Arlington Public Library is an official book sanctuary.
Lomax Church and Library Celebrate Records Acquisition
Donation Received from one of Arlington’s Oldest Black Churches
Valentine’s Day Postcards
Sending love through the mail, for a penny.
Exhibition Pays Tribute to Women in Arlington
March 5 through April 2 at Central Library.
Oral History: Renting in Clarendon in the 1950s
Interview with Ann Brock.
Question for the Archives: Where Was My School?
A patron was looking for the name of an Arlington school he attended for one year as a child.
This Week in 19th Amendment History: The Death of Zitkála-Šá
In celebration of her work for Native American’s voting rights, we are republishing our “Rediscover Zitkála-Šá” post from March 13,...
Read moreThe First Arlington County Fair
Arlington held its first County Fair in 1977, led by a nonprofit, all-volunteer group, which organized and operated the event.
“Devoted to the interests of Woman – to her educational, industrial, legal and political equality, and especially to her right...
Read moreWhat Happened to Arlington’s Radio Towers?
From 1913 to 1941, massive radio towers dominated the Arlington skyline.
This Week in 19th Amendment History: Wyoming Day
One hundred and fifty years ago this week, Wyoming made a significant – though complicated – stride on the path...
Read moreThe Early History of Arlington’s Parks and Recreation Department
Starting with a $500 allocation in 1933, Arlington has grown over the past 75 years from one public park on...
Read moreThis Week in 19th Amendment History: The Death of Sojourner Truth
November 26 marks the anniversary of the death of legendary suffragist and abolitionist Sojourner Truth.
The Library Director’s 2019 Playlist
A collection of seasonal tunes, from schlock to rock, and everything in between
The Royal Family in Arlington
Over the last 80 years members of the royal family have stopped in Arlington too, drawing much local attention and...
Read moreThis Week in 19th Amendment History: The Night of Terror
Just over 100 years ago this week, on November 14, 1917, a group of suffragists underwent a horrifying night of...
Read moreArlington Theatre ‘N’ Bowling
On August 15, 1940, one of Arlington’s premier cinemas – the Arlington Theatre – opened its doors.
Rediscover Haunted Arlington
Four stories to keep you up at night this October… The Spirits at Overlee, Old Post Chapel, Wakefield High School,...
Read moreOn October 23, 1850, the first National Woman’s Rights Convention began in Worcester, Massachusetts.
This Week in 19th Amendment History: Agatha Tiegel Hanson
The first female graduate (and valedictorian) of Gallaudet University and an early champion of both deaf and women’s rights.
Oral History: Presidential Sightings
Interview with Captain Carl Porter.
Taking it Personally: National Coming Out Day
The Library honors National Coming Out Day by displaying Pride flags at all of our locations.
Arlington’s Water System
Do you know where your water comes from?
Oral History: H-B Woodlawn Beginnings
Interview with Ray Anderson, H-B Woodlawn Principal
Hoover Airport
Arlington has had congested traffic conditions for almost 100 years…
Remembering September 11: Cards for Firefighters
Eighteen years ago, children from around the country showed their support for Arlington’s first responders with drawings, words of encouragement...
Read moreThe Jefferson School
Have you driven or walked past the Army Navy County Club in South Arlington? On that same ground in 1870,...
Read moreBob Peck Chevrolet
If you’ve driven down Glebe Road in Ballston over the past few years, you might have noticed the diamond-shaped facade...
Read moreThe Great Northern Virginia Elephant Hunt
If you were standing outside on August 21, you might have seen four enormous grey animals with extremely long noses...
Read moreRediscover Grace Murray Hopper
Mathematician, Navy Veteran and Arlington resident, Grace Murray Hopper broke down gender barriers throughout her career in the emerging field...
Read more“If You Don’t Vote, You Don’t Count”
Can you imagine having to pay a tax for the three previous years before you could cast your vote in...
Read morePencil Me In: Waneta’s Dance Card
Have you ever “penciled someone in” for coffee, or said “my dance card is full” when you’re busy?
Dog Days with the Allwine Children
In the early part of the 1900s, on the site that later became Reagan National Airport, Vivian Allwine Ford grew...
Read moreThrills and Chills at Arlington Beach
A day at the beach sounds relaxing, but visitors to Arlington Amusement Beach in the 1920s sometimes got more thrills...
Read moreOral History: Introducing New Breads to Arlington
Interview with Carla and Wolfgang Buchler, owners of Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe.
Arlington’s African-American Baseball Teams
The earliest known baseball team, named The Old Virginia Blues, started in 1910.
Putt-Putt Golf Courses
Mini-golf attracted visitors from across the region to Arlington for over 50 years.
Donate your papers and photos to the Center for Local History and help to tell Arlington’s story.
Have You Ever Stood Awestruck In A Great Forest?
Transform science education: That’s Women’s Work
Happy 100th Birthday, Birdie Alston!
Mr. Alston’s life has been marked by a commitment to community service, civil rights, and a love of photography and...
Read moreLead this town: That’s Women’s Work.
Build a multimillion-dollar firm: That’s Women’s Work.
What Would You Give Up Your Freedom For?
Go to jail for the vote: That’s Women’s Work.
On the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall
This year, Arlington County celebrates “50 Years Forward: from riots to rights” and cities across the country, will host Pride...
Read moreArlington Farms
Did you know that Arlington was at the forefront of experimental farming in the early 20th Century?
An Experimental Farm
Did you know that Arlington was at the forefront of experimental farming in the early 20th Century?
The Aqueduct Bridge
Before the Key Bridged spanned the Potomac River, the Alexandria Aqueduct carried barges from Georgetown to Virginia.
Hygiene Class for New Mothers
These photos are of hygiene classes for new and expectant mothers, offered by the Arlington Health Department in the 1930s...
Read moreProm Season at Bishop O’Connell
Did you go to your high school prom? Do you remember what you wore?
A Coffee Shop’s Many Faces
Do the roof line and windows of this buildings look familiar?
Edmond C. Fleet, Community Swimming Pool Supporter
Co-founder of the Veteran’s Memorial Branch of the YMCA.
Rediscover Brandymore Castle
It’s an easy hike to the local “castle.”
Living memorials were a popular concept after World War II.
The Unusual History of the Washington Nationals
The Washington area may have a fraught history when it comes to baseball teams, but that has not stopped us...
Read moreRediscover Zitkála-Šá
Rediscover a Native American Advocate
Oral History: Getting Involved in Local Politics
As the longest serving member of the Arlington County Board to date, Bozman supported countless causes that have made long...
Read moreGreen Valley Pharmacy
Established in 1952, the Green Valley Pharmacy is the first (and only) pharmacy and lunch counter in Arlington that would...
Read moreCub Scout Pack 589 and Ernest Johnson
Cub Scout Pack #589 was Arlington’s first African American Cub Scout Pack, established in 1952 and founded by Ernest Johnson.
Oral History: Desegregation of Arlington’s Public Schools
In honor of the 60th anniversary of the desegregation of Arlington County public schools, we present an oral history clip...
Read moreGeorge Melvin Richardson
In this photo, a group of late 1950s/early 1960s Hoffman-Boston high school students examine a relic on display at the...
Read moreRosslyn in the 1960s
Do you remember Rosslyn Ten Pin Bowl or A & H Plumbing Supply CORP.?
Where Were These Photos Taken?
Can you guess the location of these images? We’ll give you a few clues…
Neighborhood Activist Joan Cooper
For nearly 50 years, Joan Cooper worked for change in her neighborhood.
How To Prepare Tin Cans For Collection in 1943
This colorful advertisement from 1943 describes how to properly clean and prepare tin cans for recycling in order to aid...
Read moreThe Columbia News
“What the old year has done for us is this; it has brought everything forward to the point where hope...
Read moreHoliday Postcard Collection
Did you know that the study and collection of postcards is called Deltiology?
The Dudley Family Home
Oh, to sled down that hill… The Dudley Family Home stood on a hill on North Military Road –...
Read moreWakefield High School Student Posters
The students who attended Wakefield High School during the 1969/1970 school year were a busy and creative group. From after...
Read more“Too Cool for Yule” 2018
A number of years ago, I began creating the holiday play list, variously known as “Don’t Touch that Dial,” the...
Read moreMurphy & Ames Lumber and Hardware
In honor of Shop Small Saturday, we present the Murphy & Ames lumber and hardware company, located in Rosslyn from...
Read moreOral History: Dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Interview with Agnes Quade In observance of Veteran’s Day, the staff at the Center for Local History present a clip...
Read moreWomen’s Work: Ruby Lee Minar
If you’ve visited Lee Heights or Lyon Park, then you have been to neighborhoods created by real estate developer Ruby...
Read moreOral History: Halloween Shenanigans
A Halloween story from what is now the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington.
Yu-hsin Hsu: Growing Generosity
“It would take some work, but if we start soon we could have a new garden in that unused space...
Read moreSusan Parker: Friend of Books
“I love working with books first, but that is closely followed by working with a very engaging and bright group...
Read moreDiane Kresh: On Coming Out
“It means finding your voice, and speaking out with that voice, and not only when it’s safe to do so....
Read moreFree To Be
Thursday, October 11, 2018, marks the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day, an annual observance to raise awareness of...
Read moreZadie Smith: Empathetic Voyeur
“Voyeurism is at the heart of what we do.”
Treasures from the Archive
October in National Archives Month!
Commitment to Racial and Social Equity
Today, the Arlington Public Library joined with libraries in our area and around the country in signing the Urban Libraries...
Read moreDirector’s Blog: Vital Signs
A number of years ago, I was invited to mount a photo exhibit in Zagreb, Croatia. “Vital Signs” was a...
Read moreOn This Day in LGBTQIA+ History
Pride Month is celebrated each year in June, to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have...
Read moreNguyen Ngoc Bich: Vietnamese Community Leader
“Before April 1975 the whole Vietnamese community in the Washington area was probably no more than about 3,000 people. But...
Read moreVietnamese Community Leader In recognition of Asian and Pacific Island American Heritage Month, for May we are sharing community leader...
Read moreOn Saturday, April 28, the Arlington County Board will dedicate the County Office Building for six time Board Chair Ellen...
Read moreOral History: Interview with Ruth “Cas” Cocklin
Ruth Cocklin explain how Arlington’s Environment Improvement Commission helped make us the recycling and composting community we are today.
In the 1960s, Dr. Knipling encountered a major challenge to developing the district’s science curriculum: her students’ lack of hands-on...
Read moreWomen’s Work
Today, with a bit of tongue in cheek and in honor of Women’s History month, Arlington Public Library launches a...
Read moreOral History: Interview with Elizabeth Campbell
Creating “Time for Science,” Hosting Eleanor Roosevelt Reading through the oral history interview with Elizabeth Campbell, it’s hard to find...
Read moreOral History: Interview with Firefighter Julian Syphax
Hall’s Hill Volunteer Fire Department 1931, collection of the Arlington Historical Society 23 Years at Station 8, Hall’s Hill Julian...
Read moreFrom Freedman’s Village to Queen City
On property that today houses the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, a little-known, thriving, African-American community called Freedman’s Village once...
Read moreThe Cookie Chronicles: Life Skills 101
Were you a Girl Scout? Do you have a cookie-selling story to share?
The Story of Arlington Public School Desegregation
Each January, the world remembers Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Best known for his efforts to eradicate racism and segregation, and...
Read moreLibraries Now and Forever
On behalf of all the Library staff, thank you for being part of a great public library system and best...
Read moreOral History: Interview with Local Business Owner Robert Tramonte of the Italian Store
A Cornerstone of the Growing Lyon Village Community Arlington has no shortage of local businesses offering high quality food, goods,...
Read morePut an “i” in Civic
Looking for something fun and meaningful to do this holiday season, either on your own, with your family or with...
Read moreDon’t Touch That Dial 2017
Thanksgiving has come and gone which means it’s time to dust off the annual “Don’t Touch That Dial” holiday mix.
Exploring World War 1: Faces of War
An exhibit featuring the stories of Arlington’s WWI veterans will be on display in the Central Library lobby this November.
Native American Experience in the U.S. Military Thomas Oxendine, from Pembroke, North Carolina, became the first Native American Navy Pilot...
Read moreCode Girls and Arlington Hall: A Diverse History
From Girls School to Cryptanalysis Hub Author Liza Mundy, who did research for her book “Code Girls” in our Center...
Read moreHispanic Heritage Month: An Interview with Vanessa Cárdenas
While Latino and Hispanic people have been a part of this region’s history since long before 1950, the population boom of...
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