The Connection

When “a house” becomes “my home” it assumes a unique identity. According to George Combs, manager, Special Collections Branch, Alexandria Public Library, that transformation explains the steady stream of visitors, be they “retirees with time on their hands or new homeowners once they have settled in,” seeking what Combs calls “property genealogy.”

The same inquiries surface in Arlington, both to county staffs and to others interested in local history. The Arlington Historical Society (AHS) saw an opportunity to be of service. It joined with the county’s Historic Preservation Office, the Public Library’s Center for Local History and Preservation Arlington. The result is an inaugural “House History Workshop,” to be held in the Central Library on Wednesday evening, Nov. 5. (Since all seats are filled for this event, see the adjacent box for further information.)

Participants will be shown how to research the history of their own houses, beginning with a guide to resources in the Local History Center and the county’s Historic Preservation Office. Instruction will rely on actual research case studies, followed by hands-on experience in the Local History Center.

One of the cases to be considered is that of “Broadview.” Close by the intersection of Washington Boulevard and George Mason Drive, the house was dated to the 1880s and built by a Civil War veteran who operated a large farm in surrounding fields. Title to the land itself was traced to colonial times. As an example of surprises that happen when pursuing a house history, it was the rented home of a famous author during the 1930s. Margaret Leighton’s initial children’s book, “The Secret of the Old House,” was based on the years her family resided in “Broadview.”

Jennifer Jablonsky, program coordinator for AHS, admits that this event is

aligned with AHS’s outreach efforts to expand membership, specifically by attracting younger residents. However, it also is a service offered to the large number of new Arlingtonians. “While a newcomer is not rooted here, his or her house is. It becomes the means for establishing a connection with the local community,” she said.

Cynthia Liccese-Torres, coordinator of Arlington’s Historic Preservation Office, is a workshop panelist who has researched dozens of properties in the county. While such work is job-related, she and her staff “do whatever we can when inquiries arrive in the office.” Liccese-Torres sees the workshop as an opportunity to spread knowledge of available resources to a larger audience in the community. A semi-personal topic she has pursued for years is finding and verifying all the “Sears Roebuck” houses in Arlington. Sears houses were 100 percent pre-fabricated, selected from a catalog, delivered to a nearby railroad yard and erected by a local builder on the purchaser’s lot.

One speaker in the Nov. 5 workshop is Matthew Gilmore, a professional house history hunter in the District of Columbia. He has heard countless reasons for “why people like to know who slept in the place before” and accepts each as valid for the individual.

Archivist Heather Crocetto, Arlington Community Archives, with a decade of experience, echoes Combs’ comment: “Certainly not a ‘parade’,” but just as surely there is a constant flow of people here [the Local History Center] searching for information on their houses. We are happy to provide what help we can.”

A poll of those involved gave evidence of the need for the workshop: Jablonsky,

Liccese-Torres and Gilmore — joined by Alexandria’s Combs — knew of no

professional “property genealogists” operating in Northern Virginia. The first —

and for the time being, the last — was Ruth Lincoln Kaye, who died earlier this year.

In an article published some months ago, Kaye was said to be “best known for being the author of almost 400 histories” in the City of Alexandria.