Arlington Ridge - Aurora Highlands Walkabout
Home to local treasures like the Arlington Historical Society and national icons like the Pentagon, Arlington Ridge and Aurora Highlands encompass two distinct neighborhoods and four centuries of Arlington history. From Revolutionary War forces marching down present-day Army-Navy Drive toward Yorktown to Civil War-era Fort Scott being guarded by Union soldiers to bungalows housing the nation’s workforce during WWII to Fire Station #5 dispatching first responders to the Pentagon on 9/11, these two neighborhoods have seen it all — and thrived. To capture the highlights of such a diverse area in one Walkabout route, we’ve created two loops that can be explored separately or combined into one longer Walkabout.
Length: 2-mile and 3-mile loops with a .5 mile extension
Terrain: North Loop: Mostly level; stairs at Stops 2 and 4.
South Loop: Hilly residential streets; wooded paths.
Car-Free Access: Pentagon City Metrorail on the Blue and Yellow Lines, Metrobus 10AE, 13FG, 16H, 23AC, ART routes 74, 84, 87
PRINTABLE MAP/FLIER IS AVAILABLE HERE:
English or Spanish (2.4 MB, PDF, Adobe Reader required)
Hume School, Stop 2 on the North Loop of the Walkabout, was built in 1891 and is Arlington's oldest remaining school building. It is currently home to the Arlington Historical Society Museum, open Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00-4:00 p.m. The building was designated an Arlington Historic District in 1978 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The single-family homes found in Arlington Ridge and Aurora Highlands represent a wide array of architectural styles and periods. County historic preservation staff has researched and identified authentic examples of early-20th century mail-order kit homes all across the County, including those available from Sears, Roebuck & Company and other leading companies. There are at least 15 known Sears homes in Aurora Highlands alone, including the Bellewood model at 628 24th Street South and the Brookside model at 821 23rd Street South.
-Arlington County Historic Preservation Staff
At Stop 1 on the North Loop of the Walkabout, on the grounds of Fire Station #5 is a section of steel from the World Trade Center given to the Arlington County Fire Department by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), the Fire Department New York-Fire Family Transport Foundation, and the Iron and Steel Team as a tribute to the Arlington Fire Department’s service at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
The large piece of structural steel from Ground Zero in New York City was presented to Arlington County in a ceremony in 2010 and is located next to the Fire Station at the southeast corner of Hayes and 18th Streets.
-Howard Schreier
Acknowledgments: Created with the Arlington Ridge - Aurora Highlands residents
Arlington Ridge - Aurora Highlands News You Can Use
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