Ravensworth is in Annandale just outside the Capital Beltway. The area is well-known for single-family homes with big lawns and lots. The area was largely developed in the 1960's and 1970's.
Entrance to Ravensworth Park subdivision in 1960
Our vintage picture of the day is in Arlington showing Lee Highway in the 1930's. The present day location is almost unrecognizable. Most of the structures and even the rail line in his image are long gone.
Looking southbound on Lee Hwy. toward Cherrydale 1930's.
Green Spring Farm is located at 4601 Green Spring Road in Annandale VA. Back in 1940 this structure was dilapidated and ready to crumble but today the site has been fully restored.
Green Spring Farm in 2013Green Spring Farm in Annandale in 1940
Before there was Beacon Hill Shopping Center, the Beacon Mall was in the exact same location. When you look at the picture below, some landmarks and shapes are very recognizable.
For example the water tower and the profile of buildings remains much as it was. Today the "big boxes" of Lowe's and Marshalls are in the same place. Famous Dave's is nowhere to be seen. It's also interesting to notice the cars that are in the lot.
Beacon Mall in the 1970's
Annandale before KMart? Annandale with a movie theatre? Yes, this was Annandale in 1965. Annandale has really changed a lot in the last 50 years, but there are a number of structures that have survived in surprising ways.
Annandale 1965
Annandale is located in Fairfax County inside the Beltway near the West End of Alexandria. Much of Annandale is in the 22003 / Annandale VA zipcode. Annandale is an "Inside the Beltway" suburb offering a mix of affordable condos and townhouses, single-family homes and a few luxury residences.
Laying the cornerstone at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria VA
The George Washington National Masonic Memorial atop Shuter's Hill dominates the skyline of Alexandria VA and is recognizable from miles away. It towers above Old Town and overlooks the Carlyle area around the USPTO. Work was started on the Memorial in 1923, and you might be surprised who laid the cornerstone.
1923 - Chief Justice Wm. Howard Taft at the cornerstone laying of the Geo. Washington Memorial at Alex. Va.
The cornerstone was laid by former President, then Chief Justice William Howard Taft.
109 S. Saint Asaph St, Alexandria VA. Built in 1883, now a restaurant
The building which now houses Columbia Firehouse Restaurant was built in 1883. The bell tower next door is long gone and building has been repurposed but it still stands. Columbia Firehouse stands as a historic, beautifully preserved piece of Old Town’s heritage. From the street, the building has changed little while the interior has given way to sumptuous dining rooms on four levels, an atrium, an outdoor patio and an exquisitely detailed barroom.
One hundred years ago trolleys, horses, and horse drawn carts were just as commonplace as automobiles in our nation's capital.
View of F Street, NW from 9th Street looking West. (ca 1900)
I love comparison pictures where you see what has changed in a given place over time. Here's a look at King Street in 1940 and a look at the same place in 2013.
King Street in 1940 and the same place in 2013
