre Rouse estate in Dominion Hills, along with the more recent demolition of the circa-1889 Fellows-McGrath House at 6404 Washington Blvd. Both properties are slated for the construction of new housing.

‘The recent demolition of several valuable properties… are key examples of beloved properties that fell to the wrecking ball without sufficient consideration, in our view, of creative alternatives,” the society’s letter said. “We believe the best way to preserve more properties that reflect Arlington’s heritage is through education and negotiations that honor the interests of all parties.”

The letter comes as a pair of bills intended to bolster historic preservation efforts failed to pass the Virginia legislature this year.

Supporters of the proposed legislation want to require local governments to block demolition of properties that are under consideration for historic status. In the case of the recently-razed Arlington homes, demolition took place before the county was able to complete a historic designation process urged by preservation advocates.

A press release from the Arlington Historical Society is below.

As part of its new push to improve preservation of historic properties, the Arlington Historical Society has sent an appeal letter to dozens of area homeowners, home-builders and real estate agents.

‘The recent demolition of several valuable properties — the historic Febrey-Lothrop house at 6407 Wilson Boulevard and the “Memory House” at 6404 Washington Boulevard — are key examples of beloved properties that fell to the wrecking ball without sufficient consideration, in our view, of creative alternatives,” the letter said. We believe the best way to preserve more properties that reflect Arlington’s heritage is through education and negotiations that honor the interests of all parties.”

Acknowledging that the county is changing and expressing respect for “by-right ownership and the free-market considerations that go into home sales and improvements,” the nonprofit asks that owners, builders and agents conduct research on their properties before rushing to the tear-down option. “We feel that Arlington’s government, residents, and businesses could do more to preserve properties that represent either notable personages, events, or architectural styles,” the letter said.

While the society cannot offer official advice as to whether a given property is historic, it could assist in explorations of alternatives to demolition — finding a historically minded buyer, or an architect who could design a partial renovation.

Society president Cathy Bonneville Hix invites residents who have questions on the historic importance of any residential or commercial property to contact the society via the website arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org or the county’s Historic Preservation Program office at 703-228-3831.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Soccer practice at Long Bridge Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

New Organ Debuts Tomorrow — “The new organ [at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Virginia Square] cost $1.2 million… Opus 28 arrived in Arlington on Oct. 3, 2021. For three weeks, Pasi put together the 500,000 parts that constitute it. He spent the next two months ‘voicing’ the organ: doing the painstaking adjustments necessary to make everything sound just right.” [Washington Post]

Reminder: Pizza Boxes Can Be Composted — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “There’s No ‘I’ in Food Scraps: Arlington viewers of ‘The Big Game’ can give 110% and go all in in the green curbside cart: pizza crusts and boxes, wing bones and greasy napkins. You won’t be denied.” [Twitter]

County Helping With Museum Renovations — “As efforts begin to renovate its museum, the Arlington Historical Society is working to embrace close collaboration where possible with the Arlington County government. Whether that will turn into a financial partnership remains to be seen, but county staff will be providing their knowledge to help the renovation move ahead.” [Sun Gazette]

Public Defender Pay Bill Fails — “A measure to equalize pay between staff of Virginia prosecutors and those working in public-defender’s offices died in a House of Delegates subcommittee. The measure, patroned by Del. Alfsono Lopez (D-Arlington-Fairfax), would have required localities that supplement the compensation of staff in its office of commonwealth’s attorney beyond state minimums to do the same for staff of a public defender’s office, if a locality has one.” [Sun Gazette]

Nearby: Scammers Impersonating Police — “Officers have received reports from community members who stated that callers contact them claiming to be members of a police department or sheriff’s department. The law enforcement impersonator may… tell the community member they missed a court appearance or jury duty [and] state they need to send money or a warrant will be issued for their arrest or they may turn themselves in to jail.” [City of Falls Church]

Snow Possible This Weekend — “Light to moderate snow could fall in the D.C. area on Super Bowl Sunday. But it’s still not clear whether it will snow hard enough or be cold enough for it to amount to much and have serious effects on the region.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Thursday — Sunny, with a high near 55 today, and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Sunrise at 7:04 a.m. and sunset at 5:40 p.m. Sunny again tomorrow, with a high near 57 and wind gusts as high as 22 mph. [Weather.gov]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Man Found Unconscious in Jail Cell — “A 58-year-old adult male has been transported to an area hospital for medical treatment after being found unconscious in his cell in the Arlington County Detention Facility. At approximately 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2021, the individual was found unconscious in his cell in the medical unit. Deputies and medical staff began immediate resuscitation efforts until the arrival of Arlington [County Fire Department] units. He was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for additional treatment and is in stable condition.” [Arlington County]

Expect More Pedestrians Near Schools — “On Wednesday, Oct. 6, Arlington Public Schools is taking part in Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day, an annual international celebration that encourages students to walk, bike or roll to school while teaching the health, environmental and community-building benefits of active transportation and safe routes to school.” [Arlington County]

New DCA Checkpoints Opening Soon — “Reagan National Airport’s new security checkpoints are set to open in about a month, in time for holiday travel. This will dramatically reshape the airport, putting most of what is now open space (Ben’s Chili Bowl) in the B/C terminals BEHIND security.” [NBC Washington, Twitter]

Honors for Fmr. W-L Volleyball Player — “Kate Sheire ’24 led the Bears offense, scoring 21 kills and blocking three shots to help bolster their defense… Sheire, who leads the Bears roster with 136.5 points over 11 games, added to her already-stellar rookie campaign with the performance against Yale. The Ivy League announced Monday that Sheire — whose 21 kills led all scorers in the first week of conference play – was selected as both the Ivy League Rookie of the Week and Ivy League Player of the Week Monday.” [Brown Daily Herald]

Historical Society Talk Planned — “In another sign of a rebound in the COVID era, the Arlington Historical Society is resuming in-person meetings. First up: An Oct. 14 gathering focused on the Syphax family. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at the Reinsch Library on the main campus of Marymount University… Historian and genealogist Steve Hammond will discuss the Syphax family, starting with those who were enslaved on the Arlington House plantation, continuing with the post-Civil War era and running through the modern day.” [Sun Gazette]

Football Trophy Returns to Yorktown — “After years of being elsewhere, a championship football trophy has returned to where it originated – in possession of the Yorktown High School football team. Back in 1976, when David Gebhardt was Yorktown’s first-year head football coach, the Patriots won the Great Falls District title. When Gebhardt moved to Jamestown, N.C., years later, that trophy unintentionally was taken along.” [Sun Gazette]

Estate of First Presidential Physician Has Enduring Arlington Legacy

By Anuj Khemka
1/4

With a membership list that has included five presidents and 19 Supreme Court justices, Washington Golf & Country Club is known as the “Club of Presidents.”

Without the help of one prosperous Arlington doctor, however, the elite club founded in 1893 would have closed in 1906.

Rear Admiral Presley Marion Rixey, Surgeon General in the U.S. Navy, served as the full-time personal physician to Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. He is considered the first “White House Physician,” though the title wasn’t officially used until 1928.

Beyond his medical exploits, the doctor owned a significant amount of land in Arlington. He lived on a large property then-called Netherfauld, which he purchased in 1888 from Mary Ann Hall, known for the rowdy brothel she ran in D.C. According to Johnathan Thomas, the former president of the Arlington Historical Society, there is no evidence her property in Arlington housed a similar business.

(Her brother, Bazil Hall is the namesake of Halls Hill: He owned enslaved persons and later sold his land to African-American families in Arlington, leading to the founding of the historically Black neighborhood.)

Rixey’s relationship to Teddy Roosevelt was not just one between a doctor and patient. They were friends, and so were their wives. President Roosevelt often came to Netherfauld to ride on horseback with Rixey through his many acres of rural lands and to eat ice cream made on the property. Mrs. Roosevelt, meanwhile, would frequently walk from the White House to Netherfauld to have lunch with Mrs. Rixey.

While Rixey enjoyed his property, he also was generous with it, ensuring the Washington Golf & Country Club — of which he was a member and the Chairman of the Greens Committee — had a permanent home.

“Admiral Rixey carried Washington Golf through its worst financial times, restructuring notes and forgiving interest so the fledgling club could survive,” according to an article written by Thomas, who also acted as the historian for WGCC.

Thomas went so far as to call Rixey the “Godfather” of the golf club. In 1906, WGCC was pushed out of its original Rosslyn location by investors looking to develop a residential area instead. Close to disbanding, members of the club searched for a location that would keep them close to D.C. 

The club unsuccessfully tried to reestablish the club on the Saegmuller Farm — land that is now used by Arlington’s Knights of Columbus. Rixey’s offer in 1908 to sell 75 acres of his Netherfauld Farm for $50,000 saved WGCC from extinction.

“There’s a story handed down at the club that one of the members got the [Saegmuller Farm] under contract because he wanted to make a fee off of it. They said ‘forget it,’ and ended up buying the property from Rixey,” Thomas tells ARLnow.

Rixey helped the club after the sale. With it struggling financially, Rixey redesigned the agreed-upon payment plan and forgave interest. The doctor also donated more acres to WGCC as a prize to club president Joseph Johnson for defeating him in a golf game. Later, he offered to sell even more of his land to the club at a discounted price, but the leaders declined.

While clearing out part of Rixey’s land for the golf course and club, Richard Wallace — Rixey’s valet, Roosevelt’s former White House chauffeur, and one of four men who laid down the first nine holes in 1908 — happened upon a previously uninhabited log cabin on the Netherfauld grounds.

Wallace became enchanted with the log cabin and Rixey gifted it to him to live there. Whenever President Roosevelt visited the Rixey home, Wallace would bring homemade ice cream that Roosevelt enjoyed so much that Wallace let him lick the ice cream from the paddles once he was done churning.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Another Rosslyn Redevelopment Planned — “Rosslyn’s aging Xerox Building could soon be replaced with a massive new apartment complex, as the neighborhood’s older properties continue to steadily redevelop. The investment advisory firm TIAA, which owns the building, and its real estate arm, Nuveen, filed plans in Arlington County last month calling for the full overhaul of the property at 1616 Fort Myer Drive. In its place, the companies hope to build a 691-unit apartment building reaching up to 30 stories tall.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington History Museum Reopens — “Having reopened its museum to the public on the nation’s 245th birthday, leaders of the Arlington Historical Society are now looking ahead to completing a top-to-bottom renovation and reimagining of the facility in time for the nation’s 250th… The museum is located in the 19th-century Hume School, located on Arlington Ridge Road. It came into the society’s possession 60 years ago, and is showing its age.” [Sun Gazette]

Last Week’s Tornado, As Seen from D.C. — “Lightning softly flickered inside the body of the storm. The shelf cloud, a smoothed and rounded arc fanning outward just above the ground, was lit from below as it tumbled over the urban glow of Ballston, Clarendon and Rosslyn… I began fixating on a ringed, collar-shaped cloud above the curtains of rain. Shortly before 9 p.m., the lowest portion of the cloud appeared to be curling inward, deviating from the storm’s heading.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Local Swim Club Update — “The Overlee Flying Fish defeated the Donaldson Run Thunderbolts in a rare all-Arlington matchup in the Northern Virginia Swimming League. Overlee won, 236-184, on July 3, keeping the Flying Fish tied for first with the Tuckahoe Tigers at 3-0 in Division 1. Donaldson Run fell to 0-3.” [Sun Gazette]

Nearby: Alexandria Removes SROs — The Alexandria City Council has voted to remove School Resource Officers from city schools, despite opposition to the move from the School Board. Last month the Arlington School Board voted to move SROs off school grounds.  [ALXnow]

Arlington Historical Society Fights to Save Dominion Hills Mansion from Demolition

By Vernon Miles

As a large Arlington estate nears a potential demolition, a local historic preservation group is fighting to have the estate’s main house saved.

The Febrey-Lothrop Estate — also known as the Rouse estate — is a 9-acre site at 6407 Wilson Blvd, near Arlington’s western border with Fairfax County. On it sits a more than 100-year-old home that has housed prominent business figures and celebrities over the years.

With a demolition permit application pending, a local nonprofit hopes that the county government can intervene and preserve the building.

“Over the past 150 years, the Febrey-Lothrop Estate has graced the Upton Hill neighborhood of Arlington,” the Arlington Historical Society (AHS) said in a letter recently sent to the County Board. “Despite war, twentieth-century alterations, and major development of the neighborhood, the manor home and grounds remain a proud, historically significant Arlington landmark.”

The original home on the property was built before the Civil War and once hosted a Union encampment and hospital. The property later became residence of Alvin Lothrop, co-founder of Woodward & Lothrop Department Store; Howard Hughes; and most recently businessman Randolph Rouse and his wife, Honeymooners actress Audrey Meadows.

According to an application for a historical district to protect the home from demolition, filed last year against the wishes of the estate of its late owner, the original home was destroyed and replaced by the current colonial revival-style house in 1907. The Arlington Historical Society, however, says portions of the original home and subsequent additions are likely still part of the building.

“Given the historical significance of the Febrey-Lothrop House, the Arlington Historical Society believes the property must be saved for future generations,” AHS said in the letter. “With requests for demolition permits already in the pipeline, AHS feels an urgent need to prevent harm coming to the Estate.”

The organization requested that the County Board and County Manager issue cease and desist orders, preempting the proposed demolition. AHS also requested that the county’s Historic Affairs and Landmarks Review Board quickly recommend approval an application for Local Historic District designation and forward the designation to the County Board for approval.

The county has already listed the site for potential conversion into a public park in the Parks Master Plan (page 162), though so far it remains owned by Rouse’s estate. The historic district application notes that the property “is extremely attractive to developers for townhouse, condo, single family home, and retail commercial establishments,” due to its large size.

“Over the past 15 years, Arlington has lost many historically and architecturally important buildings to the wrecking ball,” AHS wrote in its letter to the County Board. “Let’s not let another gem go unprotected.”

Arlington Historical Museum Seeks Donations for Renovation

By James Cullum

The Arlington Historical Society is raising $50,000 for a feasibility study to renovate its home at the Hume School (1805 S. Arlington Ridge Road).

What is now the Arlington Historical Museum was originally constructed in 1891, and is the oldest schoolhouse in Arlington. The school was turned over to AHS in the 1960s, and now needs renovations.

“The end result will be the creation of something sorely lacking in our Arlington County — an updated first-class museum reflecting our history, our accomplishments and the lives of those who have lived here,” said AHS member Frank O’Leary in an email. “If we do not start now, then when?”

O’Leary is also a trustee of the Warren G. Stambaugh Foundation, which is planning a virtual AHS fundraising event honoring Stambaugh, a former member of the House of Delegates who wrote the Virginians With Disabilities Act. The foundation will match funds raised for the AHS renovation project at the “I Remember Warren” event.

O’Leary said the AHS renovation will take a number of years to accomplish. Donations can be made on the AHS website.

“Our immediate objective is to raise $50,000 to fund the feasibility study of the existing structure, its deficiencies, and necessary improvements, and specific steps that must be undertaken to create a state-of-the-art local museum,” O’Leary said. “In short, as an immediate objective, we seek to create a detailed plan or ‘blueprint’ and then AHS will proceed on its enactment.”

The AHS to-do list includes:

  • New drop-down ceilings on all floors, or the restoration of the original ceiling
  • New windows
  • New paint
  • Climate-controlled storage for artifacts
  • Americans with Disabilities Act access to the second floor
  • Second floor display area
  • Basement renovation for improved storage
  • New exhibit cases
  • Security upgrades
  • New interpretive signs

Photo via Arlington Historical Society/Facebook

Arlington’s Charlie Clark Takes County Back to 1959 With Restored 8mm Footage

By Vernon Miles

Local historian Charlie Clark has helped produce and narrate a compilation of rare Arlington footage from the late 1950s.

Clark, a columnist with the Falls Church News-Press, said the 8mm home videos came from a Belgian family visiting the area. The video includes footage of everything from Bernie’s Pony Ring to shopping in a local grocery store.

“Thanks to Arlington Historical Society backers and to technical director David Downey of Transvideo in Falls Church, who continues to utilize all that funky old audio-visual equipment,” Clark said.

Clark admitted there’s some cheating, in that the video isn’t just sights around Arlington — it includes footage of Glen Echo Park in Maryland, for instance — but he said the park was a regional attraction for many locals at the time.

Comments on the video said it was a nostalgia trip for many locals who lived in the area.

“I grew up in Arlington, Fairfax and McLean,” one said. “Our cousins, my sister and I used to play in the Lyon Village park, ride ponies, visit Glen Echo during the late 40’s through the early 60’s.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Parents Protest APS Proposal — “School officials tasked with the perpetual jigsaw puzzle of reassigning school zones have stirred new tensions… If you drive McKinley Rd., you can’t miss the printed signs ‘SAVE MCKINLEY: Our Neighborhood School Since 1951.’ The Madison Manor Civic Association has revved up with nearby PTAs and community groups to assemble contrary arguments.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Tafti Pushes Back on AG Comments — From Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney-elect Parisa Dehghani-Tafti: “We are neither righteous warriors nor avenging angels. We are public servants. So a little humility in how we do our job and how we accept public critique of our work would go a long way toward building a system that is both safe and just.” [Twitter]

Free Holiday Grief Support Service — “For those who’ve suffered loss-whether recently, or even years prior-the holiday stress can make the season more difficult. To help those grieving in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia during the holidays, Capital Caring Health, a local non-profit, offers a wide range of free counseling and support services.” [Press Release, Arlington Public Library]

Special Burial at Arlington National — “Private Edwin Francis Benson was killed in action at Tarawa during World War II. In 2017, his remains were located. Earlier this year, his remains were identified and a couple weeks ago he was laid to rest in Section 60. We honor his service.” [Twitter]

APS Students Learn About the Census — “The U.S. Census Bureau kicked off its Statistics in Schools program, offering Arlington teachers and others a wide array of resources that teach students not only about data but also about the importance of being counted in the upcoming 2020 Census. Arlington Public Schools shared the free program with its teachers, who can integrate it into their lesson plans.” [Arlington County]

Road Closures for Race in Pentagon City — “The Jingle Bell Run/Walk 5K for Arthritis will take place on Saturday, December 7. Police will conduct road closures in the area of South Joyce Street and Army Navy Drive to accommodate this event.” [Arlington County, Twitter]

New Additions to Story Map — A number of properties have been added to the Arlington Historical Society’s Story Map, per organizer Charlie Clark, including: 817 N. Irving St. (Lyon Park), built circa 1904; Hendry House, 2411 N 24th St. (Woodmont), built circa 1900; 3405 N. Glebe Rd. (Country Club Hills), built circa 1907. [Arlington Historical Society]

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