Glencarlyn Historic District
Also known as: 000-9704
Why it's listed
Glencarlyn is a residential neighborhood in western Arlington County, Virginia, laid out in 1887 by William W. Curtis and Samuel S. Burdett as Carlin Springs. It was Arlington's first planned residential subdivision, with equally sized rectangular lots, and it grew over many decades rather than under one developer. The district holds more than 360 residential buildings, a single commercial building, Glencarlyn Park, the Carlin Family Cemetery, the library, St. John's Episcopal Church and Carlin Hall. Its oldest building is the Ball-Sellers House, begun as a one-room log structure around 1742 and the oldest extant building in the county. It preserves a rare surviving clapboard roof. Earlier, the Carlin family ran a popular excursion destination here, reached by railroad. Houses range from Queen Anne and Colonial Revival examples of the 1880s and 1890s to Craftsman bungalows and many post-World War II homes. The district is notable for its cohesive plan, its architectural range and its early history.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents Glencarlyn as Arlington County's first planned residential subdivision, laid out as a single platted neighborhood that kept its original lot pattern. Its buildings span the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with the heaviest development after World War II. It also holds the county's oldest extant building, the Ball-Sellers House (c. 1742), and the second largest collection of Queen Anne-style dwellings in the county.
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 08000910, listed September 18, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington Blvd., 5th Rd. S., Glencarlyn Park, Arlington |
|---|---|
| County | Arlington County |
| Listed | September 18, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000910 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Queen Anne; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Colonial Revival; Craftsman/Bungalow; Modern Movement |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most resources are single-family dwellings still in residential use. Carlin Hall, the library, the church, the park and the cemetery remain as current functions, and a commercial building stands on South Carlin Springs Road. |
| Acreage | 135.3 |
| Coordinates | 38.86342, -77.12328 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 08000910.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712371
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.