history | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published May 20, 2011 at 8:02AM

APS Names New Williamsburg Principal — The Arlington School Board has appointed Dr. Ann McCarty as the new principal of Williamsburg Middle School. McCarty, who has been a middle school principal in Falls Church, replaces Kathleen Francis, who was shown the door in February after sending a lengthy resignation letter to parents. The letter was harshly critical of Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy. [Arlington Public Schools]

Remembering Desegregation in Arlington — A town hall was held earlier this week to discuss the legacy of desegregation in Arlington. Stratford Junior High — now H-B Woodlawn — became the first school to integrate in Virginia in 1959. [WAMU]

News

Arlington Invented the Internet

By ARLnow.com

Published May 16, 2011 at 11:58AM

On Tuesday, the County Board will recognize several former employees of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) who were instrumental in creating ARPANET, the forerunner of the internet. As part of the ceremony, which is set to take place just after 3:00 p.m., the county will show off two new historical markers that will be erected at 1400 Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn, DARPA’s former headquarters.

The marker will read:

Events

Ashton Heights to Celebrate 90th Anniversary With House Tour

By ARLnow.com

Published May 12, 2011 at 10:42AM

The annual Lyon Park-Ashton Heights house tour will be held this weekend.

This year’s event will mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of Ashton Heights. The tour will feature homes built between 1904 and 2009. Along the way there will be antique cars, retro costumes, old documents and demonstrations of green technology.

Around Town

Video Throwback: The County’s New Web Site in 1997

By ARLnow.com

Published May 4, 2011 at 8:00AM

It’s hard to believe this video is only 14 years old, because for many of the internet generation it will feel like ancient history.

News

Poll: What Would You Like to See Return to Clarendon-Courthouse?

By ARLnow.com

Published March 29, 2011 at 2:27PM

Clarendon and Courthouse have changed — a lot — over the past couple of decades.

The arrival of Metro in the late 1970s and early 1980s heralded the demise of many small mom-and-pop retailers and ethnic restaurants that once gave the area its unique character. It also helped speed along the end of large department and five & dime stores.

Around Town

You Can Own History, But It’s a Fixer-Upper

By ARLnow.com

Published March 16, 2011 at 2:51PM | Updated March 16, 2011 at 7:28PM

The house was built in 1881 by Harry Gray, a bricklayer and a former slave in the Arlington household of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Despite the fact that the house stood alone on a 10 acre piece of farmland at the time, Gray built it in the Italianate style of fashionable townhouses he had seen in the District. The architecture was a statement about how far freed slaves had come since the Emancipation Proclamation.

“The dwelling represents the monumental shift from slaves to freedmen for African Americans in the years following the Civil War,” a National Park Service document states. The house sits at present-day 1005 South Quinn Street, near Columbia Pike and adjacent to what was once a thriving Freedman’s Village.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 10, 2011 at 8:11AM

New Bar Coming to Columbia Pike — William Jeffrey’s Tavern will be a 6,500 square foot bar and restaurant on the ground floor of the Siena Park apartment complex, across the street from Bob & Edith’s Diner. The tavern, owned by the team behind Ragtime and Rhodeside Grill, is expected to open this fall. [Pike Wire]

Arlington Funds Slugging Web Site — Each year, Arlington allots $10,000 out of its $8 million commuter services budget to fund Slug-Lines.com, a privately-run internet resource for the area’s unique, grassroots carpooling system. [Miller-McCune Magazine]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 9, 2011 at 8:03AM | Updated March 9, 2011 at 11:21PM

Cycling Through Arlington National Cemetery — The one-month closure of the Wright gate to Fort Myer will affect some cyclists who travel through Arlington National Cemetery. One blogger argues that the closure should be used as an opportunity to expand cycling privileges in the cemetery. [Greater Greater Washington]

Yorktown High Students Advance to National History Bowl — Not one but two Yorktown High School teams are advancing to the National History Bowl Championship after finishing third and fourth in the Virginia competition. A total of eight Yorktown students will compete at the championship in the District next month. [Arlington Public Schools]

Events

Long-Time Arlingtonians Tell Their Story

By ARLnow.com

Published March 4, 2011 at 9:38AM

Since last month, Arlington County has been asking residents to tell their story for a new initiative that seeks to “celebrate Arlington’s rich cultural diversity through a variety of events, celebrations, and story-telling.”

Around Town

Exhibit Explores Rosslyn’s Colorful Past (and Bright Future)

By ARLnow.com

Published February 22, 2011 at 10:16AM

Photos from the bad old days adorn the walls of Artisphere’s Work-in-Progress Gallery for an exhibit called “Rosslyn: A Work in Progress.” The exhibit, which runs through March 13, “chronicles Rosslyn’s origins as a lawless, rowdy community in the 1800’s to the thriving urban village it is today, through historical items and images, and renderings of developments coming soon.”

At an opening reception last week, we caught up with local historian Kathryn Holt Springston, who told us some stories of Rosslyn’s bawdy past.

Around Town

A Video Tour of Arlington’s “Essential” Historic Properties

By ARLnow.com

Published February 14, 2011 at 11:42AM

For just over four years, county staff have been taking an inventory of Arlington’s historic buildings. The fruits of that labor are now paying off.

Around Town

Club’s Renovation Plan Includes Tearing Down 1890s House

By ARLnow.com

Published February 10, 2011 at 3:59PM | Updated February 10, 2011 at 4:22PM

By a vote of 55 to 4, members approved a $3.1 million renovation plan (see: Option C-2) that includes enhancements to the club’s three pools, more terrace space and a new clubhouse. The existing Victorian-style clubhouse, built in the 1890s and known as the Febrey-Kincheloe House, is expected to be torn down by the end of the year.

Association President Pat Shapiro says the clubhouse is in poor condition and it would be too expensive to try to safely restore it.