Evening star., 1944-12-03
GIencorIyn Park Planners Dream Comes True
BY BLANCHE MCKNIGHT.

sured several months ago when the
State decided to the county approxi-
mately 27 acres of land for park pur-
poses, but the actual transfer has
just gone through.
According to county officials, the
transfer comes not only at a time
when the park is most needed, but
makes dream come true for the
early planners of Glencarlyn, for
merly Carlin Springs.
Stretching along the west and
south side of Four-Mile Run, be-
tween Carlin Springs road and Long
Branch, and adjoining Lubber Rur
Park, this beautiful stretch Of
wooded knoll and dell constitutes
the Glencarlyn unit of Arlington
Countys rapidly developing park
system.
Step In Master Plan.
According to Frank l.. Dieter
county planning engineer this new
tract will be of considerable value
in furthering plans for park recrea.
tional activities, and marks another
step IN Arlington's master plan oi
parks and parkways, boulevards ano
Fairgrounds now being developed.
The fact that around 100000 per-
sons visited Lubber Run Park last
season, compared with $4,000 in 1885
when it was first opened to the
public-demonstrates the need fol-
the Glencarlyn unit, Mr.. Dieter
pointed out. The topographic sur
vey of the area is practically COM
plete, he said, and the new park
will be open by next spring for pic.
MICS and hiking.
AS soon as labor conditions per-
nit, modern facilities, such as are
found in Lubber Run Park, will be
added at Glencarlyn.
Easily Reached.
Easily reached by bus, and within
walking distance for at least $4,000
persons, there is no more beautiful
spot in Arlington County than this
new park area, with its tumbling
streams and wooded bluffs. In one
OF its most picturesque glens are two
famous old springs, shaded by tow
ering virgin oaks and sycamores
This site was popular pleasure
resort just after the Civil War, and
attracted visitors from Washington
Alexandria and neighboring coun-
ties.
Within its boundaries are many
kinds of birds For the botanist the
new park offers wide field of study
The wooded valleys and slopes are
covered with an endless variety OF
flowers, trees and shrubs.
Historically, the new park unit
offers unlimited possibilities. Mr.
Charles w. Stetson, Arlington his
torian and author of -Four Mile
Run Land Grants" states that three
original land patents met at the
junction of Four Mile Run and Long
Branch at the east corner of the
new park. These were the Lubber
Run tall old maps call it Lovers
Rum tract. patented by Mai. John
Colville in 1881, which lay along the
north side of the run. South of the
run stretched the John Ball tract
of 166 acres, which was a patent
from Lord Fairfax in 1742. The
new park is part of the John Bal
tract. Adjoining it on the south
and east was tract patented BY
Moses Ball in 1748. /
White Oak Tradition.
Later, George Washington &C.
1quired land on Four-Mile Run, ad
joining Moses Balls patent. Ere.
quentiy he called in his neighbol
Moses BalD to assist him in survey
ing The locality.
At the point where the three orig
inal land patents met there formerly
stood white oak. Tradition among
Glencarlyn folk says this oak bore
a survey mark made by Washington
| Evidence points to several old mil
sites nearby and there is what ap.
pears to be the remains of an ole
mill race on the land.
/ After John Balls death, in 1866
his original patent of l66 acres wa!
acquired by William Carlin, York
shire immigrant, who purchased il
from Moses Ball in l772 for 10(
pounds
1t is said that William Carlin was
prosperous farmer, and shortly
after acquisition of the Ball tract
he purchased the Lubber Run tract
A part of the old Carlin house still
is standing just outside the park
boundary.
Tradition Kept Alive.
William Carlin did not confine
his activities to farming. His de-
scendants have Kept alive the tradi-
ton that he was tailor" to George
Washington, and Washington's diary
of February 4, ITO, seems to be
proof of this Old-timers in Glen
carlyn still like to think the "tailor's
goose" an heirloom in the Carlir
family, was the one that William
Carlin used when sewing for Wash
| ington.
In the early 1870s the Alexandria
Loudoun & Hampshire Railway Co.
forerunner of a branch of the
Southern Railway, which then op-
Grated between Alexandria anc
Leesburg, built a station on the
Carlin property, after which the
Carlin sons converted the adjacent
grounds into a pleasure resort They
bricked up the springs, built a din
ing room capable of accommodating
$50 guests, also a dance pavilion
with an accompanying small bar. A
tournament ground with standard
rings was laid off in the field above
the springs This spot remained
popular until excursion resorts along
the Potomac River drew patrons
away.
In 1887, the Carlin heirs. con-
veyed to the late Gen. Samuel H
Burdett and William Wallace Curtis
1872 acres of the original Ball patent
and William Carlin estate. The
land acquired was identical to Glen
carlyn village and the new park
unit, also the 38 acre parcel lying
east of Lubber Run - now Lubbel
Run Park.
I Tract Subdivided.
The tract was subdivided ane
placed on the block as Carlir
Springs, and certain lands were SCI
| aside for mark r,lrr0seS IT. iS he,