{"nrhp_refnum":"03000451","name":"Walter Reed Gardens Historic District","other_names":["Commons of Arlington","000-8824"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"2900-2906 13th St. S, 2900-2914 13th Rd S, 1301-1319 S. Walter Reed Dr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Arlington","county":"Arlington County","state":"VA","lat":38.85921062150004,"lon":-77.08666121241379,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2003-05-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A garden apartment complex of eighteen brick Colonial Revival buildings on about 5.3 acres at 13th Street South, 13th Road South and South Walter Reed Drive in the Columbia Heights area of Arlington County, Virginia, built in 1948.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the complex is a fine example of the small-scale garden apartment complexes built in Arlington County before and just after World War II. Its Colonial Revival style, open court layout and landscaped setting are characteristic of developments funded by FHA-insured mortgages. It represents a mid-20th-century approach to multi-family housing.","narrative":"Walter Reed Gardens, also known as the Commons of Arlington, is a garden apartment complex in the Columbia Heights area of Arlington County, Virginia. Built in 1948 on about five acres, it groups eighteen brick buildings into four clusters around open courts, with the largest being a U-shaped court on South 13th Road. The buildings follow the Colonial Revival style, with American bond brickwork, wood door surrounds, pedimented entrances, and 6/6 and 8/8 double-hung windows. It was first designed with 147 one-bedroom units to attract single veterans and childless couples returning after World War II. A condominium conversion in 1982-1984 reconfigured the interiors into 134 units and later added a swimming pool, the only non-contributing resource. The complex was listed for its role in community planning and development and as a representative example of FHA-influenced garden apartments built in Arlington between 1934 and 1954. Its low buildings, moderate density and landscaped grounds set it apart from more urban apartment forms.","period_of_significance":"1948","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Colonial Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used as multiple dwellings; converted to condominiums in 1982-1984, with a swimming pool added afterward.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:01.085946-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/48/6785/41678548/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/03000451.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03000451/f10596853c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03000451/f10596853c-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Farragutful","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Walter_Reed_Gardens_Historic_District_01.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Farragutful</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Walter_Reed_Gardens_Historic_District_01.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41678548","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Reed_Gardens_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14713493"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/arlington-county/walter-reed-gardens-historic-district-03000451/"}