The New Nauck/Green Valley Heritage Project
The Center for Local History is proud to launch The Nauck/Green Valley Heritage Project, a pilot program to preserve and present the history of south Arlington’s Nauck neighborhood.
The historically black Nauck neighborhood, with many residents who are descended from the original residents of Freedmen’s Village, is one of the most frequently inquired about by researchers at the CLH.
Until now, it has also been one of the least well represented communities in our collections.
In 2013 members of the Nauck Civic Association, Arlington County Neighborhood Services and Drew Model Elementary School approached the Center for Local History with a vision for creating an archive for the neighborhood’s history.
An initial plan to create a physical archive at Drew School was discarded because of space and other limitations. Instead, an online archive was created, which allows for the easy addition of electronic donations. In addition, having an online archive means we can include family photos without donors having to give up their originals.
The Nauck/Green Valley Heritage Project currently includes over two hundred items in three collections, which can now be shared with the community, students, and researchers – both in Arlington and around the world.
There are also two online exhibits – one about Dr. Charles Drew and another about the Negro Recreation Section (the division of the Department of Recreation under segregation).
We have more than three hundred additional images scanned and awaiting upload, and even more waiting to be scanned. So if you’re interested in the visual history of Nauck, check the site regularly to see the latest additions.
Do you have historic documents related to Nauck or Green Valley?
Please consider donating them via our online donation form. You can also contact the Center for Local History and arrange to have us scan your photos for you by email or phone: 703-228-5966.
