Cherrydale Volunteer Fire House
Also known as: VDHR No. 00-82
Why it's listed
Built in 1919 at 3900 North Lee Highway, this modest brick building served the Cherrydale neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia, as a fire house, community center, movie theater and specialty shop. It has a hipped roof, gabled dormers, belt courses and jack-arched lintels, all in a Colonial Revival manner, and it keeps most of its early appearance despite some exterior changes and 1980s interior renovations. Residents paid for it through a community fund drive in which individual bricks were bought in the buyers' names, and the Ladies' Auxiliary held suppers, raffles and bazaars. Completed by 1921, it was the first permanent fire house in Arlington County and is now the oldest surviving one. It houses the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department, the first officially organized department in the county. It was listed for its link to Cherrydale's growth as a commuter suburb and its record of early firefighting. The upstairs hall is still used by the community.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the fire house is tied to Cherrydale's 20th-century growth as a commuter suburb. It was the first permanent fire house in Arlington County and is home to the county's first officially organized fire department. It also serves as evidence of advances in firefighting technology and the emergence of firefighting as a discipline. It has long worked as a community center as well.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 95000927, listed July 28, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3900 N. Lee Hwy., Arlington |
|---|---|
| County | Arlington County |
| Listed | July 28, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000927 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1919 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a fire station and community hall, with weekly bingo games held in the hall; interior renovated in the 1980s with minimal exterior alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.88734, -77.10697 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 95000927.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5092536
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.