Source 1.01: Teaching Materials Center. “Outline Map, Metropolitan Washington.” The Arlington Story. Arlington, VA: Arlington County Public Schools, 1968. 3. Print.
Geography is a great place to start teaching about Arlington. As an opener, give students a blank sheet of paper and have them draw me a map of Arlington from their head. Most are, understandably, only able to draw a street map of their neighborhood with relationships between their home, school, friends, and favorite shops. Few students can visualize Arlington’s shape and relationship with neighboring jurisdictions (making this an authentic opportunity to introduce or review the concept of a “jurisdiction,” which is a part of the civics standards).
After students draw what they can, break this outline map (S1.01) down into a few steps (e.g., a diamond, a large Y for the rivers), and they each draw it on the back of their paper. You add landmarks most are familiar with (e.g., schools, Ballston, Clarendon, Rosslyn, the Pentagon, Arlington House/Cemetery, and a few major roads). Then, give them a new piece of paper and have them draw Arlington again from memory. They might enjoy the challenge. Their mental map of Arlington will improve as they use more public transportation or start driving in the future.
It may also be helpful to review where the locations and relationships between the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River, Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.
Source 1.02: Allison, W.B. and Sims, B. L., III. “Development of Northern Neck Counties.” Arlington County, Virginia: A History. By C. B. Rose. Arlington, VA: Arlington Historical Society, 1976. 6. Print.
When looking at documents from before 1920, when Arlington County got its current name, it is helpful to know what other names Arlington has gone by and what other jurisdictions Arlington has been a part of. Not just for the apparent reason of understanding historical place names, but also if you were interested in doing further research, knowing which county Arlington was a part of and when that county’s courthouse was established would give you a lead on where and how to search for more documents. Source 1.02 summarizes these changes visually. Here is a chronology:
- 1606-1612 – The early charters of the Virginia Company included the land that became Arlington
- 1632 – King Charles I of England made a grant of land to Lord Baltimore that became Maryland, setting the western edge of the Potomac River as the dividing line between Maryland and Virginia
- 1645-1648 – The county of Northumberland was established, which included the land that became Arlington
- 1653 – The county of Westmorland was established, which included the land that became Arlington, with mention of “the Necostins Towne” in the area where the Pentagon is now located
- 1664 – The first meeting of the Court for Stafford County, which included the land that became Arlington
- 1730 – Prince William County was formed, which included the land that became Arlington
- 1742 – Fairfax County (formerly Truro Parish of PWC) was formed, which included the land that became Arlington
- 1749 – Alexandria was founded
- 1754 – The Fairfax County courthouse was built
- 1779 – The town of Alexandria was incorporated
- 1789 – Generally, the Assembly of Virginia voted to cede territory for a new Federal District
- 1791 – A survey was made for the District of Columbia
- 1801 – Congress formally organized the District of Columbia, which included the land that became Arlington
- 1846-1847 – The County of Alexandria, which included the land that became Arlington, was retroceded to Virginia following a referendum
- 1852 – The City of Alexandria was incorporated
- 1870 – The City of Alexandria was separated from Alexandria County; Alexandria County was essentially Arlington plus and minus little parts annexed by the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church
- 1920 – Alexandria County was renamed Arlington County
Source 1.03: Teaching Materials Center. “Map of Major Highways in Arlington.” The Arlington Story. Arlington, VA: Arlington County Public Schools, 1968. 21. Print.
Depending on which part of Arlington students travel through on a regular basis, students are typically familiar with two or more of Arlington’s major roads. The roads they do know can help them build a broader sense of Arlington’s geography if they can visualize the relationship between those roads and other roads and landmarks. This map (S1.03) shows Arlington’s biggest roads.
Here are additional maps of Arlington from the Library of Congress. They can be used to illustrate the county’s growth over time or to investigate particular neighborhoods. Arlington County’s GIS Mapping Center is also a great place to find digital maps of Arlington. The Arlington Public Library Center for Local History has many more old maps you can photograph.
- Smith, John, and William Hole. Virginia. [London, 1624] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Herrman, Augustine, Henry Faithorne, and Thomas Withinbrook. Virginia and Maryland as it is planted and inhabited this present year 1670. [London: Augustine Herrman and Thomas Withinbrook, 1673] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Browne, Christopher, Active. A new map of Virginia, Maryland, and the improved parts of Pennsylvania & New Jersey. [London: Sold by Christopher Browne at the Globe near the west end of St. Pauls Church, ?, 1685] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Schenk, Peter, Or 1719. Tabula Mexicae et Floridae: terrarum Anglicarum, et anteriorum Americae insularum, item cursuum et circuituum fluminis Mississipi dicti. [Amstel. Amsterdam: P. Schenck, ?, 1710] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Warner, John, Active, and Thomas Fairfax Fairfax. A survey of the northern neck of Virginia, the lands belonging to the Rt. Honourable Thomas Lord Fairfax Baron Cameron, bounded by & within the Bay of Chesapoyocke and between the rivers Rappahannock and Potowmack: With the courses of the rivers Rappahannock and Potowmack, in Virginia, as surveyed according to order in the years 1736 & 1737. [n.p., ?, 1747] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <https://www.loc.gov/item/99446122/>.
- Bowen, Emanuel, -1767. A new and accurate map of Virginia & Maryland. [London, 1752] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress. Not available.
- Fry, Joshua, Approximately, Peter Jefferson, and Thomas Jefferys. A map of the most inhabited part of Virginia contains the Maryland province with parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and North Carolina. [London, Thos. Jefferys, 1755] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S. [Map of Washington D.C. metropolitan area showing roads and ferries as of 1792]. [Washington: U.S. Geological Survey, 1792] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- United States Army Corps Of Engineers. [Detailed map of part of Virginia from Alexandria to the Potomac River above Washington, D.C. 186]. [186] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- United States War Department. Engineer Bureau, Richard Delafield, and United States Government Printing Office. Defenses of Washington, extract of military map of N.E. Virginia: showing forts and roads [1865]. [Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1891?] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Hopkins, Griffith Morgan, Jr. Atlas of fifteen miles around Washington, including Fairfax and Alexandria, Virginia counties. Philadelphia: G.M. Hopkins, c1878, 1879. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Averill, F. L, F. L Averill, and District Of Columbia National Guard. Engineering Platoon. A map of the District of Columbia and its vicinity shows the principal points of interest, including the present condition of the defenses of Washington. [Washington: The Platoon, 1892] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S, et al. Economic geology sheet, Maryland–District of Columbia–Virginia, Washington quadrangle. [Washington?: U.S. Geological Survey, 1899] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S, et al. Historical geology sheet, Maryland–District of Columbia–Virginia, Washington quadrangle. [Washington?: U.S. Geological Survey, 1899] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Howell & Taylor, et al. Map of Alexandria County, Virginia for the Virginia Title Co. Alexandria: The Company, 1900. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S, R. B Marshall, and Frank Sutton. Washington and vicinity, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia. [Washington?: Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 1917] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- [Washington: Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 192-?, 1920] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- .United States Army. Air Service. 3Rd Photo Section. Aerial photographic mosaic map of Washington, D.C. [Bolling Field, Washington: Aerial Photo Section No. 3, U.S. Army Air Service, 1922] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- United States Army. Air Corps. Aerial Photo Section No. 3. Photographic mosaic map, Washington, D.C. [Bolling Field, Washington, D.C.: The Section, 1928] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S. Washington and vicinity, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia. [Washington, D.C.: Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 1929] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S. Washington and vicinity, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia. [Washington, D.C.: Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 1932] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S. Washington and vicinity, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia. [Washington, D.C.: U.S., Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey, 1944] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- U.S. Coast And Geodetic Survey. [Photomap of central Washington D.C. and adjacent part of Arlington]. [Washington?: s.n, 1946] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <https://www.loc.gov/item/87693352/>.
- United States Army Map Service and Regional Highway Planning Committee For Metropolitan Washington. Washington and Vicinity. [Washington: The Service, 1953] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S. Washington and vicinity, District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia. [Washington: U.S., Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey, 1956] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- United States Army. Corps Of Engineers. Engineer Company, 955Th. [Photomap of northwestern Washington D.C. and adjacent suburban areas]. [Fort Belvoir, Va.?: s.n., ?, 1960] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S. Washington and vicinity, District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia. [Washington: U.S., Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey, 1965] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- United States National Capital Planning Commission. [D.C. & vicinity to Beltway]. [Washington: National Capital Planning Commission, ?, 1976] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- United States National Capital Planning Commission. [D.C. & vicinity to Beltway]. [Washington: National Capital Planning Commission, ?, 1981] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S. Washington, D.C., and vicinity, 1:100 000-scale satellite image map. Reston, Va.: Interior-Geological Survey, 1982. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Geological Survey, U.S, and Centre National D’Études Spatiales. Washington, D.C., area, 1:50 000 scale satellite image map. Reston, Va.: Interior–Geological Survey, 1987. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
- Joseph Passonneau And Partners, Vitaly Gevorkian, and David Akopian. The monumental and commercial center of the national capital and the surrounding residential neighborhoods: three-dimensional map of central Washington. [Washington, DC: Joseph Passonneau and Partners, 1996] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.