Central Library will be closed to the public on account of voting on:
- Tuesday, June 23 and July 7.
The Census: Then & Now
The 2020 census is currently underway nationally – but what did the census look like in the past?
The U.S. census is a ten-year event in the United States, as stipulated in the constitution in Article I, Section 2, empowering Congress to carry out the census in “such manner as they shall by Law direct.” Every decade, each household gets a chance to count themselves, contributing data that determines nearly $1 trillion of funding that is distributed on the local level as well as congressional apportionment.
Image courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Early Censuses
The first U.S. census was taken in 1790 and counted 3.9 million residents in the whole of the country. The census has occurred every 10 years since – making it one of the very first and longest-lasting actions made by our early government. The early censuses were conducted by assistant U.S. marshals who were instructed to “make a just and perfect enumeration and description of all persons … according to the best of [their] ability.” Virginia is part of Region 3, Division 2, of the census’ designated statistical regions and is part of the South Atlantic group. Arlington was part of the first 1790 census, however, the residents of what is now Arlington County would have been counted under the regional designation of Fairfax County.
A census enumerator’s records from the 1790 census. Image courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Although you can now take the census by multiple methods, early copies of the census were completed exclusively by paper. Early iterations of the census show a much different set of questions that are now included in a modern-day census.
There were only six questions on the first census – the name of the white, male householder, and then the names of all the other people in the household, divided into these categories: Free white males who were at least 16 years old; free white males who were under 16 years old; free white females; all other free persons; and slaves, who under the constitution were counted as three-fifths of a person. These questions highlight the fundamental inequalities that determined life at this point in U.S. history and are cause to reflect on who was counted, how they were counted, and who got to do the counting – all important questions when evaluating census data from a historical lens.
Excerpts from the 1790 census highlighting Virginia. Image courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Changes to the Census
Over the years, the census has changed its format and its questions. The 1870 census was the first to eliminate what was called the “slave questionnaire,” and was reordered after the conclusion of the Civil War to only include schedules for "General Population," "Mortality," "Agriculture," "Products of Industry," and "Social Statistics."
The census only started counting Native Americans in 1860 and started including Native Americans living on reservations in 1890. Other racial categories on the census also developed into the latter half of the 19th century as immigration from non-European countries increased. These categories are an ever-developing part of the census and continue to diversify today. (For a more detailed look at how the U.S. census has historically measured race in the U.S., Science News has an overview of some of the key changes the census has seen.)
An example of an 1870 census schedule. Image courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Some other technical changes have occurred over the years as well: the 1810 Census collected economic data on the quantity and value of manufactured goods, expanding for the first time on the original six questions. In 1850, the census began collecting "social statistics,” such as information about taxes, education, crime, and value of estate, and mortality data. In 1940, in response to the devastation of the Great Depression, additional questions were asked of a sample of the population, including questions on internal migration, veteran status, and the number of children ever born to women. In recent decades, the census has turned toward more simplified forms – the 2000 census was the shortest since 1820, with only seven questions on the short form, and this trend has continued up to today.
Other changes over the years have included the methods of taking the census: the 1960 census was the first census to be mailed out to households and was the first year the census results were counted by computer. This year’s census is the first with the option to complete the form by phone or online.
Another historical development to this year’s census is it is the first to include a question about same-sex relationships, where respondents can identify as “same-sex husband/wife/spouse” or “same-sex unmarried partner.”
A census-taker circa 1920. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Want to learn more? You can explore historical census data through the county going back to 2000. This site also includes maps and other data related to the history and demographics of Arlington. You can also search through historical census documents through the National Archives’ digital collections.
Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share?
Use this form to send a message to the Charlie Clark Center for Local History.
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A Change is Gonna Come: A Playlist for Black Lives Matter
From the Library Director
Sign photographed on the wall surrounding the White House at Black Lives Matter Plaza.
When I was attending Arlington Public Schools in the 1960s and early 1970s (Yorktown High School Class of 1972), I didn’t learn about Juneteenth, the date commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. I didn’t learn about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, either. And the study of literature by African-American authors had only just begun with works like “Blues for Mister Charlie” by James Baldwin.
As Director of Arlington Public Library, I have an opportunity each day to ensure dates in our history like those cited above are recognized and understood through our collections and programs and through modeling the Library’s values of acceptance and inclusion.
From time to time, we have created music playlists to capture a moment. Many of you are familiar with my annual holiday playlist. When the pandemic hit, we created “Dancing with Myself: Playlist for a Pandemic.”
Now, with conversations about race front and center across the nation, we turn again to music.
Music heals, music unites, and music can change minds.
Black Lives Matter Plaza, June 7.
Protesters gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, June 6.
The late great First Lady of Soul, Aretha Franklin, who knew something about music, once said, “Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It's transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. It's uplifting, it's encouraging, it's strengthening.”
So with those words in mind ... press play and play it loud and proud.
Diane K.
Rediscover Shirlington
Before European colonization, a Necostin Native American village was located on the land near the current Village at Shirlington shopping center.
Shirlington Branch Library, circa 2007.
On January 21, 1705, William Struttfield, one of 48 original settlers who owned land in present-day Arlington, patented a 543-acre tract south of Four Mile Run that included what is now Shirlington. He sold the land to Colonel John Carlyle and it stayed in the Carlyle family into the mid-19th century.
The hill southwest of present-day Shirlington served as a fortification within the Defenses of Washington that were erected by Union forces during the Civil War. Fort Blenker, later renamed Fort Reynolds, was built in 1861 and selected by the Union due to the view it afforded of the valley along Four Mile Run.
Map of the Environs of Washington: Compiled from Boschkes’ Map of the District of Columbia and From Surveys of the U.S. Coast Survey showing the Line of Defenses of Washington as Constructed during the War from 1861 to 1865 Inclusive. The red arrow points to Fort Reynolds and the blue arrow points to the approximate present-day location of the Village at Shirlington. Source: Library of Congress.
Joseph Cherner, a Jewish immigrant from Russia with a successful car dealership and repair shop, considered opening an airport near Four Mile Run but decided to invest in a shopping center instead. He purchased 200,000 cubic yards of fill to raise the grade by as much as 13 feet, channelized two creeks, and constructed roads and alleyways through the property. Cherner attracted new businesses to the development by offering tenants very low rental rates in exchange for a percentage of the businesses’ profits. He combined the names of nearby Shirley Highway (Interstate 395) and Arlington to name the area. The proximity to this still-under-construction roadway was meant to promote traffic to the new shopping center.
The shopping center opened in December 1943, with a supermarket, gift shop, clothing cleaners, beauty parlor, and shoe repair shop in one-story storefronts of limestone and granite construction with Art Deco architectural detailing. The layout of the streets was as it is now, with the shops facing each other across a central median. More stores opened in 1944, including a Gulf filling station which is likely the extant gas station but with substantial changes
While stores allowed African Americans patrons to shop, they were barred from services, such as eating at lunch counters and restaurants and using leisure facilities. This was particularly difficult for residents of Fort Barnard Heights and Green Valley, the primarily African American communities next to the shopping center.
Following Joseph Cherner’s death in 1956, his wife Ruth (née Schlom) Cherner, assumed the role of the president of the Shirlington Corporation. She led the company through a land swap with Arlington County’s Property Yard in May 1957 that increased acreage at the north boundary of the Shirlington Business Center by seven acres. She became a prominent businesswoman in the Arlington real estate market. Lansburgh’s Department Store opened in September 1959 on the former Property Yard land and served as a new retail anchor for the shopping center.
Bird’s eye view rendering of Lansburgh’s Department Store at the Shirlington Shopping Center, 1962. Source: Arlington Blu Book, 1962, Center for Local History Archives, Arlington County Public Library.
In January 1960, the Nauck Citizens’ Association (a precursor to the present-day Green Valley Civic Association) proposed a business district along South Shirlington Road to offer services to people of color. This business area would include a motel, theater, restaurant, bowling alley, and office space for professional services. Lutrelle F. Parker, chairman of the Nauck Citizens’ Association, asserted that they did not intend for the business center to detract from desegregation efforts that were currently being undertaken throughout the south. Rather the citizens’ group aimed to supply necessary services to African American citizens until other commercial areas were desegregated.
In June 1960, spurred by protest movements across America, black and white college students held sit-ins at lunch counters around Arlington including Lansburgh’s Colonial Room and Woolworth’s lunch counter in Shirlington. Both businesses responded by closing their counters. After negotiations between demonstrators and business owners, Woolworth’s in Shirlington was the first lunch counter to desegregate on June 22, serving a group of black and white students. Woolworth’s action was followed that same day as Lansburgh’s, Kahn’s, Peoples, and Drug Fair desegregated their Arlington restaurants.
June 10, 1960, Gwendolyn Green (later Britt) and David Hartsough sit at the People’s Drug Store counter. Protests such as this happened at counters in seven locations in Arlington including two in Shirlington. DC Public Library, Star Collection, ©Washington Post.
The popularity of Shirlington declined in the mid-1960s and into the 1970s with the opening of several new shopping centers. In the early-1970s, Shirlington Business Center saw the closure of many of its anchor retail stores. Jelleff’s closed in 1972, followed shortly by Lansburgh’s (which was replaced by Best Products) and the Shirlington Motor Company’s Ford dealership, both in 1973.
Several revitalizations were considered, including one featuring a manmade lagoon. The owners abandoned this project before construction began. In July 1982, a new $250-million renovation began, led by developer Oliver T. Carr. Carr’s plan called for up to 429,000 square feet of additional retail space and 694,000 square feet of office space in 8- to 12-story buildings. It also included the construction of a 400-room hotel and 590 condominium units. The limestone and granite façades of the existing buildings were reused while most of the ground level architecture and all the interiors were demolished. The 1987 finished design included copper turrets and domes crowning the buildings at the entrance off South Randolph Street, Victorian-era inspired street lighting, cut-throughs for increased pedestrian circulation, and a large Beaux-Arts fountain in the central median.
Redesigned 28th Street South (renamed Campbell Avenue in 2007), 1986. Source: Benjamin Forgey, “In Shirlington, Main Street Revisited,” The Washington Star, November 1, 1986, Center for Local History Archives, Arlington County Public Library.
Federal Realty Investment Trust purchased what is now known as the ‘Village at Shirlington’ in 1996. In November 2006, the new Shirlington Town Center was unveiled, including the Shirlington Branch Library and a new location for the Signature Theatre Company. In July 2007, the County changed the name of 28th Street South to Campbell Avenue in honor of Edmund and Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell, who were instrumental in desegregating Arlington’s public schools. Elizabeth Campbell founded and was later president of WETA public broadcasting station, located in Shirlington.
Joseph and Ruth Cherner’s 1943 vision is still a destination shopping location in Arlington. The popularity of this neighborhood hub is evidence of the Cherners’ shrewd perception of the retail services the community needed.
View of the Shirlington shopping complex looking east from the median on Campbell Avenue, 2019. Source: Arlington County Historic Preservation Program.
"Preservation Today: Rediscovering Arlington" is a partnership between the Arlington Public Library and the Arlington County Historic Preservation Program.
Preservation Today: Rediscovering Arlington
Stories from Arlington’s Historic Preservation Program
Arlington’s heritage is a diverse fabric, where people, places, and moments are knitted together into the physical and social landscape of the County.
Arlington County’s Historic Preservation Program is dedicated to protecting this heritage and inspiring placemaking by uncovering and recognizing all these elements in Arlington’s history.
To learn more about historic sites in Arlington, visit the Arlington County Historic Preservation Program.
Oral History: LGBTQ Activist Lilli Vincenz
Oral histories are used to understand historical events, actors, and movements from the point of view of real people’s personal experiences.
In celebration of Pride Month this June, we are highlighting Arlington activist Dr. Lilli Vincenz, who has worked tirelessly throughout her life to support and advocate for members of the LGBTQ community in Arlington and beyond.
Dr. Lilli Vincenz came to the Washington, D.C., area in 1963 as a member of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). During her time in WAC, Dr. Vincenz was outed as a lesbian and received a general discharge. After this, Dr. Vincenz found a community in LBGTQ activism.
She was notably involved with the Mattachine Society of Washington – a branch of the national Mattachine Society and also a significant local organization. She was one of the first lesbian members of the group and was the first editor of the organization’s newsletter, The Homosexual Citizen. In 1969, Dr. Vincenz and fellow activist Nancy Tucker co-founded an independent spin-off of the Mattachine newsletter, a publication called the Gay Blade, which later evolved into current gay news organization, The Washington Blade.
Dr. Lilli Vincenz appeared on the cover of a 1966 issue of The Ladder, an independent lesbian magazine. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Dr. Vincez was also a filmmaker, capturing LGBTQ protests in real-time to preserve on film. In 1968, she made a short documentary called “The Second Largest Majority” about a Philadelphia picket protest. Though only seven minutes long, it captured signs and messages the protesters were expressing, creating a vivid portrait of the demonstration. Two years later, she made another film documenting participants in New York’s first Pride Parade, where people can be heard chanting “Gay and proud, gay and proud, gay and proud.” These clips have been featured in other documentaries about the gay rights movement, and both of these short works are available through the Library of Congress.
Dr. Vincenz also hosted a weekly open house for lesbian women from 1971 to 1979 where members of the community could gather. One regular attendee wrote a song about the gatherings:
“Come all you women in the D.C. vicinity / If loving women is your proclivity / Rev up your engine, roll up your bike / And point your wheels to Columbia Pike / Carlyn Springs to 8th Place; turn to the right / For Lilli’s open house on Wednesday night.”
Dr. Lilli Vincenz, date unknown. Image courtesy of The NLGJA.
In this audio clip, Dr. Vincenz shares her memories of protesting discrimination against gay and lesbian sexuality with the Mattachine Society.
Narrator: Lilli Vincenz
Interviewer: Diane Kresh
Interview Date: November 14, 2013
Transcript:
DK: Can you talk a little bit about the Mattachine Society?
LV: Oh, I loved it. Yeah. I went there immediate—and I felt so good. It was wonderful. I just loved it.
DK: Well, what did you love about it?
LV: I was free. And then the picketing started and I have that noted also in there. And it was so exciting that that was the most important thing for me. I’ve got to do this, because there’s all the lies that have been made for people who think that gay people are bad people socially. And well, nobody had really told people that it’s all right to be gay. But now, of course, we’re getting this quickly now that this—everywhere now we’re—
DK: Huge change.
LV: Another marriage, another marriage, they’re doing all that!
DK: Did you think that that would happen in your lifetime, those kinds of changes?
LV: Well, early on I didn’t think right away, but I only knew I had to be there. I had to do it, because so few people could do it. And I felt that I could do it.
In 2013, the Library of Congress acquired the Lilli Vincenz Papers, which includes journals, speeches, writings, interviews, and other documents relating to the life and work of Dr. Vincenz in the collection. In 2019, Dr. Vincenz was inducted into the LGBTQ Journalists Hall of Fame by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for her contributions to journalism and the gay rights movement.
For more information about Lilli Vincenz, see the Lilli Vincenz collection at the Library of Congress.
This Oral History is a repurposed post from June 15, 2017. It includes additional information about Lilli Vincenz, as well as an additional photo.
Confronting Racism: Books, Films and More Resources
We have compiled a list of books, movies, podcasts, articles, and organizations where you can learn more about structural racism in the United States, how to engage with and act against anti-black racism, and what you can do to eradicate systematic racism and fight for justice in your community.
Those with the greatest privilege have the most power to make change. When you, your family, and the people around you understand how race, racism, and white privilege impacts society, then you can more effectively engage in the fight against racism.
Happy Pride…
We Have Work To Do
Happy Pride. Or not really.
In one of those simple twists of fate, we celebrate the start of Pride Month as the nation-wide, largely peaceful assemblies against racial inequity enter their third week, in the midst of a global pandemic that has already claimed more than 400,000 lives, including more than 100 in Arlington.
And as if that were not enough, the forcible removal of a Pride flag from the DHS building at Sequoia last week by a visitor to that building is a reminder that we have work to do — as individuals, as a community, and as a nation — to promote and visibly demonstrate understanding and acceptance.
During my tenure as Library Director, I have been accused of promoting the “gay agenda” and “deviant sex” when our buildings have flown the Pride flag. We have been threatened with the destruction of Library property. And, perhaps saddest of all, we have discovered the defacing of library books - books acquired to explain to our young people that there are many kinds of families, and there is not one right way to love another person.
Being gay is not “a thing” to be derided and disrespected, any more than being black or brown or Muslim or female is a thing. It is who we are: as we are also parents, sports figures, artists, educators, law enforcement, elected leaders, citizens. Each of us has and will continue to make important contributions to our communities and to our nation. And we deserve to do so openly and without fear.
That is my wish for this month and every month.
Diane
Diane Kresh
Director
Arlington Public Library
Quaranzine Kids: Special Edition 2
June 1: From Our Youngest Friends
Quaranzine is a weekly collection of creative works from the Arlington community that documents how we responded to this strange time we find ourselves in. Submit your own work.
Sofia Garmize, "Thank you Doctors!" - Sofia is 6 years old and she is a student at the Arlington Science Focus School. The title of the work is "Thank you dokters!" (aka Thank you doctors!).
Noah Hessling, "Worries" - This sort of spiraled from all my worries about Covid. But, I’m still trying to persevere in spite of these worries.
Alexander Lachhab, "The Lucky Fish" - Alexander is a three year old boy and loves to draw! This is the lucky giant fish, where you can wish on it and it will come true! It brings luck, and he loves to draw, especially when he is stuck inside!
David Moss, "You're Too Close" - A reminder about social distancing.
Azad & Anoushka Gohn, "Corona Collage" - Azad (8) and Anoushka (6) each created a 6-part art project with Covid-19 depicted in drawing, with craft material, in painting, in modeling clay, in shrinky-dink, and in rice-krispy treat.
Kimberly Lovo, "Keep ‘Em Glowing" - Basically a new version of all the “Save the Environment” posters and mottos you see at schools.
Kyra Swanson, "Sun Mosaic" - Made with recycled cardboard.
Theo Mota-Clem, "How Was I To Know?" - A poem I wrote while in my 5th week of quarantine.
Sloane Cowart, "Around the World" - Poem by Sloane Cowart (almost 6 years old).
Leila Mihelich, "The Scream 2020" - Copy of famous painting "The Scream" by Edward Munch. Crayon on notepad. Artist is six years old.
Lucas Braunger, "Germie the Badie" - Lucas spends some of his time inside being creative, such as drawing things like Germie the Badie.
Amelie Shiao, "Room" - It’s a drawing of a dinosaur in a snow globe on someone’s wardrobe. The dinosaur has been there all its life and it’s never went outside but it’s fine with that. Just like you’re inside your home.
Abigail Murphy, "Time Blurs" - Watching time go by through my window—separated from both the world outside and the disease
Vedica Chudiwale, "Boat of Light" - These fruits are on a boat watching the sky as it is lit with fireworks. Even though I made this before this whole pandemic began, the fruits are still ripe, and I hope it gives you inspiration like it gives me inspiration - that we can’t give up during these times.
Tommy Wonnacut, "Ikky" - An ikky is an alien that is very friendly.
Mina Dowler, "We are Together" - This is a group of elephants walking in the middle of the night with their trunks holding on to the tail of the elephant in front of them. They are under a starry night and a full moon. I painted it because I thought it would be fun and it would keep me busy, so that I am not bored.
Marylynne Lay, "The Door, the Mouse and the House" - I wrote the poem because when we were eating dinner the door shut. That made this poem come into my head, and I kept trying different words until I came across this poem. The title is like the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a book we just finished reading.
The next deadline for submissions to Quaranzine is Thursday, June 4
2020 Short Story Writing Contest – CLOSED
Summer Reading 2020 - Open to Teens and Adults
Submission Dates: June 1 - August 14
Adults and teens are invited to submit a work of short fiction for consideration in Arlington Public Library’s second annual short story writing contest.
Entries will be judged by a committee of Arlington Public Library staff.
Prizes:
Prizes will be awarded for the top three entries in both the teen and adult categories, and the winning stories will be published on the Library website.
- First place: $200 Visa Gift Card
- Second place: $100 Visa Gift Card
- Third place: $50 Visa Gift Card
Adult Contest Rules and Submission Guidelines:
- Stories with a theme of “Connections” are encouraged.
- Participants must be at least 18 years of age as of August 14, 2020, and eligible for an Arlington Public Library card.
- All entries must be submitted online using the Library submission form.
- Submissions must be received between June 1 and August 14, 2020.
- Stories must be 3,000 words or less.
- Only one story may be submitted per writer.
- The submitted document should include a title page containing:
- Story title
- Author’s name
- Address
- Phone number
- Email address
- All stories must be original and previously unpublished.
- Story content should be appropriate for a wide audience.
Teen Contest Rules and Submission Guidelines:
- Participants must be between 13 and 17 years of age as of August 14, 2020 and eligible for an Arlington Public Library card.
- All entries must be submitted online using the Library submission form.
- Submissions must be received between June 1 and August 14, 2020.
- Stories must be 1,200 words or less.
- Only one story may be submitted per writer.
- The submitted document should include a title page containing:
- Story title
- Author’s name
- Author's age
- Address
- Phone number
- Email address
- All stories must be original and previously unpublished.
- Story content should be appropriate for a wide audience.
Entries that do not meet the above guidelines will be disqualified from judging.
In addition, winning entrants agree to have their story published on the Arlington Public Library website.
Submissions Closed
Changes Ahead: A Message from the Library Director
Dear Friends,
For the past few weeks, staff of Arlington Public Library have been preparing for reopening. We have missed being at the Library and know you have, too.
As we move forward, all of us remain committed to our mission and to the health and safety of our library patrons, staff and volunteers. We will strive to bring you the best Library service possible, while limiting physical access.
Changes to our service are on the way:
- Holds - Starting mid-June, Arlington Public Library will offer a walk-in/walk-out service for hold pickups and book bundles in the auditorium at Central Library. Operating hours for the holds pickup service are being decided and we will communicate details as we have them. Computers, self-check stations, and meeting rooms will not be available for use. All branch locations will remain closed at this time; starting in mid-June returns will also be accepted via book drop at all branches.
- Masks - In accordance with Governor Ralph S. Northam's Executive Order Number 63, both patrons and staff are required to wear masks and observe social distancing at all times when in a library building.
- Account System - We are upgrading the Library’s account system. This change has been long-planned and will enable us to serve you more effectively.
- Summer Reading - The Library’s annual Summer Reading Challenge will start June 1, and this year we’re going digital. Stay tuned for more details next week.
- Arlington READS - Continues virtually: In June, we will host a conversation with Brooke Gladstone, journalist, author, media analyst, and co-host and managing editor of the WNYC radio program “On the Media.” And in October, we are thrilled to present Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Colson Whitehead (“The Underground Railroad”and “The Nickel Boys”). Stay tuned for details; both programs promise to be lively and engaging.
We recognize there is no replacement for an in-person, full-service library experience. Over the years, the staff and I have been honored to serve the community of Arlington and have always tried to strike a balance between the high tech of our digital content and the high touch of our popular story times and author events. We cherish the relationships we have developed with each one of you and look forward to better times. Please know that we are thinking of all of you and that together, we will get through this.
We ask that you check our website and social media platforms on Facebook and Twitter for updates.
We are living in unprecedented times. Please send materials documenting your experience to the COVID-19 Archives Project and help tell Arlington's story of the pandemic.
And we urge you to contribute to “Quaranzine,” our weekly Zine of poetry, photography, prose and drawings. We have been inspired by the creativity and artistry expressed in each issue.
Stay well and hopeful, we are here for you.
Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library
Please Note: a previous version of this post incorrectly advertised the Colson Whitehead event for July; the event will be held in October. We regret the error.