Harry W. Gray was born into slavery at Arlington House plantation to parents Thornton and Selina Gray. Following the war Gray worked as a bricklayer before transitioning into work for the federal government, where he served first as a fireman and later an Assistant Messenger for the Department of the Interior.

With his skills in masonry, Gray built a large Italianate-style row home in the Johnson's Hill community in 1881. This home mimicked the style of houses then seen in Washington's African American Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Gray and his wife Martha raised four children in their home in Johnson's Hill. The Gray House is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Collection: Neighborhoods
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The Gray House is an Italianate-style row home built by African American Harry W. Gray in the Johnson's Hill community of Arlington in 1882. The two-story, three-bay wide, red brick home mimicked the style of houses in Washington, D.C.'s Foggy Bottom neighborhood. With the use of this style, similar to those homes created by middle class African Americans in the nearby city, Gray illuminates his visions for what makes an area a good place to live and his aspirations for himself and his family in freedom.

Gray was born into slavery. During his time in enslavement he became a skilled mason and brick worker. He used these skills to build his home. After the Civil War Gray transitioned into work as a public servant with the Department of the Interior. Gray lived in the home in Johnson's Hill with his wife Martha, their four children, and two live-in servants.

The home was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Collection: Neighborhoods
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Henry Louis Holmes was an early leader in Arlington's African American community. Enslaved before the Civil War, Holmes was drawn to Arlington by Freedman's Village. While little is known about his early life, after the war Holmes served as a leader in the Radical Republican political party, was active in the black community through the Mason and Odd Fellow fraternal organizations, and served as a trustee for St. John's Baptist Church. In 1882 he helped to found the Butler-Holmes community, where he lived with his wife Emma and their children.

Collection: Neighborhoods
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William H. Butler was an early leader in Arlington's African American community. Butler, his wife Anne, and their four children were enslaved before the Civil War. They were drawn to Arlington by the Freedman's Village contraband camp. He served in the Union Army from 1863 to 1865. He served as Commissioner of Roads in 1879, as Surveyor of the Roads and Superintendent of the Poor throughout the 1880s, and he was the co-founder of the Butler-Holmes black neighborhood in 1882. The Butler family lived in the family home, pictured here, in that community into the modern era.

Collection: Neighborhoods
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The Johnson's Hill community was founded in 1880 when the white Johnston family began selling lots to African Americans leaving Freedman's Village. Early settlers included Harrison Green, Emmanus Jackson, and Harry W. Gray. These men were leaders in the African American community, helping to found the important United Order of Odd Fellows fraternal organization in the neighborhood.

The community is located on a hill along Columbia Pike, near both Arlington National Cemetery and Fort Myer. Today the area is known as Arlington View.

Collection: Neighborhoods
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First established in 1844 by freemen Sarah and Levi Jones, Green Valley is Arlington's oldest African American community. By 1900 this neighborhood in eastern Arlington County became the largest black community in terms of both geography and population. This large population supported both a church and school within the community. The early strength of Green Valley was due, in large part, to the presence of the Jones family who actively sold land to fellow African Americans. The image above shows the community in the 1970s. At that time the community became known as Nauck.

Collection: Neighborhoods
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Queen City was a working class African American community founded in 1892. Like many African American neighborhoods, Queen City was formed as a result of the closing of Freedman's Village contraband camp, which was the area's largest African American community following the Civil War.

The neighborhood was located along Columbia Pike. Residents chose this site for their new community because it was the location of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church, whose congregation can trace its roots to Freedman's Village. Original residents built simple clapboard homes and grew subsistence crops on their small plots of land.

In 1942 the neighborhood was demolished by the federal government to make way for roads associated with the War Department's Pentagon building. This image was taken just before the community was lost. Mt. Olive can be seen on the left.

Collection: Neighborhoods

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Butler-Holmes was founded in 1882 by African American community leaders and politicians William H. Butler and Henry Louis Holmes. The neighborhood was founded as a middle class African American community.

Butler-Holmes was an early streetcar suburb in Arlington. The community originally grew along the Washington, Arlington, and Falls Church Railway trolley line and followed the suburban ideals of the time in housing type. This photographs shows two popular housing choices in the neighborhood via Butler's Queen Anne style home on the left, and Holmes' Bungalow style home on the right.

Today Butler-Holmes is known as Penrose.

Collection: Neighborhoods
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During World War Two the federal government created six segregated barracks style wartime emergency housing neighborhoods. One of these facilities was the 11-acre Paul Dunbar Homes complex in the Green Valley community, today called Nauck.

Here 86 African American households build a community. Following the war, Arlington officials wanted to tear the neighborhood down. Dunbar residents created the Dunbar Mutual Homes Association which they used to pool their resources, secure a loan, and turn Dunbar Homes into a community dedicated to providing affordable housing. Dunbar Homes was demolished in 2005 to make way for luxury town-homes.

Collection: Neighborhoods
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"Architecturally, the rowhouses are distinguished with Colonial Revival detailing in one of three styles: the most prevalent two-story, side entry floor plan like that of 2162 N. Brandywine; the one and one-half story dormered Cape Cod; and the least common, the central-entry plan with a broken cornice/front gable bay above. The houses were advertised as having basements, and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor." - Historic American Building Survey


Collection: Neighborhoods
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