History

Overview

Highland Park-Overlee Knolls is a residential neighborhood encompassing 34 blocks north of I-66 between N. McKinley Rd. and N. Quantico St. The northern boundary is N. 22nd St., between N. Quantico St. and Lexington St.

When The Washington and Ohio Company bought and rebuilt the Alexandria, Loudous and Hampshire railroad, daily passenger service was instituted in 1870. At the turn of the century The Fostoria Land and Development Company began to build homes near the Fostoria station. Houses were built to buyers' specifications. On the 1907 County map, Fostoria was named Highland Park.

The Febrey family's farms were situated north of Highland Park. Another development, Overlee Knolls, was started on farmland but, like Highland Park, it grew slowly until the advent of the mass-produced automobile. Memorial Drive (now Washington Boulevard) was constructed through Febrey properties and opened the area to development in the early 1920's.

Civic Associations in the early years provided basic services: water, firefighting, etc. to their communities. Both associations became one. As Highland Park-Overlee Knolls, it petitioned the School Board for an elementary school in 1936. Highland Park-Overlee Knolls selected the present site of Walter Reed School, on Febrey farmland, the School Board approved the site and the four-classroom school opened in September 1938. Parkhurst, a development behind Reed's grounds was built in 1939 within Highland Park-Overlee Knolls boundaries.

Westover branch library was moved from an apartment on Longfellow Street to its present site which became available in 1962.

Land records for the area go back as far as 1730 but the oldest visible link with the present can be credited to Henry Febrey, son of Nicholas Febrey who grew up in the Robert E. Lee household. who before the Civil War settled on acreage extending from Lee Highway southwards toward Four Mile Run. His home, Maple Shade, still stands on Powhatan Street. Maps from the year 1891 and following show Febrey descendants owning six tracts, south of 22nd Street, that ranged in size from 13.5 to 21 acres. Walter Reed Elementary School was built on Febrey farmland between 1936-38. Swanson Middle School was also built on Febrey farmland in 1939.

Between the Febrey tracts and Four Mile Run , bounded by what is now 18th Street, the same maps show the first subdivision in the area “Fostoria”, designed to take advantage of the steam and later electric railways that were built along Four Mile Run. Frame houses and cottages built from 1900 to early 1920s still stand on 14th and 15th streets, McKinley Road and Nicholas Street, recalling the days of trolleys, horse and buggy, kerosene lamps, well-water and dirt roads. Road access to and from Fostoria was by way of Lubber Lane(now the Lexington street-16 street collector road).

In 1907, when a map and pamphlet describing the county was published, the Fostoria area bore a new name “Highland Park”. Following World War I, and with wider use of the automobile, a hard surfaced road, the present Washington Boulevard, was constructed through former Febrey properties. With easier access by car, in the mid 1920s a new subdivision “Overlee Knolls” which stopped short of 22nd Street was constructed. In that decade and succeeding ones the growth of Highland Park - Overlee Knolls mirrored Arlington’s general increase in population: 5.2% annually in 1920s; 7.9% in 1930s; 8.9% in 1940s and 1.9% in 1950s.

“Parkhurst”, which was built in 1939 to help accommodate the influx of young families prior to World War II, is particularly attractive because the builder constructed his reasonably priced houses around a central park area which he donated to the community. In rapid succession Reed and Swanson schools, the Westover shopping area and apartments were under construction. A cohesive, friendly community was forged - the schools, overcrowded in the 1950s, and shops were thriving. It was a village where people walked - to schools, to shops, to churches and to visit each other. A one-car family was the norm.
(Arthur Vogel did the early research and wrote this section and others in the HP-OK Neighborhood Conservation Plan, 1982) We hope to update the history in a new edition of the Plan. If you have historical information, please contact Sophie Vogel, fax or phone: 703-538-2496 - we don’t want to miss any piece of our fascinating history.
Jan.23, 2002

HP-OK Chronology 1820-2001

FOSTORIA (Highland Park)
1820 - A tract of land which lies between the “meanders of Four Mile Run” on the south and at the intersection of 19th and Lexington on the north was bought by John Sommers.
1853-1859 - The Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railway was built on the south border along Four Mile Run (where I-66 now is located). During the Civil War military troops were transported on this railroad.
1870 - The Washington and Ohio Company bought and rebuilt the railroad and instituted daily passenger service.
1890 - The original borders of the Sommers tract defined a community built by the Fostoria Land and Development Company.
1907 - On the County map Fostoria was designated as Highland Park,

OVERLEE - KNOLLS
1830s - Nicholas Febrey purchased land north of Willston Blvd. and west of Four Mile Run.
1851 - Henry Febrey built a farmhouse on what is now Powhatan Street. It still stands and is known as Maple Shade.
1920s - Memorial Drive (now Washington Blvd.) was constructed through former Febrey properties bringing through traffic to new a development on the north side of the drive.
This first development was Overlee Knolls.

HIGHLAND PARK - OVERLEE KNOLLS CIVIC ASSOCIATION (HP-OK)
c1930 - Both areas, combining their names, joined to form a single civic association - Highland Park-Overlee Knolls.
1936 - The Highland Park-Overlee Knolls C.A. petitioned the School Board to build an elementary school in the neighborhood.
1938 - Walter Reed - a 4 room school- was opened in September 1938.
1939 - Parkhurst, a community of reasonably priced houses , constructed around a central park (Horseshoe Park) was built behind Reed School’s grounds.
1940s - During World War II many military and federal governmel personnel moved into the area causing a population explosion.
1946, 1950, 1962, 1967 - Increased enrollment propmped additions to be built to Reed School.
1963 - Westover branch library moved into its new building on Lexington & McKinley Road.
1962 - Lee School (now the Lee Center) merged with Reed School.
1963 - Langston students integrated into Reed School adding 1/3 of Reed’s enrollment - a total of over 800 students.
1969 - Extended Day program begins at Reed School.
1979 - HP-OK reactivated after being dormant for a few years. Leeway C.A. suggests a merger with HP-OK. Vote taken at joint meeting in Jan. HP-OK votes to remain in tact and be the sole representative of its boundaries. Leeway Leader includes HP-OK boundaries. Does not heed our request to remove HP-OK from their Newsletter.
1979-1983 - HP-OK officers met frequently with V. Dept. of Highways & Transportation re sound walls, traffic patterns & landscaping of I-66.
1982 - HP-OK Neighborhood Conservation Plan was adopted by the County Board.
1982 - School Board voted to close Reed School while its enrollment was increasing. Students were needed to fill neighboring schools which were losing enrollments. Reed School was designated by the School Superintendent as being the most marketable. Parents sued to keep Reed School open/
1984 - Suit was lost - Reed School was closed. It was used in other capcities. Now houses County programs, ACAP, Children’s School, a day care center for School and County employees, and one pre-school APS program for 28 children.
1991 - Addition to HP-OK Neighborhood Conservation Plan to improve landscaping and playground equipment in Parkhurst.
1995 - Reed was the temporary home of Long Branch school while Longbranch was being renovated. With neighboring civic associations helped the School Board reduce the number of mobile classeooms from 8 to 2 which would have been placed in the ball field .
1998 - Bond Issue to renovate, enlarge of rebuild Westover branch library passed.
1999 - County Board proposes multi-use facility be built on Reed School property.
Resistance from community - civic association besides HP-OK.
2000 - Westover branch library problem chief concern. Shirlington branch library which was on the same issue for $8 million is planned by the County to be built in an expanded Shirlington shopping center with office buildings, parking garages, high rise with the Signature Theater on the floor above the library. HP-OK spearheads a committee, members from 5 neighboring associations to review plans proposed for Westover library.
2000 - April: HP-OK Civic Association sponsors public forum at Reed School with Arlington County Board Member Chris Zimmerman and School Board Member Libby Garvey, to discuss future of library and school.
2001 - Reed School is on the historic buildings list that is being compiled for the County. It meets all the criteria. Swanson Middle School is also on the historic buildings list.
2001 - HP-OK Civic Association appointed to Task Force reviewing location of future library.
2002: HP-OK residents appointed to new Task Force developing Master Plan for new school and library.
2002 - Highland Park-Overlee Knolls will be the subject of the Arlington Reunion Program in February.

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