Columbia Pike: From Turnpike to Main Street
Early Pathways
Long before asphalt and automobiles, the land that became Columbia Pike was crossed by trails first formed by large game and later used by Native peoples. These high-ground routes allowed travelers to survey the landscape and remain watchful for enemies (Collins & Stewart, 1989, p. 21).
In 1808, Congress chartered the Columbia Turnpike Company to build a road connecting Washington’s new Long Bridge to the Little River Turnpike in Fairfax County. Because the area was then part of the District of Columbia, the charter came from Congress, while Virginia authorized a separate company to continue the road beyond the district line (Collins & Stewart, 1989, p. 21). Travelers paid tolls at gates where a heavy wooden “pike” was turned aside once the fee was collected (Collins & Stewart, 1989, p. 21).
Farms, Families, and Faith
For much of the early 19th century, Columbia Pike ran through farmland and scattered homesteads. Prominent landowners included George Washington Parke Custis of Arlington House, as well as the Hunter, Munson, Jenks, Corbett, and Young families (Collins & Stewart, 1989, p. 21–22). Churches soon followed. Trinity Church, with origins in Custis’s chapel, and Hunter’s Chapel, founded in the 1850s, served as anchors of community life before both were destroyed during the Civil War (Collins & Stewart, 1989, p. 22–23).
Civil War Transformations
With the outbreak of the Civil War, Columbia Pike became a vital artery in the defenses of Washington. Federal troops fortified the road with strongpoints including Fort Runyon, Fort Albany, Fort Richardson, and Fort Berry, all guarding approaches to the capital (Collins & Stewart, 1989, p. 24). Local residents were displaced, farms destroyed, and churches dismantled for military use (Collins & Stewart, 1989, p. 25).
In 1863, the federal government established Freedman’s Village on land adjacent to the Pike. This community provided housing, education, and jobs for formerly enslaved people and their families. Though the village closed in the 1890s, many residents settled in Arlington neighborhoods such as Nauck (Green Valley) and Arlington View, establishing enduring communities (Collins & Stewart, 1989, p. 25–26).
Streetcars and Suburbs
By the early 20th century, the Pike evolved into a “streetcar suburb.” An electric trolley line connected Rosslyn and Nauck, with a bustling stop at Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive. By the mid-1920s, cafes, drugstores, and shops clustered at the intersection, forming a commercial hub (Arlington County Government, 2025). Buildings of the 1920s and 30s hugged the sidewalks, creating a walkable corridor that mirrored the urban form of Arlington’s other transit centers (Arlington County Government, 2025).
Automobiles and Commercial Strips
The arrival of the automobile reshaped Columbia Pike. In the 1930s and 40s, neighborhood shopping centers like Arlington Village and Westmont introduced the “one-stop” shopping concept. Gas stations, car dealerships, and service centers replaced stretches of the pedestrian “street wall.” By the postwar years, the Pike was widened to four lanes, on-street parking eliminated, and new office complexes and drive-through restaurants appeared, solidifying the corridor’s transition into an auto-oriented commercial strip (Arlington County Government, 2025).
Revitalization Efforts
By the late 20th century, Columbia Pike faced congestion and decline. In 1990, Arlington adopted the Columbia Pike Revitalization Plan, followed by the Columbia Pike Initiative (1998) and later the Form-Based Code (2003). These measures sought to restore the Pike’s historic “Main Street” character while balancing growth, transit, and affordable housing (Arlington County Government, 2025; Arlington Historical Society, Columbia Pike, 2024).
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