Cambridge Courts Historic District 2401-2813 Arlington Boulevard Arlington, Virginia 22201
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CAMBRIDGE COURTS HISTORIC DISTRICT 2401-2813 ARLINGTON BOULEVARD ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22201 HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION FORM SEPTEMBER 2015 Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development Neighborhood Services Division, Historic Preservation 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 700 Arlington, Virginia 22201 ARLINGTON COUNTY REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION FORM TABLE OF CONTENTS Name of Property ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Location of Property ................................................................................................................................... 1 Type of Property ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Function or Use ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Description of Property .............................................................................................................................. 2 Summary Description ............................................................................................................................... 2 Architectural Description .......................................................................................................................... 2 Site Description ..................................................................................................................................... 2 General Building Analysis .................................................................................................................... 2 Materials ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Statement of Significance ........................................................................................................................... 8 Applicable Designation Criteria ................................................................................................................ 8 Statement of Significance ......................................................................................................................... 8 Period of Significance ............................................................................................................................... 9 Significant Dates ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Cultural/Social Affiliation ......................................................................................................................... 9 Architect/Builder ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Narrative ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Property History ............................................................................................................................... 9 Garden Apartment Context ............................................................................................................ 10 Edward Burton Corning and Raymond Gilbert Moore .................................................................. 14 Areas Exempt from Designation ............................................................................................................. 17 Designation Criteria ................................................................................................................................ 17 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 19 Geographical Data .................................................................................................................................... 19 Property Owners ....................................................................................................................................... 23 Form Prepared By .................................................................................................................................... 23 Major Sources Consulted ......................................................................................................................... 23 Appendix One: Historic District Boundary Map ................................................................................... 25 Appendix Two: Cartographic and Aerial Records ................................................................................ 27 Appendix Three: Historic Photographs .................................................................................................. 34 Appendix Four: Current Photographs and Analysis ............................................................................. 41 ARLINGTON COUNTY REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION FORM 1. NAME OF PROPERTY Historic District Name: Cambridge Courts Historic District Historic Name: Leehigh Apartments Current Name: Cambridge Courts Condominiums 2. LOCATION OF PROPERTY Street and Number: 2401 – 2813 Arlington Boulevard County, State, Zip Code: Arlington, Virginia, 22201 3. TYPE OF PROPERTY A. Ownership of Property: Private B. Category of Property: Private C. Number of Resources within Property Contributing Noncontributing 20 buildings sites _ structures objects 20 _ Total D. Listing in the National Register of Historic Places X Yes No Resource: Contributing to Lyon Park Historic District (approved 2003 and amended in 2008) Eligible under the Garden Apartments, Apartment Houses and Apartment Complexes in Arlington County, Virginia: 1934-1954 Multiple Property Documentation Form E. Listed in the Arlington County Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) Classification Type/Category: Garden Apartment/Important 4. FUNCTION OR USE Historic Functions: DOMESTIC: Multiple dwelling/Apartment Building Current Functions: DOMESTIC: Multiple dwelling/Condominium Building 1 5. DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY Summary Description: Constructed in 1943, Cambridge Courts is located at 2401 – 2813 Arlington Boulevard in Arlington County, Virginia (App. 3, Fig. 3-6). The Colonial (Georgian) Revival-styled garden apartment complex is a contributing resource to the Lyon Park National Register Historic District. The property abuts the north side of Arlington Boulevard (US Route 50) west of its intersection with Washington Boulevard and at its intersection with North Fillmore Street (App. 1). The garden apartment complex is comprised of twenty multiple-family buildings that feature similar architectural elements, but are slightly different in design and layout (App. 4, Fig. 1-3). The two to three-story buildings are primarily arranged in a modified U-shaped configuration in a park-like setting, thus conforming to the typical garden apartment form and layout common in Arlington County and throughout the United States in the mid-twentieth century. Between 1984 and 1986, Cambridge Courts was converted to condominium units in four phases. There is currently a total of 159 condominium units. Architectural Description: Site Description: Cambridge Courts is sited on 6.7 acres of land that generally slopes downward from the northwest to southeast. The property is bounded as follows: to the north by Fillmore Park and Long Branch Elementary School; to the south by Arlington Boulevard; to the east by Fillmore Park; and to the west by North Fillmore Street (App. 1). The northern boundary of the property is delineated by a wood picket fence and a stone wall. The majority of the original circulation network is intact (App. 2, Fig. 5 and 7). Vehicular access to the garden apartment complex is limited to a private drive accessed from Arlington Boulevard and North Fillmore Street. The drive bisects the eastern end of the property and runs parallel to its northern edge; this has served as the primary entrance/egress point and parking area since the complex’s completion in 1943 (App. 4, Fig. 19). As part of the conversion to condominiums in the mid-1980s, a section of the landscaped lawn on the southern end of the property was converted to a parking lot that is accessed directly from Arlington Boulevard (App. 4, Fig. 36). From the parking areas, private drive, and streets, the courtyards are accessed by concrete paths highlighted with eight single or double-arched brick hyphens/openings that give a sense of formality to the circulation network (App. 4, Fig. 11 and 20). Landscaping on the site consists of trees, shrubs, and open lawns (App. 4, Fig. 7 and 22). Two original brick garden walls further distinguish two courtyards and define the complex’s picnic areas (App. 4, Fig. 45). Contemporary black metal lighting poles are interspersed throughout the property. A monument-styled sign is located near the center of the complex along Arlington Boulevard (App. 4, Fig. 21). General Building Description/Analysis: Cambridge Courts consists of twenty, two to three-story apartment buildings. The Colonial (Georgian) Revival-styled brick buildings have simple rectangular massing, windows and doors in strict symmetry, multi-light double-hung vinyl-sash windows (replaced at an unknown date), and centrally-located front doors with decorative