Columbia Pike: Arlington’s Historic Main Street

Stretching from Arlington to the Fairfax County line, Columbia Pike has been a vital roadway for more than two centuries. First chartered in 1808 as the Columbia Turnpike, it carried travelers, wagons, and livestock between the new federal capital and Virginia’s interior. Over time, it became a corridor where Arlington’s communities took shape. Farms, churches, Civil War forts, Freedman’s Village, and later streetcar suburbs and shopping centers all rose along its path, leaving a layered history still visible today.

Long celebrated as one of the most diverse corridors in the Washington metropolitan area, Columbia Pike reflects Arlington’s story of transformation. From its turnpike beginnings to its role as a cultural crossroads of shops, restaurants, and neighborhoods, the Pike continues to embody change and resilience. This exhibit explores its evolution through history, community, and culture, tracing how one road became Arlington’s “Main Street.”

The Jefferson School

October 21, 2025

The Jefferson School opened in 1870 to educate African-American students. It was built near where the Army Navy Country Club house is located in South Arlington.

Columbia Pike Bus Line

October 21, 2025

On June 21, 1921: Bob May and his wife started Arlington's first bus service. It consisted of one bus and one driver who was Bob May, himself.

Columbia Pike Exhibit Turns the Lens on Vibrant Northern Virginia Region

October 17, 2025

The Library of Virginia’s current exhibition, Columbia Pike: Through the Lens of Community, highlights the vibrant and diverse community of Columbia Pike in Arlington County. For more than two hundred years, Columbia Pike has connected northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Skirmish at Arlington Mill

October 14, 2025

Just after midnight on June 2, 1861, a Confederate scouting party attacked a Union outpost at Arlington Mill on Columbia Pike. The 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry was guarding the mill.

America’s First All-Women Swing Band Lived in Arlington

October 14, 2025

In the first half of the 20th century, only a handful of women were able to make it as successful musicians. This precedent was upturned by the International Sweethearts of Rhythm.

Columbia Pike: Communities of the Pike From Past to Present

September 26, 2025

For more than two centuries, Columbia Pike has been home to communities that reflect Arlington’s changing character. What began as scattered farms and toll houses has become one of the most diverse corridors in the Washington region.

Columbia Pike: Faces of the Pike

September 26, 2025

Since 2007, the Columbia Pike Documentary Project has been chronicling the people and places of one of Arlington’s most dynamic corridors. Photographer Lloyd Wolf set out to capture the Pike’s extraordinary diversity.

Columbia Pike: From Turnpike to Main Street

September 19, 2025

Long before Columbia Pike was paved for automobiles, the land was crossed by trails made by large game and later used by Native peoples. These routes followed the high ground, giving travelers a wide view of the landscape and a measure of safety.

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