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Center for Local History Blog

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

Rixey Mansion

Among the many stately and historic homes located in Arlington County, the Rixey Mansion deserves a special mention.

Set on one of four farms owned by Washington resident and Assistant Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy Dr. Presley M. Rixey, the Rixey Mansion was built to replace the property’s old farmhouse which burned down in 1907. The mansion was constructed in 1919-1920 under the supervision of Dr. Rixey and architects Frank Upman and Percy C. Adams and was thought to be one of the most sophisticated and elaborate residences of its time, boasting an exquisite stairway, a grand drawing room, banquet room, and a first floor covered with marble, designed in a black and white geometric pattern.

After Dr. Rixey’s death in 1928, the farm was purchased by Mrs. Ida K. Polen and was used as a tea house. In 1937, following a fire at the Washington Golf and Country Club, the house was temporarily used as a dining facility until a new building was completed.

In 1948, the estate was purchased by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and upon the establishment of Marymount College in 1950, the Rixey mansion became the central building or “Main House” of the university.

What About You?
Do you have any memories of Rixey Mansion? Let us know!

 

Brick Works

Clay deposits on the shore of the Potomac supported a considerable brick making industry in Arlington until well into the 20th Century.

In 1905, there were 10 plants using local clays to produce brick for sale in Washington, chiefly a red brick but some a buff color. In his 1907 Brief History of Alexandria County, Virginia , Crandal Mackey states, that Alexandria County (the former name for Arlington) “manufactures more brick than any county in the United States.”

One of the largest plants was West Brothers Brick Company. Founded shortly after the Civil War, it remained in operation until the land was taken over by the federal government in 1942 to build the Pentagon. Brick manufacturing eventually ceased in the area with the construction of Shirley Highway and the Pentagon.

Trivia Note

During the great flu epidemic of 1918, Perry West, grandson of the founder of West Brothers, noticed that the men who got the flu seemed to be those who never touched alcohol…so, as a preventative measure, he arranged for his workers to start the day with a dosage of 2 ounces of whiskey followed by 5 grains of quinine, with an additional dose at the end of the work day!

 

What About You?

Do you remember the clay pits or brick works along the Potomac? Let us know!

 

ARLINGTON ROCKS—PT. 2: "PENTAGRAM"

 

The long standing heavy metal group Pentagram may never have had a best selling album or inked a lucrative contract with a major record label, but they have become legends to a modest, but fanatical worldwide fan base and have garnered critical raves from some of the most important rock writers and artists of the modern era.

Formed in Arlington in 1971 by lead vocalist Bobby Liebling and drummer Geof O’Keefe, the band soon began developing and perfecting their sound. Though unmistakably influenced by contemporaries such as Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep, the band were no mere copyists, boasting an unusually melodic vocalist in Liebling and an uncommon sense of subtlety, texture and drama in the guitar playing. Word of mouth led to a rehearsal for Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss and a demo recording for Blue Oyster Cult’s producer and manager but a major label contract eluded the band.

After weathering numerous lineup changes over the years, Bobby Liebling remains the constant in the group, though recent live appearances have been few. Numerous releases documenting all phases of Pentagram’s career are easily available.

Listen to Pentagram – “Star Lady” [5MB .WMA file] Copyrighted materials, used by permission.

What About You?

Have you seen or heard Pentagram? Let us know!

 

Back To High School in 1925

Excerpt from Oral History with Sally B. Loving

Football program

Washington-Lee High School is currently undergoing a major renovation [2007], but when it opened in 1925 it was considerably smaller and the community quite different from what it is today.

The following is from an oral history with Sally B. Loving, who taught at W-L for many years.

"When the site was decided upon, some said it was located in a spot in north Arlington equally difficult to reach from all points. And that was about the truth, because the County was not built up and it [the school] was way out in…the field so to speak. The [original] Washington-Lee building cost $200,000, plus $231,339 for equipment.

There were between 450 and 500 students there in 1925, when we entered the building. And when they first got in the building, we had to wait for the arrival of the chairs, so we either sat on the floor or stood. But that was the very beginning.

Washington-Lee was perhaps . . . the beginning of unifying the County, since the students came from Cherrydale, Clarendon, Ballston, Columbia Pike, and so forth. But it didn't take long. . . before you could realize what section of the County they came from. This is if there was a fire the night before: their loyalty went to their community (the fire department), and each one was sure that his fire department got there first. But gradually the spirit grew, as we grew up at Washington-Lee, and the spirit was good."

 

What About You?
Did you go to W-L? What do you remember about your school days in Arlington? Let us know!

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Summer Reading Fever, circa 1961

In May 1961, the then-new Central Library opened for business on Quincy Street, near the intersection with Fairfax Drive (the two and two-tenths acres had several previous owners such as Horatio Ball).

The library could hold 100,000 volumes, although, at the time of opening, the library could only fill one-third of the shelves. Central staff for the financial year 1961-1962 was 23.

old-Central-desk

The headline project for the Children's section of Central Library was the Summer Reading Club. The theme for the summer of 1961, when the photograph above was taken, was "Diving for Books". Four branches, including Central, participated in the program and signed up 607 children who collectively read 1,792 books. According to the 1961-1962 Annual Report, 234 participants received achievement cards for reading six or more books. This program was augmented by film programs and storytimes for preschoolers, and an initial visit from a group of physically disabled children from the Edison School. This visit to Central reaffirmed the library's commitment to serve all Arlingtonians. There were even spontaneous carpools organized by parents and teachers to bring children to the library throughout the summer.

Many of the children's library activities from 1961 are mirrored in today's programs. The Get Caught Reading program has been in place for several summers and has been expanded to include adults as well. For the summer of 2007, there has been a spotlight on the upcoming release of the last Harry Potter novel. There are special programs beyond just storytime for all children such as magicians and science programs, and all libraries participate. For over 45 years, Arlington libraries have helped spread summer reading fever!!!

 

What about you?

Did you participate in a library summer reading program as a child? What about the old Central Library? Let us know what you remember!

 

Arlington Rocks, Part 1: The Cherry People

Cherry People

After the Beatles launched the “British Invasion” of the 1960s, it seemed like every town in America soon had any number of aspiring rockers forming their own garage bands and Arlington was no exception.

Although usually regarded as a Washington D.C. band, local heroes The Cherry People had very strong connections to Arlington. The core of the band was the Grimes brothers, Chris and Doug, and Edwin Lionel “Punky” Meadows, who formed the Intruders in 1964 in Washington, D.C. A year later they moved to Arlington and became The English Setters and released three 45s. By the summer of ’67 they changed their name again, to The Cherry People, and began to play regularly in area nightclubs and WPGC-sponsored dances at Washington-Lee High School.

After a trip to New York, the band landed a contract with the Heritage Records label, and spent the entire fall of 1967 recording an album in New York City. The band soon found their songs were compromised by their record label, which added strings and horns in an attempt to promote a more pop sound. A devastating live band known for explosive guitar playing reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix, the album was released in May 1968, but its bubblegum-pop sound failed to represent what the Cherry People were really all about.

Though the band soldiered on, they never regained the focus and momentum of their early days, finally calling it quits in 1975. Guitarist “Punky” Meadows later achieved a degree of fame with the 70s hard rock band, Angel. The Cherry People’s album has recently been reissued on CD by the Collectibles label.

What about you?

Do you remember the Cherry People? Let us know what you remember!

 

Milling Around

The Barcroft Mill not only provided wheat and corn meal to local residents, but also helped to shape and define what would eventually become the residential Barcroft community.

The origins of Barcroft Mill date back to 1836, when G.W.P. Custis built a water grist mill along Four Mile Run and Columbia Pike on land bequeathed to him by George Washington. After being inherited by G.W.P. Custis Lee, the mill was severely damaged by Federal troops returning from the Second Battle of Bull Run and was subsequently rebuilt around 1880 by Dr. John Woolverton Barcroft. By 1905 it had become a vital part of the community now known as Barcroft. In addition to the mill, the business center of Barcroft boasted a general store, a blacksmith shop and a railway shop. After fire destroyed the mill in the early 1920s, the property was purchased in 1925 by a company which built an ice plant on the foundations.

Trivia note: In a 1996 County Board election, John Woolverton Barcroft garnered 443 write-in votes in Barcroft Precinct, despite having been dead for over 100 years. This was done as an act of protest by Barcroft residents angered by a County Board decision to permit a rehabilitation house for drug-addicted mothers and their children to be built in the neighborhood.

What about you?
What do you know about the Barcroft neighborhood? Have you seen the remains of the mill? Let us know what you remember!

At the Movies

The Buckingham Theatre

A far cry from the multiplex theaters of today, the Buckingham Theatre greeted its customers with a façade that more closely resembled a Colonial-style mansion.

Built by the developers of the Buckingham Community in 1939, The Buckingham, as it was known, was the central part of a small shopping center located at the intersection of Glebe Road and Pershing Drive. The building itself was considered to be quite a creative endeavor due to the classic front design which eschewed the usual marquee, neon lighting, and signs that were common to other theaters of its time.

The Buckingham played a role in the desegregation movement in Arlington when it was the site of demonstrations against Virginia's Massive Resistance policies in July 1962. Those arrested were eventually acquitted of all charges.

After a successful run of 47 years, the theater closed in 1986 and was converted to a post office in 1990, which it remains to this day.

What about you?

Do you have any memories of the Buckingham Theatre? Let us know what you remember!

Look Out for Spy Hill

Spy Hill

The area known as Spy Hill may not be the largest neighborhood in Arlington, but it certainly can claim to have had a unique history.

Spy Hill was originally comprised of two land grants, the Thomas Pearson grant of 1707 (660 acres), and the John Ball grant in 1742 (166 acres). The Pearson property was leased in 1740 for clearing and cultivation while the Ball property, which included the log cabin erected by John Ball known as the Ball-Sellers house, was sold as small lots around 1835. Together, these two areas became known as Boulevard Manor.

In 1851, New York farmer Timothy Bishop Munson and his family moved to Fairfax County. Munson started a nursery and raised sheep on the land known as Munson’s Hill, now part of present day Arlington, which included the greater portion of Boulevard Manor. During the Civil War, Confederate forces established an outpost on Upton’s Hill where the regional park is now located, from which they could observe troop movements across the Potomac. When the Confederate army withdrew from this area, the Federal army established Fort Upton on Upton’s Hill as part of the defense of Washington owing to the ability to see the Washington Monument and the Capitol from this vantage point. The areas of Boulevard Manor and Fort Upton received the name Spy Hill as a result of these activities. The image above is a Harper’s Weekly sketch of Union troops on Spy Hill.

In the 1860s, William A. Torreyson purchased land from the Carlin and Munson estates, including a sizeable portion of Munson’s Hill, and established a dairy farm. Torreyson’s daughter Lucy married George Reeves in 1894 and they took over the dairy farm in 1902, the last to operate in Arlington, until closing in 1955 under the ownership of George Reeves’ son, Nelson. After its sale in the late 1970s, Spy Hill was a popular gathering place for teenagers until its eventual development in 1990.

What about you?
Do you have any memories of the Spy Hill neighborhood? Let us know what you remember!

When Cows Were Local

Dairy farming in Arlington? Why yes, Virginia, there once was such a thing. In fact, Arlington was home to a number of dairy farms in years past, with one of the best known being the Reeves farm.

Photo of George Reed moving logs in 1949 on the Reeves farm.

Photo of George Reed moving logs in 1949 on the Reeves farm (note the different last name, which could be a typo or just a different generation with a last name change through marriage).

George Reeves feeding some chickens, no date

George Reeves feeding chickens, no date.

Purchased in 1866 as a 160-acre farm by William H. Torreyson, the property stretched west of Four Mile Run and south of Wilson Boulevard, extending beyond Route 50 to Glen Carlyn Road. The farm was later operated by Torreyson's daughter, Lucy, and her husband George Reeves from 1898-1949; their son Nelson Reeves was made a partner in 1924. Nelson and his wife, Louise, kept the farm in operation until its final shipment of milk in July 1955 marked the end of dairy farming in Arlington.

The Reeves family continued to reside on the property, gradually selling off land as the county's population grew. After Nelson Reeves passed away in 2000 at the age of 90, ten members of his family sought to have the farmhouse preserved, eventually resulting in its designation as a historic district. Shown in the photograph above, Reevesland, as it is now known, provides a unique link to Arlington's agricultural heritage, and preserves a valuable family legacy for present day residents to enjoy and appreciate

What About You?
Do you have any recollections regarding the Reeves farm or other dairies in Arlington? Let us know what you remember!

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