The Arlington County Bicentennial Commission consisted of 12 members: Margarite Syphax, Marjorie Melnick, Evelyn Syphax, Eleanor Lee Templeman, Dean Allard, J. Elwood Clements, Herman Obermayer, Allen Kitchens, Donald Wise, Edward Sayle, Richard Rhoads and Donald Orth. (courtesy Charlie Clark Center for Local History)
In 1976, Arlington marked America’s 200th birthday with a celebration as ambitious as the milestone itself. Because July 4 fell on a Sunday, major festivities took place Saturday, July 3, leaving the actual holiday for reflection.
The county’s Bicentennial parade—hailed as the largest in Northern Virginia—featured 107 entrants. It stepped off at 10 a.m. along North George Mason Drive, led by police motorcycles and closed by sheriff’s deputies on horseback. Bands, veterans, civic groups, and neighborhood organizations filled the route, turning the morning into a vivid display of community pride.
Festivities continued at Bon Air Park, where the centerpiece was a six-foot-square, 300-pound birthday cake designed to serve up to 2,500 people. County Board Chair Ellen Bozman cut the first slice. Created by culinary instructor John Bonham and students from the Arlington Career Center, the vanilla cake featured red, white, and blue buttercream icing and brown-sugar decorations of the Declaration of Independence. It required 175 pounds each of flour and sugar, 120 pounds of butter, 30 dozen eggs, and 36 hours of baking. Slices sold for 25 cents to help cover the $600 cost.
The celebration also tested democratic principles. The American Nazi Party, then based in Arlington, applied to march. Though organizers objected, the county attorney allowed participation on constitutional grounds. A local editorial condemned the group’s views but defended its right to assemble—an uneasy reminder of the freedoms being celebrated.
With Metrorail not yet operating on weekends, residents relied on expanded bus service for regional events. The holiday extended through July 5 with fireworks and more activities at Bon Air Park.
Beyond the festivities, Arlington County’s Historic Commission installed 18 historical markers and strengthened preservation laws. In addition, the Arlington Historical Society commissioned Cornelia B. Rose, Jr., to write a definitive history of the county, ensuring the Bicentennial left a lasting civic legacy.
