General Arlington History

The name Arlington comes from the Arlington House, arguably one of the county's oldest and most recognizable landmarks. Arlington House was built by George W.P. Custis, the grandson of first lady Martha Washington. It is most famous for serving as the home of Confederate general Robert E. Lee for the thirty years prior to the Civil War. Eventually, Arlington House and Arlington Plantation became the location of the world renowned Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington House used to serve as the cemetary headquarters.

Before being discovered by Captain John Smith in 1608, Arlington was home to many Native Americans who lived along Four Mile Run and the Potomac River. Smith sailed up the Potomac from the English settlement at Jamestown, beginning Arlington's recorded colonial history. Permanent settlement of Arlington began in the 18th century after the Iroquois Indians ceded the land below the Potomac River to colonial Virginia.

In 1791 George Washington surveyed a 10 square mile piece of land to be used by the federal government as their capital city. This square of land became the District of Columbia, and the present day Arlington was included in this land. Citizens of Alexandria were upset that they had no representation in Congress, and conflicting sentiments over the issue of slavery caused conflicts in a city that was an active slave market. Almost fifty years after joining the nation's capital, Alexandria County retroceded from DC in 1847 because of the impending expense of a canal project and became its own county in Virginia. Arlington county was renamed in 1920 to distinguish between the city of Alexandria and Alexandria County.





Sources





Arlington Historical Society website


Arlingtoncounty.com


Arlington Heritage: Vignettes of a Virginia County