History of Cherrydale  

Cherrydale is a neighborhood of predominantly small, neatly kept, older single family homes. With its quiet streets and huge old trees, many parts of the area still retain a small town feeling, despite the fact that it is only three and one half miles from Washington, D.C. The hometown feeling, the pride residents have in the community and its heritage, and the recent widespread efforts to rehabilitate and save many of our fine old homes, indicate a renewed interest in the community and its history.

Prior to European settlement, the North Arlington area was home to Indians of the Algonquin tribe. Although Indians must have passed through Cherrydale, most of their settlements would have been along the Potomac River. Recorded history begins with the first land grants, or "patents," which were issued in the early 1700's. The first known settler, Andrew Donaldson, began farming in the area in the 1780's.

The 1800's brought change to the wilderness as more farmers acquired and cleared land for cultivation. Indian paths were widened into country roads. Although no battles were fought in Cherrydale, the Civil War had a major and permanent impact on the area. Union troops camped and maneuvered in Cherrydale, and several major roads were constructed, including Military Road, which was built in three days to connect several fortifications with Chain Bridge. At the end of the war, many soldiers decided to remain in the area as farmers.

Easy access to the Washington and Georgetown markets made Cherrydale an ideal location for fruit orchards and truck farms. Large cherry orchards inspired Dorsey Donaldson to name the area when he used the word "Cherrydale" in his 1893 application for a post office. Only a few remnants of the original cherry orchards survive, all on private property.

The railroad reached Cherrydale in 1904, sparking an era of rapid economic growth. This early form of commuter transportation ran on the north side of Lee Highway and provided an inexpensive, reliable form of transportation for people who wished to live in the "country" of Cherrydale and work in the city. The thriving market gardens and fruit orchards were transformed into modern subdivisions. Large numbers of homes were built between 1900 and 1930.

The Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department was organized during this period; by 1904 it served the community with 10 leather buckets, a ladder, and its first "fire engine" -- a hand-drawn cart. One of the early substations at 2042 North Taylor Street is still in use as a private residence. The current fire station, built in 1919, was financed in part by the volunteers, who sold bricks to raise funds for its construction -- including one brick which was sold to President Woodrow Wilson.

The "old" Cherrydale school was built in 1907. The new school was built in 1917; by 1927 it had 12 rooms, 10 teachers, and 362 pupils. This structure and its auditorium played an important role in Cherrydale, serving as a meeting place and locale for community dinners and dances. The school closed in 1969 and was demolished in 1973 to make way for the Camelot Hall Nursing Home, now Cherrydale Health and Rehabilitation.

Cherrydale's World War I Memorial has been returned to the neighborhood and installed on the lawn of Cherrydale Health and Rehab.

Many different types of residential construction are present in Cherrydale, making for an extremely diverse residential base. Beginning with the small frame houses built just after the Civil War, the housing stock includes the typical two-story "farm" house favored by the early commuters, 1920's prefabricated Sears houses, 1930's bungalows, 1940's "war boxes," and the currently popular neo-Victorian and colonial style in-fill homes. At the time of the 1980 census, 34.8% of Cherrydale homes were built before 1940. (For more information on the 1980 census, see Appendix I) Over fifty-six percent of respondents to Cherrydale's 2003 NC Survey were interested in a program to provide historical markers for individual homes.

Despite increased population, Cherrydale retained its rural character until the late 1950's, when cows were pastured in a field behind the fire station, and many residents kept chicken coops.