Olive Fornaro is an elderly, retired mother of three residing in the Brockwood neighborhood (She lives across the street from me.). She has two sons and a daughter and a number of grandchildren. Olive has been a resident of her current home since 1966.
Stephen: So Olive, when did you move into this neighborhood?
Olive: My husband, John, and I moved into this neighborhood in 1966. We came from out of state, so it was our first time living in this state and in Arlington too.
Stephen: Do you know the history of your house?
Olive: Yes. My home was built in 1939 by a Mr. Brockwood. Mr. Brockwood was a very successful business man of his time. He built all the houses around this corner of the street. He built such beautiful houses. The walls and the foundation of my house are so very strong. They are very sturdy houses. They do all look very similar to each other, but it's much easier to build multiple homes that way. One day he went bankrupt. He had to stop building houses because he could not pay to build them anymore. That's why you only see a few of them built by him. He probably would have kept building more houses if he did not go bankrupt. He is the reason why we call this neighborhood Brockwood. The neighborhood is named after him.
Stephen: What drew you to this neighborhood?
Olive: The schools and the swimming pools. I remember when my husband and I first moved to this neighborhood back in 1966. We were from out of state. I laid a map of the entire county, of all of Arlington, on the floor. We looked at where everything was: the libraries, the schools, the swimming pools, etc. We felt that this neighborhood was the place where we could access all those aspects, where everything was at. I think it was a great decision. We have a great library, Central Library, close by. We have Dominion Hills just up the road from here. And the schools are great. My son went to Kenmore Junior High back when it was a junior high school and not a middle school. He used to walk there and back. My daughter, however, went to Swanson Middle School. I remember when I used to drive her from school everyday and then pick her up from school too. Before they built I-66 one of these roads here used to run straight through to Swanson. You could just take that one road through Westover and you would be there at Swanson. Now that I-66 is here you have to drive around it, which can be a real pain at times. They both went to Washington-Lee High School though. They really enjoyed it there. That's where you're going to school, right Stephen?
Stephen: Yes.
Olive: And what grade did you say you were in again?
Stephen: 11th.
Olive: So you have one more year then?
Stephen: Yep. I'm almost done.
Olive: And then you're off to college.
Stephen: Yeah... What was the neighborhood like when you first moved here?
Olive: Well it was pretty much how it looks right now, except for those new houses they built a couple of years ago. Before those five houses were built there used to be this one little home.
Stephen: Can you tell me the story of the home that used to be there?
Olive: Sure. The house was built by a man. He and his family, the Gauld family, lived there for many, many years. Their house used to be way up that hill, almost at the top of it. And surrounding the home used to be a thick, dense forest. You could barely see the house from the road because the forest was so dense. When the parents passed away, the house was left with the daughter. She lived there for many years as well. When she died, a construction company came in and bought the house. They torn the whole place done: the house, the trees, everything. Then they built all these houses in place of the Gaulds' home. The four on Jacksonville Street came up first. They aren't as nice as the ones they built on our street, on Kensington Street. Those houses have four bedrooms, three baths, a porch, a basement I think, but they're okay. The five they built on Kensington Street are much nicer. Those have five bedrooms, four to five baths, a beautiful veranda, nice hardwood floors. You guys have four bedrooms on the top floor right?
Stephen: Yeah. Four on top, and one in the basement.
Olive: You guys have that really nice stove right?
Stephen: Yeah it's pretty nice. It's very big. I know when my mom first saw the house, she went on and on about how nice the kitchen was and in particular how nice the stove was.
Olive: I remember when they first built the house, they had to get four men to carry that stove up the stairs and into the house.
Stephen: I can only imagine. The stove is quite big.
Olive: The houses were sold pretty quick. And although they all look the same, they have some unique features. You're house has wood floors in the basement right?
Stephen: Yeah it does.
Olive: Your house is the only one that has that feature. The couple that first bought the house, the wife was going to work her business at home, so she wanted wood floors down there. And the first house to the right was the model home. Everything in that home is so nice. In the gardener's shed that you guys have underneath the outside stairwell, they have a TV so people can like workout down there or something like that. And the house to the left of it, they have higher windows in all the bedrooms upstairs for safety purposes for the children. It also allows them to put furniture underneath the windows too.
Stephen: Is there anything else you remember from when you first moved here?
Olive: Everything looks the same as it does now. All the houses on my side are all Cape Cods. Beautiful little homes they are. And all the original homes on your side are more Colonials. They're beautiful too. They have always been like that. It is weird though that all but one of the original houses on the street have garages.
Stephen: This is true. I don't recall anybody on the street besides that one home to the left with a garage. There also appears to be no sidewalks either in front of the original houses.
Olive: You're right. Interesting...
Stephen: So there hasn't been much changes to the neighborhood then?
Olive: Not really. Besides the five new houses being built and I-66 being built as well, the neighborhood hasn't changed much at all. The only thing has changed is the people in it.
Stephen: What's your opinion on such changes?
Olive: I like how the neighborhood has changed. A lot of people in the neighborhood disliked building all those new houses, but I liked them. The new houses are a nice break from all the other houses here which all look the same. The new houses also brings in new people, which is always exciting for the neighborhood. A lot of new younger couples have come into the neighborhood because of it, and it changes the dynamics of the neighborhood. You see now a lot of younger children in the neighborhood. There is so few older children in our neighborhood, but there seems to be a rising population among younger children in the neighborhood, and I like that this has happened.
Stephen: Right. What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of this neighborhood?
Olive: Well the schools are great. You can't beat the schools. The library is so close and so is the swimming pool. It is great to see that everything is in such close proximity to this neighborhood. Also everyone in the neighborhood is just so nice. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I remember when the colored couple came into the neighborhood. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. We have such a friendly neighborhood.
Stephen: How do you see this neighborhood changing in years to come?
Olive: I see more and more young couples coming into the neighborhood. I think our younger generations are much larger than the older generations here in Arlington, and so I think the neighborhood will get a lot younger. I don't plan to see many more houses being knocked down to build newer and bigger ones. I don't think any houses have enough land to do so, and I don't think anyone wants to do that sort of thing. I like the mixture of new and old houses we have here, and I want it to stay that away. Besides, these older homes are so sturdy. The new houses they build are so thin and weak. I think the neighborhood is great the way it is now.
Stephen: Thank you for your time.
Matthew Healey is a 16-year-old resident of the Brockwood neighborhood. He has lived in the neighborhood with his family in his current house for all of his life. Matthew is a junior (grade 11) at Washington-Lee High School.
Stephen: So Matt, how long have you lived in this neighborhood?
Matt: I have lived in this neighborhood for my entire life.
Stephen: In the same house?
Matt: Yep. In the same house my entire life.
Stephen: What drew your parents to this neighborhood?
Matt: The schools. Arlington has some of the best schools in the nation. They also liked the feel of the neighborhood. In the surburbs, everything feels so close knit and joined together, like one big happy family. This neighborhood in particular shows that. We are such a united community. Everyone is so friendly with one another, and the environment here is just so peaceful, I could see why they would pick this neighborhood to live and raise a family.
Stephen: Do you know the history of your home?
Matt: Uh sort of. I know the guy that built it built a number of these houses next to us, all at the same time. That's why they all kind of look the same. The same guy identical houses next to each other. I think he ran out of money or something, and so he had to stop. I don't know the exact year that my house was built in, but I'm pretty sure it was after World War II ended. That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.
Stephen: What are some of your earliest memories of the neighborhood?
Matt: Well I can remember the times before the new houses were built. There was this one house in the middle of a forest right next to our house. The forest was kind of creepy looking, but I liked having it next to my house. I remember one time my dad shot off a couple rounds on his shotgun on New Year's Day. I think it was in 2000... Yeah, it was 2000. It was the start of the new millenium. That was his way of celebrating the new year, like his own new year's eve ball drop. I also used to enjoy going to Bon Air Park all the time. I used to ride my bike down there with my family. I remember learning how to ride a bike at the park. It's nice that it's so conveniently located next to the neighborhood. It's so close. I used to play in the playground. When I got older, my dad and I used to go on longer bike rides down the trails, the Custis and the W & OD. I also went to Westover Park too and participated in a number of activities there too. I remember walking with Eric and all them to Swanson and walking with you and Eric and everyone else home. Those were fun times too.
Stephen: How has the neighborhood changed since you can remember?
Matt: To be honest, I really don't think it has changed all that much. Obviously the biggest change to the neighborhood has been the five new houses built next to my house. I remember when that happened. But besides that, I really can't think of anything else that has changed since I can remember. The street has remained the same. Neighbors come and go, but the houses haven't changed really, and the street itself hasn't changed either. Bon Air Park is pretty much the same as it always has been, with the exception of the tennis courts. Those look like they are being repaved, but they're still there. And Westover Park changed a little bit, but not a lot. They just fixed up the playground and such. The neighbors have changed too, but the atmosphere of the neighborhood still remains the same.
Stephen: How do you feel about the changes?
Matt: Well I like the new houses. I know some people didn't like them, especially when they were being built. It took a while to get them all done, and there was a lot of noise when construction was going on. But, I like them. It's something different from the rest of the houses, and they make the neighborhood look more impressive and aesthetically pleasing to people passing through. Plus they brought about a bunch of new neighbors. I've noticed that a lot of new, young couples have come into the neighborhood, and I kind of like it. Young couples with children allow us kids to bond with one another. With these new neighbors we have kids our age who we can go to school with and hang out with. Before there used to be very little kids my age in the neighborhood and very little kids at all. I feel like the changes that this neighborhood has gone through have turned out for the better.
Stephen: What do you feel are the strengths and weaknesses of this neighborhood?
Matt: I feel like the unification of the neighborhood is a big strength here. All the neighbors are so close to each other. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming and warm with each other, especially new neighbors. It's obvious when you come to the block party or stuff like that that this neighborhood is like one big extended family. I also think the balance between new and old is a strength of the neighborhood. The mixture of new and old houses shows us developing with technology and new ways of life here but we also keep our tradition, our original homes. That's something you don't see in most neighborhoods. Also, the access to a variety of parks and bike paths is another strength. We're so close to like three parks, and bike paths that are so long, and that reach most parts of Arlington and other areas. We're in a great school district, and in the summer it's no problem gettting to a pool. Dominion Hills is just up the road. I think some weaknesses of this neighborhood include its size. Our neighborhood is really small, and although our small size allows us to be closer to each other, we don't really stand out in Arlington as a whole. We're just like another little neighborhood with nothing extraordinary. We also lack some defining features. We're basically surburbs, so you don't see many shopping places unless you go up Wilson Boulevard. It's not convenient to walk to like a McDonald's or a grocery store because there are none close enough. And although the parks are nice, they can get a little boring at times. They aren't really that big to be honest.
Stephen: How do you see this neighborhood changing in years to come?
Matt: I really don't think it will change all that much. I think people are going to do new things to their homes. I don't think I'll be seeing anyone knock down their house and build some huge mansion like what happened with these five houses here, but I expect some additions or garages or sidewalks to be built in the future like my parents are doing with our house. I don't see the parks or trails changing any time soon. Overall, I don't see the neighborhood changing very much at all in years to come, and I don't mind that at all. I like how the neighborhood is right now, and I would be satisfied if it stayed this way.
Stephen: Thank you for your time.
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