History of Fairlington

The community of Fairlington was first constructed for defense workers, by orders of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This was in response to the housing shortage brought on by World War II. The original architect was Kenneth Franzheim, who designed the houses for wartime executives moving to the area to work in Washington D.C. Franzheim designed the neighborhood using varied patterns of clustered units instead of using the traditional grid system. The entire community consisted of 340 acres with 10 units per acre. By the time the project was complete there were 3,439 apartments which made Fairlington the largest apartment complex in the U.S. at the time.

In 1972 Fairlington began to be divided in to seven different condominium villages. Each of these villages has a tennis court and community pool which is available to residents. The renovation project was completed in 1978. Today Fairlington reflects the charm and simplicity of a different time. There is a unique sense of community, and a commitment to Fairlington’s future.

On December 2, 1998 Fairlington was recognized by being listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register. The next year, in 1999, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the first large scale condominium community to ever be considered for listing on the Virginia Landmarks Register. These historic listings make sure that Fairlington will never change. The neighborhood will remain the same way it has always been, and along with the preservation of the housing structures, comes the preservation of the old time charms which Fairlington captures.

Bibliography:

1. http://www.fairlington.org/About~1.htm

2. http://www.fairlingtonvillages.com/about-history.html

3. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-25507792.html?key=01-42161A527E1A116C130D0516042256213F4A374C1820234C3E0E0A60641A617F127119731B7B1D27