history

Club’s Renovation Plan Includes Tearing Down 1890s House

By ARLnow.com

Members of the Overlee Community Association (6020 Lee Highway) voted last night to move forward with a renovation plan that includes tearing down a late 19th century structure that currently serves as the association’s clubhouse.

By a vote of 55 to 4, members approved a $3.1 million renovation plan (see: Option C-2) that includes enhancements to the club’s three pools, more terrace space and a new clubhouse. The existing Victorian-style clubhouse, built in the 1890s and known as the Febrey-Kincheloe House, is expected to be torn down by the end of the year.

Association President Pat Shapiro says the clubhouse is in poor condition and it would be too expensive to try to safely restore it.

“The facility now is at a point where it needs a tremendous amount of work structurally and otherwise,” Shapiro said.

“The deciding factor was cost and usability,” she continued. “[The structure] does not meet our needs as a clubhouse facility… [and] it would take a lot more money to renovate it.”

Although the building is not listed under the National Register of Historic Places, a number of tipsters have contacted ARLnow.com with concerns about losing one of the county’s oldest non-governmental buildings.

“It is a classic example in my opinion of people who are opposed to development and want to save historic structures — but now that it is their property and asset, they want to ‘do what is best for them,'” one tipster wrote. “The historic community is just about apoplectic and will have a huge outcry over this… It is just the easy way out.”

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New Development Planned in Virginia Square — The Dittmar Company has submitted plans for a two-tower, 500-unit apartment complex two blocks east of the Virginia Square Metro station. [TBD]

Meade Street Bridge Study Underway — Residents gathered at Arlington Temple United Methodist Church last night to discuss possible improvements to the Meade Street Bridge and adjacent intersections. County planners are looking at ways to make the bridge safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. They’re also seeking ways to improve the aesthetics of the bridge, which connects Rosslyn and North Lynn Street with the Fort Myer Heights neighborhood across Route 50. [Ode Street Tribune]

Remember the First Five Guys on Columbia Pike? — Fast-growing burger chain Five Guys is now based in Lorton, but the company has roots in Arlington. The first Five Guys opened in 1986 in the Westmark Shopping Center at the corner of Glebe Road and Columbia Pike. [Pike Town Center]

Flickr pool photo by Chris Reed

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

“A Date Which Will Live in Infamy” — On Dec. 7, 1941, the American naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked suddenly and without warning, costing 2,402 lives and leading to the United States’ entry in World War II. More from Wikipedia.

Towing Fines Aren’t Enforced — Towing companies have been found to have violated Arlington’s towing laws more than a dozen times in the past two years. But so far, none have ever been fined. That’s despite the fact that the county’s towing ordinance allows fines of up to $1,000. More from TBD.

VDOT Aims for More Conscientious Plowing — After a blizzard of complaints last winter about snow piles on sidewalks and in bus shelters, VDOT is trying to clean up its act. The agency is asking its contractors to be more careful when plowing roads in the county. VDOT is responsible for plowing state-owned roads in Arlington, including Glebe Road and Washington Boulevard. More from the Sun Gazette.

Happy Birthday, Marine Corps

By ARLnow.com

Today is the 235th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote the following on his blog to mark the occasion:

For 235 years, United States Marines have earned a privileged place in our hearts. For we know that when there is a tough job to do, we can “send in the Marines,” knowing that they will get the job done.

From Iwo Jima to Inchon, from Khe Sanh to Kandahar, Marines have always been ready to respond whenever and wherever the Nation calls … prepared to meet any challenge or foe … from sea to shore and beyond.

As long as the world is an unstable place, Marines will continue to fight and prevail with the high standards befitting their title … and with the spirit of the Corps that is in the DNA of every warrior privileged to wear the eagle, globe, and anchor.

To every Marine I say thank you. Thank you for your willingness to make the most profound commitment someone can make—to dedicate yourself completely to your service and your country. I also want to extend a special thanks to your families as well. The Marine Corps simply couldn’t be what it is without the extraordinary love and support of our Marine Corps families.

This week, in gatherings large and small, you will come together to honor the rich heritage of the Corps and the proud legacy of the Marines who have gone before you. On this occasion, a grateful Nation commends your service and joins you in celebration.

On behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Happy Birthday and Semper Fidelis!

Marines, what are you doing to celebrate?

Back to the Future: Arlington’s Streetcar Lines, Circa 1900

By ARLnow.com

Before there was such a thing as Crystal City — when South Eads Street was a recently-filled canal known as Jefferson Avenue — a state-of-the-art transportation option helped spur the development of what is now the Aurora Hills neighborhood.

That transportation option was the electric trolley. More than 100 years later, Arlington’s leaders are moving forward with a $200 million streetcar project that will stop in some of the same places as its long-forgotten predecessor.

Aurora Highlands Civic Association president Michael Dowell recently wrote about the area’s transportation history in the group’s monthly newsletter.

From 1843 to 1896, present-day Eads Street was actually a canal that connected with the famous C&O Canal by means of an elaborate aqueduct bridge over the Potomac. Then in 1896, the canal was deemed obsolete. It was filled in and an electric trolley line took its place.

From Dowell’s article:

In 1896, an electric trolley line was constructed along the former canal towpath. The new Arlington trolley line allowed the Mount Vernon Railway to offer continuous service between Washington DC, near Federal Triangle, all the way to Mount Vernon.

The new rail line was instrumental in enabling the development of our Aurora Hills neighborhood in 1910, as the trolley offered quick access for commuters headed into Washington DC. Our neighborhood had four stops along what was then called Jefferson Avenue: Four Mile Run, the Car Barn, 22nd Street, and 18th Street.

By the 1920s, bus transportation had become preferable to the trolley line and the last trolley rolled down Jefferson Avenue in early 1932. In 1934, Arlington County changed the street name to Eads Street (there were too many Jefferson Streets in Arlington County).

Ironically, the county’s proposed streetcar line, which will run along Columbia Pike and Crystal Drive, is intended to be a quicker, cleaner and more rider-friendly alternative to the bus routes that seemed preferable in the 1930s.

There were other streetcar lines in Arlington around the beginning of the century, as detailed in this Wikipedia article. The Fort Myer line, pictured, ran from Rosslyn, through Penrose (a community whose logo is a trolley) to present-day Nauck (Green Valley).

If this all sounds like history repeating itself, there’s one thing that seems especially unlikely to happen that time around. Unlike in 1906, the new streetcar project will probably not result in the development of an elaborate, transit-oriented amusement park in South Arlington.

Photos via Wikipedia and on-the-pike.com
 (from the book “Old Dominion Trolley Too: A History of the Mount Vernon Line” by John E. Merriken)

Fall Heritage Festival Comes to Gulf Branch on Saturday

By ARLnow.com

They’re going to be partying like it’s 1859 at the Gulf Branch Nature Center (3608 N. Military Road) this weekend.

“Bring the kids and be immersed in 19th century Virginia life,” beckons county parks spokesperson Nate Spillman. “This is a great outdoor event for the whole family!”

The fun includes watching blacksmiths in action, touring a log cabin, as well as making your own apple cider, corn husk dolls and hand-dipped candles.

There will also be old-timey music, historical interpretation, folks dressed up in traditional 19th garb and more. Tickets are $5 per perform, with a maximum of $20 per family. Kids 3 and under are free.

The event it being held on Saturday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The parking lot will be closed, but street parking will be available nearby. For more info call 703-228-3403.

See other weekend events around Arlington here.

A Columbia Pike History Lesson Tonight

By ARLnow.com

The origins of the Columbia Pike can be traced back to 1810, when Congress chartered the Columbia Turnpike Company. Two centuries later, the Pike is a lively, diverse and developing corridor.

Tonight historian John Paul Liebertz will recount the early days of Columbia Pike and describe the people and events that have shaped the Pike’s progress from rural byway to commercial center.

The presentation will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Arlington Central Library (1015 North Quincy Street).

1979: The Last Time Arlington Voters Rejected a Bond Issue

By ARLnow.com

The year was 1979. Margaret Thatcher became the British prime minister. Americans were taken hostage in Iran. And, just two days after the Iranian hostage crisis began, two bond issues were rejected in Arlington County.

It was the last time Arlington voters would say no on a county bond referendum.

With less than three weeks to go before absentee voting begins in Arlington, it seems highly unlikely that the trend will reverse itself this year.

There is one important parallel to be drawn, however.

In 1979, like today, there was economic turmoil that had voters on edge about new spending. (Witness: the Glenn Beck rally that took Arlington hotels by storm over the weekend.)

The difference is that in 1979 interest rates were sky-high, making the cost of borrowing money prohibitively expensive. Now, interest rates are close to all-time lows.

In 1979, there were four bond issues on the referendum, including a $4 million local parks bond, a $1.7 million regional parks bond, a $4.7 million roads bond and a $2 million sewer bond. Both park bonds were rejected after the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and a group called the Committee of Concerned Citizens came out against them. The other bonds were approved.

The park bonds, which would have been used to maintain open space and beautify the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, were supported by the county board and the League of Women Voters.

“We don’t want another Rosslyn,” the League’s Judy Sibert told the Washington Post a week before voters went to the polls. “We want the [Rosslyn-Ballston corridor] to be an attractive place to work in.”

The park bonds attracted less than 40 percent of the vote.

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To Do This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

With two big rallies invading DC this weekend (the crowd at the Glenn Beck rally alone is expected to number in the hundreds of thousands), you may want to avoid traveling into the District altogether. The good news is that there’s plenty of fun things to do over here on the quieter side of the Potomac.

On Saturday, the Center Hiking Club is sponsoring an all-day, 12-mile historical walking tour of central Arlington, which will include visits to colonial, Civil War, trolley, and W&OD railroad sites.  There will also be stops at cemeteries, log cabins, historic springs and old mills, among others. The tour will start at the Clarendon Metro Station at 9:00 a.m. and end at the Ballston Metro Station around 7:00 p.m. The cost is a mere $2.00. Contact organizer Bernie Berne at (703) 243-0179 or bhberne [at] yahoo.com for more information.

Also on Saturday, Shirlington Village is holding its second annual “Wags ‘N’ Whiskers” pet event from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. See our previous article on the event for more information.

Finally, on Sunday, expect a large crowd at Pentagon City’s Fire Station No. 5 for a public ceremony where Arlington County will formally accept a gift of World Trade Center steel from New York City. Representatives of New York’s Fire Department and 500 motorcyclists will be escorting the steel from Brooklyn to Arlington. Between the escort, the middle school choir coming up from Georgia for the event, and spillover from the aforementioned Restoring Honor rally, we expect this to be a very well-attended event. It will take place at 11:00 Sunday morning at 1750 S. Hayes Street. If you have to drive, we recommend parking at the Pentagon City mall garage.

Flickr pool photo by Christaki.

On This Day, We Were Given Representation in Congress

By ARLnow.com

On this day, 164 years ago, Congress voted to allow the area we now know as Arlington to cede from the District of Columbia and become part of Virginia.

Technically, representation in Congress did not come immediately after the vote. It would take another year for the Virginia legislature to accept the retrocession. And not everybody was well-represented. Virginia was a slave state and Arlington would not benefit from the Compromise of 1850, which outlawed the slave trade in the District.

Amid a fascinating history lesson, our friends at We Love DC pose a thought-provoking question: Was the retrocession a good idea? For the District, the answer seems to be no.

Flickr pool photo by ameschen.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Flags In at Arlington National Cemetery — Service members from each branch of the armed forces placed decorative flags in front of Arlington National Cemetery’s quarter million graves yesterday. “Flags In” has been a Memorial Day weekend tradition at the cemetery since 1948. See more photos here.

Remembering Arlington’s Forgotten Baseball Phenom — He was considered one of the greats of his day, although he was never voted into Cooperstown. George Hartley McQuinn, born in 1910, was a six-time All-Star who spent 12 years playing professional ball. In his rookie season, McQuinn went on a 34-game hitting streak. Take that, Ryan Zimmerman. Plus, McQuinn was an Arlington resident who opened a sporting goods store in Clarendon after he retired from the game. He would have turned 100 on Saturday. Read more about him here.

School Board Member Has Breast Cancer — Arlington School Board Vice Chairman Libby Garvey announced last night that she had a lumpectomy on May 17. She was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this month, following a mammogram. Garvey will continue receiving follow-up treatments over the next several months and is expected to make a full recovery.

Photo courtesy Arlington National Cemetery.

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