Clarendon in the 1940s
In 1900 when Clarendon was established as a village, it consisted of 25 acres intersected by Wilson Boulevard and bounded by Jackson Street on the west and Highland and Herndon Streets on the east.
An electric trolley line furnished transportation, and the Clarendon Citizens Association organized a firefighting force in 1909.
By the 1940’s, when this photograph was taken, Clarendon was Arlington’s “downtown” area, the place to shop, with not only Yeatman’s Hardware, pictured in the upper right, but also a Sears, J.C. Penney’s and Woolworth’s in the main Wilson Boulevard corridor. This photograph is where Wilson Boulevard merges with N. Hartford and N. Highland Streets.
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What was Clarendon like in the 1940s and 1950s? How has it changed over the years? Let us know what you remember!
This photo is taken looking North on Highland Street. The domed building at far left is/was Clarendon Baptist Church. The NW corner of the intersection was [in the '50s] Hahn Shoes, SW corner was JC Penney, SE corner was Quality Shop [haberdasher]. The little house behind Yeathman's was the office of Dr. Neyman [dentist]. East on Wilson was a Safeway on the left and GC Murphy [like Woolworth's] on the right. Beyond that was High's Dairy Store on the left [remember Sunday Blue Laws?]. Behind Hahn's was Swiller's Music – the 45rpm records [$0.55 each] lined the entire wall on the right side of the store. Susan Clay [suec@fox-run.net]