On this day in Arlington history: Nov 15, 2004: Arlington’s Penrose neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally a rural farming community, initial development in the area that became Penrose consisted of 32 parcels by 1900. Of the original dwellings on these lots, less than 25 remain today. An additional 11 dwellings were built in the neighborhood between 1901 & 1914. The slow development on small land tracts, primarily less than 10 acres, was accelerated as both World Wars & the need for government war workers produced an unprecedented need for housing. Over 400 buildings were constructed between 1915 & 1954.
Penrose is about three miles from Washington, DC. It is bounded by Arlington Boulevard to the north, Columbia Pike to the south, Washington Boulevard to the east, and South Fillmore Street and South Walter Reed Drive to the west. Penrose was first platted and subdivided in 1882 by two farmers William H. Butler and Henry Louis Holmes who had been leaders within Freedman’s Village and had become prominent leaders in the African American community. Because of its close proximity to Freedman’s Village and the lack of restrictive covenants, Penrose was initially home to many African Americans including renowned medical researcher Dr. Charles Drew who was known as the Father of the Blood Bank for his pioneering medical research. In 1882, the neighborhood was platted as the Butler-Holmes subdivision.
Both Butler and Holmes held public office in the County. Butler served as Commissioner of Roads in 1879 and later as Surveyor of Roads throughout the 1880s, as well as Superintendent of the Poor. Holmes served as commissioner of Revenue between 1876 and 1903.
Penrose grew exponentially in the 20th century with the arrival of the commuter railways, the advent of the automobile and the need for housing to support the burgeoning population flocking to the nation’s capital—particularly to support the war efforts in World War I and World War II. This population surge overwhelmed the largely rural neighborhood of Penrose, altering the demographic make-up and transforming it into a commuting suburb of Washington, D.C.
