About Cherrydale

Cherrydale is a neighborhood of predominantly small, neatly kept, older single family homes. With its quiet streets and huge old trees, many parts of the area still retain a small town feeling, despite the fact that it is only three and one half miles from the Washington Monument. The hometown feeling, the pride residents have in the community and its heritage, and the recent widespread efforts to rehabilitate and save many of our fine old homes, indicate a renewed interest in the community and its history.

Prior to European settlement, the North Arlington area was home to Indians of the Algonquin tribe. Although Indians must have passed through Cherrydale, most of their settlements would have been along the Potomac River. Recorded history begins with the first land grants, or "patents," which were issued in the early 1700's. The first known settler, Andrew Donaldson, began farming in the area in the 1780's.

The 1800's brought change to the wilderness as more farmers acquired and cleared land for cultivation. Indian paths were widened into country roads. Although no battles were fought in Cherrydale, the Civil War had a major and permanent impact on the area. Union troops camped and maneuvered in Cherrydale, and several major roads were constructed, including Military Road, which was built in three days to connect several fortifications with Chain Bridge. At the end of the war, many soldiers decided to remain in the area as farmers.

Easy access to the Washington and Georgetown markets made Cherrydale an ideal location for fruit orchards and truck farms. Large cherry orchards inspired Dorsey Donaldson to name the area when he used the word "Cherrydale" in his 1893 application for a post office. Only a few remnants of the original cherry orchards survive, all on private property.

Many different types of residential construction are present in Cherrydale, making for an extremely diverse residential base. Beginning with the small frame houses built just after the Civil War, the housing stock includes the typical two-story "farm" house favored by the early commuters, 1920's prefabricated Sears houses, 1930's bungalows, 1940's "war boxes," and the currently popular neo-Victorian and colonial style in-fill homes. At the time of the 1980 census, 34.8% of Cherrydale homes were built before 1940. (For more information on the 1980 census, see Appendix I) Over fifty-six percent of respondents to Cherrydale's 2003 NC Survey were interested in a program to provide historical markers for individual homes.

Despite increased population, Cherrydale retained its rural character until the late 1950's, when cows were pastured in a field behind the fire station, and many residents kept chicken coops.

Cherrydale provides an opportunity to see the complete development of a community. A few homes are still owned by the original residents or their descendants. Several Cherrydale residents have become famous, including baseball's Eddie Foster, actor Forrest Tucker, and singer Kate Smith. More recent arrivals in our community chose to live in Cherrydale for a variety of reasons, some of which are identical to those of the early commuters: peace and quiet, close-in location, easy access to transportation, and the nearby schools, churches, and shopping areas.

Beginning in 1984, concerned citizens began a comprehensive survey of historic sites and houses. The results -- on file at the Arlington Historical Society -- provide the basis for efforts to preserve and protect Cherrydale's historic heritage. In March of 2003 the entire Cherrydale neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cherrydale now includes information on the tax benefits of historically-sympathetic improvements/renovations to historic homes in our welcome packet to new home owners. We have hosted county historic preservation officers and staff presentations to our CCA and will continue to do so every few years, as well as publish occasional Newsletter articles on this benefit.

Chronological History 1935-2005

1935 to 1975 Mid Century

Much of the information contained in this section is taken from a new history of Cherrydale, Cherrydale: Cherry Trees, Characters, and Characteristics, by Cherrydale resident Kathy Holt

Cherrydale Historic Survey

The Cherrydale historic Survey, begun in 1981, has been restarted using Arlington and Virginia Historic Preservation funds!! Charles Monfort, our Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board member, and Kathy Holt Springston (our historian, who did the intial survey work) are organizing a team of volunteers to began work in February of 2000. Over 400 homes have been identified as historic and will be photographed and documented in this survey. When the survey is completed, the information will become a part of the permanent collection about Cherrydale in the Virginia State Library. The purpose of the survey (which has already been done in other parts of Arlington by Traceries, a private consulting firm) is to verify and document our wealth of historic resouces, and is not an attempt to obtain historic district status on any, or all, of the properties.

Sears homes in Cherrydale

Cherrydale has many "kit", or mail-order houses. From 1908 to 1941 Sears, Roebuck and Company offered houses for sale through mail order catalogues. There were many other companies that did the same thing, including Alladin, Lewis, Montgomery Wards, and Gordon Van Tine. The pieces of the houses -- all building materials,(except the foundation material) -- were shipped on railroad cars to the nearest freight depot to your site. Then you assembled the house yourself, or hired someone to do it for you! The prices were low, and materials quite good.

This Model #52 is one of our earlier models, built by the Newman family about 1909/1910. The Newman's still live in the house, and have the original blueprints. It looks just as it did in the catalog!

There are many other catlogue homes, each which their own fascinating story!! Please contact the CCA if you live in one of these beautiful homes and would like if featured on this website.