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What Arlington Treasures Are Hiding In Your Attic or Filing Cabinet?

Contribute to the Community Archive

Donate your papers and photos to the Center for Local History and help to tell Arlington's story!

Center for Local History Archivist Heather shows an Arlington yearbook and a 1935 Franklin Property Atlas to a class of 4th graders at Barrett Elementary School.

During Pride Month, we had hoped to share a story from our archive relating to Arlington's LGBTQIA+ community and history. Unfortunately, we were unable to do so because our collection currently has a shortage of materials related to these topics.

We'd love to fix this gap, and many others, so that we may continue to fulfill our mission to document all of Arlington's diverse community. If you have photos, newsletters, flyers, and/or other materials (physical or digital) related to untold Arlington County history - LGBTQIA+ or anything else - we'd love to add it to the Community Archive.

To donate, visit the Center for Local History at Central Library, call us at 703-228-5966, or email us at localhistory@arlingtonva.us.

Learn more about the kinds of materials that can be donated to the Center for Local History.

Have You Ever Stood Awestruck In A Great Forest?

The year is 1967.

Phoebe sees that her high school students are disconnected from the natural world. So she founds The Outdoor Lab in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Now generations of urban Arlington students can study animals and plants in their natural ecosystems.

Transform science education: That’s Women’s Work

Two years in the making, Arlington Public Library's Women's Work exhibit presents the stories of women trailblazers and their far-reaching impact on politics, education, business, social activism and public libraries.

The curated digital collection contains stories, photographs, letters and memorabilia and spotlights both individuals and groups of Arlington women who dedicated their work to improve the lives of others.

Because there are always more layers of history to find and examine, the Center for Local History continually seeks community donations and oral histories. Contact us at 703-228-5966 or by email.

Happy 100th Birthday, Birdie Alston!

Longtime Arlington resident Birdie Alston recently celebrated his 100th birthday.

Mr. Alston’s life has been marked by a commitment to community service, civil rights, and a love of photography and gardening.

Born in June 1919, Mr. Alston grew up in South Carolina. He came to Arlington as a young man in 1944, first settling in South Arlington and then moving to the Hall’s Hill/High View Park neighborhood with his wife, Mable Shirley Alston in 1947. He worked first as a short order cook and then at Olmstead Oldsmobile for forty years.

After the end of World War II, Mr. Alston became involved with civic and civil rights movements, as a member of the Langston Civic Association (and President of the organization in the 1960’s) and the NAACP of Arlington and Fairfax Counties. He was instrumental in growing the memberships of both groups and working alongside other well-known Arlingtonians such as Dorothy Hamm and Barbara Marx. In addition to these activities, Mr. Alston was on the Board of Directors at the Veteran’s YMCA and helped to found the North Arlington Child Care Centers, Inc.

Mr. Alston was also involved with the Neighborhood Conservation Plan, established in 1964 as a way for communities within Arlington to meet as neighbors and discuss ideas about improving their own neighborhoods. As an avid gardener, Mr. Alston was instrumental to the sustained improvement of the Hall’s Hill/High View Park neighborhood. Mr. Alston further supported the mission of the Neighborhood Conservation Plan by petitioning and working with the Arlington County Board for street improvements throughout High View Park. He has also been a longtime member of Calloway United Methodist Church.

As an enthusiastic photographer, he took pictures of family, friends, and everyday life in Arlington throughout the 1950’s, ‘60’s, and beyond, and was involved with local black heritage events such as Nauck Pride Day and Feel the Heritage Festival.

In an oral history conducted in 1991 with Mr. Alston, he remarked: “…I was just an average citizen in the community. I didn't wear no fancy clothes…I was a working man, I went to work.”

We think that Mr. Birdie Alston’s life and commitment to community involvement have been anything but average or ordinary and wish him a happy 100th birthday.

The Personal Papers of Birdie and Mable Alston (RG 338) were donated to the Center for Local History in October 2017. This collection includes photographs, physical objects, and materials from Mr. Alston’s involvement with various civil rights and community activities throughout the mid to late 20th century.

For more information, and to see items from the collection, visit the Center for Local History on the first floor at Central Library.

Do You Like Arlington’s Vibrant, Walk-Friendly Culture?

The year is 1973.

Ellen is elected to the County Board.

She leads the transformation of a Metro corridor surrounded by parks, apartments, shopping and restaurants, where the community can flourish.

Lead this town: That's Women's Work.

Lead this town: That's Women's Work.

Two years in the making, Arlington Public Library's Women's Work exhibit presents the stories of women trailblazers and their far-reaching impact on politics, education, business, social activism and public libraries.

The curated digital collection contains stories, photographs, letters and memorabilia and spotlights both individuals and groups of Arlington women who dedicated their work to improve the lives of others.

Because there are always more layers of history to find and examine, the Center for Local History continually seeks community donations and oral histories. Contact us at 703-228-5966 or by email.

When You See a Problem, Do You Turn it into an Opportunity?

The year is 1954.

Margarite sees that Black families are denied fair housing because of segregation, so she starts a successful real estate company that will serve everyone.

The White House recognizes her as an entrepreneurial pioneer.

Build a multimillion-dollar firm: That’s Women’s Work.

Read Margarite Syphax’s Story

Two years in the making, Arlington Public Library's Women's Work exhibit presents the stories of women trailblazers and their far-reaching impact on politics, education, business, social activism and public libraries.

The curated digital collection contains stories, photographs, letters and memorabilia and spotlights both individuals and groups of Arlington women who dedicated their work to improve the lives of others.

Because there are always more layers of history to find and examine, the Center for Local History continually seeks community donations and oral histories. Contact us at 703-228-5966 or by email.

What Would You Give Up Your Freedom For?

The year is 1917.

33-year old Gertrude becomes a 3-time political prisoner for the right to vote.

Through her participation in the national suffrage movement, over 83 million women are registered to vote in the United States.

Go to jail for the vote: That’s Women’s Work.

Read Gertrude Crocker's Story

Two years in the making, Arlington Public Library's Women's Work exhibit presents the stories of women trailblazers and their far-reaching impact on politics, education, business, social activism and public libraries.

The curated digital collection contains stories, photographs, letters and memorabilia and spotlights both individuals and groups of Arlington women who dedicated their work to improve the lives of others.

Because there are always more layers of history to find and examine, the Center for Local History continually seeks community donations and oral histories. Contact us at 703-228-5966 or by email.

Arlington Farms

By 1941, the last of the property where the USDA's Experimental Farm had been located (at the northeast tip of Arlington) was transferred to the War Department for use in the National Defense Program.

Arlington Farms recreation hall where Saturday night dances were held.  c. 1944.

The Palais Royal—Arlington Farms’ department store and beauty shop.  c. 1944.

A view of Arlington Farms from Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C. is visible in the background. c. 1944.

In 1943, the United States Government transformed that land into war residences for female civil servants and service members during World War II. Six of the ten dorms were reserved for civilians and government employees, while the remaining four were for military servicewomen.

Most of the women living at Arlington Farms worked at the Pentagon, the Navy Annex, or Arlington Hall Station, the headquarters of the Army’s Signal Intelligence Service. During World War II, women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers—accounting for approximately 40% of the workforce between 1940 and 1945.

Arlington Farms was nicknamed “Girl Town” and was a popular spot for soldiers and sailors stationed at nearby bases. In addition to the department store, beauty shop and recreation hall pictured in the photographs above, Arlington Farms also had a chapel, a post office, and a cafeteria.

The complex’s buildings were demolished in the 1960s and today Arlington National Cemetery occupies the land.

To see more items like these, or to learn more about Arlington's history, visit the Center for Local History on the first floor of the Central Library.

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.

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An Experimental Farm

Did you know that Arlington was at the forefront of experimental farming in the early 20th Century?

In 1900, Congress transferred 400 acres of land along the Potomac near Ft. Myer to the Department of Agriculture in order to create an experimental farm for plant testing, and the improvement of plants and cultivation.

Horse-drawn cultivator, Arlington House in background, 1908.

Experimental Farm, USDA, date unknown.

A lot of fascinating and far-reaching work was conducted at the Experimental Farm over the next forty years:

  • The Farm naturalized over 100,000 types of foreign plants for domestic use, using seeds collected from Americans traveling aboard on governmental or private missions. Soybeans are one of the best-known crops to be introduced this way.
  • When a plant disease threatened to wipe out the domestic sugarcane industry in the 1920s the Farm led the way in developing immunity to this blight, which ultimately resulted in the rebuilding of the sugarcane industry.
  • One of the more unusual examples of the Farm’s experiments involved grasses for golf greens. Before WWI the country’s golf courses were almost entirely dependent on German grown seed for their grasses. When the supply was cut off by the war, golf courses throughout the country contributed funds for experiments at Arlington to develop new domestic varieties.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture photo of the Experimental Farm, 1906. National Monument in the background.

Aerial View of the Experimental Farm, 1919, shows area now occupied by the Pentagon and Airport. Bridges are Memorial Bridge and Aqueduct Bridge.

With the development of Arlington National Cemetery and the construction of Memorial Bridge there was pressure to relocate the farm. In 1932 much of the farm’s work was shifted to Beltsville, MD.

By 1941 the remainder of the property had been transferred to the War Department for use in the National Defense Program.

To see more items like these, or to learn more about Arlington's history, visit the Center for Local History on the first floor of the Central Library.

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.

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Hygiene Class for New Mothers

Happy Mother's Day to all the women who have worked to keep us both healthy and clean!

These photos are from Arlington Health Department hygiene classes, which were offered for new and expectant mothers in the 1930s and 1940s.

Home hygiene clinic, 1938

Baby bath demonstration, 1943

During this time period, health and cleanliness were considered one and the same, so personal hygiene was seen as essential to being healthy.

The classes for new mothers covered maternity hygiene, infant hygiene, and preschool hygiene. Among other things, nurses demonstrated the best way to wash a toddler and a baby.

To see more items like these, or to learn more about Arlington's history, visit the Center for Local History on the first floor of the Central Library.

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.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

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Edmond C. Fleet, Community Swimming Pool Supporter

Edmond C. Fleet (1902-1983) was a civilian pastry chef for the United States Navy, who found significant ways to put his organizing talents to good use for the Nauck community.

Besides being a member of the local African-American Elks Lodge, Masonic Lodge, and Oddfellows, he was a co-founder of the Veteran’s Memorial Branch of the YMCA, located at 3440 22nd Street S, one block away from Macedonia Baptist Church.

Built in 1953, the Veteran’s Memorial YMCA served the “non-white” residents of the county. Located near Drew School, it naturally had a strong bond with neighborhood children, especially since the county’s Parks and Recreation system was still segregated.

In the late 1950s, this YMCA started a campaign to build a swimming pool as there were no pools in the County that would allow African-Americans in.

Front page of mailer asking for donations for construction of Veteran's Memorial YMCA pool.
Third page of mailer sent out to get contributions for construction of the Veteran's Memorial YMCA swimming pool.

This 1962 pledge brochure, which lists Fleet as a member of the Advisory Committee, details plans for the pool and asks for community support. Fleet put his money where his mouth was, and donated money to the YMCA and other organizations in which he was involved, including Mt. Zion Baptist Church where he was in the choir.

Fleet was involved in local politics too, hosting Lady Bird Johnson at his home for a Chuck Robb campaign event in 1977, when he ran for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. (Chuck Robb is married to Lady Bird and President Johnson's daughter, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb.)

Lady Bird Johnson flanked by Edmond C. Fleet and an unidentified Robb supporter, 1977.

To learn more about Edmund C. Fleet and the Veteran’s Memorial YMCA, visit the Center for Local History on the first floor of the Central Library.

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.

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