The Washington herald., 1922-02-05
By CLoYD BYERS, Jr.

Prominent among the outlying
residential districts Of the nations
capital is that section Just across
the Potomac River known as Near
by Virginia The original District
oI Columbia as laid out by George
harrington embraced an area ten
mics square and included, in addi-
IIon 10 the present District, that
portion of Virginia Immediately
South OF the river, ceded back to
me state in 1886. and now known
Hs Arlington County. It Is the
nsIlest and most populous county
IN virginia. The overflow popula-
uon of Washington has been quick
70 appreciate the Virginia plateau
ior residential purposes There
nave grown up in this section a
number OF communities settled al
most wholly by people who work in
washington Such are Clarendon,
RaIston. CherrydaIe, Arlington and
Fails Church.
Clarendon is almost in the center
OF the county. on the Washington
virginia Electric Railway. Its pop
ulation Is about 5000. Clarendon
"-S us NlIlLCuS ASOCldllOn.' 1IS
members claim for il the distinc-
uon or being the most active asso-
citation in the county.
when the present thriving sub
urban town site was farm land
the few scattered residents OF this
district felt the need for organized
EFFORT in securing the few benefits
allotted by the county government.
inert company bought up several
farms and subdivided them under
the name OF Clarendon subdivision.
\ numtc-.uf houses were built. Two
or three streets were partially i'm
lSls who bought here felt need for
more pubic improvements
Organized Is Years Ago.
In the spring of 1904 a number
~ public-minded men met at the
home of Judge Thompson and or
Ssnized the Clarendon Citizens As
ISOLATION 4 drive for member
ship started, seventy-one being
secured From that time the or
Sanization has remained active. The
first president was L. L. Wilson.
who served until 1918. He was sue
ceeded by r. P. Hough. well-known
civil engineer. Mr.. Hough directed
activities of the association until
1915. He was followed by Z. L.
Eennett, of the Navy Department,
spoken of as a wheel horse In
1918 Mr.. Bennett was succeeded by
Reginald II. Colley. Department of
Agriculture scientist. He served
three terms and was followed IN
March. 1921, by Capt.'E. W. Jordan.
assistant manager of the Washing
ton Baseball Club. Due to personal
business. Mr.. Jordan resigned after
two months, and the present incum-
bent. c. r. Taylor. of the United
states Shipping Board was elected.
Other names prominently connected
with the organization and activi-
ties of the association arc: +. l..
sharp, of the Interstate Commerce
Commission; A. j. Porter, promi-
nent Virginia contractor and treas
urer Of the association since 1908:
n. II. Robinson. 4. d. Donnelly,
Frank Lyon. ]. Thomas Manning. of
the White Motor, Truck Company;
n p. Payne. G. II. McCrillis. busi-
ness man of Clarendon: +. 3. kee-
fer. Washington newspaperman A.
n. Langley, A. E. Eaton, ]. T. Lips
comb, jr.. newspaperman, and o. l.
Briggs, of the Census Bureau.
Road Improvements First.
The first efforts of the young or
Eanization were devoted to secur-
ing road improvements. particularly
on the thoroughfsrcs leading into
tho city. Automobiles were not in
such prevalent use then as now.
Nevertheless. the roads were in
many places almost impossible.
even to a horse and buggy. In win
ter the only means of traversing
the highways was on horseback.
Efforts toward remedyinE this sit
uation resulted in securing sand
stone pike along the site of what
is now the splendid Wilson boule-
ward.
The washinGton-VirGin Elec-
tric Railway had already been
operating suburban cars through
this territory and on to Falls
church and Fairfax Courthouse,
points of historical interest to Wis
itors in the Capital. Diligent eff
forts were now made to improve
The schedule on this road. With
these activities in progress the
community began to attract wide
attention among home seekers In
Washington and new arrivals in
the Capital, with the result that
the next five or six years witnessed
= very rapid and steady growth of
clarendon. from a subdivision de-
Enable only on blueprints, to a
thriving community of several
thousand people.
II was during this period OF ex-
traordinary growth that the work
or the Clarendon Citizens Associa-
tiOa proved most valuable to the