Glencarlyn Nomination

Glencarlyn is in the process of being nominated to be included in the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district.  

Before the nomination can be submitted to the state of Virginia and subsequently to the National Park Service, each landowner in the designated area will be:

• Sent an official letter (by mid April 2008) from Arlington describing the effect of being listed in he National Register of Historic Places  

• Invited to attend a presentation on the application for inclusion in the National Register at the Arlington County Board Room 2100 Clarendon Blvd, on May 19 with officials from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources May .  All questions on the process will be answered at this meeting. 

Background on Glencarlyn's Nomination

Several years ago Michael Leventhal of the Arlington County Historic Preservation Program described the National Register of Historic Places at a Glencarlyn Citizens' Association (GCA) meeting.  He asked if Glencarlyn would be interested in allowing Arlington County to undertake a comprehensive survey of the buildings in the neighborhood and prepare the paperwork for a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.  At the meeting, the neighborhood voted to proceed with the process. 

For a number of months since then, a team of architectural historians from EHT Traceries, Inc., headed  by Laura Trieschmann, researched the properties and structures in Glencarlyn. This information was compiled in the proposed nomination material (see links listed below). 

At the March 2008 GCA meeting, Laura Trieschmann did a wonderful presentation of the architectural history of Glencarlyn, including pictures and maps representing the stages of development of the community over the past  260 years.  Michael Leventhal then outlined the rest of the process, including 

- neighborhood review during March and early April (see draft materials below),

- the letter from the County by early April and 

- the meeting with State officials in early May.

Being in the National Register of Historic Places

What It Does 

The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. It also serves as one of the main requirements for a property wanting to take advantage of tax credits for the rehabilitation and renovation of a historic property.

Buildings applying for the historic tax credits do need to get approval from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources prior to undertaking work.

What It Does Not Do

Listing on the National Register of Historic Places does not include or require the local design review process for modifications, new construction, or demolition to any buildings listed.   

Local Historic Districts, which are established under Virginia law, are a separate process.  Being listed in the National Register has nothing to do with local historic district designation.  Local historic district designation requires at least 70% of the property owners to request such designation to Arlington County ’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board. The historic character of these districts is maintained through a design review process, which requires the review of any exterior modifications, new construction, or demolition within district boundaries.  There are 29 Local Historic Districts in Arlington ; many of which are a single building and 3 are neighborhoods.   

The link to Arlington Historic Sites includes both the National Register of Historic Places and the  Local Historic Districts.

Draft Materials for Review

Below are links to the drafts of several documents as of March 5, 2008 which were prepared by the County and Traceries for support for the nomination of Glencarlyn to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Although there was extensive work done in the preparation of the materials, we have been asked to look at the materials and inform Michael Leventhal of any inaccuracies.  He has asked that to the extent possible, any corrections be supported by some basis.  He notes that during the review there were a number of commonly accepted dates or names which were inconsistent with the review of historical documents, including original deeds.  Michael can be reached at:

Michael Leventhal    mleventhal@arlingtonva.us    703-228-3813   

 DRAFT  National Register of Historic Places nomination form (83 pages pdf format)  

Comments or corrections (see above) should be sent to mleventhal@arlingtonva.us

Contents of  the National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form this page was prepared to help you locate items in the form.  There are several section which are very interesting reading about the history of Glencarlyn.

Map of Proposed Historical District  (await copy from County to load on site)

Glencarlyn_Detailed_Historic_District_Inventory this is a more complete description of each structure than the inventory in the nomination form. (pdf format 77 pages)

Comments or corrections (see above) should be sent to mleventhal@arlingtonva.us

Photographs of Glencarlyn Historic District submitted with nomination  (3 megabyte pdf)

Presentation from March 2008 GCA March 2008 GCA meeting by Laura Trieschmann  (2.5 megabyte pdf)  there are lots of good photo, maps etc, but few words.  It relates to the history of the nomination form.

Arlington Historic Preservation Program

The Arlington Historic Preservation Program is located in the Office of Neighborhood Services within the County's Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development.  

There is a lot of information on the site about the program including links to 

    Arlington Historic Sites 

    Why designate historic properties? 

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the Glencarlyn nomination or about the Arlington Historical Preservation Program contact  

Michael Leventhal    mleventhal@arlingtonva.us    703-228-3813   

National Register of Historic Places 

The Info below is lifted from the National Park Service NRHP website 

 The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources. Properties listed in the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior

Included among the over 80,000 listings that make up the National Register are:

• All historic areas in the National Park System;

• Over 2,400 National Historic Landmarks, which have been designated by the Secretary of the Interior because of their importance to all Americans;

• Properties across the country that have been nominated by governments, organizations, and individuals because they are significant to the nation, to a state, or to a community.

National Register properties are distinguished by having been documented and evaluated according to uniform standards. These criteria recognize the accomplishments of all peoples who have contributed to the history and heritage of the United States and are designed to help state and local governments, Federal agencies, and others identify important historic and archeological properties worthy of preservation and of consideration in planning and development decisions.

Listing in the National Register contributes to preserving historic properties in a number of ways:

• Recognition that a property is of significance to the Nation, the State, or the community.

• Consideration in the planning for Federal or federally assisted projects.

• Eligibility for Federal tax benefits.

• Qualification for Federal assistance for historic preservation, when funds are available.

There are no Federal historic property designations that place Federal restrictions on private property owners:

• States and localities may have laws to encourage the preservation of their historic places. Some have enacted their own identification procedures; some use listing in the National Register as an indicator of historic significance. State and local historic preservation programs often provide some protection against the possible harmful effects of State funded, licensed, or assisted projects. Some provide limited financial assistance to owners in the form of grants, loans, or tax benefits. They may establish other protections for preservation purposes. Programs differ from State to State, and within States; your SHPO or local planning department can provide more information.

Key Points about the National Register Process for Property Owners:

• Listing in the National Register honors the property by recognizing its importance to its community, State, or the Nation.

• Many property owners propose National Register nominations.

• Under Federal law, private property owners can do anything they wish with their National Register-listed property, provided that no Federal license, permit, or funding is involved.

• Owners have no obligation to open their properties to the public, to restore them, or even to maintain them, if they choose not to do so.

• To ensure public participation in the nomination process, property owners and local officials are notified of proposed nominations to the National Register and provided the opportunity to comment. In addition, once a nomination is submitted to the National Park Service another public comment period is published in the Federal Register .

• Private property owners may object to the proposed nomination of their property to the National Register. If a majority of private property owners objects to a nomination, then the property cannot be listed in the National Register.

• Federal agencies whose projects affect a listed property must give the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation an opportunity to comment on the project and its effects on the property.

• Owners of listed properties may be able to obtain Federal historic preservation funding, when funds are available. In addition, Federal investment tax credits for rehabilitation and other provisions may apply.

GCA Contact

If you have any questions about Glencarlyn's proposed nomination to the National Register of Historic Places please contact