Anthology of McLean VA Local Histories -1

McLean Citizens Association: Anthology of Local Histories

Edited by Jan Auerbach 2007

Sponsored by The McLean Citizens Association and The McLean Historical Society

Copyright 2007 McLean Citizens Association.

Permissions. To obtain permission to reproduce any material for commercial purposes, contact the author or the McLean Citizens Association. The material may be freely reproduced for academic or other noncommercial use with attribution to the McLean Citizens Association and to the specific author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword .................................................................................4 Introduction .............................................................................5 1878 map of McLean area ......................................................6 Map of Participating Communities .........................................7 Map of farms in west McLean ................................................8 Chesterbrook Woods .............................................................10 Franklin Park .........................................................................12 Brookhaven/Forest Villa .......................................................24 Evermay ................................................................................33 Broyhill McLean Estates.......................................................47 Evans Mill Pond....................................................................54 Hallcrest Heights ...................................................................62 Pimmit Hills ..........................................................................69 Commons of McLean………………………………………76 McLean Hunt ........................................................................79 Georgetown Pike...................................................................83 Greenway Heights .................................................................91 Woodside Estates ..................................................................97 Shouse Village ....................................................................104

FOREWORD Much of the McLean area was developed in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Few of the early residents who remember the history of its development are still available to share their knowledge of those early days. The McLean Citizens Association decided to encourage all local communities to capture their history so it could be included in this compilation. Some of the histories have focused on the history of the area, some on the development of the community, and others on the activities of the homeowners association itself. Except for the history of Pimmit Hills, which was compiled largely from articles on the association’s website, a resident of each community wrote its history and is responsible for its content. Some were written some time ago and were recently updated; most have been written in the last six months. Because of these different perspectives and timeframes, this book not only tells the modern history of the area but also provides insight into the issues faced by homeowners associations then and now.

The fourteen histories included here represent only a small number of the total number of neighborhoods in McLean. Yet, they provide a representative sample of the issues faced by associations, whether they are responsible for private roads (Hallcrest Heights), pipestems (McLean Hunt), lakes (Woodside Estates), community buildings (Shouse Village), tennis courts (Evans Mill Pond), common areas (Greenway Heights and Pimmit Hills) or simply to represent the views of their residents on issues affecting their area. Through these histories we learn about the transition of McLean from a farming to a suburban community. We learn where street names came from and when major landmarks came into being. We understand more fully that the volunteer efforts of so very many people continue to form the backbone of this community.

My thanks go to Tom Brock, McLean Citizens Association President, and Ed Saperstein, Co-Chair of MCA’s Education and Youth Committee, for supporting this project, and to the MCA Board for their financial support. I also express my appreciation to Dan Smoot and the McLean Historical Society for their financial sponsorship of this project. I especially want to thank the following association leaders and history aficionados for their efforts to include their association’s history in this anthology: Brookhaven/Forest Villa: Harry Bacas Broyhill McLean Estates: Nicole Ritchie, Sandy Schaefer, Brian Higgins Chesterbrook Woods: Arnold Braswell Commons of McLean: Germaine Broussard, Edgar Hon Evans Mill Pond: Jim Robertson Evermay: Al Kuhn Franklin Park: Jim Meehan and Sue Neal Georgetown Pike: John Adams Greenway Heights: Michelle Meehan and Roz McLean Hallcrest Heights: Clark Tyler and Cheryl Thomas McLean Hunt: Peggy McNulty, Jeanne McChesney, Jean Jonnard Pimmit Hills: Carrie Lake, Cynthia Kwitchoff, Marie Davis Shouse Village: Bob Philipp Woodside Estates: Joe Berry Jan Auerbach May 2007

INTRODUCTION In the early 20th century, most of the land in the McLean area consisted of dairy farms. There was a community called Langley at the eastern end of Georgetown Pike and another called Lewinsville on Great Falls Street near what is now Dolley Madison Boulevard. In 1906 two investors opened an electric railroad line running from Rosslyn to Great Falls called the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad. One stop along the route was at the intersection of Ingleside Avenue and what is now Old Dominion Drive. The Post Office decided to locate there, and to name the station after John R. McLean, one of the two railroad investors. At the time, McLean was publisher of the Washington Post.

The railroad brought some residents to the area who commuted into Washington, but the real growth of McLean as a Washington suburb began after World War II. At first in the east end of the community (near the Arlington County border) and much later in the west end (near Difficult Run and Great Falls), developers bought the farmland and created neighborhoods of suburban homes. Roads, schools, and other services followed.

The map on page 6 shows the McLean area in 1878. Page 7 overlays a similar map with the location of the fourteen neighborhoods whose histories are presented here.

The map on pages 8-9 shows the location of landowners (mostly farmers) in western McLean who sold the land to developers or developed the land themselves.

The Chesterbrook Woods Citizens' Association

By Arnold Braswell 2007 The Chesterbrook Woods community lies in the southeast corner of McLean in the area bounded roughly by North Albemarle Street on the south, Little Pimmit Run on the west, Pimmit Run on the north, and River Street and the Arlington County line on the east. In 1950 most of the area was farmland, forest or pastureland. Residential development began in the early 1950’s and continued at a fast pace through the late 60’s, with a number of builders subdividing various areas into lots, laying out streets and building homes. Most of the current 530 homes in Chesterbrook Woods were built during that 20-year period. Residents of the community consider it a wonderful place to live, especially for families with children. It is quiet and pastoral, with winding streets and attractive homes and yards. It is ideally located to permit quick and easy access to Washington and other places in the metro area.

The Chesterbrook Woods Citizens' Association (CWCA) was formed in 1954. A person very active in getting the Association started was Navy Commander Don Baer, who in 1953 moved with his wife into a newly-built house on Oakdale Road. He served as the Association president for the first three years, beginning in 1954.

Acts of vandalism and burglaries, notably those of the infamous "silver bandit," became a concern during the seventies, and residents in 1977 established a voluntary Neighborhood Watch program including daily and nightly car patrols by citizen volunteers to help detect and deter criminal activity. It was the first such program in McLean and the second in Fairfax County. Don Baer, having retired from the Navy as a rear admiral in 1970, was active in setting up and supervising the patrol activity. He served as the Neighborhood Watch coordinator, working closely with the McLean police department, until he and his wife moved to a retirement home in 1999. The patrol program was encouraged and supported by the McLean Police and continues to be conducted. An important element of the Neighborhood Watch program is watchfulness by all residents for suspicious persons or activities in their neighborhoods and immediately reporting them to the police by phone if warranted.

In 1965 Nancy and George Falck moved into their new home on Basswood Court.

In 1968 Nancy was elected President of CWCA and served in that capacity for nine years. She was instrumental in establishing the neighborhood patrol and an annual snow removal arrangement with a private contractor to provide prompt plowing of neighborhood streets. Nancy was elected as the Dranesville District Supervisor in 1979 and served eight years in that office. George served for many years as the Association Treasurer.

The Association President for eight years beginning in March 1999 was Arnold Braswell, a retired lieutenant general of the U.S. Air Force, who moved with his wife Ione to their home on Dahlia Court in 1984. Ione began serving as the recruiter and scheduler of patrol drivers in 1992 and is still doing it in 2007, working in partnership

with Virginia Dillon, a long-time member who helped get residents to support the patrol program when it began and has been active in managing it ever since.

All residents of the Chesterbrook Woods community are encouraged to become members of the association and to support it with annual dues and voluntary participation in the patrols as well as other activities. Association by-laws provide for annual election of a president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary, and providing for annual budgets and membership dues to be approved by vote of the members at the first members' meeting of the year, usually held in March. A total of 29 block captains are appointed to help disseminate periodic newsletters and keep in touch with residents within their assigned portions of the community. An association directory of all residents, originally initiated as an occasional publication, is now published once a year. In 2000 an association web site with much useful information was established by a volunteer member, Elinor LeBaron, who continues to maintain the site even while temporarily living far away. In 2002 periodic and timely e-mail notices to residents were initiated to inform them about significant issues or events.

In the early days residents would get together every year for a Valentine's Day party in someone's home. As the number of residents grew that became impractical. An outdoor Halloween Party in one of the many cul-de-sacs is now scheduled each year and has become very popular as a means of getting families together for a fun event and building community spirit.

While membership in the Association is voluntary, most of the households in Chesterbrook Woods currently pay annual dues and thus become voting members of the Association. The annual dues usually fall between ten and twenty-five dollars per household, the amount each year depending largely on the amount expected to be needed for snow removal expenses, the largest budget expenditure. Officers elected at the March meeting hold office for one year. They may be re-elected if willing and able to continue serving. Volunteer members are appointed by the president to manage programs such as snow removal and vehicle patrols. Committees may be appointed to deal with specific issues. No members who serve in elected office or appointed positions receive compensation for their service.

As stated in the by-laws, the objectives of CWCA are to encourage and promote civic welfare and improvements affecting the community of Chesterbrook Woods, including health and sanitation, public safety, fire and police protection, zoning laws and regulations, community planning, building restrictions, public schools, highways, utilities, and county and state legislation concerning such matters. As a voluntary association of residents, CWCA has no binding covenants or the authority to regulate the activities of members.

Franklin Park

By Sue Neal April 2007 Franklin Park is located south of Old Dominion Drive close to the ArlingtonFairfax County line. The Franklin Area Citizen Association (FACA) covers the area bounded by the Arlington-Fairfax County line to the south, Powhatan Street to the west, Kirby Road to the north and to the east at a point on Franklin Park Road midway between Old Dominion and Chesterbrook Roads. The name of the area derives from the Franklin Park subdivision that was platted in 1909, perhaps the oldest platted subdivision in McLean. The neighborhood is an eclectic mix of house styles, sizes, and ages, having been built up over a one-hundred year period.

The original Franklin Park subdivision plat includes all the land owned in 1860 by Colonel George Minor, Jr., plus a small additional parcel that provided access to the new Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad which opened in 1906. There are a number of discrepancies in published accounts regarding George Minor, his father, and the history of the land they owned, but the following narrative synthesizes these accounts to the extent that they are consistent with documented time frames.

In 1730, Simon Pearson and James Going acquired 652 acres from a grant from the Proprietors of the Northern Neck. Although the bulk of this land is in what is now Arlington County, the small portion that is in Franklin Park contains the site of the first house in the area. A log structure was built at what is now the corner of Virginia Avenue and North Nottingham Street. George Minor Sr. bought this land and house from Pearson’s descendants and added a back wing in the early 1770’s. (Templeman, 1959) Much of the rest of Franklin Park lies on land that was a portion of the 708 acres granted to Simon Pearson and Gabriel Adams in 1731. (Mitchell, 1977) This parcel extended from the Chesterbrook area into what is now Arlington County. Gabriel Adams’ granddaughter, Ann Adams Minor (1752-1786), and her husband, George Minor Sr. (1753-1808), ended up with a portion of this land, likely by inheritance. Finally, George Minor Jr.’s land holdings in 1860 included an additional piece that was originally granted to Colonel John Colvill in 1752. It is not clear whether George Minor Sr. or Jr acquired this land. The Minor property became known as Minor’s Hill (also referred to as Minor Hill) after the hill that sat on the southern end of the property, and which was the highest point in Arlington County.

Ann Adams Minor was one of eight siblings who lived in the greater Chesterbrook area. Ann’s mother, Ann Lawyer Adams, was quite the feminist for her time and had converted from the Anglican Church to the Methodist Church in 1773. This was considered a political move at the time. The Methodists as well as the Quakers supported education for slaves and even emancipation. The whole family converted, and five of the sons or sons-in-law became ministers. George Minor, Sr. also converted and donated land at Seven Corners for the Methodist Fairfax Chapel. This land is now

Oakwood Cemetery. George Minor served as a Colonel in the Fairfax Militia and was a Justice of Fairfax County in 1784. (Wise, 1978) George and Ann Minor had seven children, the oldest of whom was George Minor, Jr, born in 1777. After Ann’s death in 1786, George Sr. married Mildred Heale in 1788, and had two or possibly three additional children.

George Minor, Jr. and his home had roles in both the War of 1812 and the Civil War. In the summer of 1814, James Madison became increasingly concerned about a possible attack on Washington by the British. His cabinet could not be convinced of the threat, and the Secretary of War, John Armstrong, particularly resisted preparations for the defense of the Capital. However, as the situation became more dire in August, Madison convinced Armstrong to summon Lieutenant Colonel Minor and his Virginia Militia 60th Regiment from Falls Church to help protect Washington. On August 24, Dolley and James Madison fled the city separately, with the plan to meet at Salona.

Dolley crossed the Potomac by the Little Falls (Chain) Bridge, and stopped one mile short of Salona at Rokeby, since it was approaching nightfall. With the crush of people fleeing the city, it became impractical for James Madison to take the same route, and so he took the ferry to Mason Island (Andalusian, now Roosevelt Island), and then the causeway that was connected to Virginia. After making his way to Wren’s Tavern in Falls Church, he made a late night stop at Mrs. Minor’s home. It is not clear whether Mrs. Minor was Mildred Heale Minor, the widow of George Minor, Sr. The house was already full of others seeking shelter, and Madison continued on to Salona, the planned meeting point. Not finding Dolley at Salona, James retraced his steps to Wren’s Tavern the next day. He then returned to Salona, finding that Dolley had been there briefly and then continued on to Wiley’s Tavern on the Alexandria and Leesburg Road. Both apparently stayed there until Friday morning, August 26, when James set across the Potomac to link up with the advancing army. Dolley, on the other hand, traveled down the Alexandria and Leesburg Road back to Wren’s Tavern in Falls Church and then to Minor Hill where she stayed two nights before returning to Washington. (Brant, 1970; Herrick, 2005) According to a witness in a court proceeding in 1835, George Minor Jr. was “not a man to contend with, that he had broken a man’s arm and that I ought to be cautious of him.” (Sprouse, 1996, p. 1383) He voted for secession and his penchant for violence may have landed him in prison in 1861 at the age of 84, where it was described that he “would totter on his cane up to the window and upon sight of a Federal Cavalry man would declare, with expletives, that he would whip a squadron of them himself.” (Sprouse, 1996, pp. 1383-1384) Meanwhile, Minor Hill became an important strategic point for the Union Army. Over 2,000 troops were encamped and an observatory tower was built.

Many wooden structures were built and a parade ground prepared. (Gernand, 2002) An 1864 map shows extensive clear cutting around the Minor Hill homestead. Within what is now Franklin Park, the Franklin Park subdivision largely escaped clear cutting, since the rolling terrain was less desirable for encampment and the peak of Minor Hill to the south offered the greatest strategic value. The Franklin Forest portion of the neighborhood was clear cut, however.

When George Minor died in Fredericksburg in 1866 at the age of 89, his will left his land solely to his daughter, Mary Minor Anderson, though she was not his only child.

Since Mary also died in 1866, the land devolved to her six children, who leased the land to Eugene Crimmins in about 1867. (Templeman, 1959) Franklin Park Becomes a Suburb Franklin Park has almost uniformly been described as originating as a summer colony to escape the D.C. summer heat. However, the real story is more complex and fascinating. In 1906, a single track of the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad opened on what is now Old Dominion Drive, and a second track was laid by 1908. While the railroad was immediately popular for excursions to Great Falls, it also provided a connection along this corridor to D.C. that had not previously existed, sparking an interest in the adjacent land. In November 1908, William Duvall of D.C. bought two parcels of land: the 327-acre George Minor parcel which included land in both Fairfax and Arlington (then, Alexandria) Counties, and an additional 25 acres adjacent to the railroad line from Myron R. Horton. The new railroad had separated a trapezoidal piece from the bulk of Horton’s land holdings that was extremely valuable for the new subdivision because it provided frontage to the railroad right of way. Without the Horton land, the only access to the newly opened railroad was across a steep ridge and a stream valley. The subdivision plat for Franklin Park was recorded in the Fairfax and Alexandria County deed records in April 1909. The lots ranged from ten foot wide parcels to five acre “Villa Sites,” though the ads mentioned 50 feet as the narrowest lot, suggesting that there was no intention to sell a single ten-foot lot.

Certainly, the physical attributes of the location were important in the early advertising: Nature has been truly lavish in her devotions to Franklin Park, and any one with artistic sense and an eye for the beautiful would appreciate the marvelous advantages offered here. (Moore & Hill Inc., 1909a) Franklin Park is the most picturesque portion of the far-famed Virginia hills, the land of “Dixie,” and has received the blessings of nature most abundantly. The physical characteristics are so varied that we can suit any requirements of judgment and discrimination. We can give you a wooded plot or one that is treeless; a plot at the station or one farther away; a cozy plot in a restful valley or one with a magnificent view on a high hill; a small plot or a country estate of several acres; in fact, anything that is good and superior in the line of real estate. Those who establish their homes here will live where the ideal is as nearly reached as it can be in human life. This is one of the most healthful and refined sections of the United States. (Moore & Hill Inc., 1909b)

The “Park” part of the name was derived from the fact that additional trees were planted and densely forested areas were thinned to give the neighborhood a park-like appearance. The origins of the Franklin part of the name are unclear.

However, the neighborhood was really billed more as a streetcar suburb than a rural retreat (“same distance from Washington as Chevy Chase”, “thirty minutes from Treasury Department”) with urban-type amenities (“wide cement sidewalks and wider streets than Cleveland Park”, “Telephone service. Two mail deliveries daily. Department store deliveries.”) In fact, the ads went so far as to say “Franklin Park is and will be the Cleveland Park of the Virginia Hills.” (Moore & Hill Inc., 1909a) The analogies to Cleveland Park make more sense when one learns that the realty agent, Moore & Hill, Inc. had also been very active and successful in marketing Cleveland Park since 1904.

It is unclear whether this vision of the neighborhood came from the property owner, William Duvall, or from the realty agent, Moore & Hill, but the early ads, as well as newspaper articles, included much hype that never came to fruition. At the time of these ads, the streets were unpaved, and wooden boardwalks were installed as precursors to the future concrete sidewalks. A June 20, 1909 newspaper article, one month after lots were first offered for sale, listed 16 completed purchases; however, most of those named never showed up in the Fairfax County land records, and many of those who did buy land failed to build houses. In fact, in the early years, Eugene Horton sold more land on the north side of the railroad (now Old Dominion Drive) and more houses were built there than within the new Franklin Park subdivision. Fairfax County records show that only eight houses were built in 1910 in the Franklin Park subdivision, another two were built in 1912, and one in 1915. The earliest deeds had covenants requiring houses to be set back 25 feet from the street, and for those constructed on Massachusetts, Washington (now Vermont) and Maryland (now Rockingham) Avenues to be worth at least $2,500, and those on other streets to be worth at least $1,500. The quality of these early houses explains why all but two are still standing. The two houses at 1868 and 1876 were both built by Henry S. Merrill in 1910. The style and placement of these houses relative to the street are evocative of the Cleveland Park style neighborhood described in the early advertisements. After the initial flush of activity in 1910, the lack of promised neighborhood infrastructure impeded additional sales.

In 1912, the unsold land, by then held by the Franklin Park Corporation, was sold to R.M. Conway. He began advertising Franklin Park again, focusing on its elite qualities, physical beauty, and accessibility: the select suburban colony known as Franklin Park. Every lot covered with magnificent shade trees and well drained … This beautiful rolling tract of land, covered with fine shade trees; the clear health-giving artesian water, that ‘difference’ in the air peculiar to a high elevation make this the most ideal place for the rearing of robust, healthy, happy children.” (R.M. Conway Inc., 1912a)

“You are not off in the wilderness at Franklin Park – you are in the very center of refinement, culture, and wealth. You are only 40 squares from Washington – 30 minutes by electric cars to the Treasury…THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUBURB IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN THE WORLD! FRANKLIN PARK is a series of gentle hills, grassy slopes, margined by native shrubs, and everywhere the tall stately trees form surroundings most enchanting. The land is high and rolling, with charming views in every direction” (R.M. Conway Inc., 1912b) There was apparently little market interest because within three weeks the sales pitch became strictly economic: No matter how little you may earn, if you save a part each week and make an investment you have started on the right road to wealth. Buy a lot in Franklin Park now, pay a small amount down and $10 a month and you will soon have your investment paid for: $150 to $350 per lot.”(R. M. Conway, 1912) In this year 50 acres of the Fairfax County land that was furthest from the train line was vacated from the subdivision and then sold off.

In December 1916, 154 acres of Franklin Park Corporation land were listed as delinquent on 1915 Fairfax County property taxes, and the unsold land was transferred back to George Minor’s grandchildren. It is likely that World War I had a depressing effect on the real estate market during this period, since the volume of real estate ads in The Washington Post was minimal relative to that when Franklin Park was first advertised in 1909.

The realities of living in Franklin Park during that early period are vividly documented in the meticulous minutes recorded by Anson R. Tracy, the secretary of the Franklin Park Civic Improvement League from its creation in 1914 until 1927, and in the neighborhood history he inserted into the minutes book when he stepped down from the position. Mr. Tracy was very much an activist, first circulating a petition in 1911 to have Fairfax County take over the (Franklin Park) road between the Arlington County line and the railroad. However, since only seven people would sign and the road went nowhere but to the train station, the County could not be persuaded. In 1912 with 27 signatures and six trips to the County seat, Mr. Tracy did succeed in having the county take over the road. The County spent $30 to realign the road, while the residents raised $40 for dynamite to reduce the 40 percent grade at the bridge over Little Pimmit Run. Mr. Tracy also succeeded in bringing electricity into the area in 1914 by writing to the electric company once a month until they agreed to send a representative out to meet with the residents. Eight people signed on and electric lines were run down the railroad right of way. Shortly afterwards, the electric company began imposing a $2,000 per mile fee for installation of new lines. (Tracy, 1927)

The junction that is now Old Dominion Drive and Franklin Park Road to the north and Valley Wood Road to the south had a train station on each side of the train track, the only point on the Great Falls line with a pair of stations. Mr. Horton built a simple structure on the north side, while a more elaborate version sat on the Franklin Park subdivision (southern) side. The telephone service promised in the Franklin Park advertisements existed only in the southern train station, and was available for emergency use.

The Franklin Park Civic Improvement League was the earliest such organization in this part of Fairfax County. It was formed in 1914 to deal with the issues, largely revolved around the roads, which were not being addressed by either the developer or the county. At the time Franklin Park was subdivided, Fairfax County was a rural county with a population around 20,000 and 70 percent of the land area was farmland. This character did not change in a significant way until the 1930’s when the population grew from around 25,000 to nearly 40,000. Not surprisingly, the early Franklin Park residents were left to their own resources to handle their unpaved roads. This involved both actual labor on road maintenance as well as fund raising to buy gravel and cinders. On Thanksgiving Day 1915, the neighbors had a “Road Bee” in which they used picks and shovels to reduce the grade near the bridge over Little Pimmit Run on what is now Franklin Park Road. Then they had a picnic.

Initially operating on voluntary subscription payments, the League later evolved to using fundraisers. One method used for fund raising was an annual Lawn Fete with a raffle. In 1919, the raffle prizes included two tons of coal, a half-barrel of flour, a box of canned corn, and a box of canned tomatoes. The 1920 raffle included one ton of coal, a case of canned tomatoes, a bushel of potatoes, and a bushel of apples. In 1925, the raffle consisted of a three-tube radio receiver, one automobile tire, and a $5 gold piece. In 1929, the raffle included three new watches and new tires and tubes, among other items. In 1927 a (second) fundraising dance, judged very successful with a net of $50, was held at a house located at 1920 Rhode Island Avenue. (Franklin Park, 1927) The railroad even ran a special late train to accommodate guests returning to their homes in Washington.

The house, owned by the Wanderlusters (a Washington-based hiking club), was built in 1926, sold by the Wanderlusters in 1940, and demolished in about 2001.

By 1920, there were a number of complaints about the train service involving unreliable schedules and repeated rate increases. The train station was in decay. In 1921, the persisting rural context of the area was reflected in complaints about cattle roaming the roads. The poor condition of the roads limited the quality of fire protection and, in 1923, a house burned to the ground on Massachusetts Avenue because of the difficulty of the Cherrydale Fire Department in reaching the house. They arrived only in time to prevent the spread of the fire to adjacent houses. In addition, the residents felt lucky to have any mail delivery at all, let alone the twice-daily mail delivery touted in early advertisements. The citizens’ association “presented a ten dollar gold piece to the postman for his faithful delivery of mail throughout the winter. When the roads were too bad for a horse, he covered his route on foot from the street car line.” (Franklin Park Citizen Assn, 1923)

In 1924, Fairfax County agreed to a 50/50 cost sharing arrangement for stone and cinders for the roads. Finally in 1929, the first paved road came to the neighborhood. The residents raised about $4,000 for their half share. The paving included Franklin Park Road from the Arlington County line to the railroad, and then followed what was considered the main road within Franklin Park. This road followed Connecticut (now called Valley Wood) to Maryland Avenue continuing to the Arlington County line. The first portion of the old Maryland Avenue is still shown on maps connecting Valley Wood to Rockingham, but it is now a pipestem driveway between 1916 and 1922 Valley Wood.

Rockingham was originally called Maryland Avenue as well. (To Pave Road Citizens Raised About $4,000, 1929) The newly paved road improved the quality of access to Arlington County; however, the link to Fairfax County via what is now Park Road remained very poor.

The railroad ceased operations completely in 1934 due to poor management and mounting competition from the increasingly popular automobile. The rails were removed and the right of way began to be used as a road but, as late as 1936, the state had not taken over maintenance. The poor quality of what is now Park Road led many children to attend school in Arlington, D.C., or Falls Church. When Arlington announced in 1936 that it would begin charging tuition to non-residents, Fairfax County agreed to pay for school bus service once the road was paved.

The Civic Association first developed a house number system in 1938, with the idea that the numbers should follow those of the adjacent Arlington County streets.

Conditions had improved enough by 1936 that the civic association reduced the frequency of its meetings to quarterly, and the minutes recorded in the original ledger book ceased in 1939. It was during this period of the 1920’s and 1930’s that Franklin Park became a summer retreat. Although there were a number of permanent residents who struggled with the problems of access to work and school, additional property owners used their Franklin Park homes only in the summer. Many of the homes that were built during this period were very small cottages, and these homes were among the first to go as houses began to be torn down and replaced beginning in the 1980’s.

In the early 1940’s, Lonnie Mutersbaugh began creating a second subdivision, Franklin Forest, which is directly west of Franklin Park. This subdivision includes land that was vacated from the Franklin Park subdivision in 1912, plus additional land that was reassembled from various Mutersbaugh heirs. Like Franklin Park, Franklin Forest had a bit of a slow start. Only 15 houses were built before 1950. The subdivision was largely built up during the 1950’s, making the architectural character of this subdivision more consistent than that of Franklin Park. Franklin Park also experienced more home construction during the 1950’s than at any other point in its 100-year history.

In 1952, the Franklin Forest residents put on a musical performance to raise funds for the McLean Volunteer Fire Department, calling themselves the Franklin Forest Frolickers. They had so much fun that they wrote by-laws to form a social organization,

which continues meeting to this day, holding regular potluck dinners in neighborhood homes.

The Civic Association was largely inactive in the 1950’s. In the 1960’s as the routing for I-66 and its connection to the Beltway and the Dulles Access Road was being discussed, VDOT held a meeting in Franklin Park to discuss the fact that one of the three proposed routes cut through the neighborhood. Officials assured the residents that this route was not under serious consideration. However, when Franklin Park residents attended a meeting in a neighborhood in the path of another of the alternative routes and heard the same assurances given, they began to worry and organized to fight this threat.

Denver Graham, a lawyer who lived in the neighborhood at the time, is said to have been instrumental in getting the road routed elsewhere.

FACA (Franklin Area Citizen Association) continued to work on land use issues and other matters of community concern, but its largest effort to date is probably the private organization of gypsy moth spraying on Mothers Day, 1989. Franklin Park, with its dense tree canopy, was one of the neighborhoods targeted for gypsy moth spraying by Fairfax County in the 1980’s. However, the County did not judge the infestation to be severe enough in 1989 to be included in the spray program, given more severe infestations in other areas. FACA polled homeowner interest in the project and with an estimated cost of $12,000 to have a private helicopter perform the spraying, asked each household for a contribution of $50. The total raised was $19,000. About 350 acres were sprayed, including Franklin Park, Franklin Forest, and some surrounding areas as well as the Chesterbrook School grounds (for which the County never reimbursed the association). The helicopter used the empty field next to Vinson Hall as a landing zone. A few residents opted out, and their properties were marked with balloons. It was quite a weekend with many residents coordinating around the neighborhood and much concern about the possibility of wind or rain, which might have shut down the effort. The leader of the effort was Herb Becker, a former association president and local civic activist.

Although some amount of home construction continued in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the late 1970’s marked a turning point in the development of the neighborhood. At first, larger parcels were targeted for subdivision. Very old houses were removed on such parcels, but sometimes the existing houses were preserved, and additional houses constructed around them. In the 1990’s, the process of teardowns and replacement with much larger homes began to accelerate. Almost all the smaller cottages of the 1920’s and 1930’s are gone, and most of those that remain have been enlarged beyond recognition.

While many of the newly constructed homes hark back to the craftsman style construction with which the neighborhood began, the rural feel which the area has been able to hold onto as more typical subdivisions sprouted up all around is ebbing away with the loss of trees and small houses that nestled into the landscape under the mature tree canopy. The eclectic mosaic of houses built over one hundred years is being diminished as the new larger homes increase their dominance.

References Brant, I. (1970). The Fourth President: A Life of James Madison. London: Eyre and Spotswoode.

Franklin Park. (1927, September 30). Fairfax Herald.

Franklin Park Citizen Assn. (1923, April 20). Fairfax Herald, p. 5.

Franklin Park Civic Improvement League. (1914-1939). Minutes of the Franklin Park Civic Improvement League. Unpublished manuscript.

Gernand, B. E. (2002). A Virginia Village Goes to War: Falls Church During the Civil War. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company Publishers.

Herrick, C. L. (2005). August 24, 1814: Washington in Flames. Falls Church, VA: Higher Education Publications.

Mitchell, B. (1977). Beginning at a White Oak...: Patents and Northern Neck Grants of Fairfax County, Virginia. Fairfax, VA: Fairfax County Office of Comprehensive Planning.

Moore & Hill Inc. (1909a, June 20). Franklin Park Display Ad. The Washington Post, p.

CA 1.

Moore & Hill Inc. (1909b, September 19). Franklin Park Display Ad. The Washington Post, p. R 2.

Purchases a Subdivision: R.M. Conway Takes 350 Acres on Virginia Shore for $100,000.

(1912, April 21). The Washington Post, p. 4.

R. M. Conway, I. (1912, May 24). Classified Ad. The Washington Post, p. 9.

R.M. Conway Inc. (1912a, May 4). Classified Ad: Suburban for Sale: Franklin Park. The Washington Post, p. 13.

R.M. Conway Inc. (1912b, May 5). Display Ad: Franklin Park. The Washington Post, p.

16.

Sprouse, E. (1996). Fairfax County in 1860: A Collected Biography Accompanied by a Set of Plat Maps, Fairfax County, revised 1981, with the 1860 Land Boundaries Superimposed. Unpublished manuscript.

Templeman, E. L. (1959). Minor Hill, the County's Highest. In Arlington Heritage: Vignettes of a Virginia County (pp. 146). New York: Avenel Books.

To Pave Road Citizens Raised About $4,000. (1929, September 6). Fairfax Herald, p. 6.

Tracy, A. R. (1927). The Beginning of the Franklin Park Road. Unpublished manuscript.

Williams, A. W. (1989). The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad. Arlington, VA: Arlington Historical Society, Inc. Wise, D. A. (1978). Some Eighteenth Century Family Profiles: Part II. The Arlington Historical Magazine, 6(2), 3-27.

Franklin Park and Franklin Forest Location Map

Franklin Park and Franklin Forest topographical map, 1917, U.S. Geological Survey

Franklin Park Station on North Side of the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad.

Photo by John Burns

Franklin Park Station on the South Side of the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad.

The Washington Post, May 16, 1909, p. CA6.

The Washington Post, September 19, 1909, p. R2.

Brookhaven-Forest Villa Civic Association

By Simone C. O’Keefe and Barbara Odenkirk April 1986 Updated by Harry Bacas April 2007 Captain John Smith, a visitor to the area in 1608, wrote of Northern Virginia, “Heaven and earth never agreed better to form a place for man’s habitation.” The Brookhaven-Forest Villa area was not always neatly laid out in the well-marked streets of today. This area, which now also includes Dominion Woods, Linway Terrace Park, East Avenue, Munhall Court and Hunting Hills of McLean, was in 1649 a portion of the land comprising Thomas, Lord Culpeper’s land grant above the Potomac “Northern Neck of Virginia.” Through grant and inheritance, in 1732 the sixth Lord Fairfax took active control of his Virginia lands and set aside for himself a tract of 12,588 acres near Great Falls in what was to become Fairfax County in 1742.

John Adams of Fairfax County deeded a tract of 212 acres to William Payne.

Later, Charles Broadwater acquired some Fairfax County land plus three Northern Neck grants. It was some of this land on Little Pimmit Run that was purchased or inherited by John Wren (1772) and the Adams Family (1804) of Chesterbrook. Dominion Woods is part of the 207 acres given by Suzannah Adams Wren to her son, Thomas Sanford Wren, in the late 1800’s. Thomas’s daughter, Sarah Adams Wren, married James Hall in 1868 and a portion of the property has remained in the name of the Hall family until today.

Early in the century Reverend William Watters, the first American-born Methodist Minister, married Sarah Adams. Born in 1751, he was a leader in bringing the Methodist Church to Northern Virginia. Like his wife, he had a strong missionary spirit and sense of independence. He died childless at his farm in Chesterbrook in 1827. His grave as well as those of more than 60 members of the Adams, Wren, Watters and Furlong families, is the oldest landmark in this area. In 1966 the Furlong family deeded the site and monument located behind St. John’s School to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church.

During the 1800’s, the Hall, Furlong, Faulkner and Carlin families held property from Old Dominion to Pimmit Run, or what later became known as the land between El Nido and Smoot (Salona). The land was used for land cultivation or fruit orchards, or was left in its natural state of woods and running streams. There was little change until the center of the community began to develop.

Until the 1900’s, McLean was essentially a crossroads community comprised of Storm’s General Store, a post office, fire station and, in 1890, the McLaughlin House.

When John McLean and Senator Stephen Elkins agreed to finance the first electrified railroad in 1903 to link Great Falls with Rosslyn, life began to change. The passenger/freight station on Old Dominion where the railroad crossed Chain Bridge was an important milk shipping center. First known as Ingleside, it later was called McLean Station.

Until its last run on June 8, 1934, this railroad precipitated many developments in the community. Washington residents began to construct summer homes similar to that of Judge Isaac Hitt whose property ran south of Old Dominion Drive and Linway Terrace.

He named his get-away “The Nest,” or El Nido, and the railroad stop at the corner of Old Dominion and Linway took that name. In 1913 Saint John’s Catholic Church was dedicated on the site donated to the Diocese of Richmond by John Carlin. Until that time, since the established church had been the Church of England, there were few Catholics in the area (Carlins, Hartons, Peytons, Crimmins) and the “El Nido” Church was a mission church from St. James in Falls Church.

John and William Carlin owned 43 acres of land between Linway Terrace and Pimmit Run and bordered by Bryan Branch on the east. They had purchased 20 acres from the Thomas Wren family in 1858 and an additional 25 acres in 1865. The main portion of this land was forested, while the remainder was farmed by themselves or by neighbors.

In 1930 Horace Wester bought a portion of the tract from Mr. Harrison who in turn had purchased it from the Wren family.

Five years later Mr. Wester bought an additional 14 acres from James Carlin, now owning what became called Forest Villa Woods extending from Pimmit Run to the juncture of Forest Villa and Carlin Lane. With this land he also bought the Carlin Lane right-of-way from Linway Terrace, making it essentially a private road. Through various financial arrangements, four acres of this second purchase went to his brother-in-law, Howard Chittick. He rebuilt the James Carlin homestead which was located here. Tom and Barbara Odenkirk now own part of this parcel of land. Paul Horowitz later bought 3.1 acres of the parcel (lot 29).