Arlington Village Historic District (Arlington, Virginia) facts for kids
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Arlington Village Historic District
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After the Rain Comes the Sun in Arlington Village, March 2012
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 Location in District of Columbia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | S. 13th St., S. 13 Rd., S. 16th St., S. Barton S., S. Cleveland St. and Edgewood St., Arlington, Virginia |
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| Area | 53 acres (21 ha) |
| Built | 1936-1939 |
| Architect | Ring, Gustave; Warwick, Harvey |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| MPS | Garden Apartments, Apartment Houses and Apartment Complexes in Arlington County, Virginia MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000215 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 11, 2003 |
The Arlington Village Historic District is a special neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia. It's called a historic district because it's an important place from the past. This area was built in 1939.
It has 657 buildings, mostly apartments, designed as a "garden apartment" community. This means it has lots of green spaces, courtyards, and even a swimming pool. There's also a small shopping center with six stores. The apartments are two stories tall and look like brick rowhouses. They have a classic style called Colonial Revival.
Arlington Village was the first big rental housing project in Arlington County. It was also the first to be insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The FHA helps people get loans for homes. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Contents
How Arlington Village Was Built
Getting the Land and Starting Construction
Arlington Village was the sixth project built by Gustave Ring that used FHA insurance. This happened in 1939. Harvey Warwick, an architect from Washington, D.C., designed it. He had also worked with Ring on another successful project called Colonial Village in 1935. They used similar ideas for Arlington Village.
Gustave Ring was born in West Virginia in 1910. He grew up in Washington and studied engineering. By 1939, he was a very successful businessman. He had developed many housing projects using FHA insurance. For Arlington Village, Ring bought 33 acres of land for $362,000. He bought more land from other owners, making the total area 53 acres. He believed this spot was perfect for new homes as Washington, D.C., grew.
Designing the Neighborhood
The designers divided Arlington Village into five large sections called "superblocks." They carefully planned the area to keep its natural look. The superblocks were separated by streets like South Barton Street and South Cleveland Street. There were 590 parking spots along these streets.
Out of the 53 acres, only about 12% was used for the 661 apartments. This left about 47 acres for green spaces, parks, and recreation areas. The apartments were built around open courts. Each apartment had a front court and a private back court. The front of the buildings had fancy details like special windows, porches, and slate roofs. The back of the buildings were much simpler. There were different sizes of apartments: 357 one-bedroom, 271 two-bedroom, and 33 three-bedroom units.
In 1950, Gustave Ring sold Arlington Village. He had made a lot of money from the sale. In 1979, the property was sold again for $9.7 million. Today, it is worth even more.
Famous Residents
The family of Albert Gore Sr., who was a Congressman, lived in Arlington Village. His son, Al Gore, who later became Vice President of the United States, lived there until he was about four years old.
