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Lee Highway Historic and Cultural Resources Arlington County, Virginia

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Lee Highway Historic and Cultural Resources Arlington County, Virginia LEE HIGHWAY HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA Prepared for: Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing & Development 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201 Prepared by: AECOM Technical Services, Inc. 3101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 900 Arlington, Virginia 22201 Principal Author: Geoffrey Henry, M.A. Principal Investigators: Mark Edwards, M.S. Geoffrey Henry, M.A. Rebecca McGovern, B.A. Kisa Hooks, M.A. John Southern, M.A. August 2020 This Page Intentionally Blank Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On behalf of the Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing & Development (CPHD), AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (AECOM) of Arlington County, Virginia conducted a cultural resources survey of Lee Highway (US Route 29), in Arlington County, between January 2019 and February 2020. The Lee Highway Cultural Resources Survey is a component of the larger “Plan Lee Highway” project, a long-range plan and comprehensive vision for the Lee Highway corridor conducted by AECOM for the CPHD. The Lee Highway Cultural Resources Survey consisted of the following tasks: 1) Meetings; 2) Background Research; 3) Field Investigation; and 4) Report of Findings. The survey was conducted by AECOM’s Secretary of the Interior (SOI)-qualified architectural historians, who attended numerous in- person and telephone meetings with CPHD staff as well as three public meetings, and submitted weekly progress reports to the CPHD during the field work phase. Working with both CPHD staff and the general public, AECOM developed a list of 120 resources (buildings, structures, objects, and sites) within the Plan Lee Highway study area to be researched, surveyed, and documented either at the reconnaissance level (105) or in-depth level (15). The reconnaissance-level survey consisted of on-line research including County tax records and building permits, historic aerial photographs and maps, and secondary sources. In-depth-level research included all of the above, as well as interviews with owners and/or informants, extensive primary and secondary source research, and historic photographs. The survey scope included such non-traditional resources as historic sites without extant buildings or structures; gathering spaces and cultural landscapes; resources associated with ethnic/minority groups; and resources less than 50 years old but still historically significant. The surveyed properties were a representative sample from the following resource types: Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) properties; African American resources; Parks, Open Spaces and Community Facilities; Modern Architecture; Civil War Fort sites; “Legacy Businesses;” Transportation; and previously surveyed resources with frontage on Lee Highway. Background research included a review of past surveys and studies of Lee Highway; documentation of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or as Arlington County Local Historic Districts; County tax and building permit records; historic maps, aerials, and photographs; published and unpublished secondary and primary sources; and informant interviews. Based on this research, AECOM developed written historic contexts for several property types including shopping centers, commercial buildings, apartment buildings, Civil War fort sites, parks and recreation, and African American resources. Fieldwork, conducted between June 2019 and February 2020, involved written and photographic documentation of each individual resource and its immediate surroundings. The results of the research and fieldwork phases were entered into the Virginia Cultural Resources Information System (VCRIS) database to include name (historic and current), address; construction date; site and architectural description, including any observed alterations; historic context; an assessment of significance and integrity; and a bibliography. i Executive Summary The County will utilize the newly updated and expanded information collected on Lee Highway cultural resources to inform planning efforts in the Lee Highway corridor. This report contains general recommendations for further identification and public recognition of Lee Highway’s cultural resources, as well as, general methods for documentation, preservation and/or interpretation. CPHD historic preservation and planning staff and AECOM will evaluate the cultural resources survey and identify those historic resources that should be preserved (wholly or in part) or recognized through interpretation (on- site or nearby). Future recommendations will be consistent with the policies of the Historic Preservation Master Plan and Historic Resources Inventory (HRI), regarding appropriate levels of preservation, interpretation, documentation and storytelling techniques. For resources with existing building(s), structure(s) or physical feature(s), the cultural resources survey will inform the types of scenarios (full or partial redevelopment) that will be explored in Phase 2 of Plan Lee Highway. The scenarios will test the economic and development feasibility of achieving full or partial preservation. ii Executive Summary This Page Intentionally Blank iii Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... i 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.2 Lee Highway Description .......................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 “Plan Lee Highway” Project Description .................................................................. 1-2 1.4 Scope of Work For The Lee Highway Cultural Resources Survey ........................... 1-3 1.5 Previously Identified Resources in the Lee Highway Cultural Resources Area ....... 1-3 2.0 SURVEY METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Meetings ..................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Identification of Lee Highway Resources for Survey ................................................ 2-1 2.3 Background Research .............................................................................................. 2-14 2.4 Field Survey ............................................................................................................. 2-14 2.5 Data Entry ................................................................................................................ 2-14 3.0 HISTORIC CONTEXTS .................................................................................................. 3-1 3.1 Historical Overview of Lee Highway ........................................................................ 3-1 3.2 Garden Apartments and Apartment Buildings ........................................................... 3-3 3.3 Commercial Buildings ............................................................................................... 3-4 3.4 Shopping Centers ....................................................................................................... 3-5 3.5 Parks and Recreation.................................................................................................. 3-6 3.6 African American Resources ..................................................................................... 3-7 3.7 Civil War Forts ........................................................................................................ 3-10 4.0 RESULTS OF THE LEE HIGHWAY CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY .......... 4-1 4.1 Survey Matrices ......................................................................................................... 4-1 5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................. 5-1 5.1 Celebration and Recognition of Significant Resources ............................................. 5-1 5.2 General Recommendations ........................................................................................ 5-2 6.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................. 1 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Survey Matrix #1 for the Lee Highway Cultural Resources Survey ....................................... 4-2 Table 2. Survey Matrix #2 for the Lee Highway Cultural Resources Survey ..................................... 4-10 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1- 1 Project Location ........................................................................................................ 1-1 Figure 2- 1 Fort Strong Apartments ............................................................................................. 2-2 Figure 2- 2 Troutman Homes ....................................................................................................... 2-3 Figure 2- 3 Garden City Shopping Center ................................................................................... 2-3 Figure 2- 4 “Segregation Wall” .................................................................................................. 2-4 Figure 2- 5 Arlington County Fire Station No. 8 ......................................................................... 2-5 Figure 2- 6 Cherrydale Branch Library ......................................................................................
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