FAIRFAX CLUB TOUR:
North Arlington
Sponsored by The Garden Club of Fairfax
Tuesday, April 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Co-chairmen:
Claudia Hamblen (Mrs. Lapsley W.)
201 Governors Court
Falls Church, Virginia 22046
Telephone: (703) 533-7742
Email: cthamblen@verizon.net
Jane Mitchell (Mrs. James K.)
3716 North Vermont Street
Arlington, VA 22207
Telephone: (703) 533-8718
Email: jmitchell_67@yahoo.com
TICKETS: $20 prior to tour; $25 day of tour. Children 13 and older, full price; ages 6-12, $10; ages 5 and under, free of charge. Tickets may be purchased on tour day at the Memorial Baptist Church and at any of the properties open for the tour. Children age 17 and under must be accompanied at all times by a parent or other responsible adult.
ADVANCE TICKETS: For advance tickets with map and brochure, please send a self-addressed, stamped, legal-size envelope, along with your check payable to “The Garden Club of Fairfax” by April 9 to Mrs. George Whipple, 11508 Yates Ford Rd., Fairfax Station, VA 22039, telephone (703) 978-4130. Tickets may also be purchased in advance by accessing www.VAGardenweek.org.
Tickets also sold at the following locations:
Alladin’s Lamp, Lee-Harrison Shopping Ctr, 2499 North Harrison St, Arlington; Anita Perlut Interiors, 2916 Chain Bridge Rd., Oakton; Burke Florist, University Mall, 10667 Braddock Rd., Fairfax; Color Wheel, 1374 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean; Company Flowers, 2105 N. Pollard St, Arlington; Damon Galleries, 220 Maple Ave W, Vienna; Executive Press, 10412 Main St., Fairfax; Express Jewelers, Ballston Mall, Level One, 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; Heart In Hand, 7145 Main St, Clifton; Judy Ryan, 9565 Braddock Rd, Fairfax; Katie’s Coffee House, 760 Walker Rd, Great Falls; Lemon Twist, 4518 Lee Hwy, Arlington; McLean Cleaners, 1407 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean; Mesmeraldas, 1317 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean; Millie’s Dry Cleaning, 2222 N Glebe Rd, Arlington; Needlewoman East, 809 W. Broad St, Ste C, Falls Church; Old Brogue Irish Pub, 760 Walker Rd, # C, Great Falls.
DIRECTIONS TO INFORMATION CENTER: Memorial Baptist Church, 3455 North Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22207. From George Washington Parkway: Take Rte 123 Exit north toward Chain Bridge/Washington, DC; turn right onto Glebe Rd. (Rte 120), go approximately 2 mi. (red brick church is on the left). From I-495: Take Exit 43 onto southbound George Washington Parkway; follow directions from George Washington Parkway above. From I-395: Take Exit 10 C (from the south, Exit 10 C is a left exit) onto George Washington Parkway north; follow directions from George Washington Parkway above.
Houses may be visited in any order.
All houses are within zip code 22207.
RESTROOM FACILITIES: Memorial Baptist Church.
NOTE: Smoking, backpacks, strollers, high heels, interior photography and use of cell phones inside the homes are not permitted. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and note that the private houses and gardens, with stairs and uneven surfaces, are not wheelchair-accessible. Participating homeowners, The Garden Club of Fairfax, and The Garden Club of Virginia are not responsible for accidents occurring on the tour.
Fairfax Club Tour, North Arlington—Edgar Home
3200 NORTH ALBEMARLE STREET, Arlington. Situated on a large corner lot, this handsome English Tudor house was built in 1939 by the Hardie family and purchased in 1975 by Mr. and Mrs. Edgar. To the left of the gracious front hall is the dining room with original built-in corner cabinets. The sunken living room is decorated with English and American antiques and a mahogany mantel with the Hardie family crest. Beyond the living room are the former porch, which is now Mrs. Edgar’s office, and a cozy library known as “the Fishing Room.” Adjacent to the updated kitchen is a small but delightful mud room.
A late-1980s addition to the back of the house features a spacious and light-filled family room. French doors lead onto the large flagstone patio, with a whimsical fountain and fish pond and an expansive garden beyond containing lovely old boxwoods, hostas, rhododendrons and a petiolaris hydrangea climbing the chimney. The original garden house in the backyard is flanked by a charming ground marker inscribed so aptly: “Nearer God’s heart in a garden; Than anywhere else on earth.” Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. George L. Edgar, owners
3225 NORTH ALBEMARLE STREET, Arlington. Built in 1929, this Tudor residence has a variety of appealing features: distinctive architecture, décor and artwork. The owners have made many changes to the home with the assistance of architect Luther Weber. The original screened porch off the living room was converted into a handsome den with three cozy window seats. Sunlight streams into this beautifully decorated interior through three new bay windows.
Enter the fabulous kitchen and spectacular great room, noting the Amish cherry cabinets and the honed granite countertops. Dreaming Creek of Powhatan, Virginia, created the spectacular douglas fir post-and-beam ceiling and the imposing trestle table. The reclaimed pine floor came from a pre-Civil War factory in Brooklyn. An Irish watercolor by Jack O’Hara accents the stone fireplace. Leaving the kitchen, venture on to a handsome ipe deck which overlooks the multi-level yard. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Doughty, owners
3412 NORTH ABINGDON STREET, Arlington. This handsome stone-gray, center-hall colonial was custom-built in 1938, and the present owners are only the second family to live here. As you walk up the curved slate path, notice the welcoming gaslight fixture, original to the home. Also note the bead-board ceiling above the entranceway and handsome copper light fixture and mailbox which came from New Orleans.
The custom faux-painted center hallway opens to views into the living room and modern kitchen. Everything throughout the house has been upgraded and expanded since the owners moved here five years ago. The family room and powder room off the kitchen were converted from the original garage. In 2008, the porch off the dining room was torn down and rebuilt. It was expanded by four feet and converted into a charming study and office, with built-in cabinets. The centerpiece of the dining room is a wonderful 18th century table. From the dining room, French doors lead onto a slate patio. The yard features a whimsical playhouse and storage shed and a lovely vista of hedges and hollies, providing a wonderful feeling of privacy in the midst of Country Club Hills. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Mr.and Mrs. Paul Romness, owners.
4924 ROCK SPRING ROAD, Arlington. In 1905 the trolley ran from Washington, D.C. to Arlington along what is now Old Dominion Drive, and Washingtonians retreated from the city heat to their summer cottages. This charming gray clapboard cottage with white rocking chairs on the front porch welcomes you back to that era.
The owners have lived here since 1986 and have maintained the footprint of the house with original period floors and woodwork, 10-foot beamed ceilings, plaster walls, pocket doors and unusual window panes. The updated kitchen adjoins the breakfast nook, with a picture window providing a panoramic view of the lovely deck and vast backyard with large boxwoods, stately shade trees and banks of azaleas. At the foot of the acre-property is Rock Spring Creek.
Step from the breakfast nook into the great room, which was added 12 years ago. While the interior of the room is contemporary with a cathedral ceiling and rustic feeling, the exterior is in harmony with the home’s original architecture. This is a gracious room, decorated with treasured family photographs, perfect for entertaining and relaxing, with more beautiful views of the yard. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. Gary W. Kirkbride, owners.
3804 NORTH ABINGDON STREET, Arlington. One of Arlington’s oldest houses, this New England-style farmhouse dates to the 1850s. Now painted barn-red, original architectural details include German wood siding and hand-blown windowpanes. Of special note is the original pump house now incorporated into the family living area. Reversing the original entrance from Glebe Road, the present flagstone patio entrance is graced by white dogwood trees, lilacs, English boxwoods, azaleas and masses of tulips and daffodils. On one side of the home is a charming grouping of white bird houses.
At the entrance, note the contemporary interior design which complements antiques that have been modernized with fun and colorful fabrics and paint. Whimsical touches include a carousel pig from Holland, hand-painted walls in the foyer and red kitchen cabinets. Creativity, color and family are the themes of this home, and as an interior designer and artist, the owner has put together an eclectic mix of family antiques and artworks. Large floral paintings, family portraits and children’s art grace this casual residence. The red kitchen features exposed original beams and pine floorboards. A welcoming columned porch just off the kitchen overlooks the river-rock swimming pool and hot tub. Rounding out the outdoor activities is a half-size sport court for tennis, basketball and volleyball. There have been many delightful changes to this house since it was last featured during Historic Garden Week in 1996. Mr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Messinger, owners.