Alcova Heights is a hidden gem within Arlington County. Alcova is an abbreviation for Alexandria County Virginia. The acronym became associated with the name of the subdivision when former U.S. Senator, Joseph Cloyd Byars bought a 142 acre farm from John Young in 1915. At that time, Arlington County was still a part of Alexandria, not becoming incorporated as Arlington until 1920. In 1921, Byars began the process of subdividing the farm into salable lots offered at 5 cents a square foot.

     

The Alcova Improvement Company, headed by Byars, set about to transform the fields and orchards into a grid of streets and alleyways. The original street names were Alcova Avenue (now 7th Street), Azalea Street (now Quincy Street), Brook Dell Avenue (now 6th Street), Deepwood Avenue (now 9th Street), Linden Avenue (now Oakland Street), Marconi Avenue (now 8th Street), Springhill Street (now Lincoln Street), and Virginia Avenue (now Monroe Street). A county-wide project to rename many Arlington County streets was completed in July of 1935 to assist postal delivery and aid travel.

 

 

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A Historic Landmark in the Alcova Heights, and the whole of Arlington County, is a home known as Alcova House, most likely built before the Civil War. Union soldiers occupied the Young farm, (then known as Spring Hill Farm) during the war and tore down the fences and burned the main house. The Gibson property, which became a part of the Young’s property, is the present Alcova House. It is reported to have formerly been a tenant farm house, a barn, a carriage house and maybe even a dairy shed. Having undergone many renovations and additions, it remains a family residence today.

 

 

 

Beginning in June of 1921, there was a one man/one bus service from the home of Bob May in the Barcroft neighborhood west of Alcova Heights, to Washington, DC. This family business, known as the Columbia Pike Bus Line, was expanded in 1924 to become the AB&W Rapid Transit Company. Service then included trips from Washington to Alexandria.

In the early 1920’s, the closest elementary school to Alcova Heights was Columbia. It was near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive. Thomas Jefferson Junior High School (then on the site of the current Patrick Henry Elementary School) and Washington-Lee High opened in 1925. Prior to that, students needed to travel into the District for higher education. Arlington Hall was built in the 1920’s as a select girls’ school, Swidells Junior College.

 

 

     With the onset of World War II, the War Department took over Arlington Hall, as Swidells Junior College had gone bankrupt. It was used to house the Army Signal’s Intelligence Service where enemy messages were decoded. According to Wendell Bloomingburg, who grew up on this street, sixth street got paved around this time to accommodate the heavy equipment rumbling down the street going in and out of Arlington Hall. During the Cold War, the focus activity at Arlington Hall became decoding Soviet messages. It was turned over to the Army Intelligence Center in 1977. In 1989, Arlington Hall became the State Department’s National Foreign Affairs Training Center. Languages, foreign affairs and other subjects relating to carrying out the U.S foreign policy missions are studied here.

Today, Alcova Heights is still a sought after neighborhood. An active civic association that sponsors community activities, was founded in 1966. Alcova Heights convenient location, mix of housing styles, and transportation options, combine to make Alcova Heights a great place to call home.

 		  

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