For Immediate Release May 10, 2005 Arlington Heritage Alliance Releases 5th Annual Most Endangered Historic Places List

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Modeled after the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Eleven Most Endangered Places," the Arlington Heritage Alliance has released its annual list of threatened historic resources in Arlington County as part of our participation in Preservation Month. The Arlington Heritage Alliance is the only private, nonprofit organization devoted to the protection and promotion of local historic and natural resources in Arlington . This local "Most Endangered Places List" spotlights five threatened local resources, including Fort Ethan Allen, Lustron Houses, First Baptist Church of Clarendon, Historic Residential Neighborhood Character and the Historic Commercial Buildings and the Businesses within Them.

Fort Ethan Allen, a County-designated historic district since 1978, remains on the Endangered list for the fifth year in a row as it is still threatened by the inappropriate placement of a dog exercise area in the center of the fort. The seven remaining Lustron Houses in Arlington are threatened both as a very rare building type within the County, and also as modest homes on large lots subject to demolition for the building of larger homes. The First Baptist Church of Clarendon is planning to redevelop their site, and tack on a high-rise apartment building to this landmark building. Current construction trends including "mansionization" in Arlington threatens our Historic Residential Neighborhoods Character. Development pressures are extremely high for all of our Historic Commercial Districts, and the ongoing loss of these small-scale buildings will eventually destroy the integrity of our historic commercial sectors, and will force out small, local business owners unable to afford rent in the high-rise buildings that are replacing them. For more information on these threatened historic sites, please CLICK HERE.

According to the Heritage Alliance's Chair, Shannon Bell, "This is the fifth year AHA has released a local Most Endangered List. We want to draw attention to these wonderful, but threatened places. AHA members are concerned about the demolition of Arlington's historic resources to pave the way for the rapid growth and increased density we are experiencing-and we know other Arlington's are equally concerned, but may not realize that there is a volunteer group in the county advocating for the preservation of these very places that are tied to our community's identity, our sense of place."

SAVED: We are please to report that the Glebe House was been sold last year to a couple who plan to take advantage of state historic preservation tax credits and restore the house and gardens for their own residence.

Watch List

The Arlington Heritage Alliance is also keeping watch over several sites that could be threatened in the coming year. Although the development project for the 3000 Block of Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards was not approved by the County Board, we are still monitoring this site as we anticipate new plans for it will be forthcoming. We are monitoring the Historic Buildings along Columbia Pike to make sure none are adversely affected by redevelopment projects planned along the Pike. We are pleased to report that the once alarming loss of any twentieth-century garden apartments in Arlington has receded. We believe this is partly due to a growing recognition of the historic value of these buildings, many of which have recently been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. These complexes have long been a source of de facto affordable housing in Arlington, and through the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing several complexes have now been renovated to become successful, official affordable housing projects, such as the Lorcam Arms Complex at 2031 N. Woodrow.

For more information on the places include in this year's Most Endangered List, please CLICK HERE. You can also find information on the places included in 2004, 2003 and 2002.