Fairlington, Virginia facts for kids
|
Fairlington Historic District
|
|
 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Roughly bounded by Quaker Lane, King St., I-395, S. Walter Reed Dr., and S. Abingdon St., Arlington, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Area | 322 acres (130 ha) |
| Built | 1942 |
| Architect | Franzheim, Kenneth; et al. |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000368 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | March 29, 1999 |
Fairlington is a special neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia. It's right next to Shirlington and close to the City of Alexandria. Big roads like Interstate 395 (also called Shirley Highway), King Street, and Quaker Lane are nearby. Interstate 395 even splits Fairlington into two parts: North Fairlington and South Fairlington.
This neighborhood is mostly made up of townhouse and condominium apartments. These homes were built in the 1940s during World War II. Fairlington was the biggest housing project funded by the Defense Homes Corporation at that time. Today, Fairlington is recognized as an important historical place. It's listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.
Contents
What's in a Name? Fairlington's Story
Fairlington was first called Seminary Heights. But this caused confusion because there were many other places nearby named after the Virginia Theological Seminary. So, people decided to pick a new name.
The name Fairlington was created by combining the names of two counties. At the time, the neighborhood was located in both Fairfax and Arlington counties. Even though the Fairfax County part is now in the City of Alexandria, the name Fairlington stuck!
The neighborhood is very green with lots of trees. It sits on hills overlooking the Four Mile Run valley. The Fairlington Bridge (South Abingdon Street) connects North and South Fairlington over Interstate 395.
Fairlington's Past: A Look Back
How Fairlington Began
Long ago, in the 1600s, the area where Fairlington is now was near a Necostin Indian village. In the early 1700s, a large piece of land, including Fairlington, was given to William Struttfield. Later, by 1756, the land was owned by John Carlyle. He was a friend of future U.S. President George Washington.
Around 1770, Carlyle started building a large farm and summer house called Torthorwald (later Morven). This house stood until 1942. George Washington himself owned some land in what would become Fairlington.
After the American Revolution, in 1790, the area of Fairlington became part of the new District of Columbia. It was no longer under Virginia's control. But in 1846, the county was given back to Virginia. It became Alexandria County, Virginia.
From War to Modern Homes
When the American Civil War started in 1861, the United States military quickly took over Northern Virginia. They built forts and defenses to protect their base in Alexandria. Fairlington was home to two of these forts: Fort Reynolds and Battery Garesche. These forts helped protect the area, and it was never captured by Confederate forces.
Even with the forts, Fairlington remained mostly rural. It had woods and small farms into the 1900s. In 1879, the land was owned by Hawkins Smith, who made it a leading horse farm. Before Fairlington was built, one cleared area even served as a small airfield until the mid-1930s.
In 1920, Alexandria County was renamed Arlington County. This was to avoid confusion with the nearby City of Alexandria.
Building Fairlington for World War II
When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, there was a huge need for housing. Many people were moving to the area to work for the government or in defense. The Defense Homes Corporation bought most of the land in Fairlington. This company was created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to quickly build homes for defense workers.
By 1942, they had gathered 322 acres for new housing. The site was only about 2.5 miles from the Pentagon, which was also being built. By the end of 1943, the project was renamed Fairlington. Almost 2,415 homes were finished. By 1945, there were 3,439 homes, built at a cost of $35 million.
After the war, in 1947, the Defense Homes Corporation sold Fairlington. It became rental apartments. The area around Fairlington also grew, with shopping centers opening nearby.
In 1952, the City of Alexandria took over the small part of Fairlington that was in Fairfax County. This made the name "Fairlington" (Fairfax + Arlington) a bit old-fashioned, but it stayed. In 1966, the border between Arlington and Alexandria was adjusted in North Fairlington.
Fairlington Becomes Condominiums
By the late 1960s, the owners of Fairlington thought about tearing down the apartments and building tall high-rise buildings. Instead, they decided to change the existing homes into condominium apartments in 1972. This was a huge project, as Virginia had only allowed condominiums since 1962.
The company CBI-Fairmac bought Fairlington. They started a five-year project to change the apartments. Common basement areas were divided, and old boiler houses were replaced with fun recreation areas. The first homes sold for $19,000 to $45,500 in 1972. The last homes were sold in 1978.
In 1979, the Fairlington Elementary School closed. The building became the Fairlington Community Center, which is still used today.
Fairlington was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1998 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. In 2002, it won the "Test of Time" award for its great architectural design.
Fairlington's Historical Marker
An important sign, called a historical marker, stands at Quaker Lane and South 32nd Street. It tells us about Fairlington's history:
- "Designed in the Colonial Revival style by Kenneth Franzheim and Alan B. Mills and constructed between 1942 and 1944, Fairlington is an early example of successful community planning and large-scale, publicly financed rental housing built for defense workers and their families during World War II. With 3,439 garden apartments, Fairlington was the largest project financed by Defense Homes Corporation (a component of the National Housing Agency) and the nation's largest apartment complex at that time. The units were renovated and sold as condominiums between 1972 and 1977. The name Fairlington combines Fairfax and Arlington, the counties in which the project was located."
How Fairlington is Organized
Fairlington is divided into seven separate condominium associations, sometimes called "villages." These include Fairlington Arbor, Fairlington Commons, Fairlington Glen, Fairlington Green, Fairlington Meadows, and Fairlington Mews (all in South Fairlington). North Fairlington is one large condominium called Fairlington Villages.
There is also a group called the Fairlington Citizens Association. This group represents the community in local matters. The Fairlington Historical Society works to protect the neighborhood's history.
Fairlington's Design and Buildings
Neighborhood Layout
Fairlington's streets are all two lanes wide. They are not laid out in a straight grid like many cities. Instead, they are slightly winding. The apartment homes are grouped into "courts." These courts usually have three or four buildings with about 40-50 homes facing a parking lot.
Most homes have three levels: upstairs, ground level, and a basement. They also have front and back doors. Some homes are two or three stories tall with all the rooms on one floor. After the homes became condominiums, most units got a small private yard behind their back door.
The areas between the courts are open spaces for fun. These common areas now have tennis, basketball courts, playgrounds, and swimming facilities. Before, they had wading pools, which were shallow concrete pools for cooling off in the summer.
Fairlington's Architecture
Fairlington has 1024 historical buildings. All of them are built in the Colonial Revival style. This means they look like old American colonial homes. The buildings are 1.5 to three stories tall. Most have gable roofs, but some have hipped, flat, or gambrel roofs. Most roofs are made of slate.
The walls are mainly brick. Windows are typically six-over-six double-hung sash windows. Front doors are paneled and often have small porches or steps. Many buildings have chimneys, even if they don't work. You can also see decorative wood molding, stone window frames, and non-working shutters.
Journalist David Brinkley wrote about Fairlington in 1988. He said that even though it lacked shops in 1943, "Fairlington at least had sturdy, well-designed housing (most of it still standing today and now expensive townhouses and condominiums)." Fairlington's design is so good that it won the "Test of Time" award in 2002.
Trees and Green Spaces
Fairlington's streets and common areas are full of trees. You can find oaks, maples, elms, and sycamores. There's even a "Fairlington Notable Tree Walk" to show off some of the special trees in the area.
Getting Around Fairlington
Roads and Paths
Interstate 395 (Shirley Highway) goes through Fairlington. The South Abingdon Street bridge connects the two sides of the neighborhood over the highway. King Street and Quaker Lane are on the edges of Fairlington.
Fairlington's street names follow the Arlington County system. However, the streets themselves are not a straight grid. They are winding and often have four-way stops or modern roundabouts (traffic circles). There are also special lanes and routes for bicycles.
Buses and Trains
Several Metrobus routes go through Fairlington. Other bus services like Alexandria's DASH bus are also available nearby.
Several Washington Metro stations are a few miles from Fairlington. Metrobus and DASH connect the neighborhood directly to the King Street – Old Town Metro station in Alexandria and the Pentagon Metro station in Arlington.
Alexandria Union Station offers Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express train services. You can get there by DASH bus from Fairlington.
Airports Nearby
Fairlington is about 5 miles from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County. It's also about 25 miles from Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling, Virginia.
Fun and Shopping in Fairlington
The Fairlington Community Center is a great place for activities. It used to be an elementary school. Utah Field Park and Abingdon Elementary School also have public recreation areas. Each condominium group in Fairlington has its own swimming pools, tennis courts, and basketball courts for residents.
Inside Fairlington, you'll find some local businesses like dentists and real estate offices. Right next to Fairlington, The Village at Shirlington has restaurants, shops, and a movie theater. It's easy to walk there from North Fairlington. South Fairlington residents can use a walkway to get to Shirlington.
Other nearby places include the Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site and the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. Alexandria's Bradlee and Fairlington shopping centers are also very close to South Fairlington.
Learning in Fairlington
The public Abingdon Elementary School is in North Fairlington. It serves all of Fairlington. Older students go to Gunston Middle School and Wakefield High School.
The Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources offers classes at the Fairlington Community Center. This center started as the Fairlington Elementary School in 1940 and became a community center in 1979.
Community Services
Fairlington is part of the 3rd District of the Arlington County Police Department. They work with the Fairlington Citizens Association. Arlington Fire Station No. 7 is located in North Fairlington. The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service office is in the Fairlington Community Center.
All of Fairlington is in the 22206 ZIP code area. The United States Postal Service's Shirlington Annex Post Office serves the neighborhood.
