Alert

Storytime programs are paused August 15-29. More Info

Alert

Update: Quincy St entrance closed during upgrades at Central Library. More Info

Arlington Public Library

Center for Local History Blog

Dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing the history of the community.

Resilience and Community

September 11, 2001

“When terrorists slammed into the Pentagon on September 11, they aimed at the heart of the nation’s defense, with a goal of weakening the United States and spreading great international uncertainty. The first response to this blow at the world’s only remaining superpower, and to the tragic aftermath, was led by the same people who respond to every emergency, large and small, every day—local government. At the Pentagon, this meant Arlington County, Virginia.”

Former Arlington County Manager Ron Carlee, remembrance speech on the anniversary of 9/11, Sept. 11, 2002, Charlie Clark Center for Local History

 

 

Honoring the Memory of Those Affected by the Attacks

Following 9/11, the Arlington community demonstrated remarkable resilience, compassion and determination. While the lives of those lost can never be restored, the tragedy inspired lasting lessons about unity, service and perseverance—both locally and nationally.

Supported by neighbors, businesses and people across the nation, Arlington emerged stronger—embracing growth and adapting to change while honoring the memory of those affected by the attacks.

Large banner that reads, “Let there Be Peace on Earth” displayed near the Pentagon following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Photo credit Diane Kresh. Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-02-01-130
Members of the Arlington County Fire Department with children.

Members of the Arlington County Fire Department pose with children in front of a mural created to thank them for their service. Photo credit Michael DeFina.
Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-0104

Closeup of a "God Bless America" bumper sticker and a pumpkin that has "For the children who won't carve a pumpkin this year" written on it, among the items at a memorial for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Photo credit Diane Kresh. Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-02-01-128

New Government Services Go Online

In the months after September 11, Fire Department Assistant Chief of Operations James Schwartz, the incident commander at the Pentagon terrorist attack, was appointed to head the County’s newly organized emergency management office.

The new office would better align Arlington for disaster preparedness and response in the future. James Schwartz later served as fire chief from 2004-2015 and was named Deputy County Manager for Public Safety and Technology in 2015 until his retirement in 2021.

Among his many achievements during Schwartz’s career was Arlington Alert, a new text and e-mail paging service for Arlington residents and employees. “Arlington Alert” sends alerts about local traffic, hazardous weather and major events.

In 2002, Arlington County Government created the Arlington Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in response to 9/11.

CERT is a volunteer program that works with Arlington community members to prepare for and respond to emergencies. Volunteers receive free training in disaster preparedness, triage, first aid, fire suppression, disaster psychology, terrorism awareness and more.

Closeup of a flier for a memorial service for Major Dwayne Williams to be held at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Washington, Maryland on September 28, 2001. The flier is among other items in a large memorial for victims near the grounds of the Pentagon where Williams perished in the 9/11 terrorist attack. Photo credit Diane Kresh. Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-02-01-127

A Community Comes Together

After 9/11, the Arlington community mourned, provided moral support and gave encouragement to the first responders.

Hundreds of calls came in on the information line, and public shrines appeared near the Pentagon. Starting the first night after the attack, homemade food was delivered to fire stations and other sites throughout the County. However, without proper food preparation methods, homemade food could not be safely consumed.

The Crystal City Sports Pub, located at 529, 23rd St. Arlington, VA 22202, was one of the many businesses donating food and supplies during the rescue and recovery efforts.

Late in the disaster response, County recreation centers were used to engage residents in structured activities such as sharing experiences and creating supportive messages for rescue workers and victims.

Firefighters and rescue workers clearing debris at the impact site of the Pentagon following the attack. Photo credit Michael DeFina.
Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-01-01-0013

Arlington Remembers

The Pentagon’s outer ring was rebuilt ahead of schedule and completed in August 2002, with broader renovations completed by 2011.

Each year, local communities, the Pentagon and federal government agencies remember the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and commemorate the tremendous efforts by local, state and federal agencies and first responders.

The crash sites in New York, Arlington and Shanksville are now a museum and national memorials.

As people who remember that day still struggle to make sense of the terrorist attacks, an increasing share of young Americans were not yet born or do not have memories of 9/11 itself. Now more than ever, it is important to keep this historic tragedy—and our unified response—in our collective memory.

Read on to learn more.

Find more stories from 9/11 with resources from the Charlie Clark Center for Local History. The Center houses a diverse collection of oral histories, documents, photos and more related to the Pentagon terrorist attack.

More 9/11 Resources
Scroll Up

The Response in Arlington

Through Smoke, Fire and Darkness

“We came across numerous bodies at the time—[in] various states. Some of them... you could tell were in their office, and the flames overcame the whole place, and they had no chance whatsoever to get out. Other areas, you could see people that were crawling around on the floor trying to get out, or help others, and they succumbed to the smoke too, and they were just lying in the middle of the floor, in the middle of the hallway, as they tried to get out.”

Dean Tills, Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Department,
excerpt from oral history interview, 2012, Charlie Clark Center for Local History

 

 

A Changed World

For Arlington County first responders, who for nearly two grueling weeks led the rescue and recovery efforts at the Pentagon, the world after September 11, 2001, would never be the same. They may not have lost any of their own that day, but the 343 firefighters and almost 3,000 victims who perished during the 9/11 terrorist attacks in Arlington, New York City and Shanksville weighed heavily on their minds.

It tested them in ways few could have imagined.

Workers in white suits headed toward the wreckage of the Pentagon the day after the 9/11 attack. Photo credit Michael DeFina. Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-01-01-0066
Planning the next steps.

Two firefighters draw plans to work on the impact site at the Pentagon following the 9/11 attack.
Photo credit Michael DeFina. Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-01-01-0030

Early Civilian and Military Response

Many of the Pentagon’s more than 20,000 civilian and military personnel were already on edge when the attack came. News of the crashes in New York City rang through the corridors, and employees watched their office televisions in disbelief as smoke engulfed the two towers. Then, the unimaginable happened.

When Flight 77 hit its target, it ripped through three of the five outer rings of the building, destroying all five stories of the western façade of the Pentagon and leaving a 100-foot wide hole of destruction.

In the immediate aftermath, Pentagon employees acted selflessly and heroically to help evacuate their shaken and injured colleagues. Their quick actions, before emergency crews arrived on the scene, meant that more people survived that day.

Firefighters taking a much-needed break at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport fire station at 10 p.m. on September 11, after a day-long rescue effort at the Pentagon following the attacks. Photo credit Michael DeFina. Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-01-01-0033

Rescue Units Arrive

Arlington’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) received early warnings from County emergency workers who saw the low-flying plane. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Fire & Rescue Departments, serving Fort Myer and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, were notified, both of which had already started to respond. Dispatchers also asked Alexandria, Fairfax County and the District of Columbia fire and EMS services to stage units in readiness near the Pentagon.

The number of departments and volunteers responding, combined with the confusion and chaos at the scene underscored the need for effective command and control. This became the responsibility of Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) Assistant Chief of Operations James Schwartz, who arrived at the scene within ten minutes of the impact. Schwartz set up an incident command center near the crash site.

Rescue units from Arlington, Fort Myer, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the District of Columbia arrived first at the scene and bore the brunt of the fire battle. The firefighters performed their most critical missions during the first 36 hours—at first to save lives, then to contain the blaze.

For ten days following the attack, until the fire was officially declared extinguished, the ACFD retained control of the crash site. They transferred control of the crime scene to the FBI on September 21 at 7 a.m. The FBI returned control of the site to the Department of Defense on September 26.

By that time, most human remains had been recovered from the site and were transported to the Dover Port Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before being returned to their families.

Firefighters huddling together to begin work on the morning of September 12 at the Pentagon, the day after the 9/11 attack. Photo credit Michael DeFina. Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-01-01-0024

Firefighters Faced Multiple Obstacles

The situation for firefighters was daunting, and initial search and rescue missions were extremely dangerous. Searching from room to room for survivors, firefighters used axes, crowbar-like tools, sledgehammers and a hydraulic device to pry doors open.

They encountered heavy smoke and debris everywhere—broken glass, melted plastic, twisted pipes and a layer of black soot covering every surface. The jet fuel burned fiercely and was intensified by the radiant heat coming from the center of the crash site. Estimates of maximum interior temperatures ranged up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rescue units used thermal energy cameras to look for bodies, but unfortunately they found no one alive. Most rescues happened in the early minutes shortly after the incident before the firefighters arrived.

After the fire finally was contained on the afternoon of Sept. 12, David Lange, Battalion Chief of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, led a crew of firefighters and soldiers to the roof, where they draped a large American flag over the side of the building, just south of the impact point.

The image of the giant flag would become a strong symbol to the first responders and the public of both the tragedy of 9/11 and also of hope and perseverance.

The giant U.S. flag would become a strong symbol to the first responders and the public of both the tragedy of 9/11 and also of hope and perseverance.

An American flag is draped over a portion of the Pentagon near where the structure was hit by a plane during the 9/11 attack. Photo credit Diane Kresh. Charlie Clark center for Local History, 133-01-02-01-107

Read on to learn more.

The next post in this series explores how the Arlington community demonstrated remarkable resilience, compassion and determination following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Arlington's Resilience
More 9/11 Resources
Scroll Up

Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2001

“… one thing that I will always remember… we were on the ramp of 395 down to Washington Boulevard, and I looked over to South Joyce Street… if there was ever an image of Armageddon… all I saw were hundreds and hundreds of people walking with nowhere to go. These were civilians, they were military… there was no one telling them where to go, just a block of humanity going down Joyce Street.”

James M. Daly, lieutenant, Arlington County Police Department,
excerpt from oral history interview, 2006, Charlie Clark Center for Local History

 

 

A Nation Forever Changed

On September 11, 2001, the United States suffered a devastating terrorist attack that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people. The coordinated hijacking of four commercial airplanes and attacks on symbolic American targets forever changed the nation, leaving behind deep grief and trauma.

Yet amid tragedy, remarkable acts of courage, sacrifice and resilience emerged.

Twin Towers on Fire View of the twin towers on fire, following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, New York City. Photo credit Juan González. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-02099
View of the twin towers on fire, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, New York City. Photo credit Juan González. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-02099
Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ordered the evacuation of Lower Manhattan, resulting in hundreds of thousands of residents, workers and visitors leaving the area.

A tattered American flag waving from broken tree trunk in the foreground, with rescue workers and a car on fire in the distance, following the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, New York City. Photo credit Michael Schwartz.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-01834

The plume of smoke from the Pentagon attack on September 11, 2001, taken as Michael Defina was en route from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Photo credit Michael Defina. Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-01-02-0080
The plume of smoke from the Pentagon attack on September 11, 2001, taken as Michael DeFina was en route from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Photo credit Michael DeFina. Charlie Clark Center for Local History, 133-01-01-02-0080

Flight 77

It was 9:37 a.m., Tuesday, September 11, 2001, when the American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the Pentagon, adjacent to the heliport, in Arlington, Virginia.

Less than an hour earlier in New York City, two hijacked planes (American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175) struck the World Trade Center’s North and South Towers, eventually causing both structures and Building 7 to collapse. Everyone on board the planes and hundreds of people inside the buildings, including rescue personnel, were killed.

A firetruck and people at the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93, at a field near Shanksville, PA, after it was hijacked on September 11, 2001. Photo credit Mark Stahl. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppbd-00038 
A firetruck and people at the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93, at a field near Shanksville, PA, after it was hijacked on September 11, 2001. Photo credit Mark Stahl. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppbd-00038

Flight 93

In the final minutes of United Airlines Flight 93, passengers and crew members attempted to regain control of the aircraft from the hijackers. The plane subsequently crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m., approximately 20 minutes before it would have reached Washington, D.C. All 44 people onboard, including the four hijackers, were killed.

Aerial view of the western side of the Pentagon.

Aerial view of the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, showing the damaged area where the hijacked American Airlines flight 77 crashed during the September 11 terrorist attack. Photo credit United States Department of Defense.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-02093

A Nation In Shock

In Arlington, seconds before the crash, Flight 77 traveled on an east-northeast course above Columbia Pike, at 530 m.p.h., before turning towards the Pentagon. The destructive forces of the plane’s impact and subsequent explosion of 7,000 gallons of jet fuel ripped open the building, leaving behind a path of destruction that killed 189 and injured 106 people inside. Onboard Flight 77, all 64 people, including five hijackers, were killed.

As the events which would come to be known as “9/11” unfolded that day, the region—and the nation—were in shock. The lives of thousands of people, victims and their families, first responders and survivors, would forever be changed.

Read on to learn more.

The next post in this series explores the early civilian and military response, the rescue units and the role of the Arlington County Fire Department during the Pentagon terrorist attack.

Arlington's Response
More 9/11 Resources
Scroll Up

Remembering Dr. Alfred O. Taylor

It is with great sadness that Arlington Public Library acknowledges the recent passing of prominent Black community leader and activist Dr. Alfred O. Taylor.

Born and raised in Arlington County, Dr. Taylor was a venerable figure in the Green Valley community. His influence extended not only through Arlington County, but also the greater DMV civil rights community.

Dr. Alfred O. Taylor sits smiling next to a woman in a movie theater.
Dr. Alfred O. Taylor smiles chatting among a crowd in front of a historical marker outside of Macedonia Baptist Church.
Dr. Alfred O. Taylor poses with a group in front of a banner that reads "Coming Soon: The Macedonian" with MBC and AHC INC logos.
Dr. Alfred O. Taylor poses in a group holding shovels and breaking ground in front of a banner that reads "Coming Soon: The Macedonian."
Dr. Alfred O. Taylor smiles with a woman in front of a shaded tent and tables at an outdoor community event.
Dr. Alfred O. Taylor smiles with a group in front of a stone wall with a sign that reads "West Indian Creations."
A younger Dr. Alfred O. Taylor hands trophies to a woman who arranges them on a nearby table.
A younger Dr. Alfred O. Taylor speaks and gestures while holding a trophy as a woman stands at his side during an outdoor event, with more trophies visible on a table in the background.
A younger Dr. Alfred O. Taylor stands for a posed group photograph in a church. Signs on either end read "Day 24 Hymns 127 174 269 Responsive Reading."
A younger Dr. Alfred O. Taylor stands in the top row of this choir.

The title of his book Bridge Builders of Nauck/Green Valley in many ways typifies Dr. Taylor’s legacy: his community involvement and advocacy for residents of Green Valley fostered goodwill and cooperation between disparate citizens, organizations and communities throughout the County. He was also deeply involved with the Green Valley Civic Association and was Chairman of the Deacon’s Ministry at Macedonia Baptist Church. 

In addition to his two books in the Arlington Public Library collection (Bridge Builders of Nauck/Green Valley and Following the Trail of Trooper Alfred Pride Buffalo Soldier (1865-1893): a Patriot and a Pawn), Dr. Taylor also gave numerous talks, presentations and programs for the Library over the years.

Dr. Taylor’s spirit and sense of determination is best expressed in his own words, taken from an oral history conducted by the Charlie Clark Center for Local History in 2012:

“One thing about overcoming challenges is you can’t appreciate what you’re doing and where you’re going unless you’ve been through the challenges.

If everything was always that smooth, you’d never know. You could never appreciate the challenges. So, it’s not that we regret the challenges that we went through. We rejoice in the challenges that we went through, because we can better appreciate where we are today.”

Explore 2,800+ Arlington Courier Photos

Explore more than 2,800 photos of local life in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History has digitized a fascinating new collection documenting Arlington life from the late 1980s through the 1990s: PG 216: Photographs from the Arlington Courier, 1988–1997.

Originally published as “Arlington’s premier weekly newspaper,” the Arlington Courier captured the people, politics, schools, businesses and moments that shaped the County during a period of major social and economic change. The newly digitized collection includes photographs published by the newspaper—as well as many never published at all—between 1988 and 1997.

And there are some remarkable finds.

Three men writing on squares of the AIDS Quilt.
Three men writing on squares of the AIDS Quilt. Part of PG 216.
Jesse Jackson speaking at a podium Washington-Lee High School.
Jesse Jackson speaking at a podium Washington-Liberty High School, then called Washington-Lee High School. Part of PG 216.
Hillary Clinton standing in the center of Longbranch Elementary School lunchroom talking to students eating lunch.
Hillary Clinton standing in the center of Longbranch Elementary School lunchroom talking to students eating lunch. Part of PG 216.

Among the newly available images are photographs of the AIDS Quilt displayed in Washington, D.C. in 1987; Civil Rights icon Jesse Jackson speaking at Washington-Liberty High School, then known as Washington-Lee High School; and Hillary Clinton visiting students at Long Branch Elementary School.

The collection also offers more intimate glimpses into Arlington history, including an interview with Civil Rights advocate Joan Stanley in her home, photographs of longtime Arlington County Board member Charles Monroe—who previously had very few images available online—and a portrait of Sara Collins, founder of the Center for Local History itself.

Joan Stanley standing in the middle of her living room with her green bird sitting on her right shoulder.
Joan Stanley standing in the middle of her living room with her green bird sitting on her right shoulder. Part of PG 216.
Charles Monroe sitting in an office chair.
Charles Monroe sitting in an office chair. Part of PG 216.
Sara Collins sitting a table reading a book. Bookshelves behind her.
Sara Collins sitting at a table reading a book. Bookshelves behind her. Part of PG 216.

Other notable figures include Sister Marie Majella Berg of Marymount University, Arlington County Schools Superintendent Robert Chisolm and Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe owners Carla and Wolfgang Büchler.

Beyond the recognizable names, the collection captures everyday Arlington: school events, community gatherings, local businesses, elected officials and slices of County life that might otherwise have been lost to time. Many of the photographs even retain the original cropping marks used by the Courier’s editors before publication.

Majella Berg and Joe McKrachen speaking at a Committee of 100 party.
Majella Berg and Joe McKrachen speaking at a Committee of 100 party. Part of PG 216.
Portrait of Arlington County School Superintendent Robert Chisolm.
Portrait of Arlington County School Superintendent Robert Chisolm. Part of PG 216.
Carla and Wolfgang Büchler of the Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe.
Carla and Wolfgang Büchler of the Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe. Part of PG 216.

The collection was donated to the Center for Local History in 2002 and spans roughly 2.5 linear feet of photographs and negatives.

We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s inside. Explore the collection and tell our Charlie Clark Center for Local History staff what surprising people, places or moments you discover.

View the Arlington Courier Collection

The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Remarks by Rev. Dr. DeLishia A. Davis

NAACP Arlington Branch president and pastor Dr. DeLishia A. Davis gave a powerful speech during the opening reception of the Virginia voting rights exhibition "From Barriers to Ballots."

The exhibitions were on display from Aug. 1 through Nov. 4, 2025, at the Bozman Government Center, Arlington Central Library, Arlington Historical Museum, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington and the City of Fairfax Regional Library.

This video was recorded on August 6, 2025, at Central Library for the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. You can read the transcript of the speech below or stream it online.

The initial moments of the speech referenced Davis's grandfather, the late Rev. Robert D. Boykin of Wilmington, North Carolina. He passed away on January 23, 2025 at the age of 97. 

The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Photo of President Lyndon B. Johnson shaking hands with Martin Luther King, Jr., at the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Photograph by Yoichi Okamoto. Courtesy of the Lyndon B. Johnson Library.

The 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Good evening, friends, neighbors and beloved community,

Today, we gather to mark the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965—one of the most significant victories of the Civil Rights Movement and a profound declaration of American democracy.

This legislation was not gifted to us. It was earned through sweat, sacrifice and sheer moral courage. It was won on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, where people of every age and background stood against hatred and brutality to affirm the dignity of the vote.

Painting of “Bloody Sunday—Selma, 1965” by artist Ted Ellis. This painting was unveiled during the 50th Anniversary celebration of the March from Selma to Montgomery. From Wikimedia Commons.

The Vote is Precious. It is Almost Sacred.

As the late Congressman John Lewis, a hero of that bridge, once said: “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it.”

The Voting Rights Act gave legal power to that sacred tool. But 60 years later, we find ourselves in a sobering moment—a time when voting rights are once again under attack, when voter suppression wears new clothes, and when equity remains a dream deferred for too many.

Let us be clear: To truly honor the Voting Rights Act is not just to remember it—it is to defend its purpose. Because the same forces of racism and injustice that required its passage still seek to silence and divide us today.

Pinback button reading “Black Folk Must Vote,” ca. 1965. Courtesy of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The Arc Bends Toward Justice.

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us,“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

However, friends, it does not bend on its own. We must bend it. With action. With truth. With an unrelenting commitment to justice. We must fight for accessible, fair and inclusive elections. We must demand policies that affirm human dignity and racial equity. And we must do this work—together.

Photo of John Lewis, 1965. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-121285

Make Good Trouble.

John Lewis also urged us to make “good trouble, necessary trouble.” So, we must. Because the dream of an anti-racist, just society is not a relic of the past—it is a calling for our present and a hope for our future.

Let us link arms like those who came before us. Let us vote, speak out, organize and refuse to be silent. Let us protect not just the laws of democracy, but the soul of it.

May we keep walking, keep marching, keep making good trouble and keep the promise of justice alive for generations to come.

Thank you.

(Song)

We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday.

Deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome someday.

We’ll walk hand in hand, we’ll walk hand in hand, we’ll walk hand in hand someday

Deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome someday.

About Reverend Dr. DeLishia A. Davis

Reverend DeLishia A. Davis is the current president of the Arlington branch of the NAACP. She has been a Methodist pastor for nearly three decades and has served congregations in Ohio, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia.  

In addition to her pastoral duties, Rev. Davis serves as the Chaplain of the National Council of Negro Women in Northern Virginia, providing spiritual guidance and support to empower women of color.  

As a board member for People for the American Way, Rev. Davis works to protect and expand the rights of all citizens. Beyond her advocacy work, Rev. Davis is also a dedicated English literature teacher. 

Arlington, VA Suffragist Mary Morris Lockwood

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) sat down with Nancy Tate to talk about the origins of the women's suffrage movement and the historical marker for Arlington suffragist Mary Morris Lockwood (1871–1936).

Tate is a longtime member of the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City and has served as the executive director of the League of Women Voters of the United States.

The marker is located next to the Arlington Science Focus Elementary School, at 1501 North Lincoln Street, across from Hayes Park, in Arlington, Virginia 22201.

This interview was recorded on May 30, 2025, at the Charlie Clark Center for Local History and is part of the VA voting rights exhibition "From Barriers to Ballots." You can read the transcript of the interview below or stream it online.

The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Image of Mary Morris Lockwood, weekly newspaper "The Suffragist," June 6, 1914, Library of VA.

Mary Morris Lockwood, Silent Sentinel

Mary Morris Lockwood lived in Arlington, VA, and was actively involved in the civic life of her community. She was also engaged in civic reforms. For instance, she helped found the library system of Arlington, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and the Federation of Women's Clubs. She is particularly known as a very active suffragist.

Suffragists were women and men who worked very hard over a 72-year period to ensure equal voting rights for women.

And she did that living right here in Arlington. Both by setting up chapters of some of the suffrage groups in the state, raising money, lobbying her federal legislators from this district and marching in parades.

Parades were a common tactic to draw attention to the suffrage movement. Lockwood marched, for instance, in the very well-known 1913 march down Pennsylvania Avenue when thousands of women from around the country came to DC to show support for women’s right to vote.

She's particularly significant because she was one of the so-called Silent Sentinels, the women who stood in front of the White House every day for a year in 1917, holding banners saying: "Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?"

This photograph shows picketers marching from the National Women’s Party headquarters to their posts in front of the White House in 1917. Courtesy of the National Museum of American History.

A Letter from Mother

They were trying of course to influence President Woodrow Wilson to support a constitutional amendment to provide voting rights to women. It took him a while, but he ultimately urged Congress to pass it. And in 1919 Congress finally did that, sending it on to the state legislatures to ratify.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1920, guaranteeing that the right to vote could not be denied on the basis of sex. **

But it was a hard-fought fight right to the end, because the amendment only passed by one vote in the legislature of the last state, Tennessee.  And that only happened when one young male legislator flipped his vote after receiving a letter from his mother urging him to do that.

You can't get better drama than this story of women finally getting into the Constitution!

The Suffragist, June 14, 1919. The Suffragist was created in 1913 by Alice Paul and the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (later the National Woman’s Party) to spread women’s political news and garner public support for a suffrage amendment. Courtesy of the National Museum of American History.

It Took Many People

As a side note to that, these roadside markers are meant to honor and commemorate the many, many people who worked for over 72 years for women’s suffrage. Mary Lockwood was only one of the many who had become invisible over the years. As part of the 2020 centennial of the 19th Amendment, a wide range of efforts were undertaken to highlight the work of these suffragists.

And it's significant to know that there were active suffragists in Virginia, because the Virginia General Assembly was completely against women voting. They fought it to the very end.

Women like Mary Lockwood, who were going around the state and trying to educate people and get support, may be even more heroic than other suffragists around the country because they were facing so much hostility.

Sign, ca. 1920, designed to be placed in the window of a home so that all who passed would know that the woman within had exercised her right under the 19th Amendment and registered to vote. Courtesy of the National Museum of American History.

Organizing for Women’s Suffrage

The organized efforts to get the vote started in 1848. It took until the late 1800s, when some of the state legislatures, particularly in the Western states, began to allow women to vote. How they did that varied. Some of them allowed women to vote on every race up to president. Some said only the school board race, some said everything except the school board race. I guess in the West it was easier to see the equal contributions that women were making.

Regardless of the differences between states, it took multiple suffrage campaigns in every state to achieve voting rights for women.  It took petitions. It took marches. Sometimes it was legal action. Sometimes women such as Susan B. Anthony went to vote, knowing it was illegal, just to highlight the injustice of being arrested or fined for exercising their voice as citizens.

Women's suffrage postcard, 1915. A popular anti-suffrage argument claimed that entering the supposedly masculine world of politics would take away from women’s femininity. This postcard directly refutes that argument by giving examples of other tasks women commonly performed that were not considered feminine but were not thought to take away from their "womanliness." Courtesy of the National Museum of American History.

By the 1900s, More Momentum Was Building for the Women’s Vote

The women's rights movement started as part of the abolitionist movement. Over the years different groups evolved, and the movement splintered somewhat. There's a lot of complexity to this story, which we don't have time to go into here.

By the time you get into the 1910s, momentum was building. By 1918, women were already voting for president in a number of states. Senators and congressmen who had been elected from those states started making Congress more receptive to the suffrage arguments.

And during World War I, when so many women were doing so such much to support the war, it became harder, even for President Wilson, to ignore their exclusion from the body politic. In fact, he used this rationale in urging Congress to pass the amendment.

Photo of the historical marker for suffragist Mary Morris Lockwood, located at 1501 North Lincoln Street, across Hayes Park in Arlington, VA.
Photo of the historical marker for suffragist Mary Morris Lockwood, located at 1501 North Lincoln Street, across from Hayes Park in Arlington, VA.

Virginia Did Not Change its Own Constitution Until 1952

Just to get back to Virginia—and most of the Southern states—which, I must say were against women's voting rights because, of course, they were against Black voting rights. And why would they want Black women to vote when they were already trying to suppress the Black men? That was a block of states that was pretty hard to move.

The 19th Amendment passed in 1920. Women in some of the states had been voting since at least 1910. If every state had been left to handle the issue on its own, those of us who live in Virginia would have waited a whole lot longer to vote. Virginia did not change its own constitution until 1952.

It's quite a wonderful story and there are so many people who worked so hard to make women’s voting rights a reality. As I’ve said, many of their stories have not been told. Increasingly, there is an effort such as these roadside markers to tell those stories.

I’m happy to share such stories—like that of Mary Lockwood—with you.

**  It needs to be noted that the 19th Amendment did not enfranchise U.S. women who continued to be excluded from voting for reasons other than their sex. That included those who were not considered citizens (such as members of tribal organizations), those who were prevented by state Jim Crow laws, and those who lived in the District of Columbia.

About Nancy Tate

Nancy Tate is a longtime member of the Arlington League of Women Voters, now the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City (LWV-AAC). She has served as president of the LWV-AAC and currently serves as chair of the history committee.

From 2000-2015, Tate served as the executive director of the National League of Women Voters, known as the League of Women Voters of the United States.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights. It operates at all levels—federal, state and local—to ensure everyone is represented in our democracy.

Remembering Kitty Clark Stevenson

On June 4, 2025, Kitty Clark Stevenson, a native of Hall’s Hill and longtime community organizer, business owner and proud great-grandmother, passed away. Kitty’s friends describe her as a beloved storyteller and a brilliant public speaker who was never afraid to stand up for herself and her neighbors.

Kitty was born on August 1, 1949, to Jalorce M. Clark and Alfred W. Clark, Sr., the first Black firefighter to be paid by Arlington County. She attended Langston Elementary, Swanson Junior High and Washington-Lee High School (now Washington-Liberty). She was one of the first Black children to attend Swanson during integration.

Kitty discusses what it was like to grow up in Arlington County under segregation and the impacts of attending Swanson Junior High during integration.

In her professional life, Kitty built a legacy based on equal rights and public service. She was a human resources management professional for over 50 years and owned a consulting firm, ABLE’N Consulting, LLC. She worked for the Arlington County Personnel Department from 1983 until her retirement in 2000.

Kitty was Arlington’s first full-time Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer, also serving as Personnel EEO Specialist and Selective Placement Program Manager. She was a certified WINDMILLS trainer and trained people with disabilities, managers, employees and personnel specialists on disability awareness and sensitivity issues.

After her retirement, Kitty continued to challenge discrimination through community work. In 2007, she was appointed to the Arlington Human Rights Commission, chairing from 2011 to 2017.

Interview with Kitty Clark Stevenson in which she talks about her work with the Arlington Voting Office and the history of Fire Station No. 8.

Kitty also had a passion for voting. She started working with the Arlington County Department of Voter Registration and Elections in 2002, first as an election officer, then as an Assistant Registrar. She was chief of Precinct 101 in the Douglas Park neighborhood.

As a young woman, Kitty had been instructed by her dad to save her money for the poll tax. When she came of age, around 1970, she went to register to vote. In her memory of that day, she came to the central registrar’s office and waited patiently at the counter to be acknowledged. The Registrar ignored her, continuing to sort papers at the counter.

Eventually, a man entered behind Kitty and the Registrar welcomed him. The man indicated that Kitty had been there first and that she needed to be served. These small acts of indifference and kindness stayed with her and inspired her.

Kitty was committed to ensuring that each person she interacted with on behalf of the Office of Voter Registration felt seen. Gretchen Reinemeyer, Arlington County’s General Registrar, remembers how Kitty endeavored to make voting accessible to all, assisting voters in understanding the law and their options to successfully cast their ballot.
“While there are countless lessons I learned from Kitty over the years, perhaps the greatest was to make the font size larger! A small act of kindness to anyone over the age of 40 who left their readers at home,” said Reinemeyer.

Kitty’s favorite story from the precinct on election day was when a young man came running in and asked for a curbside ballot on behalf of his wife, who was in labor. As Chief Election Officer, Kitty went into a frenzy to gather the necessary paperwork and get the woman voted and on her way to the hospital. Delivering babies wasn’t covered in election officer training.

Kitty Clark Stevenson (left) and Marguarite Gooden (right) in front of the old Fire Station No. 8 building in 2016.

Kitty Clark Stevenson (left) and Marguarite Gooden (right) in front of the old Fire Station No. 8 building in 2016. From ARLnow.

In 2015, Kitty became a leader in a community effort to preserve Fire Station No. 8, the County’s historically Black fire station, in its original location. In 2014, the Arlington Fire Chief had earmarked Station 8 for possible “relocation, consolidation, replacement or closure” based on the findings of traffic and response time studies conducted by the county.

Plans began to move the station north near Marymount University, with no notice or input from the Hall’s Hill community. When news reached the John M. Langston Citizens Association, they immediately began organizing to prevent the loss of their neighborhood’s historic firehouse.

The daughter of respected Station 8 captain Alfred W. Clark, Sr., Kitty had grown up in the station and understood how important it was to the community. At a time when Black Arlingtonians were barred from movie theaters, restaurants and recreational activities under Jim Crow segregation, Station 8 served as a vital community center. It brought people together from all three historic Black neighborhoods in Arlington, serving Green Valley, Johnson’s Hill and Hall’s Hill.

Firefighters would host movie nights for the neighborhood kids in the 1950s and the station was one of the first places in the area that had a telephone and a color television. Some of the firefighters had even set up their own golf course by the station on Culpeper Street. Neighbors knew they could always stop by to chat, play games and seek refuge.

A black and white photo of the old Fire Station No.8 in Arlington, Virginia.

Fire Station No. 8 at its previous 2209 Culpeper Street location, ca. 1934-1963. From PG 200

In September 2015, after pressure from both the John M. Langston and Old Dominion Citizens Associations, the County Board created a community task force to help determine how to move forward with Station 8.

As one of the five “Fire Station 8 Angels” — including her close friends Marguarite Gooden, Edith Gravely, Peggy Carter Jones and Rochelle Jones-Day — Kitty was integral in the fight to build the new Station 8 on its original site. She was known for being collected but forceful. Kitty spoke out at the county board meetings and made sure that the task force understood the station’s historical significance.

“She was like our spiritual glue, in a sense...the light of the Lord shone through her and helped our lights shine. And I think that’s why they called us the Station 8 Angels,” said Gooden. Jones-Day remembers Kitty as their “Big Sister in Christ,” guiding them with strength and prayer.

An updated photo of the new Station 8 fire station in Arlington, Virginia.

First day of operations at the new Station 8 building, June 25, 2024.

In the end, they successfully advocated for a new, larger Fire Station 8 to be built on its original site. As a member of the Fire Station No. 8 History & Legacy Working Group, Kitty helped choose the words that adorn the walls of the new building, including “Resilience,” “Service” and “Dedication.”

While she may not have fought fires like her father, Kitty fought for what she thought was right. Her legacy lives on in Arlington.

Sources:

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

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.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Story

Appreciating Arlington Educator Katherine Mosley Ross

This Teacher Appreciation Week, we’re showing our appreciation for Arlington educator Katherine Mosley Ross.

A photo of Katherine Ross with a white garment on her head, a white dress and white pearls around her neck.

Katherine Ross, date unknown. From her funeral program, 2003.

Katherine Mosley (Woodson) Ross was born on May 19, 1905, in Lynchburg, Virginia. She was the first child born to William Edward Mosley, a blacksmith who owned a shop in what was then known as Hell’s Bottom and Emma Isabel Mosley, a housewife who briefly worked for the government during World War I.

Shortly after Ross’ birth, William and Emma built a home at 909 S. Scott St., where they lived for the rest of their lives. The house is still standing, directly next door to St. John’s Baptist Church, which was built in 1907.

Ross’ elementary education began at St. John’s Baptist Church School. By the time she entered the fourth grade, the church school had closed, and she began attending what was known as the “new Jefferson School,” a 4-room schoolhouse built on land purchased from the South Arlington Cemetery Corporation in 1914.

The “old” Jefferson School was the first public elementary school for Black students in Arlington, established in 1870.

The main building of the Hoffman-Boston Junior High School formerly known as the Jefferson School in black and white and a medium size two storied building.

The main building of the Hoffman-Boston Junior High School (formerly the Jefferson School), a segregated school built in 1915 with an addition added in 1931, at 1415 S. Queen Street. The building is currently part of the Hoffman-Boston Elementary School campus. From RG 32.

While Ross was a student at Jefferson, Fletcher Kemp began his long tenure as superintendent. He became known for his vigorous efforts to reform the school system. In an oral history interview, Ross cited Superintendent Kemp as someone who encouraged and inspired her to pursue a career in teaching.

[Kemp] said, "I want you to go over there to Dunbar or Armstrong and go further and come back here and teach in my school.” And I knew he was talking to me, he looked right at me, and he said, "I expect you to come back and teach in my school."

Then, you know, you didn't answer. But I smiled, and I just said, well I was going to do it. I was going to do it anyway, but I was going to do it. And I knew he meant for me to come back and teach in Arlington County Public Schools.

Ross would go on to do just that. After graduating from Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. (there were no Black high schools in Arlington at that time), she enrolled in the Minors Teacher College at Georgia Avenue and Harvard Street.

Every morning, Ross would have to leave her house at 7 a.m., take a trolley from Arlington to Pennsylvania Avenue and hop on a streetcar to get to school. She was forced to ride in the back of the trolley.

As far back as I can remember, my father used to tell me that there was a law ... and that law said that there was a difference between white and Black. But the minute he said that, he said, “but the law is wrong.”

He said, “there isn't any difference. So far as brains, you have just as much brains as anybody. But the law says: This is why you have to sit in the back of the trolley. This is why you can't go to some places in Washington D.C.” Well, there wasn't any place in Arlington to go, so it didn't make too much difference. But if there was a restaurant or whatever in Arlington, I couldn't have gone to it anyway.

But he insisted on telling me that the law was wrong. “But it's the law, so I don't want you to get hurt...But remember that regardless of what you have to do, it is wrong. And one of these days, it's going to change.” Well, it was a little difficult, but I believed what he said.

So, when I rode on the trolley, I knew I had to sit in the back. But I knew that was the worst place in the world, I shouldn't have to be there.

After graduating from teaching school, Ross applied for a job with the Arlington County Public School system. Kemp hired her and appointed her to teach first and second grade at Langston School. She held that post for four years before marrying her first husband.

At the time, married women were not permitted to teach in Arlington, so, she left and didn’t return to teach at Arlington Public Schools until 1937. In the meantime, she earned her bachelor's degree while continuing to teach in North Carolina and Campbell County, Virginia.

A young black girl performing a dance, standing on her toes.

Girl performing dance on toe shoes at Langston School, 1955. From PG 218.

When Ross returned to Arlington, she was appointed to the new Hoffman-Boston High School – the first Black high school in the county, established at the former Jefferson School, where she had found her inspiration to teach two decades prior.

Despite the efforts of the teachers, the resources that students had access to were inadequate compared to the white high schools. Ross and others were known to send their students to libraries in D.C. to supplement their education, since the Hoffman-Boston Library was lacking.

Black students eating lunch with each other at Hoffman-Boston High School.

Lunch time at Hoffman-Boston High School. From RG 307.

In 1941, with the U.S. joining the war effort, the Pentagon was built, displacing the Black families who lived in what was known as Queen City. Most relocated to Green Valley, causing the student population to skyrocket at the local Kemper Elementary School (later renamed Drew Elementary School).

Superintendent Kemp called upon Ross to be a leader to the teachers at Kemper. She helped them make the best of their strained resources and contend with squeezing a full day’s curriculum into half-day shifts, which allowed them to teach as many students as possible.

A two-story building used for schooling.

The second Kemper School building, built in 1893 for Black students in the Green Valley/Nauck neighborhood. The building was replaced in 1945 and is now the Charles R. Drew Elementary School at 3500 23rd Street. From RG 32.

When Arlington Public Schools desegregated in 1959, Drew Elementary began to receive its first white students. Around this time, Ross became an assistant principal, supervising grades three through six. She oversaw the integration of the first white teacher, Ms. Hopkins, into a previously all-Black school.

Ross continued to teach at Drew until her retirement in 1970, after a 45-year career.

In addition to her career as a lifelong educator, Ross was a proud member of St. John’s Baptist Church for over 85 years. She devoted her time and leadership to the senior choir, trustee board, vacation Bible school and Sunday school. Her legacy to the church and community is the Katherine Mosley Ross Scholarship Fund, inspired by her loving dedication to education.

Sources:

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

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.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Story

Exhibition: From Barriers to Ballots

August 1-November 30

Black voters at the polls, ca. 1944-1962.
A Black man is entering a voting booth in Miami, Florida.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-119976

Stars graphic in red, white and blue.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

August 6 marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which some consider to be the crowning achievement of the 1960s Civil Rights movement. It was a milestone in the long struggle to extend political representation and voting rights to Black Americans.

From Barriers To Ballots:
The Fight for Equal Voting Rights in Virginia

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Arlington Public Library has partnered with several community organizations to tell the stories of activists, changemakers and everyday people in Arlington and Northern Virginia who fought for voting rights.

On View

The exhibitions have been extended at the following locations through Nov. 30:

from-barriers-to-ballots-title-graphic_300x240

Thank You

Exhibition partners include the Arlington Historical Society, the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City and the NAACP Arlington Branch. 

Special thanks to the following media contributors: Arlington County Department of Voter Registration and Elections; Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gum Springs, Virginia; City of Fairfax Regional Library, Fairfax County Public Library; Library of Congress; Library of Virginia;
Norman Rockwell Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

“From Barriers to Ballots” has generously been funded by the Friends of the Arlington Public Library (FOAL).

New Friends of the Library logo in bright colors. Tagline reads "Books are only the beginning"

“The goal is to develop a culture of voting in Arlington.”

Detta Kissel, volunteer, NAACP Arlington Branch

“We are a big mixing bowl and when I put in my vote, I add my ingredient. Every time I vote, I feel like an American.”

Dr. Scott Edwin Taylor, Ph.D., President, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington

“Voting is everything. Who you are. Your chance to give worth to your being, to care for your country. All of those things which make America great.”

Brenda Faison, Former Director of Christian Education and Missions, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gum Springs, VA

Votes For The First Time

Votes for First Time at 79 by Harris & Ewing Inc.
Mrs. Lucy O’Leary of Arlington, VA, pictured on October 15, 1936. Her horse and wagon are adorned with banners endorsing Republican Alf Landon for President and Frank Knox for Vice President in the electoral race against Franklin D. Roosevelt. At age 79, Mrs. O’Leary cast her first ever vote in favor of Landon, who lost to Roosevelt by a landslide that November.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-hec-33957

Charlie Clark Center for Local History: Where Stories Live

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History

Content and research for this exhibition has been provided by the Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH).

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves, and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities.

Contact the CCCLH at localhistory@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-7714 to find out how you can donate materials, photographs and memorabilia or to be a part of an oral history interview.

Visit the CCCLH



Download the Library App