This Howard Johnson Motel and restaurant stood at the corner of Rt. 1 and Fort Hunt Road in 1980. In the background is Belle Haven Country Club, in the foreground is Rt. 1. The building has been replaced by a Hampton Inn and the highway has been expanded since then.
1980 And Belle Haven Country Club golf course in the background!
Gunston Hall, 10709 Gunston Road, is located in Fairfax County near Lorton and Mason Neck. In it's heyday this Georgian-style home was at the center of a 5,500-acre tobacco and corn plantation. The owner of Gunston Hall was George Mason IV (1725-1792)---known historically as an author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Here's what it looked like in 1930.
10709 Gunston Road, Lorton, Fairfax County, VA10709 Gunston Road, Lorton 1930
Back in the 1980's Clifton was an intersection with a gas station and a church. There wasn't much to see or do here, and there weren't any houses. Compare that to today.
Clifton's gas station in the 1980's
Single-family house at Prospect Hills is in Clifton 20124
House with garage
Centreville Green is in Clifton
Manor with wide frontyard
Manor with many rooms
Single-family house at Cavalier Woods is in Clifton 20124
Gillespies Texaco Gas Station was located close to the intersection of Lee Highway and Main Street. Check out how this station looked back in the 1920's.
Gillespies Texaco Gas Station was located close to the intersection of Lee Highway and Main Street. 1920's
Rosslyn is an urban village in Arlington County Virgina. It's at the epicenter of the world, located just across the Potomac within eye-shot of just about every recognizable structure in Washington DC. Today Rosslyn is the location of the Rosslyn Metro, several high-rise communities, the Newseum and the Iwo Jima Memorial. But at one time it was a sleep village outside of Washington.
If you don't remember, that's okay. Most of us don't. This picture was taken in 1937.
Backyards. Rosslyn, Virginia 1937Rosslyn offers great views and beautiful landscapes in Arlington County, Virginia. The area sits in view of the Potomac River, Arlington Cemetery, and Washington, D.C. Rosslyn is also home to the United States Marine Corps War Memorial and Freedom Park.
The name Rosslyn came from a local farm behind the shore. The farm was known as Ross Lynn, owned by William and Carolyn Ross. In the 1860’s Rosslyn’s largest development was a large brewery. It was changed to the Cherry Crush Bottling Co. after prohibition. When electric trolleys were introduced the real estate business picked up.
Some of the more prominent businesses of Rosslyn include the “ABC” T.V. Affiliate, and the Art Institute of Washington. In the 1960’s Rosslyn had a development growth with the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. This brought construction of high rise office buildings, hotels, and living spaces.
The Chain Bridge is a viaduct which crosses the Potomac River at Little Falls in Washington, D.C. It carries close to 22,000 cars a day. It connects Washington with affluent sections of Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia. In 1919, Chainbridge had a roadhouse on the Virginia side.
Chain Bridge, with the roadhouse on the Virginia side - 1919
Today the Penn Daw / Huntington area of Fairfax County off Rt. 1 is a bustling commercial district filled with big box stores and restaurants but that wasn't always the case.
1941.. Springbank was located where the Walmart is now at Penn Daw on Rt. 1.
Here's what Clarendon looked like in 1949
The Clarendon neighborhood in Arlington County is urban, upscale and sophisticated. Residents here enjoy Metro access, restaurants and shops. In 1949, as evidenced by the picture above, Clarendon was a sleepy small Virginia village. Below, you'll see what Clarendon looks like today.
