1946

In 1946, in an act of visionary boldness — or possibly lunacy — fledgling developer Robert C. Davenport buys, at auction, 225 acres of hilly, undeveloped land in Alexandria, Virginia, about ten miles south of Washington, DC.

The land is so steep that few other developers will touch it, and aside from some pastureland and an old farm house at the top of the hill, it has little else of value. Davenport pays $550 an acre — but has no clear idea where he will get the money to pay for it, or even what he will do with the land.

Aside from building a handful of houses in the nearby neighborhood of Tauxemont, Davenport has little experience in real estate development. But he’d worked with an innovative, up-and-coming young architect named Charles M. Goodman, and together they develop a plan for a community of low-cost but very modern houses, designed to fit naturally into the hilly landscape. Investors Shy and Morris Rodman come onboard and form a partnership with Davenport (known as Hollin Hills, Inc.), the bill for the land is duly paid, and the community of Hollin Hills starts to become a reality.

(For a detailed account of the early years of Hollin Hills, read Marion Tiger’s highly-readable 1984 essay, “The Birth of an Idea.” )

1949

Goodman sets to work, and in 1949 he introduces the first two designs in what will become a series of eight basic “Unit Type” houses — all designed to be modern in style, affordable, and suited to the hilly landscape.

The first Type 1 house — a three-floor, split-level house designed to be built into a hillside — appears on Rippon Road (for $16,500, including lot); and the first Type 2 house — a one-story, rectangular house built on a slab — goes up at the intersection of Drury Lane and Rippon Road, for an estimated $10,950, including lot.

••••••

The first Type 2 house is finished in November, and Davenport puts it on exhibit to the public from November 13 through December 11, charging 25 cents admission (“tax included”), with proceeds going to the Hollin Hall School Playground Equipment Fund.

“We had huge crowds when we opened up that first weekend,” said Davenport later. “The mud was up to your knees and everything else.”

The house has no water. The roads are unpaved. Sewage is managed with a temporary, gravity-powered apparatus, which serves as the sewage system for the first three years. “It didn’t smell very good,” Davenport admitted later.

Nevertheless, John and Kitty Nelles buy the home and heroically move in, becoming the first homeowners in Hollin Hills.

“We hauled water in buckets — 50-gallon drums — and put it up on a hillside and piped it into the house with hoses,” remembered Davenport later. “And [the Nelles family] lived that way for a couple of weeks until we got the water system in.”

••••••

Landscape architect Lou Bernard “Barney” Voigt is hired by Charles Goodman to develop an innovative landscape plan for Hollin Hills.

Voigt draws up plans for individual homeowners that tie the new houses together in a flowing, organic way, with fluid lines that seem to erase boundaries between the properties. This approach creates a lush, park-like setting for the architecture as well as a sense of an integrated community, and will help define the look and character of Hollin Hills from then on.

Voigt’s first first plans are offered to homeowners (with a consultation) at $100 each, but later Davenport includes a landscape plan with every new property sold.

For more on Voigt’s years in Hollin Hills, and his creation of a bold new approach to landscaping, see  “Fertile Minds: Barney Voigt and the Birth of the Hollin Hills Landscape.”

••••••

Davenport puts out his first sales brochure for Hollin Hills. He introduces the Unit Type 2 — “the first in a series of modern houses” — and promises “homes in tomorrow’s vernacular for everyone’s pocketbook.”

••••••

The architectural photographer Robert C. Lautman is brought on to document the growth of Hollin Hills.

One of the most important architectural photographers of the time, Lautman documented the growth of modernism in the Washington, DC area.

A gallery of his Hollin Hills photographs (which are from his archives at the National Building Museum) from the 1950’s can be seen here.

••••••

In December, only a month after the first houses are finished, Architectural Forum runs an admiring article on Hollin Hills titled “Builder’s Project.” The article features many of Lautman’s photographs.

1950

Architect Charles Goodman introduces the Type 3 and Type 4 designs. Nineteen of the Type 3 houses (a larger version of the Type 2) and six of the Type 4 houses (two-story houses designed for sloped sites), were built in Hollin Hills between 1951 and 1953.

••••••

In March, House Beautiful runs an article on Hollin Hills titled “You Couldn’t Build it Yourself for $12,800”.

••••••

May 7: Sue Randall arrives via stork: she is the first baby born in Hollin Hills. (She later became a successful artist and teacher.)

•••••••

In June, Robert Davenport begins to include a landscaping plan by Barney Voigt in the selling price of each house (rather than leaving the plans optional to homebuyers), to promote an integrated, coherent landscape across the community.

Click here to see a collection of the original landscape plans.

•••••••

Parents’ Magazine names a Hollin Hills design as the “Best Home for Family Living”

•••••••

The US Postal Service says it will only deliver mail as far as the long line of rural mailboxes at Fort Hunt and Paul Spring Roads, until Hollin Hills paves its streets.

Goodman — who dislikes paved roads on aesthetic and environmental grounds — has been pushing for gravel-and-tar mix roads, but loses the fight to County officials. The roads are gradually black-topped, but it takes several years.

1951

The Hollin Hills Newsletter is launched in May, the brainchild of Sara Radin of Stafford Road; in 1953 it will be renamed the Hollin Hills Bulletin. It will be published, more or less monthly, and more or less without interruption, to the present day. Read the first issue here.

••••••

As of May, there are 72 families in Hollin Hills, with six to ten new families expected to move in per month. Sections 1 and 2 are completed, with section 3 expected to be complete by June. Ten houses have been started in section 5 (including three custom houses.)

••••••

A unit of the League of Women Voters is organized in Hollin Hills, with Faithe Nunneley of Drury Lane as its chairman.

••••••

Charles Goodman designs a home for Robert Davenport on Davenport’s farm in rural Virginia. The three-story structure, built into the side of a hill, is not going well, according to Davenport, who reports that the work is “much slower and more trying than anything we have had or now have at Hollin Hills.”

[Note: the house was never completed; its sad, forgotten foundations can be seen on Davenport’s farm. Davenport and his family lived in a very traditional house on the farm, filled with antiques.]

••••••

Walter Babb, president of the HHCA, calls a membership meeting for July 17, warning that “nothing exciting is on the agenda” and that the meeting is only being held because members voted to hold a meeting every two months.

••••••

In August, complaints arise over the tiny turnout (only 20 people) who show up for the Community Association’s general membership meeting.

••••••

“For those who are curious about the men wandering about their lawns with string and muttering to themselves,” reports the Newsletter, “they are county employees, sent here to relocate manholes, lost somehow but now relocated.”

••••••

After his old truck “just broke down and gave out,” Jesse James Yeager — the Hollin Hills garbage collector — buys a brand-new Studebaker truck, declaring “nothing’s too good for my clientele in Hollin Hills.” The Newsletter reports that Yeager wants a sign for his truck that reads, “Official Trash Collector for Hollin Hills, a Modern Community in the Rolling Hills of Virginia.”

••••••

Clotheslines threaten the outbreak of civil war after architect Charles Goodman suggests that residents hang their laundry out of sight of the street, saying that “a little ingenuity in screening the clothes from the road” will improve the look of Hollin Hills.

Hollin Hillers react predictably.

“Since designing the house and receiving his commission,” writes Nancy S. Marks of Paul Spring Road, “I can’t see that what is done on the lot is any concern of the architect. I feel that since this is a free country, I shall continue to hang my laundry where, when and how it suits me. If Mr. Goodman’s sensitivity is enraged, I suggest he turn his head when he passes this sight!!!”

A debate rages in the Newsletter for a year.

••••••

Phone service expands, slowly: in September, 94 houses have phones, 45 of which are ten-party lines. Twenty homes are still waiting.

••••••

An ad hoc committee is formed to compile a report on the need for long-range development of community facilities and programs. One of the committee’s first tasks is to conduct a survey of the community, as well as “developing the costs and requirements” for various community facilities.

••••••

Life magazine selects Hollin Hills homes as among the eight “Best Houses Under $15,000” in its September 10 issue.

••••••

A group of Norwegian housing officials visit Hollin Hills to study the architecture, returning to Norway with, as they wrote to Charles Goodman, “inspiration and guidance of inestimable value.”

••••••

The Hollin Hills Community Association holds its first annual picnic on Sunday, September 23, at the “main picnic grounds on Fort Hunt.” The picnic features games for kids, and softball, horseshoes, volleyball and “group singing” for the adults.

A report in the October Newsletter notes that “a clothesline (the subject of much-heated discussion at Hollin Hills) made its appearance” at the picnic, “when the young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Henderson (lot 146) was tied to a tree for safety reasons. The Hendersons, it is hoped, will bury that line before they move to sensitive Hollin Hills.”

••••••

The “greeters” program is born in September, as HHCA President Walter Babb appoints four Hollin Hills residents “to call on 25 new residents and explain the association’s activities and aims.” The tradition continues to this day.

••••••

During construction of the sewage system on Popkins Lane, workers dig up an old casket with pewter handles and an elaborate coffin plate that reads, “At Rest.” A curator at the Smithsonian identifies the coffin items as mid-19th Century and “characteristically Victorian,” but offers no further insight into the identity of the deceased.

Meanwhile, Robert Davenport claims that a slave graveyard exists on his lot on Recard Lane.

••••••

In November, “the new, shiny red Mt. Vernon fire engine made its appearance twice,” reports the Newsletter. “On the first occasion, which frightened residents half to death, the fire engine ‘was on a practice run.’ The second occasion was when the motor of Hollin Hall’s afternoon school bus caught fire. No damage, but the excitement of an ambulance, a fire engine and a police car was quite a thrill for the young fry.”

••••••

On November 20, 1951, the 100th house in Hollin Hills is occupied, as Col. and Mrs. Frank Collins move into 212 Marthas Road with their children, Frank and Patrick. Col. Collins noted that the workmanship and materials in Hollin Hills houses are “far superior to anything I’ve seen in the Washington area.” His son Frank, five years old when the family moved here, still lives in Hollin Hills.

••••••

The first illustrations of Kathleen Spagnolo (Recard Lane) appear in the Bulletin, and she is listed as Art Editor. An original settler of Hollin Hills (and a former Royal Scholar at the Royal College of Art in London), her drawings will become a key part of Hollin Hills publications, programs and art shows for years to come.

••••••

The first annual Christmas carol sing-along takes place at 7:15 pm on Christmas Eve, around a community Christmas tree (donated, along with lights, by developer Robert Davenport) at the corner of Paul Spring and Stafford, the home of Col. and Mrs. Harry G. Moseley. (Davenport also delivers Christmas trees, cut from Hollin Hills land, to residents.) About 80 singers show up for the caroling, and the tradition continues to this day in McCalley Park.

••••••

The Southwest Research Institute names Hollin Hills the “Nation’s Outstanding Development.” At a ceremony at the Statler Hotel, Charles Goodman is named “Architect of the Year,” and Robert C. Davenport is named “Builder of the Year.”

The Institute, which is holding a conference on ways to produce “better houses for less money for more persons,” ranked Hollin Hills over about 30 other developments in the country, citing “the tailoring of the project’s homes to the wooded, hilly terrain, and the excellence in planning and construction of the contemporary-style houses themselves.”

1952

With several streets (including Stafford Road and parts of Martha’s Road) now paved, the Post Office reclassifies Hollin Hills as “urban” and begins mail deliveries. Alexandria Postmaster Elmore Mudd (his real name) urges residents who have paved roads to place their mailboxes in front of their houses to facilitate delivery.

The Newsletter immediately launches a campaign to “eliminate the unsightly newspaper and mail boxes on the roads,” and in June, the post office agrees that Hollin Hillers may have their mail delivered directly to their door, provided that their house numbers are plainly in view, there is a box or slot at the door, and there is no more than a “reasonable walk” from street to house.

••••••

In February, the Fairfax County School Board buys 16 acres along Fort Hunt Road from Hollin Hills, Inc. for $20,250. It will be the site of the Hollin Hills School and, decades later, of the Paul Spring Retirement Community.

••••••

In its February 1952 issue, the Hollin Hills Newsletter announces its independence from the Hollin Hills Community Association, and says it will only be sent to paid subscribers, at an annual subscription price of one dollar. The paper is now owned and published by its editor and founder, Sara Radin.

••••••

Robert Davenport submits plans for a Hollin Hills shopping center and gas station (above) to Fairfax County for zoning approval. Designed by architect Charles Goodman, and planned for the entrance to Hollin Hills at the intersection of Paul Spring Road and Fort Hunt Road, the plans were drawn up at the time the Hollin Hills homes were first conceived. Davenport notes that the shopping center “is a thing of the future — the very distant future.”

There is no opposition from Hollin Hillers. In November, however, the County rejects the plans, saying there was “no need” for a shopping center. Davenport is devastated, and says “the whole concept of the community as planned by Charles Goodman and myself is now falling apart. We had planned for a modern community with its own school and shopping center.”

The shopping center is never built. The site is now the home of the Hollin Hills pool and the tennis and pickleball courts.

••••••

In February, Parents Magazine gives two Stafford Road homes (7309 and 7303) the Regional Merit Award in their “Best Home For Family Living” competition.

“We build communities today, not just houses,” said the magazine’s Home editor, “so the jurors … took into account how well the individual houses fit into and were planned for community living.” They were also judged in terms of “livability for families with two or more children, the usefulness of the site as planned for outside family activity, the structural soundness, and the quality of the workmanship.”

••••••

The Washington Star “finally decided that Hollin Hills is here to stay,” reports the Newsletter, and runs photos of two houses on Marthas Road and another under construction on Popkins Lane.

••••••

A large brush fire breaks out on Marthas Road in February, and it takes fifty of Davenport’s workers — including Davenport himself, and his assistant George Brickelmaier — to put it out.

••••••

The April 1952 issue of the Newsletter notes that Robert Davenport has decided to name one of the new Hollin Hills roads after his daughter, and Rebecca Drive is born. There is only one house on the road, but Davenport is said to plan a total of fifteen.

••••••

A “sub-sub-committee” of the HHCA is established to improve road safety, and will acquire signs for the community “to remind residents and tradesmen of the dangers of wild driving.”

••••••

Artists Frank and Kathleen Spagnolo launch two art classes, aimed at Hollin Hills beginners. Starting with charcoal, the groups will progress into color and landscape painting. “The answer to the natural question of whether the group has had sketching of nudes, the answer is: yes,” reports the Newsletter. “One male member of the class recently posed nude — from the ears up.”

••••••

In May, the Unit Type 5 is introduced. A remarkably inventive new design, the Type 5 is one-story, flat-roofed house of 1,100 square feet that features three bedrooms and living spaces arranged around a central mechanical core containing a kitchen, bath, and utility room.

As the January 1954 edition of House and Home magazine noted, the Type 5 was “the most advanced builder house” in the country, adding that “the builder was daring indeed: for the amazing thing about this house is not only that it has such a well-integrated plan and structure, or such a simple, expressive interior; it is just as amazing that Builder Robert Davenport let Architect Charles Goodman get away with a design that only 10 years ago might have been considered the most avant-garde house in the U.S.”

••••••

The Unit Type 6 houses, with their distinctive asymmetrical “butterfly” roofs, are introduced. The largest design yet, the 2,100 s.f. Type 6 is a two-story house with a butterfly roof (set across the width of the house), designed to meet a site need on Paul Spring Road.

Nine of these distinctive houses are built, adding variety to the streetscapes they are built in. They can be seen on Beechwood Road (7218, 7220); Paul Spring Road (2109, 2117, 2119, 2121); 7421 Saville Court; 2112 Whiteoaks Drive; and 7105 Rebecca Drive.

••••••

On June 23, Seymour Spelman of Marthas Road is bitten “in the seat of pants” by Smokey, according to the Newsletter, which also notes that Smokey had departed a week later “for greener pastures.” However, that turned out to be a different Smokey, as was clarified in a later issue.

••••••

Belle Weiss of Marthas Road wins a toaster for writing the best essay on “I Like ____ Bread Because ____.” Doreen Weston of Paul Spring Road wins a pen and pencil set for her less-compelling essay in the same contest.

••••••

Plagued by water shortages and lack of pressure — especially on Marthas Road — Hollin Hills has to have water brought in by the Mount Vernon Volunteer Fire Department. (For more on the water crisis in early Hollin Hills, see Persis Richter’s essay in Ten Years of Hollin Hills.)

••••••

At the Mount Vernon Citizens’ Association community fair at Fort Hunt Park in July, Hollin Hillers eat cotton candy and enjoy a dog-training demonstration and a “Mark Twain turtle race.” Kids win yellow ribbons for their displays in flower arranging, drawing, snapshots and dolls, while Erica Cromley, a painting student of Kathleen Spagnolo, wins a blue ribbon for her oil painting of “a sedate girl.” Henry Saunders’ green beans, meanwhile, take home a blue ribbon, and his yellow summer squash is awarded a red ribbon.

••••••

Telephone service continues to expand, slowly (various excuses are offered by the phone company), with two-party service expanded to existing families in Hollin Hills.

••••••

Artists Lois and Jim Talman of Marthas Road begin putting on puppet shows in Hollin Hills in 1952 with their handmade puppets, performing “In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump” and “In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents” at neighborhood birthday parties.

••••••

Dr. Marcus Goldman of Marthas Road publishes his book “Deformation, Metamorphism, and Mineralization in Gypsum-Anhydrite Cap Rock of the Sulphur Salt Dome, Louisiana.” Dr. Goldman notes in the Bulletin that, while he does not recommend his book as “relaxing reading” to Hollin Hills residents, he will “gladly lend his copy to anyone interested.”

If this is your kind of thing, here, we tracked it down for you.

••••••

In August, the Marthas Road home of Lars and Kitty Janson is featured in a 2-page spread in the magazine Living for Young Homeowners. The Janson home is the only “modern” home among the 12 Washington-area houses included in the article.

••••••

In the September 1952 issue of the Newsletter, Robert Davenport claims that a weed growing wild on Marthas Road and Popkins Lane is marijuana. Asked if “revenuers” will come and burn it, he says, “I doubt whether the Treasury men will bother with the weed here — they might be interested in other things, though.” Asked what he means, he claims that the cattle on his farm graze on marijuana, and that he wonders “what it will do for the beef I sell for human consumption.”

Consternation ensues. But when the editor of the Newsletter shows the plant to an actual botanist, the botanist tells her, “Mr. Davenport is confused. This is a member of the mallow family, which includes cotton, balsa tree, hollyhock, Rose of Sharon and okra.”

••••••

Charles Goodman tells the editor of the Newsletter that a contingent of Swedes visiting Hollin Hills were so impressed with the Newsletter that they requested copies to bring back to Sweden.

••••••

In October, the general membership of the Community Association votes 44-2 to create a “Committee on Structures,” and the forerunner of the current Design Review Committee is born.

••••••

On October 29, the Hollin Hills Garden Club is formed.

••••••

Three Yugoslavian army officers, shown around Hollin Hills by an interpreter, expressed “amazement” at the glass houses. One resident who opened her home to the officers said they were more interested in the heating system than the architecture, and “couldn’t believe each house had its own toilet.”

••••••

1953

On April 26, The Washington Post runs an article titled “Hollin Hills Plans House Tour”.

••••••

The first Hollin Hills House and Garden Tour takes place on May 10, with a $1 admission fee to see twelve houses. The tour attracts 1,097 visitors, causing a traffic jam to form on Fort Hunt Road. Described by the organizers as “nine months of planning, sweat and beers,” it raises $1,000 for a planned “community house,” a project that is never completed (or, from what we can determine through the mists of time, never even started).

Also on May 10, The Washington Post runs the article, “Hollin Hills Rolls Out the Carpet”.

••••••

At 2 pm on May 23, the Grand Opening of the Hollin Hills Ball Field takes place at the gravel pit. Cub Scout Den 5 in Hollin Hills plays Cub Scout Den 3 from Tauxemont in a game of hardball that lasts for five innings, during which one player at bat is hit by a fast ball. (No serious injuries reported.) The game ends at 4:30 pm, with the score tied 11 - 11.

••••••

Davenport and Goodman introduce the House Type #2 (Butterfly Roof), on Marthas Road. The house is designed as a showcase, and Davenport gives designers Florence and Hans Knoll “a free hand” in the selection of wall colors, furniture and other interior design aspects, while Barney Voigt does the landscaping. The house is evidently one of Davenport and Goodman’s favorites, and they put out a four-page brochure about it. (Read the brochure here.)

••••••

Noting that “the important position of delivery of the Hollin Hills Bulletin has been assumed by Mrs. James H. Boughton of 1301 Popkins Lane,” the Bulletin asks readers not to complain to the editor about anything “except misspelled words, garbled information, bad grammar and ommissions [sic].”

(Mrs. Boughton, incidentally, will go on from this important position to become the AID Director for India.)

••••••

Twelve Hollin Hills residents respond to a drive to collect “Bundles for Destitute Koreans,” according to the Bulletin, which notes that “several maternity dresses showed up in the collection.”

••••••

On August 23, the New York Times Magazine runs an important article by Betty Pepis on Hollin Hills, titled “More and More Modern”.

••••••

Lou Bernard “Barney” Voigt, the original landscape architect of Hollin Hills who was responsible for much of its flowing, organic design, passes away at the age of 37. Rippon Park is renamed Voigt Memorial Park in his honor. Read more about Voigt here.

••••••

Landscape architect Dan Kiley and his assistant Eric Paepcke take over the Hollin Hills design after Voigt’s death. Kiley leads the project from 1953 to 1955, bringing a new and more geometric style to the landscaping.

••••••

The May 1953 Bulletin announces that quick-frozen chicken from Robert Davenport’s farm is available daily at the Hollin Hills office for 55 cents a pound.

The newsletter also reports that a single “spanking new blue Ked tennis shoe, size 10 1/2, was recovered on Stafford Road last week.”

••••••

Road paving is finished on Paul Spring, Pickwick and Beechwood roads.

••••••

According to a 1953 sales brochure, 175 families are now in residence in Hollin Hills, with 200 more houses planned.

The brochure describes variations to the Unit Type 2, and describes the Unit Type 3. It also lists other Unit Types now available, including 4, 5A, 5B, and 6. Lots in Hollin Hills are priced from $2,500 to $3,600, depending on size and location.

A basic Type 2 house is now priced at $12,000 (larger models go for up to $31,000), and each house comes with a landscape plan designed by Dan Kiley.

••••••

The Hollin Hills Office announces that it will sell azaleas, eggs, camellias and rhododendrons, in addition to the usual modernist homes.

••••••

John H. Nelles, the first homeowner in Hollin Hills, returns from a three and one-half month scientific expedition on the Greenland Ice Cap, where he served as Executive Officer for “Operation Mint Julep”, sponsored by the American Geographic Society and the Air Force.

It turns out that Nelles is not only a pioneer of Hollin Hills, but of the Arctic regions as well, reports the Bulletin. He’s travelled across the entire Arctic Circle, and spent eleven months in Greenland last year.

••••••

Frank and Kathleen Spagnolo announce that they will once again offer art classes in painting and drawing, starting in October. The fee is $5 for five sessions, which are held in the evening.

••••••

Clubs begin proliferating in Hollin Hills. For kids, there are Brownies, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls. For adults, there are the Garden Club, the Round Robin Book Club, th3e Bridge Club, the “Quad-Wranglers” (a square dance club, of course), the Community Madrigal Group, and League of Women Voters. Later there will be a dancing club, a bowling club, a gourmet dinner club, a fishing club, an investment club and an Orchid Society.

••••••

Marjorie Hemmendinger — formerly an economist with the White House and State Department — forms a Hollin Hills book club with a novel scheme: each of the ten members will buy a book of their choosing, and every two weeks will exchange it with another member. The plan is designed to get members through until next Spring, when members will be called “to abandon the fireplace and pick up the spade again.”

••••••

The Committee on Structures is established by the Hollin Hills Community Association, to protect the architectural integrity of the community. It will later be known as the Architectural Control Committee, and still later as the Design Review Committee.

••••••

In September, the two-level “Butterfly” house at 404 Paul Spring will be open for inspection — the first time a “sample” house has been offered fully furnished with antique and modern furniture, including pieces by Hans Knoll and Herman Miller. According to the sales brochure, the furnishings go together well and “open up new and dramatic decorating opportunities.”

••••••

On Saturday, October 10, 1953, at 4 pm, the Hollin Hills picnic is held at Fort Hunt Park, with baseball, dodge ball, horseshoes, and activities for younger kids. In addition, according to the wonderful invitation sent to all residents, “Faith Nunneley is bringing her accordion and hopes that young and old alike will be in full (if not necessarily good) voice.”

••••••

The October Bulletin runs a classified ad: “A beautiful but lonely green parakeet, male. Bird, cage and stand, $5.”

1954

After the plan for a shopping center is scrapped, the community builds the Hollin Hills pool on the site in 1954, financed by household contributions of $120 plus $40 per member from the Community Association. It opens on September 4, 1954. (Click here to see video of the pool opening.) The pool was completely rebuilt in 1984.

••••••

In 1954, the Unit House Type 7L is introduced, building on Goodman’s interest in using prefabricated modules. For Goodman, a 12-foot module provided a suitable width for bedrooms, and two such modules established an appropriate length for the living/dining area.

••••••

Belle View Shopping Center is completed. The entire development (including apartments) was built on a swamp, and required 800,000 cubic yards of fill before construction could begin in 1947.

••••••

In July, Goodman’s design for the one-story, flat-roofed Unit Type 5, introduced in 1952, receives an Award of Merit at the annual convention of the American Institute in Boston.

••••••

Robert Davenport sets aside 13 acres of land to be used as parks, to be owned and managed by the Civic Association of Hollin Hills. (The land is formally transferred two years later.) The parks are named in a community contest.

In April, the first “parks clean-up day” is held, when between 40 and 50 volunteers help Davenport clear the stream be in Paul Spring Park.

••••••

A fundraiser is held in September to celebrate the community’s establishment and raise money for the pool, and includes a musical revue titled “In the Swim” by the Popkins Pasture Playhouse. The event, which draws over 300 people, features a 170-pound pig donated by developer Robert Davenport, which had been marinated overnight in a bathtub, then roasted for 12 hours over charcoal.

Reminiscing 25 years later, Bruce Netschert (who did musical arrangements for the shows) recalls that the revue “was almost an impromptu affair … it was staged on Davenport’s flatbed truck, parked in what was then the open field of Popkins Farm, at the corner of Glasgow and Rebecca. Its success led to the heyday of Hollin Hills showbiz — a string of annual productions that ran for five consecutive years.”

The staple of the shows, says Netschert, was the “parody song” set to popular music, aimed at “satirizing some aspect of Hollin Hills life.”

••••••

The first phone directory is published for Hollin Hills, with the cover to be designed by the winner of a competition among school-aged Hollin Hillers. In addition to names and addresses, the directory will also carry the names and birth dates of the community’s children.

1955

In the February 1955 issue of the Bulletin, a call goes out for Hollin Hillers to buy cookies from the Brownies and Girl Scouts who will come to their houses this month.

The Bulletin also notes with pride that it is printed on a “second-hand mimeograph” purchased by the Community Association, and that the Hollin Hills Mothers March on Polio has collected a record amount this month.

Intriguingly, there is also a request for a family to sponsor (and help purchase) a baby burro for the Tauxemont Nursery School. The burro is described as 40 inches high, and would be shipped from Texas for $85 plus $15 shipping costs.

••••••

The Hollin Hills School opens in September, 1955, with eleven classrooms for seven grades. It was built on a 15-acre site (a gravel pit at the time) on Fort Hunt Road, and cost $275,964. Up to this point, kids had been going to a school in Hollin Hall.

Closed in 1980, the Hollin Hills School is now part of the Paul Spring Retirement Center.

Two tennis courts are built near the pool, after sixty families sign up for a tennis program. A hundred loads of fill from the Hollin Hills School are brought in to grade the area. The newly-formed Hollin Hills Tennis Club helps clear the land, and the paving and fence are ready by mid-summer.

••••••

On May 20, 1955, a Dance and Musical Review titled “Glass is Class” is performed by and for Hollin Hillers. “So much talent came forth,” one participant reports, “that the show ran for two hours!” The cast and crew numbered about 40 people, and the program lists 12 songs and/or skits, most of them composed by Milt Coon and Irv Shapiro, with titles like “Sunday in Suburbia” and “Fugue for Landscapers.”

••••••

From the Classifieds section of the Bulletin: a 1947 two-door black Chevrolet with new battery and tires, for $200; the home at 1302 Popkins Lane, for $19,500; and babysitting services for 35 cents an hour.

••••••

The first all-day Fourth of July Celebration is held in Hollin Hills in 1955. With a swim meet, food, a beauty contest for four-year-olds and younger, a parade with decorated cars and bikes, pony rides and fireworks in the evening, it launches a tradition that continues to this day.

••••••

Hollin Hills wins the National Award for Residential Architecture from the American Institute of Architects.

••••••

Eric Paepcke becomes the primary landscape architect for Hollin Hills in 1955, taking over from Dan Kiley and producing organic, generally curvaceous plans. He stays with the project until 1971, when the last house in Hollin Hills is built. Kiley announces his intention to open an office in the DC area.

••••••

The Mount Vernon Unitarian Church is established.

1956

Davenport purchases another 101 acres, south of Rebecca Road and contiguous to the existing Hollin Hills site, for what will soon become known as “new” Hollin Hills.

In October, the community votes, at a general membership meeting, to limit the boundary of Hollin Hills to its then-current area. Unsurprisingly, this results in a split with residents of “new” Hollin Hills, who launch their own civic association and later build their own pool. The two groups finally put aside their differences and merge in January 1965.

••••••

On May 21, 1956, Robert Davenport formally conveys to the Civic Association the five parcels of land which will become the 15 acres of the original parks. The parks budget was set for $150 for the remainder of the year, out of a total annual CAHH budget of $278.

••••••

The Odoroff home, at 1251 Rebecca Drive, wins the Evening Star Award for Excellence in Architecture.

••••••

Hollin Hills is a hotbed of intellectuals, according to an October 14, 1956 article in The Washington Post. “It’s a village that appears to be top-heavy in advanced University degrees, with an income twice the national average,” writes Carolyn Bell Hughes, and quotes the “brainy Hollin Hills housewife” Marjorie Hemmendinger (an economist who worked at the White House, the State Department and the World Bank) as saying, “we found the great unifying element was education.”

Hughes notes the many ongoing educational activities in Hollin Hills, which include art classes given by Frank and Kathleen Spagnolo, a flower arranging course by Tashiko Moriyama, Latin American dancing taught by Mr. and Mrs. Don Williams, and piano lessons given in the evening by Gordon Tiger, “who works for the State Department by day.”

Read the article here.

1957

The Goodman-designed Alcoa House — a prototype for mass housing using large amounts of brightly-colored aluminum — is built at 7801 Elba Road. (See the sales brochure.) When costs escalate, Davenport joins a suit against Alcoa. The house sits empty for several years, then is bought and lived in by the same family for the next six decades. In 2019 it is bought by Lee and Peter Braun, and undergoes a meticulous restoration.

Read about the restoration of Alcoa house here.

••••••

A 1957 sales brochure introduces the Mainline, Customline and Award house types, and notes that there are now 275 families resident in Hollin Hills, with plans for 200 more houses.

••••••

The Vosbeck home, at 407 Brentwood Place, wins a “Special Merit Award For Distinctive Design” in the Best Home For Family Living competition held by Parents’ Magazine.

••••••

Hollin Hills is selected as one of ten “milestones in the future of American architecture” at the American Institute of Architecture’s Centennial Exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Life magazine photographer W. Eugene Smith was commissioned to photograph “ten buildings in America’s future” for the exhibit at the National Gallery of Art.

••••••

In August 1957, the magazine Popular Gardening runs an article titled “The Garden and the Glass House” raving about the visual effects achieved by the unified landscape designs of Barney Voigt and Dan Kiley, and includes photographs which inspire subsequent Hollin Hills homeowners.

1958

The sales brochure Hollin Hills: American Architecture at its Best notes that 300 families are now in residence, with 150 more homes to be built.

••••••

Hollin Hills is featured in an exhibit of American architecture at the Fifth Congress of the Union Internationale des Architects, in Moscow. On July 6, The Washington Post runs an article about it: “U.S. Garden Cities go to Moscow”.

••••••

On September 15, LIFE Magazine runs an article about Hollin Hills, focusing on how nature (and a rural feeling) have been preserved in a modern housing development. The article is titled “Nature Preserved in a Tract”.

••••••

On October 25, the annual Hollin Hills Dance is held at the Court House Country club from 10 pm to 2 am. “There will be something for you,” says Connie Beeson in the Bulletin, “whether you want to dance, just kibbitz, or be entertained. The room is spacious, the jazz will be cool, the dancing sweet.”

Beeson promises music (with Bruce Netschert at the piano), “some tunes and lines, pulchritude and witticisms, advice and statements of fact, pulled together decorously by one Jim Lansburgh.” And Hollin Hills poet Mel Welles encourages people to come with the lines:

“You wanna dance,
Drink and relax?
Real close to home
In old Fairfax?
Reserve your sitter!
Wax your shoes!
Hollin Hills dances
Sure chase those blues!

••••••

1959

The 24-page book Ten Years of Hollin Hills is published by the Community Association. Click here to read.

••••••

Glasgow Road is connected to Devonshire and the “other” Popkins Lane, opening the way to Route 1.

••••••

Susan Gutchess, age 10, attempts to organize a Hollin Hills girls’ Little League team. A girl ahead of her time, she is not successful.

••••••

Resident Tim Atkeson pens an ode to Hollin Hills, titled “Athens, Move Over”:

“Hail to thee, oh Hollin Hills
Home of glass walls and pyracantha
Where we are the “New Frontier,”
Toasting champagne tastes in beer
Knowing for the good life here
We have the antha.”

••••••

The Unitarian Church buys ten acres (including the buildings) of the Thorpe Estate, its current home. It will become the home of many Hollin Hills activities, including meetings, “high-kicking square dancing” and (in the late 1960s) the “Free Microcosmic University.”

••••••

In September, the first Committee on Traffic Safety is formed, due to the large number of people speeding through the community.

••••••

The annual Hollin Hills Dance is held on November 7 in the recreation hall of the Aguda Achim Synagogue in Alexandria. Tickets are $5 per couple, and include “an original, super duper Hollin Hills Show” under the direction of Milt Coon and Irv Shapiro.

••••••

1960

The Alexandria Gazette notes that “Many architects, doctors, lawyers and a veritable artists colony have taken residence in Hollin Hills, along with high-ranking service people.”

••••••

A Civic Association flood-control committee studies the issue of flooding along Paul Spring — a problem that is noted as far back as the earliest Bulletins. The committee concludes that corrective action would cost too much, so the Board decides to “let nature take her course.” (The problem will continue for the next 60 years, until the County funds a project to correct the streambeds in Brickelmaier and Goodman Parks.)

••••••

In the 1960 Hollin Hills Directory, notes resident Mel Wells, there were more families beginning with “S” (35 of them) than with any other letter, with “B” the runner up at 28. “I, Q, U and X tied for last with none,” he reports, noting the that “N” and “Y” families were the most “prolific,” averaging three children each.

••••••

The June 24, 1960 issue of the Alexandria Gazette runs a brief profile of Hollin Hills architect Casper Neer — “pupil of famous German Bauhaus pace-setter Gropius” — who has done a number of additions in the community. Neer hopes to achieve in his designs, the writer says, “a harmonious marriage between the charm of tradition and the practicality of this mechanized age.”

His “beautiful wife” Kay is described as “her husband’s most faithful fan” and mother of their four children.

1961

The Hollin Hills Community Association (HHCA) reorganizes and changes its name to the Civic Association of Hollin Hills (CAHH).

••••••

Architect Charles Goodman stops working on Hollin Hills, for reasons that remain unclear. Robert Davenport continues designing and building houses for “new” Hollin Hills along the stylistic lines that Goodman had developed.

••••••

In April of 1961, the noted journalist, scholar and Hollin Hills resident Bernard Fall publishes Street Without Joy, a critique of Western involvement in Indochina that will be hugely influential in the debate over the Vietnam war.

An outspoken and widely-read critic of the American involvement in Vietnam, Fall and his wife Dorothy were subject to intense FBI surveillance in Hollin Hills as he was writing the book, including (according to FBI documents later released) physical surveillance, a phone tap, searches of their trash, and what the FBI described as “attempts to develop neighborhood and other sources against subject,” i.e. informants.

The Falls moved out of Hollin Hills and into Washington, DC in late 1963 to be closer to Fall’s teaching position at Howard University. He was killed in 1967, stepping on a land mine while on a research trip in Vietnam.

For more on Fall, read the story “Wiretapped in Hollin Hills”.

••••••

A proposal to install sidewalks and gutters in “Old” Hollin Hills proves contentious (of course), with some residents arguing that they would change the rural feel of the community, while others argued that they would improve drainage and appearance. The proposal went nowhere.

••••••

The Hollin Hills annual dance, sponsored by the Community Association, is held on September 9 on the Wilson Line’s packet boat “Diplomat.” Tickets are $6 per couple, and include cocktails and dancing to a small orchestra.

••••••

Hollin Hills gets a rave review from noted architect Paul Rudolph, chair of the Yale University Department of Architecture, in the November 24, 1961 issue of Life Magazine. Saying he wished more American homes were as good as those in Hollin Hills, Rudolph critiques one of the houses and says it “sits nicely on its land. Its sloping roofline and large chimney against the sky are eternal symbols of home…. The house is clever in seeming to be much larger than it is. The contrast between the solidity of the brick and the openness of the glass makes an admirable compromise between the cave and the goldfish bowl.”

1962

A group of Hollin Hills artists open the Garrett Gallery in the Unitarian Church.

1963

Squash courts are voted down by the Civic Association as not an appropriate expenditure for a facility of limited use.

••••••

Rice University honors Charles Goodman as one of eight “great American architects… who possess profound feeling for social responsibility and the successful incorporation of human values into their buildings.”

1964

The Hollin Meadows Swim and Tennis Club opens, in May. It is built on 5.25 acres of land purchased from Robert Davenport in 1962.

••••••

September: 150 people press the Fairfax County Planning Commission to reject a high-density townhouse development on neighboring Popkins Farm. When the board votes it down in November, jubilant Hollin Hillers stage a torchlight victory parade.

••••••

In 1964, the first Black children were admitted to Hollin Hills Elementary School, which had originally been an all-white school. Also this year, a program for gifted children is launched at the school, for “select children with IQ’s of about, or more than, 140, in grades four through six.” 

1965

The Hollin Meadows Elementary School opens, on Nordok Place.

••••••

The “New Hollin Hills” Civic Association votes to join the Civic Association of Hollin Hills, and in January the relationship is consummated.

1966

After years of negotiating with Fairfax County, and a community ballot that ran about 3 to 1 in favor, street lights are finally installed in Hollin Hills.

••••••

Upper Range Road is acquired as the Biondi-Hooper tract, and in 1969, nineteen traditional-style houses are built there. (Although they are not in the modernist “Hollin Hills” style, residents are members of the Civic Association and active participants in the life of the community.) As part of the deal, the land for Sutton Potter Park is also acquired. Initially called Popkins Farm Park, it was later re-named for attorney and Hollin Hills resident W. Sutton Potter, who had been instrumental in acquiring the land, and who died in 1976 at the age of 46.

1967

Hollin Hills lawyer Philip Jay Hirschkop argues — and wins — the landmark Loving v. Virginia case before the Supreme Court (with fellow attorney Bernard S. Cohen). The verdict ends the enforcement of state bans on interracial marriage — a huge milestone.

Hirschkop went on to represent Martin Luther King Jr., H. Rap Brown, Norman Mailer, and "numerous anti-war protesters during the 1960s and 1970s."

1968

Paul Spring Road resident David McCullough — who will go on to write a slew of bestselling history books including “1776,” “John Adams,” and “Truman” — has his first literary success with “The Johnstown Flood,” which launches his spectacular career. He uses the money to quit his job … and move out of Hollin Hills.

•••••

On Saturday October 26, the Hollin Hills Ball is held at the Sheraton Motor Inn in Alexandria, with music by the Bob Cross Orchestra, the New Trinidad Brass Band, and the Washington-African Cultural Dancers and Drummers. It’s a BYOB affair, with “dress optional.”

1969

1970

1971

In May, the last house in Hollin Hills is completed, at 2312 Kimbro, for owner Leif Christoffersen, at a price of $59,000. The news makes The Washington Post (left).

•••••

In May, with Hollin Hills complete, Robert Davenport officially retires at 66, shuts the Hollin Hills sales office, and goes to live at his 1,000-acre farm in Fauquier County.

To celebrate the event, the community holds a huge block party on Kimbro Street in tribute to Davenport, including a musical review and four roast pigs provided by the guest of honor himself. Hundreds of people come, and the event is noted by The Washington Post, which admires Davenport’s “modishly long hair” and notes that Davenport lives on his farm “in an old log cabin that he converted into a modern house.” All the key players in the development of Hollin Hills — architect Charles Goodman, assistant George Brickelmaier, and builder “Mac” McCalley — attend the event.

1972

1973

On March 25, 1973 the sculptor Carl Mose — who lived and worked in Hollin Hills in the 1960’s — passes away at the age of 70. Mose is best known for a ten-foot-tall statue of baseball player Stan Musial, which he made in a specially-built studio in his home at 1952 Marthas Road. It took him three years to make the rather ungainly statue, which was unveiled before 20,000 people at the Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis to mixed reviews.

“The statue may be bronze,” said broadcaster Jack Buck, apparently reflecting the opinion of many, “but the sculptor must have been stoned.”

••••••

Marjorie Hemmendinger of Marthas Road opens her Old Town gallery, Full Circle, specializing in Japanese and contemporary furniture and accessories. Noguchi's famous 'Akari" lamp is very popular with Hollin Hills residents, as is the furniture of George Nakashima, for whom she held one-man shows every 12 to 18 months.

Read more about Hemmendinger and Nakashima’s relationship in “Nakashima in Hollin Hills”.

1974

In December, Randall Estates (the neighborhood north of Paul Spring Park) threatened to sue over ownership of the parkland — with one resident even building a fence that exteded into the park. Tha CAHH obtained a court injunction to stop the fence, and two lawsuits were fought over the dispute for years, until Randall Estates finally accepted the creek boundaries in 1982.

1975

1976

A 2.3-acre tract along Delafield Place and west of Elba Road is acquired through a land trade with Fairfax County, and becomes the Wildlife Sanctuary. The tract was subdivided for development in the 1960s, but never improved, possibly because of its environmental sensitivity.

1977

Hollin Hills is included in a listing of 217 historic sites and structures on Fairfax County’s Inventory of Historic Sites.

••••••

In 1977, the CAHH imposes an 11 pm curfew at Sutton Potter Park, where late night parties (including bonfires) had brought rowdiness and vandalism.

••••••

At the 4th of July picnic in Voigt Park, 1,300 hot dogs are consumed; a proud moment in the history of Hollin Hills.

••••••

George Brickelmaier, an assistant to Robert Davenport in the early days of Hollin Hills, passes away of cancer, at the age of 56. “Brick” was with the Central Intelligence Agency until he went to work for Davenport in 1950. He lived in Hollin Hills until 1972 and was active in community affairs, and was a founding member of the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church.

1978

West Stafford Park, running between Paul Spring Road and Popkins Lanes, is renamed in honor of George Brickelmaier, a key figure in the development of Hollin Hills, who passed away in 1977.

••••••

Civic Association Board President Eason Cross, Jr., an associate in Hollin Hills architect Charles Goodman's office, publishes a series of articles about Hollin Hills architecture in the Hollin Hills Bulletin. The articles described the intentions of the architect and developer Robert Davenport, and are at giving new residents perspective on the importance of Hollin Hills' architecture and preserving it through the ARC and the design review process.

••••••

“The Network” — a social group for Hollin Hills singles — is founded by Barbara Wickham, and meets the first Saturday evening or Sunday noon of the month. It will meet regularly for many years. The group started as a sort of women’s support group, Wickham noted twenty years later, and while men “were never excluded,” she said, “there were just not any around at the time.”

1979

The Hollin Hills Potters move to the Torpedo Factory.

1980

Because of its declining enrollment and the physical condition of the building, the School Board voted to close Hollin Hills Elementary School permanently at the end of the school year in June, 1980. It is now part of the Paul Spring Retirement Center.

1981

Suzanne Quinlan conducts a community survey in April, in an attempt “to discover who our residents were and how they felt about their houses and community.” The results are published in 1984 in Hollin Hills: A History Into the Fourth Decade.

••••••

Architect Charles Goodman and two Hollin Hills homes (at 7311 and 7313 Stafford Road) win the inaugural “Test of Time” Award from the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects. The award “goes to the community of Hollin Hills, Fairfax County, a community of 450 contemporary houses built just after World War II of remarkable quality, foresight, and influence,” says the AIA. “The architect was Charles M. Goodman, FAIA, whose site planning, house siting, and architecture is as fresh today as it was in 1950 …. The design has been praised internationally and examined for decades by planners and sociologists alike.”

1982

1983

Twenty-four houses on Beechwood Road were built and occupied in 1953, and three decades later, about half are still occupied by their original owners. To celebrate the 30th anniversary, residents hold a Beechwood block party on May 21 to honor “the architect, builder and construction crew” who built the houses. Goodman, Davenport and the McCalley team are all invited.

••••••

Also on May 21, The Washington Post runs an article on Hollin Hills by architecture critic Benjamin Forgey titled “Built to Beat Time.” Forgey says Hollin Hills has aged well but is like “a page from Look magazine, circa 1950,” and says the architectural style is “as dated as a four-hole Buick Roadmaster.” He talks with both Goodman and Davenport, though, and adds, “Hollin Hills is what we wanted to become but didn't, the future that is now the past.”

1984

The 72-page book “Hollin Hills: A History into the Fourth Decade” is published by the CAHH. Compiled by Marion Tiger, it is four years in the making. The event is celebrated with a wine-and-cheese party at Collingwood on the Potomac on May 6. Wine and cheese are served from 5 to 7 pm, and Dixieland jazz is provided by David Littlefield and his clarinet, banjo and tuba combo.

••••••

In June, the CAHH re-organizes the Architectural Review Committee, increasing its membership to five, with three-year, staggered terms. The ARC is now required to include two architects, a lawyer and two lay members, and is charged with drafting standards, guidelines and procedures.

••••••

The Hollin Meadows Pool is completely rebuilt, and the clubhouse refurbished.

••••••

County officials earmark $500,000 for a flood control/erosion control project at the intersection of Paul Spring and Rippon Road. Streambank erosion project along Paul Spring Creek begins after residents of Randall Estates on the other side of the creek agree to easements.

••••••

In October, Hollin Hills lovebirds John and Patricia Toner are married in the Marthas Road home John grew up in (and which they themselves will move into in 1997).

••••••

The Washington Post installs delivery boxes on posts at the end of driveways. CAHH requests removal. Some irate residents remove them on their own.

1985

After more than a decade of controversy, a paved path is completed in April running along Paul Spring Road from Fort Hunt Road to Stafford Road, at a cost to Fairfax County of $41,500.

••••••

The Parks Committee is expanded to chairman and six other members, each of whom is responsible for one of the seven parks. In 1984-85, the Parks Committe has a budget of $3,000, which it describes as “ample.” The Committee draws up an ambitious multi-year plan for the parks, which will have a major impact.

Over the next few years, the Committee will replace the steps into Brickelmaier Park and rebuilds foot bridges in Paul Spring Park, as well as the usual removal of dead trees and other maintenance. It will plant junipers and azaleas at Paul Spring entrance to Hollin Hills, plant trees and shrubs along Paul Spring Creek at Pickwick, and designate Opie Park as the Hollin Hills Wildlife Sanctuary (where it will also plant shrubs to attract wildlife, and install birdhouses).

Also, the Committee planted dogwood trees from Fort Hunt to Rippon, and shade trees from Rippon to Stafford Road. It redesigned the parking area between the Pool and Fort Hunt Road, installed new signs for the Paul Spring Road and Davenport Street entrances to Hollin Hills, and worked on erosion control for East Stafford Park (now known as Goodman Park).

••••••

The Paul Spring streambank erosion project, begun by the County in April, is completed by year’s end.

1986

Charles Goodman, the architect of Hollin Hills, has a retrospective exhibit of his prolific 50-year practice, which includes numerous photographs and drawings of Hollin Hills.

••••••

The CAHH installs a five-piece wooden play structure in Voigt Park (which was also known as East Paul Spring Park at the time). The play structure was funded partially by the Civic Association, and partially by sales of Hollin Hills T-shirts designed by Kathleen Spagnolo.

••••••

The CAHH Board gets an injunction to stop construction of a two-car garage which lacks Architectural Review Board approval. A special 300-member meeting in October supports the Board and votes that the CAHH “takes no further action against the Chadbourns (the property owners) and that the Chadbourns take no further action to build their garage but that they and the ARB meet promptly” to resolve the issue. A committee is formed to review architectural standards, guidelines and procedures.

1987

Following a review of the community’s design guidelines, the Design Review Committee is formed, to replace the previous Architectural Review Committee.

••••••

An article in The Washingtonian, “Undiscovered Neighborhoods,” includes Hollin Hills and states, “In the 1950’s view everyone here was considered pink, if not red, and at least very liberal.” The CAHH Board votes not to respond officially. Frank Collins writes the publisher about the irresponsibility of such a statement. He points out that Hollin Hills was half the size then as today, and residents then included six military officers, a Department of Defense lawyer, several senior State Department officials, CIA employees and a couple of FBI agents. He asks for a retraction and receives a form letter: “We welcome your comments and appreciate your interest in The Washingtonian.”

Washingtonian, May 1987: “Glass Houses That Have Stood the Test of Time”

••••••

The Hollin Hills swimming pool operation becomes a separate entity from CAHH.

••••••

Hollin Hills realtor and resident Sandi Poole notes that house prices in the community now range from $150,000 to $340,000, with an average price of $169,000. “People don’t come here for value per square foot,” says Poole. “They come for the ambiance, the neighborhood, the environment.”

••••••

In their Fall issue, New Dominion Magazine runs an article on “Fabulous 40’s Homes”.

••••••

On December 3, The Washington Post runs an article titled “Hollin Hills: A Fifties Community”.

1988

1989

In preparation for the 40th Anniversary of Hollin Hills this year, a questionaire (similar to the 1981 survey) is sent to residents, to be used in updating Hollin Hills history.

••••••

A Civic Association beautification program begins under the chairmanship of Martin Bloom, in response to concern about the appearance of the community. The program seeks to encourage residents to tidy up, plant, and prune.

At Bloom’s request, landscape architect (and Hollin Hills resident) Dennis Carmichael writes the 60-page guide, A House in the Woods: A Landscape Aesthetic for Hollin Hills, which is printed in August and distributed to all residents.

••••••

At the March membership meeting of the CAHH, the first “Volunteer Awards” ceremony is held, with eleven certificates awarded.

••••••

In May, The Mount Vernon Gazette runs an article titled, “The Hills Are Alive”.

••••••

The Hollin Hills House and Garden Tour is held on May 6 (the first event of the anniversary celebrations), and both developer Robert Davenport and Mrs. Charles Goodman attend.

••••••

The Civic Association releases Hollin Hills at Forty, a 64-page book that includes statements from Charles Goodman and Robert Davenport, essays by residents on “maintaining the original concepts” in design, landscape and parks, and the results of a community survey conducted earlier in the year.

••••••

A group show of 28 Hollin Hills artists is held at the Athenaeum, curated by Hollin Hills resident Komei Wachi, director of Gallery K in Washington.

••••••

Despite rainy weather, the annual Fourth of July Picnic is a success, with Robert Davenport, “Mac” McCalley and others in attendance.

••••••

The Fortieth Anniversary Gala is held September 17 at Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church. The gala features a performance with skits, original songs by a quartet and a trio, a display of “then and now” photos, and a buffet picnic. Some 500 people attend, coming from as far away as California. There is also a photo exhibit on Hollin Hills at the Sherwood Hall Library.

••••••

On September 23, The Washington Post runs an article titled “Hollin Hills: A View of Nature”, taking an overall look at the community.

••••••

On October 5, The Fairfax Journal runs an article titled, “Spirit of HH Still Fresh at 40”.

1990

The land at the southwest corner of Paul Spring Road and Rippon Road — a private residence razed due to repeated flooding — is bought by Fairfax County and becomes McCalley Park, named in honor of C.R. “Mac” McCalley, the construction foreman during the building of Hollin Hills. While owned by the County, it is maintained by the Civic Association of Hollin Hills.

••••••

On June 1, The Fairfax Journal runs an article titled, “Modern Homes in Natural Setting”.

1991

General Joseph F. Carroll, an original settler in Hollin Hills and the founding director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, passes away on January 20, 1991. Gen. Carroll began his career as an FBI agent in 1940, and was brought to Washington by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in 1944. In 1947, he was asked to set up a U.S. Air Force agency for investigative and counterintelligence functions, and rose in the ranks until reaching the grade of major general in 1950.

In 1961, the Defense Intelligence Agency was established to provide the Defense Department a source of intelligence information independent of the Central Intelligence Agency. Gen. Carroll was named the first director of the DIA, and he remained in that post until his retirement in 1969.

Gen. Carroll and his wife Mary lived on Rippon Road from 1950 to 1958, where they raised their five boys, and later in retirement.

1992

On October 29, Charles Goodman, the architect of Hollin Hills, passes away from emphysema at the age of 85. (See an appreciation by Washington Post architect critic Benjamin Forgey here.)

In Goodman’s honor, East Stafford Park is renamed Charles Goodman Park that same year. Largely forgotten at the time of his death, Goodman’s reputation has been on the rise in recent years.

Read more about Goodman here, or see his obituary in The Washington Post here.

••••••

Pam Koger-Jesup and Ben Jesup take over as editors of the Hollin Hills Bulletin.

1993

The Hollin Hills Garden Club is established in the fall, with Mary-Carroll Potter as its first president.

1994

1995

J.G. Harrington and Jere Gibber take over as editors of the Hollin Hills Bulletin, a role they will hold for the next two years.

••••••

The Fairfax Chronicles runs an article titled, “Saving the Suburban Sixties.”

••••••

Ron Goldfarb, a longtime resident of Hollin Hills, publishes ”Perfect Villains, Imperfect Heroes”, his book about working in the Justice Department with Robert F. Kennedy. The book chronicles the years when Kennedy was the Attorney General and waged war against organized crime.

••••••

On November 11, The Washington Post runs an article titled, “In HH, With Some Added Attractions.”

••••••

The CAHH General Membership Meeting is held on November 15, with a focus on traffic safety and the problem of gang-related crime in the area. Treasurer Bill Pascoe notes that the CAHH had $4,082.33 in its checking account; Membership chair Addy Krizek notes that CAHH membership is 419 households, or 88.2 percent of the community; DRC head Don Muntz reports on his talks with the Board of Supervisors about new construction regulations limiting the amount of windows in a home; and Pam Koger-Jesup notes that the Parks Committee is working on a project to improve signage for the Sherwood Hall entrance to Hollin Hills. Also at the meeting, Peter Jacobs is elected Treasurer and Barbara Holm to membership.

••••••

In December, an art show at the Torpedo Factory titled “One Square Foot” includes five Hollin Hills artists: Ann Citron (a beaded portrait); Sarah Stromayer (a pencil drawing); Solveig Cox (a clay kitchen scene); Judy Goodkind (a monoprint); and Clair Chytilo (a stitched Xerox transfer and a stitched collage).

1996

A week-long blizzard in early January paralyzes Hollin Hills with 24 inches of snow, and results in numerous acts of kindness as neighbors help each other weather the difficult conditions.

••••••

On January 21, the Civic Association hosts the first Winter Potluck lasagna dinner (first known as the Community Appreciation Dinner) at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church. The event — conceived by CAHH President Frank Roberts — is designed to let residents show their appreciation for the people who volunteer in the community. It draws more than 175 Hollin Hills residents, and features face painting (by Martha Wagner), a communal sing (with piano playing by Vivian Kronstedt), and a display on community history that includes the first issues of the Bulletin. The CAHH provides lasagna and eggplant parmigiana while guests bring salads and desserts. The dinner will become an annual tradition for decades to come.

••••••

In February, Scott Wilson takes over as head of the CAHH History Committee, and notes his interest in recording anecdotal oral histories. The Committee lists as its objectives: keeping track of archival materials such as HH Bulletins and Directories; recording events, such as the 4th of July picnics; maintaining contact with county and state history and preservation groups; and providing community-related materials to the local library and groups connected with Hollin Hills.

••••••

The Annual Newcomers’ Tea is held on March 24 at the home of Pam Koger-Jesup and Ben Jesup. New members who had moved into the neighborhood in the past year are invited, and CAHH Board members are present, along with representatives of local organizations.

••••••

The Civic Association reports that out of 482 households in Hollin Hills, 424 (or about 88%) are dues-paying members in good standing.

••••••

The Hollin Hills community entrance signs at Fort Hunt Road and Sherwood Hall Lane mysteriously disappear. Pam Koger-Jesup volunteers to investigate.

••••••

In April, the Hollin Hills Orchid Society enters an exhibit at the Peninsula Orchid Show in Hampton, Virginia, which wins the American Orchid Society’s award for Best-In-Show.

••••••

In November, Pat Roberts (who lives on Whiteoaks Drive and Dodge City, Kansas) is elected to the US Senate. A resident of Hollin Hills since 1971, he is now completing his House service as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture.

••••••

In November, Hollin Hills architect Greg Hunt accepts a new position as Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at Catholic University.

1997

In January, the Hollin Hills Bulletin gets a new editor, Chris Arnold, who says, “I hope to make the Bulletin a clear, bright reflection of this wonderful community.”

••••••

The Award for Excellence from both the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and the Virginia Society of Architects, is given to architect Matt Poe for an addition to the Killpatrick residence at 2117 Paul Spring Road.

••••••

In the fall, all four tennis courts alongside Fort Hunt Road are resurfaced, and some net posts replaced. Dues for the tennis club are $110 for a family; $85 for single; $50 for junior.

••••••

On September 4, The Washington Post runs an article titled, “A New Look at a 50’s Landscape.”

••••••

On October 9, a workshop on training in self-protection was held at Hollin Meadows School, following an assault on a young woman in Hollin Hills.

••••••

On October 18, residents of Range Road and nearby sections of Kimbro and Hopa Court found that their first-class mail had been stolen from their mailboxes, and envelopes and pieces of mailwere later found scattered around Range Road and Sutton Potter Park. The Post Office offers a reward for information, but the crime remains unsolved.

••••••

At the November CAHH Membership Meeting, the placement of new stop signs was approved: three-way stops at two locations on Paul Spring Road; a four-way stop at Mason Hil and White Oaks Roads; and a three-way stop at Range and Rebecca Roads.

Also at the meeting, the community approves work on the 50th Anniversary publication, to be delivered at the Gala Dinner in November 1999. Orders are being taken for advance copies at $35, and sponsors of the project are welcome.

1998

In January, the editor of the Hollin Hills Bulletin, Chris Arnold, steps down, saying that the burden of putting out the Bulletin each month is “too time-consuming for one person.” In February, Barbara Shear (Drury Lane) takes over as editor — and single-handedly puts out the Bulletin for the next 22 years without complaint, only retiring at the age of 89.

••••••

In an important move for the community, Fairfax County levels a small tax assessment on a County-vacated portion of Woodlawn Trail which fronts the Hollin Meadows Pool and abuts CAHH park property. The County Board of Supervisors had agreed to pass the land over to the CAHH ten years earlier, but the deed was never transferred due to intransigent opposition from a local real estate developer, who wanted to open up Woodlawn Trail (now a dead end) to provide a direct link to Highway One, and to build apartments there. The new assessment means the property finally belongs to the CAHH.

••••••

The work of Hollin Hills painter Bobbie Godwin is exhibited at Gallery K in downtown Washington, DC from April 1 to 25. Gallery K is owned by Komei Wachi and Marc Moyens, who are also residents of Hollin Hills.

••••••

On October 8, 1998, The Washington Post runs an article by Deborah Dietsch titled “The New Moderns,” focusing on Hollin Hills residents Joseph and Louise Rosa.

“High-style modern furniture is juxtaposed with low-cost industrial,” she writes. “The living room holds vintage seating by Le Corbusier, Charles Eames and Marcel Breuer — plus a silver-painted end table that's really a file cabinet. Light radiates from an Isamu Noguchi paper lamp, as well as from look-alike hanging shades from Ikea.”

Joseph, the chief curator of the National Building Museum, adds: "Furniture is about wear and tear, not investment." 

1999

To mark the 50th Anniversary of the launching of Hollin Hills, community volunteers produced The Trees of Hollin Hills, The Artists of Hollin Hills, The Hollin Hills Cookbook and the book Hollin Hills: Community of Vision, covering the history of the community from 1949 to 1999.

••••••

The 50th Anniversary year (slogan: “Still Contemporary After All These Years”) featured the only "double” House and Garden Tour, with 26 gardens featured in April, 12 houses in September, and an October Gala with performances by the Hollin Hills Jazz Band, with special guests Robert Davenport, Mrs. Charles Goodman, builder “Mac” McCalley, photographer Robert Lautman, and others. See the Gala program here.

Tickets for the September house tour run $10, Robert Davenport (aged 94) attends, there are t-shirts, tote bags, refrigerator magnets, key chains and a cookbook for sale, and the featured houses include Cynthia and Gordon Olsen’s, which sports a 15,000 gallon fish tank and a red 1950 Studebaker parked in the driveway. More on the tour in the September 24, 1999 issue of The Washington Post.

••••••

On October 10, a month-long exhibition featuring artworks by 64 Hollin Hills artists opens at the Target Gallery in the Torpedo Factory Art Center, and at the Athenaeum (Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association). Titled Hollin Hills: An Artistic Legacy 1949-1999, the exhibit includes a wide array of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles and other works made by resident artists. Read more in the exhibit catalogue.

••••••

A 2.42-acre parcel of land located to the southwest of the 7800 block of Elba Road, which was originally included in the plats of Hollin Hills and dedicated for public use by Robert Davenport, is purchased by the Fairfax County Park Authority.

••••••

Lars E. Janson, an original settler of Hollin Hills, passes away on June 10 at 79. A retired Federal Trade Commission lawyer, he was also a gifted photographer who studied with Ansel Adams, Paul Caponigro and others. His photography was quite beautiful, and was showcased in solo exhibits and as part of larger ones at the Factory Photo Works gallery and in the Art League in the Torpedo Factory. He moved to Marthas Road in 1951 with his wife Kitty.

2000

2001

On March 5, 2001, Charles “Mac” McCalley, Jr. passes away following cancer surgery, at the age of 85. A memorial service is held on March 9, attended by 150 people — including Robert Davenport.

“Mac” served as chief builder and construction foreman for Hollin Hills until the late 1960’s. McCalley Park, at the corner of Rippon and Paul Spring Road, is named in his honor.

••••••

In April, Hollin Hills artist Kathleen Spagnolo holds a solo exhibit at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church. Kathleen is well known to Hollin Hillers for her illustrations in the Hollin Hills Bulletin, which she did for three decades.

••••••

Hollin Hills architect Christianna Raber wins the AIA Norther Virginia chapter’s Herlong Grand Award for her shed design at her Davenport Street residence.

••••••

After a homeowner starts to build a shed and perimeter fence without obtaining approval from the Design Review Committee, despite several attempts by the DRC to discuss the matter with her, the CAHH begins legal proceedings agains the homeowner. The homeowner then agrees to submit design plans and to work with the DRC.

••••••

In October, Susan O’Hara donates two trees to McCalley Park — a Frankliniana, in memory of her husband, and an Acer Pennsylvanicum, in memory of their son.

••••••

On October 23, Joel Edwin Keys, an original Hollin Hills settler and a 31-year veteran of the CIA, passes away at the age of 80. He had served as Chief of Station in Burma (Myanmar), Sudan and Thailand, and helped the Free Thailand movement after World War II.

••••••

In the December 2001 issue of Washingtonian magazine, Marthas Road resident Jolande Goldberg is pictured as one of the Washington area’s “Fifty Brightest and Best” for her innovative work as a classification specialist at the Library of Congress.

••••••

Paige Connor Totaro of Marthas Road sets up a Yahoo group called the Hollin Hills Electronic Forum, designed as a weekly newsletter that will go out to subscribers. (Not to be confused with the Hollin Hills Open Forum, established in 2004 by Alan Warshawer.)

••••••

In December, the Jazz Neighbors — a band consisting of Hollin Hills musicians that performed at the 50th Anniversary Gala in 1999 — releases a CD titled “From a Glass House.” Featuring Peter Edelman on piano, Bob Field on bass, Bill Radin on guitar, Jim West on drums and Jane Barnett on vocals, the group “has a particular affinity for ballads from the Great American Songbook,” writes Don Hersh.

2002

Robert C. Davenport, the developer of Hollin Hills, passes away on February 7 at the age of 96, from pneumonia and congestive heart failure. After retiring from Hollin Hills in 1971 to farm full-time in Fauquier County on his 1,000-acre farm, Davenport continued to breed Black Angus and Angus-Hereford cattle for the rest of his life. Read his obituary in The Washington Post here.

A candle-lit memorial service for Davenport is held on June 21, in McCalley Park.

••••••

On February 15, Dr. Bruce C. Netschert, an original settler in Hollin Hills, passes away at the age of 82. He and his wife Tookie lived at 1913 Marthas Road from 1951 to 1989. He was well known in Hollin Hills as an extraordinarily talented and well-trained musician, who directed many of the community’s musical events.

He was also an energy economist who retired in 1989 as vice president of National Economic Research Associates, and was a founding member of Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, where he also launched and directed an cappella choir. He helped organize and direct madrigal and recorder groups and a barbershop quartet, and a book group that studied James Joyce.

••••••

On March 3, the 7th Annual Potluck is held, featuring a speech by CAHH President “Hoop” Ives-Halperin, and a performance by the Colonial Singers of West Potomac High School.

••••••

On March 16, NPR’s “All Things Considered” featured a program on Hollin Hills, with interviews with residents Gregory Hunt and Kitty Janson.

••••••

On November 3, Hollin Hills lovebirds Stephen Brookes and Alene McMahon are married in their Marthas Road home, surrounded by family and friends. Famed Hollin Hills architect, Justice of the Peace, and part-time trombonist Walter Roth (Elba Road) performs the ceremony.

2003

On March 3, 2003, original Hollin Hills settler Dr. Gilbert Wheeler Beebe passes away, at 90. An expert in the health effects of radiation, Dr. Beebe played a key role in studies of victims of the A-bombs in Japan and the Chernobyl accident in Belarus and Ukraine.

••••••

On Easter Sunday, Hollin Hills lovebirds Rick Ward and Ann Sweeney are married in their Rippon Road home, with Walter Roth (Elba Road) officiating.

••••••

On July 6, Hollin Hills pioneer Winn Morell Barefoot passes away at her home in Warren, Vermont. A resident of Marthas Road from 1951 to 1963, Winn was active in the civil rights movement, was an original member of the National Organization for Women (NOW), helped found the first Women’s Bank in Cambridge, became a clinical and research psychologist, and was a founding member of the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

••••••

On September 5, The Washington City Paper runs an excellent article on Hollin Hills and Charles Goodman, titled   “Heart of Glass.”

••••••

On November 2, “An Evening of Classical Guitar and Antiwar Poetry” is held at the Unitarian Church, with donations going to D.C. Poets Against the War.

2004

In April, the online Hollin Hills Open Forum is launched by Alan Warshawer and Tom Fina. “Our intention is to distribute whatever materials participants wish to send to other participants, subject only to a requirement that communications remain civil,” say the organizers. Click to learn more.

••••••

On April 3, nine Hollin Hills families open their homes to architectural students from the Thomas Jefferson Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians at the University of Virginia.

••••••

At the Spring Membership Meeting on April 13, members pass a motion to increase CAHH dues from $50 to $100 to help fund a five-year parks plan. The vote (123 in favor, 24 against with 1 abstention) indicates strong support for the plan, which includes removal of dangerous trees and invasive plants, and conducting land surveys.

••••••

The traditional Fourth of July picnic in Voigt Park is “truly one to remember,” writes Barbara Shear in the Bulletin. After a torrential rain, “tablecloths were a soggy mess, chairs threatened to float away, newly-formed streams ran through the food tent, and it looked as if the ponies might have to tread water.” But the picnickers rally, and after the barbecues are bailed out, the party continues. “Who ever thought that a three-legged race in three inches of mud could be such fun?” asks Shear.

••••••

The Hollin Hills Swim Team, also known as the Bluefish, has an undefeated season in 2004, winning the title of “Division 18 Champs.”

••••••

The Hollin Hills Pool celebrates its 50th anniversary with a party on September 4. The poolside champagne brunch draws 65 people, many of whom lived in Hollin Hills when the pool was built.

••••••

In October, an informal neighborhood tally finds 55 political signs for Kerry/Edwards, and 12 for Bush/Cheney.

••••••

On November 2, Architect Magazine runs an article titled, “Back to the Future.”

••••••

At the Fall Membership Meeting on November 17, members elect Judy England-Joseph as President; Pam Koger-Jesup as Vice-President; Richard Seltzer as Secretary; Chris McNamara as Parks Liaison; and Barbara Ward as Pool Liaison.

2005

On May 2, The Washington Post runs an article titled, “Hollin Hills, Coming of Age.”

••••••

After a three-and-a-half-year effort, speed bumps are installed along Paul Spring Road and Elba Road in July, the result of a drive led by by Barbara Seltzer, Anna McKenna and others, who collected signatures for a petition to VDOT.

••••••

At the CAHH Spring Membership Meeting on April 27, membership approved changes to the bylaws needed to dissolve the Hollin Hills Swim Club, Inc. and establish a Pool Governing Committee to manage, operate and maintain the Hollin Hills Pool.

••••••

Turnout for the “poetry night” meeting of the Hollin Hills Book Club in April was “very small” reports Bea Holmes, “because some of the members do not like poetry.”

••••••

The June issue of the Bulletin notes that rumors have been circulating in the community of possible sightings of an Eastern Coyote, a species that has been moving south from New England in recent years.

••••••

The Spring House and Garden Tour — arranged in only five months by Tania Ryan — takes place on May 14, featuring 14 houses and gardens. The tour sells 729 tickets, and raises about $10,000 to go to the National Historic Registry Project.

••••••

Hollin Hills artists Judy Goodkind and Solveig Cox, known for their witty and often quirky artwork, put on a collaborative exhibit titled “Domestic Affairs” from November 10 through December 5 at the Torpedo Factory.

2006

In January, Hollin Hills, its architect Charles Goodman, and landscape architect Dan Kiley (who developed more than 100 plans for the community) are all prominently featured in the sold-out symposium, DC Modern, Inventory Issues Impact: A Comprehensive Look at Washington’s Mid-Century Architecture.

••••••

A “Special Design Review Committee” is established in January, in response to concerns about teardowns and major renovations, as well as the process of the Design Review Committee communicating with the community. The group holds an open forum at the General Membership Meeting in April, and in May, the CAHH agrees to hire an attorney to provide legal assistance.

Meanwhile, the DRC continues its work, including approving a project which involves demolishing an existing structure and replacing it with another home in harmony with Hollin Hills. In response, a petition is circulated in the community requesting a special meeting of the CAHH, with the goal of halting such major home alterations until the Special DRC has completed its work. The CAHH — advised that the Covenants do not give it the authority to stop a teardown, but only to control what is put in its place — decides to wait until a legal analysis of the situation has been completed.

••••••

In February, a rare and odd-looking bird known as the American Woodcock — described as “solitary and secretive with a cryptic pattern” — is spotted in Hollin Hills, the first known sighting here. Mary-Carrol Potter reports the bird has “a prominent eye near the top of its head and a pale orange breast.”

••••••

Longtime Hollin Hills resident Leif Christoffersen is awarded the St. Olav’s Medal by the King of Norway in March, for his forty years of work in the developing world.

••••••

The adventurous percussionist and Hollin Hills resident Tom Teasley (Whiteoaks Drive) performs his composition “Word Beat” at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church on March 26, to raise funds for The Bryant Early Learning Center.

••••••

The “survey phase” of the National Register of Historic Places Nomination Project is underway; project co-chair Jere Gibber assembles volunteers to photograph and survey the neighborhood.

••••••

The House in the Woods Club is formed in May, describing itself as “a loose association open to all residents of Hollin Hills who are interested in maintaining the architecture, design and integrity Hollin Hills …. We hope that our regular open discussions will provide an unofficial venue for public deliberation on issues facing the community and that these deliberations might generate imaginative and productive proposals for maintaining the character of Hollin Hills.” The group, which includes about two dozen members, holds a number of meetings before disbanding in 2010.

In May, The Mount Vernon Gazette runs an article titled, “Glass From the Past.”

••••••

Jim Klein of Marthas Road becomes Chair of the Parks Committee, taking over from Addison Ullrich, who has served for four years.

••••••

A rash of home burglaries in Hollin Hills — four over a two-month period — prompts suggestions on how to avoid becoming a victim, as well as pleas to join the nearly-defunct Neighborhood Watch system. Three of the burglaries occurred in unlocked homes, two in broad daylight, and one while the residents were home.

••••••

The 1999 book Hollin Hills: Community of Vision goes into its second printing.

••••••

Over 750 visitors attend the 2006 House and Garden Tour on May 13, raising $12,000 to help the CAHH put Hollin Hills on the National Register of Historic Places. Tickets are $20 at the door, $15 in advance. Tania Ryan is chair of this year’s Tour Committee. See the tour brochure here.

••••••

At an event titled “Pioneers of Modernism: Charles Goodman and the Residents of Hollin Hills” held on May 9 at Design Within Reach in Washington, DC, Hollin Hills resident and architect Greg Hunt speaks on “The Planning and Architecture of Hollin Hills.” A panel of Hollin Hillers answers questions on life in the community.

••••••

The annual Fourth of July picnic in Voigt Park is a great success, featuring a bike decorating contest, a Blueberry Bakeoff, an egg toss, a three-legged race, and a scavenger hunt. The Hollin Hills Pool opens its doors to all picnic-goers for the day.

••••••

More than 80 people gather in Voigt Park on October 14 for a Texas Barbecue, with hearty “cowboy beans” and cole slaw to accompany the slow-cooked meat expertly prepared by Lee Cutler. Profits from the event will go to beautify the community’s entrances.

••••••

An exhibit of paintings by Barbara “Bobbie” Godwin — described as a show “for Hollin Hills of Hollin Hills art set in Hollin Hills” — takes place on October 21 and 22. Bobbie, who has lived in Hollin Hills for over 40 years, says her paintings “grew up here, shaped by her house, its walls, the woods, its denizens and the abundant light.”

••••••

The Fall Membership Meeting is held on November 30, and Richard Seltzer is elected as President, Pam Koger-Jesup as Vice-President, Diana White as Recording Secretary, Chris McNamara as Parks Liaison, and Sally Collins as Pool Liaison.

2007

The March 2007 issue of design magazine Wallpaper features an article on “architecture icon” Hollin Hills by Jennifer Kabat. Titled “Head for the Hills,” the article doesn’t just discuss the houses, but explores the unique culture of Hollin Hills as well.

2008

2009

On March 17, Dwell Magazine runs an article titled, “Community of Vision”

••••••

To mark the 60th anniversary of Hollin Hills, a committee led by Tania Ryan comes up with a “Six-Events-in-Six-Months” extravaganza, which unfolds over the course of the year. The celebrations include: (1) a family cookout in April; (2) a brunch at the Pool for Hollin Hills pioneers in June; (3) a parade and huge birthday cake at the 4th of July picnic; (4) a big “Dancing Under the Stars” party in August (which has to be moved from the Pool to the Ryan home due to weather); (5) a 6K race from Hollin Meadows School to Voigt Park on Labor Day; and (6) a Harvest Party and Chili Cookoff in late September, that is attended by over 100 people. (Jay Pascoe’s chili wins.)

••••••

On June 25, The Cultural Landscape Foundation runs an article titled, “Hollin Hills: Architecture and Landscape.”

••••••

The Hollin Hills Babies/Toddlers Potluck at Voigt Park on October 3 draws a big crowd, with great weather and painting supplies provided by Jeneen Piccuirro.

••••••

2010

For its Spring issue, Modernism Magazine runs an article titled, “Suburbia Gets a Good Name” by Hollin Hillers John Burns and Dennis Carmichael.

••••••

The 2010 Hollin Hills House + Garden Tour takes place on May 1, and on April 28th the National Building Museum hosts a program titled “Modernist Suburbia”, with architect John Burns and landscape architect Dennis Carmichael discussing Hollin Hills’ history, growth, and influence.  

••••••

On June 19, Hollin Hills lovebirds Tom Voskuil and Lynn Umemoto are married in their new Lisbon Lane home. “Lynn and I moved into our home on May 1st, 2010 – the day of the House + Garden Tour!” says Tom. “We had no clue it was happening on that particular day.”

••••••

On July 21, The Washington Post runs an article titled “Scene: New York City (with Hollin Hills in the background)” about Dan Bishop and Jeremy Conway, who both grew up in Hollin Hills and went on to become prominent television set directors for “Mad Men” (Bishop) and “Sex and the City” (Conway).

The Hollin Hills architecture, says Bishop, “did influence my sensibilities about modern homes. I live in one now, with glass walls surrounded by trees in South Pasadena. Truthfully,” he adds, “I would rather live in a Hollin Hills house.”

••••••

On December 24, original Hollin Hills settler Edward Risley dies at 87. Ed and his wife Cynthia lived on Beechwood Road from 1953 to 1998. He spent his career at the Department of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of the Interior.

After retiring from the federal government, Risley became a full-time environmental activist, and co-founded the Friends of Dyke Marsh in 1976.

“Ed Risley was a role model environmentalist and a witty sophisticated friend,” remembered Board secretary Dorothy McManus.

2011

On February 19, The Washington Post runs an article on Charles Goodman’s own home on North Quaker Lane, which is up for sale. Writer Nancy McKeon notes that the glass pavilion that Goodman added to the original farmhouse “has space and volume to spare: It forms a living room 20 feet wide by 34 feet long with 10-foot ceilings … a cantilevered concrete fireplace and ledge are anchored in a massive stone wall that rises to meet the ceiling, which is sheathed in hardwood planking that lends the potentially austere room some warmth. And for real warmth, the slate floor underfoot has radiant heat.” The asking price is $1.3 million.

••••••

Well over 60 Hollin Hillers attend the CAHH Spring Membership Meeting on April 11 at Hollin Meadows Elementary School, and vote overwhelmingly to approve long-debated revisions to the Design Review Committee guidelines — recognizing that most of these revisions were for clarity and did not dramatically change the original guidelines, created in 1985.

“The process to get to this point took five years,” noted CAHH President Jay Pascoe afterwards. “Involved were the volunteers of the two subcommittees who donated hundreds of hours of time to meet, discuss, debate, draft, re-debate and re-draft reports on architectural elements and DRC processes, and there were three different DRC chairs and panels who took these reports and worked and re-worked them into documents for the members of three different boards to consider, all before the community began their work of providing input. Then there were two town hall meetings for the homeowners to provide their suggestions, comments and concerns…. This is what working together is all about.”

••••••

H. Wallace “Wally” Sinaiko, a psychologist and resident of Hollin Hills since 1961, passes away on April 25. He was a frequent contributor to the Bulletin, writing restaurant reviews and a column called “The Meanderer,” commenting on people and places he encountered as he strolled through Hollin Hills.

••••••

Under the direction of Pool Board Chair Peter Kinzler (Stafford Road), the Hollin Hills Pool undergoes an extensive facelift in time for summer, with old tiles and coping stones replaced.

••••••

On May 27, jazz poet, musician and former Hollin Hiller Gil Scott-Heron passes away. Best known for “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” a poem he delivered over a jazz-soul beat (and considered a huge influence on hip hop music), Gil lived on Marthas Circle in the early 1970’s, when he taught literature and creative writing at the University of the District of Columbia while continuing his music career.

••••••

Hollin Hills wins a significant tax victory in June. After being notified earlier in the year of a Fairfax County assessment increase (amounting to about $7,000) on several community-owned park properties , including the Pool and the tennis courts, CAHH Treasurer Ron McCallum launches a major appeal with County officials and wins, not only securing a tax exemption on all the properties in question (the CAHH will no longer have to pay taxes on that land) but also gets the county to agree to refund the taxes paid for the past three years. As a result, the CAHH will receive a check for $5,457.43 (plus interest).

••••••

The Fourth of July parade features a timeless appearance by the Hollin Hills Lawn Chair Drill Team led by Mary Ann Rametta (Hopa Court), which wows all of Hollin Hills and sets a new standard for lawn chair drill teams everywhere.

••••••

On July 14, Admiral Noel Gayler (Mason Hill Drive) passes away at the age of 96. During a highly successful military career, Admiral Gayler served as commander of the American forces in the Pacific, and later as Director of the National Security Agency.

In 1945, he observed Hiroshima just six days after the first atomic bomb was dropped, an experience which contributed to his becoming an ardent and eloquent advocate of nuclear disarmament — a cause that he continued to champion after his retirement from the Navy in 1976.

••••••

In October, Bill Miller (Beechwood Road) receives an award from the international organization Search For Common Ground, for his work in helping free two American hikers imprisoned in Iran for 26 months. Bill, who is a senior policy scholar with the Woodrow Wilson International Center, was ambassador to Ukraine under President Clinton.

••••••

In October, the well-known architecture critic (and former Hollin Hiller) Michael Sorkin publishes an article about Hollin Hills in Architecture Today, titled “My Kind of Town.”

••••••

Marion Lipsis Tiger, an original settler of Hollin Hills who lived on Marthas Road between 1951 and 2010 (with periods overseas), passes away on November 19. A talented illustrator and writer, she was a founding member of the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, and wrote and produced the 40th anniversary publication Hollin Hills: A History Into the Fourth Decade.

••••••

At the CAHH Winter Membership Meeting on December 12, Hillary Ginsberg is elected Membership Chair; Pam Willams as Parks Liaison; and Sally Sciacca as Social Chair. An engineer from the Fairfax County Stormwater Planning Division also briefs the audience of 60 on the Paul Spring Tributary Improvement Project, designed to minimize stormwater damage in the Goodman and Brickelmaier Park areas.

••••••

Real estate prices continue to rise: While the number of homes sold in Hollin Hills dropped from 23 in 2010, to 15 in 2011, the average sales price increased for the fourth year in a row, from $652,829 to $656,427.

2012

In March, writer Ian Roberts (Rippon Road) publishes Figments and Fragments, a collection of his poetry and prose.

••••••

On March 26, 2012, The Washington Post announces that David Rivera and Jaelith Hall-Rivera are the winners of the paper’s ‘Mad Men’ Look contest, for their impeccably-decorated Kimbro Street home. “While the contest’s judges each nominated a different slate of finalists, they were unanimous that the Rivera/Hall-Rivera house should win,” reports the Post.

••••••

At the CAHH Spring Membership Meeting on April 18, an amendment to the bylaws s proposed by former Parks Committee Chair Jim Klein that would provide a new framework for the management of the parks. The amendment fails to pass, with 44 members in favor and 55 opposed.

••••••

The Hollin Hills Potters holds their annual “seconds” sale — a Hollin Hills tradition for decades — on May 12, featuring the work of six potters.

••••••

Yoga camps are offered this summer by Jeneen Piccuirro at her Studio in the Woods on Rebecca Drive.

••••••

A derecho on June 29 knocks down dozens of big trees in Hollin Hills, blocking streets and taking out power lines. Power is still out for many on a brutally hot July 4, but the 2012 picnic and parade is warmly received, thanks to the cool head of Social Chair Sally Sciacca. Despite a lack of electricity, Marinka Tellier powers through with her “No Bake Bluerecho Trifle”, which wins the Blueberry Bakeoff Grand Prize.

••••••

At the CAHH Winter Membership Meeting on December 5, new Board members are elected, including Ron McCallum as President, Kay Wiedenfeller as Vice-President, Susan Kubach as Treasurer, David Rivera and Jaelith Hall-Rivera as Recording Secretaries, Chris Hall as Pool Liaison, and Debbie Burns as MVCCA Liaison. Hillary Ginsberg and Pam Williams will continue to serve on the Board as Directors-at-Large.

2013

The Hollin Hills archives — about forty boxes of historical materials covering nearly 60 years of community life, which had long been housed with Hollin Hills archivist Judy Riggin — are moved to their new home in George Mason University’s Fenwick Library in February, where they will receive professional maintenance and cataloging. More info here.

••••••

Ray E. Odom, an original Hollin Hills settler and resident of Beechwood Road for more than 50 years, passes away on March 18 at the age of 91, after an influential life. An aide to Harry L. Hopkins in the FDR White House, Ray was assigned to the American Embassy in Moscow and later worked for W. Averell Harriman, Special Assistant to the President. He joined the US Agency for International Development in 1962, holding responsible positions in the Vietnam Bureau, the East Asia Bureau, and the Africa Bureau, before retiring in 1980.

••••••

On March 21, Hollin Hills pioneer and noted sculptor Gaines “Pat” Monk passes away, just four days after his 92nd birthday. Pat, who lived on Brentwood Place for more than 59 years, had a distinguished scientific career before becoming a successful artist and sculptor. His sculpture garden at 2411 Brentwood Place delighted Hollin Hills for many years.

••••••

The Hollin Hills Bulletin goes digital in May, resulting in considerable savings in postage and printing, and a more environmentally-friendly approach.

••••••

The first Hollin Hills Community Yard Sale is held on May 4 in the parking lot of the Pool. Some 20 households take part, and business is brisk. “We made some money, we made some new friends, we made some space in our closets,” says organizer Friederike Ahrens. “Win, win, win!”

••••••

The 4th of July picnic in Voigt Park is an exuberant event, with a parade led by a Fairfax County fire engine, a blueberry dessert competition, pony rides, the Mount Vernon Community Band, the usual wheelbarrow and three-legged races, and the wildly popular egg toss. “More than 600 hot dogs were prepared and quickly wolfed down,” reports the Bulletin, “along with a tentful of salads and desserts.”

••••••

Hollin Hills is placed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 30, 2013 in recognition of the significance both of its architecture and its community planning and development efforts. The status reflects “the creativity of Robert C. Davenport's financing and the inventiveness of Charles Goodman's modern house designs.” It’s a great success for the Hollin Hills National Register Nomination Committee, which is co-chaired by Jere Gibber and Pam Koger-Jesup and includes John A. Burns, Judy England-Joseph, Robert Fina, Tom Kerns, Bob Kinzer, and Scott Wilson.

••••••

Hollin Hills holds its first Oktoberfest celebration — the brainchild of Jaelith Hall-Rivera and David Rivera — on October 5, drawing well over 200 Hollin Hillers. “Lederhosen, dirndls, and Bavarian hats were sported by several Oktoberfest fashionistas,” writes Ron McCallum in the Bulletin, and the cuisine included bratwurst, sauerkraut, pretzels and “the indispensable ingredient, Oktoberfest beer.” There was plenty of fun for kids as well, including a barrel race, a water cup race, glitter tattoos, and pumpkin painting, all overseen by CAHH Social Chair Judy Beelaert.

••••••

On October 5, The Washington Post runs a “Neighborhood profile” on Hollin Hills, and Lee Braun, Mike McGill, Tania Ryan, Steve Kistler and Hana Hirschfeld are all interviewed on the life and architecture of the community.

••••••

After a hiatus of a few years, the Garden Club is revived and holds its initial meeting at Mary-Carroll Potter’s home. The group plans monthly meetings “with topics that will interest experienced gardeners as well as beginners and those in between,” the group says.

••••••

The December Bulletin runs an article on the history of the Neighborhood Watch in Hollin Hills, describing a rather elaborate system that existed a number of years ago, when it was well-staffed by volunteers. That “active watch” system — of neighbors patrolling the neighborhood in cars, looking for suspicious activity — has now been largely abandoned, writes Jay Pascoe, replaced with a more informal “passive watch” system in which residents are encouraged to report suspicious activity directly to the police.

••••••

The December Fall Membership Meeting of the CAHH is dominated by a discussion of the fast-rising deer population in Hollin Hills. “The deer management matter was not resolved,” notes the Bulletin, “leaving open the possibility of a special membership meeting where specialists in the subject matter could be invited to address the membership.” The deer problem will consume Hollin Hills (literally) for years to come.

••••••

In December, Anna McKenna, who lived in Hollin Hills from 1964 to 2012, passes away at the age of 85. Anna’s life was shaped by her adventurous spirit, sense of social justice, and love of nature and people, which led her to work as a CIA agent in Greece, participate in civil rights protests, and send her kids to Burgundy Farm—a school that was integrated and child-centered at a time when most Virginia schools were neither. Anna was also a beloved teacher and colleague at Burgundy, where she taught from 1970-1994.

••••••

Noel Hemmendinger, one of the first settlers of Hollin Hills and a resident since 1950, turns 100 years old on December 25, and throws a party at the Cosmos Club, where he has gone for many years to play bridge every Tuesday afternoon. At the birthday celebration, reports his wife Marjorie, “there were many fine toasts and tributes, including a birthday card from President Obama,” adding quickly that “people at one hundred are often so honored.”

••••••

Also on Christmas Eve, the annual caroling in McCalley Park attracts an enthusiastic group of singers who, reports the Bulletin, “although not posing a great threat to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, nevertheless managed to start and finish most of their songs in unison, if not in complete harmony.”

2014

The Hollin Hills Garden Club meets on February 24, and hears Jim McGlone, of the Virginia Department of Forestry, speak on “Made in the Shade: Selecting Trees and Shrubs for the Hollin Hills Landscape.”

••••••

The 2014 House & Garden Tour takes place on on Saturday, May 3, featuring nine houses and two gardens as well as a lecture on “Early Goodman Architecture and Influences Through the Design and Development of Hollin Hills” at the Hollin Meadows school. The tour nets $22,000 for the community.

••••••

On June 7, The Hollin Hills Pool celebrates its 60th anniversary.

••••••

The Hollin Hills Potters honor renowned ceramicist Solveig Cox, who is moving to Massachusetts after 53 years in Hollin Hills, with a reception and show at the Torpedo Factory on June 8.

••••••

At the CAHH Fall Membership Meeting on December 3, Gus Matson is elected President (taking over from Ron McCallum), Barbara Southworth is elected Secretary, Susan Kubach becomes Treasurer, Michael Plotnick is elected MVCCA Liaison, Bob Kinzer becomes Parks Liaison, and Laura Kistler is elected to be Pool Liaison.

2015

The Civic Association holds its 20th Annual Winter Potluck at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church’s historic Hollin Hall on February 8, with over a hundred Hillers taking part.

••••••

In March, a wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), is spotted on Drury Lane, causing much discussion. Apparently there are only 7.8 million of them left in the wild.

At the Spring Membership Meeting in April, it is revealed that 331 households were Civic Association members in 2014, and that more are expected to join this year. Members discussed ways to raise the membership numbers, including using the Bulletin. Editor Barbara Shear took the moment to remind the group that, although she enjoys the job, she was not appointed editor-for-life, and will someday need to be replaced. (She continues in the position for another five years.)

There is also discussion of the litigation relating to the roof on the Cutler house on Rebecca Drive, which was not approved by the DRC. The membership agrees that pursuing litigation is worthwhile to preserve the Goodman style and the value of Hollin Hills homes, and there are offers to support the litigation financially, if neccesary.

••••••

The third annual Hollin Hills Community Yard Sale takes place on Saturday, April 18, at the Hollin Hills Pool parking lot. Recent water damage to the lot from a knocked over water hydrant did not interfere with the event.

••••••

The Hollin Hills Swim Team (aka the Bluefish) celebrates its 60th season at the pool on June 13.

••••••

On June 24, Washingtonian Magazine runs a brief story titled, “Inside Roberta Flack’s Former Home in Hollin Hills”, with lots of photos of the Marthas Road house (with kidney-shaped pool, of course) in which Flack (and later Gil Scott-Heron) lived in the 1970s.

••••••

At the annual Blueberry Bake-off on July 4, the brother and sister team of Claire and Jack McCarthy are named Grand Champions for their Blueberry Lemon Buckle. Chris Methof takes first place for her Decadent Blueberry Cheesecake, and second place goes to Sarah Jesup for Fruit Pizza—cleverly designed in the shape and colors of the American flag. Lena Crawley’s Blueberries and Stripes ties with Beth Gibble’s Grandma’s Blueberry Pie for third, fourth goes to Leo and Theo Hersh’s aptly-titled dish “The Fourth,” and fifth goes to to Joe Kitrosser for Remington Double Berry Blueberry Pie.

••••••

On September 4, Jaelith Hall-Rivera is interviewed on WAMU as part of their “Door to Door” series. Hollin Hills “attracted the sort of people who thought differently — artists, designers— and a lot of people who had lived all over the world,” says Hall-Rivera. “People in the Foreign Service or people who came here from other countries. So it’s a really an eclectic, interesting group of people. And that continues to this day.”

Richard M. Moose, an influential diplomat and longtime resident of Hollin Hills, passes away on September 25, at the age of 83. Dick and his wife Maggie first lived on Glasgow Road in the 1960s before building their house on Kimbro Street, where they lived in the 1970s and 1980s.

During the Johnson Administration, Dick served as special assistant to National Security Advisor Walt Rostow, where he became an early skeptic of the Vietnam War. He remained at the National Security Council into the Nixon administration, but his views clashed with those of the new National Security Adviser, Henry Kissinger, and he resigned in late 1969. When Kissinger had Moose’s Hollin Hills phone tapped (suspecting him of leaking to the press), Dick and his wife sued Kissinger, and the case was settled.

Dick then served with Congressman Morris K. Udall, and later for then-Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator William J. Fulbright. He co-authored, with colleague James Lowenstein, a series of reports exposing the United States' secret bombings in Cambodia.

Upon the election of Jimmy Carter, Dick was appointed Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, during a period of intense American engagement across the continent. He was in the forefront of U.S. policy initiatives, none more important than fostering a peaceful transition in South Africa from apartheid to a democratic government, which opened the door to the election of Nelson Mandela as President. He also took the lead in formulating the strategy to secure Zimbabwe's independence in that same region.

••••••

The third annual Oktoberfest celebration takes place on October 17, drawing some 250 Hollin Hillers. The CAHH provides bratwurst, individual households bring a side or dessert to share, and the Mount Vernon Community Band — in Bavarian dress, of course — plays German oompah music.

••••••

At the CAHH Fall Membership Meeting on December 7, Chris McNamara is elected as vice president, Linda Benson as membership chair, and Susmita Dastidar as social director.

2016

Eason Cross, Jr., an award-winning architect who lived in Hollin Hills for 60 years, passes away on January 28. As an architect with Charles M. Goodman Associates, Cross took a leading role in designing Hollin Hills, and wrote extensively about its architecture. A student of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius at the Harvard School of Design, Cross went on to win many awards and took an active role in the life of Hollin Hills (where he moved in 1956), serving on the Design Review Committee for decades and as President of the Civic Association in 1978.

••••••

Kathleen Spagnolo, a remarkable artist and resident of Hollin Hills since 1953, passes away on February 15, at the age of 96. Both she and her husband Frank were active members of the Hollin Hills community — teaching art, designing and illustrating publications, and hosting art groups and discussions.

Her elegant line drawings illustrated the Hollin Hills Bulletin and Directory, and some, like her iconic “houses in the trees” design, are used to this day. Her prints and paintings are in the collections of the VA Museum; Georgetown University; American and George Washington Universities, and the Imperial War Museum in the UK, as well as numerous private collections.

••••••

Photographer Caroline Space publishes “Forest of Lorien”, a photojournalistic essay on Hollin Hills. She interviews Barbara Ward, Jaan Holt, Bobbie and Al Seligmann, Frank Collins III, Tom and Eleanor Fina, David Rivera and Jaelith Hall-Rivera, and others, with engaging photographs of the community.

••••••

David Matthews points out in the March Bulletin the imminent danger to the parks posed by erosion. “Every time a heavy or sustained rainfall occurs in our region,” he writes, “the steep inclines that begin at the top of Marthas Road allow the rain water to accelerate to a speed and force that is directly responsible for large scale soil erosion.”

The letter prompts CAHH President Gus Matson to walk through Goodman Park, where he says he was “stunned” at the seriousness of the problem, and remarks on a giant, ten-foot-deep crevice only a few steps from the path.

That month, Elisabeth Lardner, an accomplished professional landscape architect and Hollin Hills resident since 1993, takes on the role of Parks Committee Chair. In an article in the May Bulletin, she highlights the erosion issue and the problem of invasive, non-native plants.

“Restarting Fairfax County’s stormwater work proposed for Goodman Park is my highest priority,” she says. “The urgency to implement this effort was made clear by my discovery of a broken lateral sanitary sewer line in the park directly above the stream, caused by erosion.”

••••••

The 21st annual CAHH Winter Potluck at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church’s Hollin Hall takes place on February 28, drawing more than a hundred people. “Recipes were exchanged over the tables, along with news of our neighborhood and the state of the world in general,” writes Social Chair Susmita Dastidar. “Children flew in briefly to demolish the sweet treats and juices.”

••••••

On April 17, David Nexon (Glasgow Road) gives a talk at the Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church on his 2016 book about Senator Edward Kennedy, Lion of the Senate. It’s an insider’s look at how Kennedy managed, over two years, to hold at bay both Newt Gingrich and his Republican majority.

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin has called Nexon’s prize-winning book (co-written with Nick Littlefield) “the best book I have read about the inner dynamics of the United States Senate.”

••••••

On May 9, a group of interested residents meet with Jim McGlone from the Virginia Department of Forestry to discuss generating a plan for the 30+ acres of parkland in Hollin Hills. The talk is followed up by a walk, open to all, through several of the parks on June 4.

Also in May, the broken lateral sewer line in Goodman Park is repaired and stabilized.

••••••

The 2016 House + Garden Tour takes place on Saturday, April 30, with 12 houses on the tour, including the homes of Ginny and Peter Kinzler, Christine and Brian Hooks, Sally and Ken Wilson, Alene McMahon and Stephen Brookes, Stine Riis and Zach Mowers, and many more . Good weather and more than 1,300 visitors make it a huge success. See the tour brochure here.

••••••

The 2016 Fourth of July Picnic came off in style, reports Gus Matson: “The parade marched, the ponies provided exciting rides, the bicycles were stunning, the food and beverages were delicious, races were run, and eggs were tossed to their inevitable messy conclusion. At the end, of course, it poured down rain, proving once again that God likes the picnic and did not want it to end.”

••••••

On September 27, the judge in the Velma Cutler case rules, granting the defendants’ motion to dismiss. She cites that the CAHH does not own property in Section Six of Hollin Hills (where the Cutler property is located) and thus does not have standing, but adds that if CAHH did have standing she still would have dismissed the suit on other grounds. First, Virginia disfavors restrictive covenants, and it is unreasonable that potentially 400 home owners would have to approve [changes]. Second, no notices of the covenants or explanatory packets were given to prospective purchasers, nor were the Design Review Committee (DRC) guidelines filed with the land records. Third, the application by the DRC was uneven, and therefore unreasonable, based on the pictures and testimony that DRC decisions were not uniform. The CAHH files a Notice of Appeal.

(To review: the CAHH had filed suit against Velma H. Cutler for having violated the restrictive covenants of the Deed of Dedication and Subdivision for Section Six Hollin Hills, by changing the shape of her roof without prior written permission from the DRC. The CAHH asked the court to instruct Ms. Cutler to restore the roof to its pre-construction shape and go to the DRC, as is required by the covenants.

At the outset of the trial, the defense made a motion to strike (dismiss the case), saying that the CAHH had no standing to sue since it did not own land in Section Six, and further, that even if the court found that the CAHH did have standing, Ms. Cutler's house was in conformity and harmony of exterior design with the other houses in Section Six. The judge held ruling on the motion in abeyance, and had the plaintiff and defense present their cases.)

••••••

At a Special Meeting of the CAHH on November 1, called to discuss the outcome of the Velma Cutler litigation and consider next steps, members agreed that several possibilities should be explored, including: 1) Do nothing at all, and continue as we have; 2) Continue the litigation through appeal; 3) Try to become a Fairfax County Historic Overlay District; 4) Use individual easements (at the homeowner level) to protect the status of the individual property; 5) Change restrictive covenants to remove weaknesses and clarify definitions.

••••••

On October 30, residents of Beechwood Road hold their 9th annual “Alternative Halloween: More Fun with Less Sugar” party. “Neighbors provide alternative non-candy "treats" for the littlest ones,” say the organizers, including “popcorn, small toys, play dough, pretzels, hot apple cider, bubbles, crayons, spooky music, and lots of fun!”

••••••

On November 4, most of the residents of Drury Lane — young, old, and canine—gather at the end-of-street circle to celebrate the last vestiges of the outdoor picnic season with a firepit bonfire and a feast of hamburgers with all the fixings. “As the evening draws to a close while we roast our s’mores,” writes one resident, “everyone agrees it had been a wonderful gathering, and we should definitely do it s’more.”

••••••

At the CAHH Fall Membership Meeting on December 7, Gus Matson is elected as President for a second two-year term; Friederike Ahrens as Secretary; Kathy Seikel as MVCCA Representative; and Laura Kistler as Pool Liaison.

••••••

On December 22, Granta Magazine publishes “The Fairytale,” a thoughtful, probing essay on growing up in Hollin Hills, by Jennifer Kabat. Read it here.

2017

Original Hollin Hills settler Noel Hemmendinger — an attorney who worked for the Department of Justice and the State Department before founding his own law firm, passes away on January 3 at his Marthas Road home, at the age of 103. Noel and his wife Marjorie moved to Hollin Hills in 1954.

••••••

Solveig Cox, an early settler of Hollin Hills and a well-known ceramics artist who helped found the Torpedo Factory Arts Center, passes away in March at 86. She began her studies at Bennington College, and continued in Germany at the Corcoran Gallery. She lived and worked in Hollin Hills for more than 50 years.

••••••

The Friends of Hollin Hills (FOHH) is approved in May as a Section 501(c)(3) organization. The FOHH is an active, volunteer-led charity and educational group that works to preserve and enhance the Historic District of Hollin Hills and all of its resources.

••••••

At the annual Spring Membership Meeting at Sherwood Hall Library in May, CAHH members discuss obtaining Fairfax County Historic Overlay District status for Hollin Hills. (Note: HOD status was approved in March, 2022.)

••••••

In September, the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, Stormwater Planning Division, receives funding to assess and design a stream restoration project for Goodman Park. In the fall of 2016, a County team reviewed the site and determined the stream was eroding and contributing to poor water quality.

••••••

The first-ever Hollin Hills Turkey Trot takes place on Thanksgiving, with about 160 runners and walkers embarking on a cold (36 degrees), hilly, 5K course throughout Hollin Hills. Young Henrik Ahrens finishes first in 22 minutes, and equally impressive is 81-year-old Sandy White, who finishes the race at an inspiring pace.

2018

Jeanette Morrow — an original settler of Hollin Hills who was known as ‘the Mayor of Recard Lane’ — passes away on April 5. After moving to Hollin Hills in 1952 with her husband Chris, Jeanette organized the successful Babysitting Pool (and the less-successful Shared Neighborhood Lawn Mower), and helped produce the Hollin Hills Bulletin back when it was just sheets of mimeographed paper stapled together.

••••••

The 2018 House and Garden Tour in April features eleven Hollin Hills homes and gardens and is a huge success, with more than 1500 tickets sold. Organizers Chris Kitzmiller and Heidi Hess brought off this very complicated event with aplomb, as CAHH President Gus Matson noted in the Bulletin.

“There were 127 homeowners, committee people, and docents involved, not to mention presenting partners, sponsors, supporters, advertisers,” wrote Matson. “There were artists, graphic designers, photographers, architects, printers, food trucks, donators of floor protector booties and food. There was much volunteered social media marketing and fund-raising. There were the cat-herders who found and organized volunteers—and the list just goes on and on. The effort wasn’t large; it was mind-boggling!”  See the tour brochure here.

••••••

In June, Fairfax County (with its design contractor, Stantec) completes the 35% design and construction documents for the planned stream restoration work in Goodman Park. The County holds a walk-through in the Park on June 9, and a public meeting on June 12 at Sherwood Hall Library, soliciting public input.

“Requests to adjust the design concept are most effective in the early design stages of a project,” says Parks Chair Elisabeth Lardner in the Bulletin, encouraging resident input into the plan.

“The County and its design contractor are much more likely to respond positively to our requests for design changes, to save specific trees, or to consider a different stream restoration technique if we make those requests now, rather than later in the project stage.”

••••••

In the June Bulletin, Lee Ann Kinzer (Paul Spring Road) reports that she is is monitoring frogs in Paul Spring Park for FrogWatch USA. “It's lonely in the woods at night, listening for frogs and not hearing them,” she says. “I remain optimistic, hoping the evenings are just too chilly.” Only the male frogs call, she says. “Those smart females are totally silent,” she adds. “Go figure what that means.”

••••••

On June 30, Kimbro Street holds its third consecutive block party despite 95 degree heat. The party features a pig roasted ‘Lechón style’ for ten hours over an open pit, with volunteers taking turns rotating the spit.

••••••

On July 14, Hollin Hills lovebirds Tony Morris and Gail Kropf are married in their back yard on Elba Road. All nine of their combined grandchildren take part in the wedding, singing "Over the Rainbow" as part of the ceremony.

••••••

The Friends of Hollin Hills holds a fundraiser on November 11, with a cocktail party and silent auction at the home of Christine and Brian Hooks. Nearly a hundred guests bid in the silent auction on prints, ceramics, and jewelry by current and past Hollin Hills artists including Sarah Jesup, Kathleen Spagnolo, and Solveig Cox.

••••••

During 2018, Friends of Hollin Hills adds panels to the neighborhood entry signs to recognize the status as a Historic District; installs new benches in McCalley Park and cans for trash and recycling in Voigt Park; and funds refinishing of all community-owned benches and tables in the parks. It also hosted three panel discussions on energy efficiency in midcentury modern homes, modern landscapes in a wooded environment, and the architectural history of Hollin Hills.

••••••

At the CAHH 2018 Fall Membership Meeting on December 4, members elect Patrick Kelly as President (taking over from Gus Matson); Alan Barak as Director-at-large; Sally Watkins as Parks Liaison; Regino Madrid as Social Chair; Mohra Gavankar as Secretary: and Sally Sciacca as MVCCA Liaison.

2019

Violin virtuoso Gino Madrid, who has lived on Stafford Road for the past five years and plays for the National Symphony Orchestra, is profiled in the Hollin Hills Bulletin in February.

“I love what I do,” he says. “Whether it’s exposing newbies to classical music and opening up a new world for them, or performing a work that someone loves and is very familiar with and having them hear it in a different way.”

••••••

Friends of Hollin Hills presents a talk on The Natural History of Hollin Hills by Dr. Ted Shear, a professor at NC State and a restoration ecologist, on March 10.

••••••

On March 11, Supervisor Dan Storck holds a community meeting at the Hollin Meadows Elementary School to discuss the potential Historic Overlay District (HOD) designation for Hollin Hills.

••••••

A large majority of Hollin Hills households — 74 percent — sign a petition requesting that Fairfax County Supervisor Dan Storck seek the Board of Supervisors’ approval to begin evaluating whether Hollin Hills should be designated an Historic Overlay District, adding further protections to the community’s architectural integrity.

••••••

On August 27, the 65-percent construction documents for the Goodman and Brickelmaier Parks project are shared with the Hollin Hills community, with a walk-through of both parks by County staff, and a public Q&A meeting in the evening.

••••••

William Miller, a resident of Beechwood Road with his wife Susanne since 1967, passes away on September 23, at the age of 88. A former Associate Dean and Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Bill served as President of the American Committee on United States-Soviet Relations, and from 1993 to 1998 was the US Ambassador to Ukraine. He was also a Senior Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute of Strategic Studies, and the Middle East Institute.

••••••

At the 2019 Fall Membership Meeting on November 19, with 93 members attending in person and 43 members submitting proxies, approval is granted to move ahead with the Stream Restoration project for Goodman and Brickelmaier Parks, following extensive presentations and a lengthy question and answer period.

2020

The Civic Association hosts the annual Winter Potluck event on February 9, with an “Oscar Night” theme.

••••••

In a March 4 article titled “Hollin Hills: Mad About Mid-Century Modern”, Alexandria Living Magazine showcases the beautifully-updated Marthas Road home of Jessie and Matt Cornelius (scheduled to be on the upcoming House+Garden Tour), with a gallery of photos by Hollin Hills photographer Tod Connell.

••••••

As the emerging Covid-19 pandemic worsens in March, the CAHH Board cancels the Spring Membership Meeting planned for April 14, and puts together a master list of volunteers willing to run errands such as grocery shopping or getting prescription refills for residents who should remain isolated from public areas.

••••••

Due to the pandemic, the Hollin Hills House + Tour Committee decides to postpone the May tour until later in the year.

••••••

Architect and critic Michael Sorkin, a Hollin Hills native who became one of the most insightful writers on architecture of his time, passes away in March at the age of 71, due to complications from Covid-19. His family lived at 7315 Rebecca Drive.

A good assessment of Sorkin’s life and work can be found in Kate Wagner’s excellent overview in The Architectural Review. Excerpts from his essay “Hollin Hills: Happy Experiment in Modernity” can be found here.

••••••

In March, the Friends of Hollin Hills funds the placement of topsoil, sod, and rubber matting in a portion of Voigt Park as a long-term solution to prevent erosion at the entrance to the park. Robert Fina (Brentwood Place) manages the project.

••••••

The May 2020 Bulletin arrives, with a note that anyone needing help in the Covid lockdown should contact the Civic Association; another note that the CAHH itself is “desperate” for a volunteer to update and maintain the rather derelict Hollin Hills website; a report on a new anti-erosion mat at the edge of Voigt Park, funded by the Friends of Hollin Hills and installed by Robert Fina; and a report on the many ways Hollin Hillers are coping with the Covid lockdown, including volunteering in the parks, reading, doing jigsaw puzzles, painting rocks, making face masks, and more.

••••••

On May 5, County Supervisor Dan Storck writes to Hollin Hills residents, underscoring his support for the stream restoration project in Goodman and Brickelmaier Parks. “Our environmental consultants, professional county staff, CAHH and most Hollin Hills community members support the modified final plan being implemented by the County,” writes Storck. “I support these final plans as well.”

••••••

The June 2020 Bulletin is published, with updates on the Civic Association membership drive (some 200 members have joined or renewed by mid-May); a welcome to new residents; an announcement that the July 4 picnic will be replaced by a parade; news that Paul Trombley has been appointed to the DRC; and farewells to Alice Lauthers and Henry Geller, both original settlers of Hollin Hills who passed away earlier this year. There’s no announcement, but this will be the final Bulletin edited by longtime editor Barbara Shear.

••••••

In June, the indefatigable Barbara Shear steps down as editor of the Hollin Hills Bulletin, after an astounding 22 years at the helm. She is 89 years old — and only stepping aside because her publishing software is outdated, and she doesn’t want to learn a new system.

Stephen Brookes, a former foreign correspondent and a culture critic for The Washington Post, takes on the role. He asks that the Bulletin be editorially independent of the CAHH Board, and distributed to all members of the Hollin Hills community, rather than just CAHH members. The CAHH Board agrees.

••••••

The first of three free summer classical music concerts, featuring some of Hollin Hills’ most gifted musicians, takes place in Voigt Park on June 21. The performance features a horn quartet led by the National Symphony Orchestra’s Abel Pereira (Marthas Road), and a string trio with Regino Madrid (Stafford Road) on violin and Jerome Gordon (Rebecca Drive) on viola.

••••••

In June, a six-inch-high gnome house mysteriously appears on Elba Road. The question: was it approved by the Design Review Committee? The answer is ungnome to this day.

••••••

Judy Riggin, who took on the role of Hollin Hills archivist and organized decades’ worth of photographs and written material that were foundational to the book “Hollin Hills: Community of Vision,” passes away on June 2 at her home on Nemeth Court. Her work ensured that much of Hollin Hills’ history would be preserved and made accessible at George Mason University.

••••••

Marjorie Hemmendinger — economist, gallery owner, and beloved Marthas Road resident for more than six decades — passes away on June 30, at age 97. Marjorie worked as an economist in the Executive Office of the President, and later at the World Bank and the State Department.

After she and her husband Noel moved to Hollin Hills in 1953, she founded the Full Circle Gallery in Old Town Alexandria in 1973, showing the work of Isamu Noguchi, woodworker George Nakashima and other artists.

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The traditional July 4th picnic in Voigt Park had to be cancelled this year due to Covid, so the CAHH put on a July 4 Parade instead.

Twelve classic (and wonderfully decorated) vehicles wound their way through Hollin Hills, while neighbors – decked out on their lawns in their best red, white and blue – celebrated with waving, cheering and free ice cream, passed out from a “caboose” car at the end of the parade.

Other traditions including Oktoberfest must also be cancelled in 2020, but new events — including classical music concerts in Voigt Park, featuring neighborhood musicians — are introduced.

••••••

The Summer 2020 edition of the Hollin Hills Bulletin runs, with a farewell note from Barbara Shear; reports on the 4th of July celebrations and the Grads Parade (with lots of great pictures by Becky Skavdal); news that the Hollin Hills Potters had to shut down their studio due to Covid; a memorial for Hollin Hills archivist Judy Riggin; a note on the Hollin Hills 50th Anniversary Cookbook (newly discovered by Jeff Borman) with some vintage recipes for cole slaw; and much more.

••••••

In a profile in the Bulletin, painter and art collector Rick Ward explains why his Marthas Road house and garden are filled with cutting-edge American art.

“It’s all silence, it’s all poetry,” he says. “You spend your time developing a sense of what’s important. And that’s the joy of it.” Read more.

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The pathbreaking, Goodman-designed Alcoa House at 7801 Elba Road, one of only two dozen ever built, gets a complete and meticulous renovation from new owners Lee and Peter Braun. It’s a masterpiece.

(Read about the renovation here.)

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In August, Hollin Hills pioneers Arnold and Margaret Edelman (Recard Lane) celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary. What's their secret for a long and happy marriage? "It helps to live a long time," says Arnold. "And in my case, to be married to someone tolerant of my various goofs!" Margaret's response: "Love comes before the tolerance. I just loved him. I still do."

In August, Kathryn Galt “Kitty” Janson, a much-loved resident of Hollin Hills for more than six decades, passes away at the age of 99. Kitty and her husband Lars were original settlers of Hollin Hills, buying their Martha’s Road home in 1951.

••••••

Also in August, Gabriel and Liudmila Schoenfeld are married in their Marthas Road home — six days after moving in.

••••••

The Hollin Hills Tennis Club is re-incorporated, and is developing plans to refurbish and possibly repurpose the courts. Residents may join the Tennis Club by paying $50 for dues.

••••••

The September 2020 Bulletin hits the newsstands, with a look at parenting during Covid; a thanks to Mary Ellen Gilman for her leadership in ridding Sutton Potter Park of its invasive plants; an essay by Gretchen Spencer on what Voigt Park has meant to her and her family over many years; a fun piece by Peter Kinzler on a paradox of aging; a recipe for Golden Gazpacho from Tom Voskuil; and mindfulness tips from Jeneen Piccuirro.

••••••

The October 2020 Bulletin comes out, with a feature article by Kayde Schwabacher on modern architecture and health; congratulations to Arnold and Margaret Edelman of Recard Lane, who celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on August 30; a profile of Hollin Hills art collector Rick Ward; a look inside the Pagoda-Derevjanik house, recently renovated by Michael Cook; updates on the DRC and park clean-up parties; welcomes to many new residents, and much more.

••••••

The November 2020 Bulletin comes off the presses with a special “election” issue; a report on new initiatives by the CAHH; a note that Lee and Peter Braun have moved into Alcoa House after a long restoration; a survey of political signs in the neighborhood; a photo essay on the skeleton invasion in Hollin Hills over Halloween; and a profile of Hollin Hills violist extraordinaire Jerome Gordon who talks about playing with Celine Dion, performing for the Pope, and balancing the perils and pleasures of being a professional musician.

••••••

On November 2, Eleonore Elsa Erica Putter Turpin, an original Hollin Hiller who moved here in 1953, passed away peacefully at her home on Beechwood Road surrounded by family. She was 97 years old, had lived a long, good life, and was loved by all who knew her.

On November 17, the Civic Association holds its Fall Membership Meeting (via Zoom, due to Covid). Treasurer Scott Weidenfeller notes that the CAHH has about $126,000 in reserves, and that spending was down 31 percent this year due to pandemic restrictions and cancellation of social activities. President Patrick Kelly noted that the Historic Overlay District process is nearing the final stages; the County’s stormwater management project in Goodman and Brickelmaier Parks has been sent out for bid to pre-approved contractors; and that that the Hollin Hills Tennis Club has been reincorporated, and plans to refurbish or re-purpose the decrepit courts.

Members also elect Patrick Kelly to another two-year term as President, and elect Mary Ann Rametta as Treasurer, Arica Young as Secretary, Sally Wilson as Parks Liaison, and Alan Barak as At-Large Director. See the December Bulletin for more details.

••••••

On November 24, Jeanne Yu-Fang Yin Cheng, a Hollin Hills resident since 1966, passed away peacefully at home at the age of 86, surrounded by her family.

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The December 2020 Hollin Hills Bulletin runs a recap of the Fall Membership meeting, as well as an in-depth look at the restoration of Alcoa House; a profile of Hollin Hills artist HIRO; and updates on new residents, a volunteer work party for the planned bocce court; a review of DRC decisions; and much more.

••••••

The Hollin Hills artist HIRO (Marthas Road) is profiled in the December Bullet, with a look at her remarkable life and work. As a child, HIRO endured one of the great injustices of American history — the WWII internment of Japanese-Americans — and it shaped a life devoted to art, human rights and East-West relations.

Read more about her life and work here.

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Never mind the pandemic – 2020 was a great year for real estate in Hollin Hills, with some 25 homes sold in 2020 at an average price of $855, 341, including the highest price ever for a Goodman home: $1,150,000 for a house on Marthas Road. In fact, there were three homes that sold for over $1 million, and four that sold for over $900,000.

2021

The January 2021 Hollin Hills Bulletin comes out, and it’s a bit of a slow news month, to be honest. Barbara Ward pens an article on the HOD issue, Blair Davenport joins the DRC, and there are reports on clean-up parties in Voigt and Sutton Potter parks. Also, the winners of the Holiday Lights contest are honored! John Nolan and Anna Barbour, of Rebecca Drive, take home first prize: tickets to the House + Garden Tour later this year.

••••••

Fairfax County’s Department of Planning and Development holds a virtual community meeting with Hollin Hills residents on January 25 to discuss the potential Hollin Hills Historic Overlay District designation.

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In her 2020 Parks Report, Parks Committee Chair Elisabeth Lardner notes that over $35,000 was invested by the CAHH in the parks in 2020, for ongoing tree care and removal of more than 24 trees, mowing and invasive plant management, and the repair of a portion of Voigt’s playground structure. An additional $10,000 was provided by the Friends of Hollin Hills, which funded the grass mat installation to stabilize the edge of Rippon Road, and twice-weekly trash pickup, both at Voigt Park.

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On January 17, The Friends of Hollin Hills presents a panel discussion on how our neighborhood came to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register as the Hollin Hills Historic District.

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The February 2021 Bulletin appears, cheerfully outlining all the ways we love winter (or at least cope with it), from sledding to sealing up your house against drafts. It’s noted that 2020 was a great year for real estate, with some 25 homes sold in 2020 at an average price of $855, 341 (including the highest price ever for a Goodman home: $1,150,000 for a house on Martha’s Road). There’s also a handy bird-spotting guide from Ben Jesup (of course), tips on making your house winterproof from Robert Fina (of course), and a 2020 parks roundup.

••••••

A new Hollin Hills community website, Hollin-Hills.org, is launched in February by editor Stephen Brookes, following a difficult 6-month gestation.

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The CAHH 2021 Hollin Hills Directory is released in March. Designed by Michael Hentges and updated every two years, this 80-page booklet includes contact information for residents, the names of CAHH board and committee members, park wardens, pool and tennis club officials, and other important information about the community.

••••••

On March 22, Lorianne Campanella reports seeing a bear chasing a deer on Marthas Circle. A few days later Tish Toner reports a possible bear sighting at Popkins and Rebecca. The situation is becoming uncomfortable — maybe even unbearable — for residents.

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The April 2021 Bulletin appears, with a look ahead at the Spring Membership Meeting; an announcement that the 2021 Directory is now out; a notice that the House + Garden Tour has been postponed until September 25; a report on the state of the tennis courts (not good); a note on an effort to assemble a collection of original Hollin Hills landscape plans; an FAQ on the stream restoration project; and a note on the passing of longtime resident Philip F. Gibber of Marthas Road. This issue also contains the “Budget vs. Actuals” spending report of the Civic Association for 2020.

••••••

In April, construction begins on the restoration of the streambeds in Goodman and Brickelmaier Parks, a project that will not only grade and stabilize the dangerous chasms in the parks and stop the erosion, but also remove the invasive plants that have overrun the parks. The work areas will be replanted with native, non-invasive species to establish a healthy, diverse native ecosystem and habitat for wildlife. Construction work is expected to last 14 months.

An informative FAQ on the stream restoration project is published in the April Bulletin, and can be seen here.

••••••

The Hollin Hills tennis board is assessing the condition of the decrepit tennis courts by the Pool, and waiting to receive bids regarding pricing and the scope and sequence of work. “We would like to make the courts available for all who wish to play, but unfortunately the unevenness of the court's surface make it impossible for us to open the courts for any kind of activity,” say the board directors.

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The May 2021 Bulletin offers a report on the “fun and lively” Spring Membership Meeting on April 1, in which annual membership dues were raised to $140 and community issues ranging from Covid to tennis were discussed; a note on the start of work in Goodman and Brickelmaier Parks; a note from Ann Brickelmaier Cox (after whose father Brickelmaier Park is named) supporting the restoration project; and a truly astonishing profile of Tom Kuester (Rebecca Drive), who escaped invading Russians as an infant during World War Two, lived on his wits as a child in East Germany — mostly by smuggling — before escaping from East Germany, living in an orphanage in the West, and ultimately settling in Hollin Hills.

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The CAHH sponsors the first annual Hollin Hills Memorial Day Observance in Voigt Park on May 31, featuring guest speakers including Del. Paul Krizek (Whiteoaks Drive), a flag-folding ceremony, and a wreath-laying. The observance is the brainchild of Kevin Roberts, and will become an annual event. See some pix from the observance here.

••••••

Allison Heck (Glasgow Road) hosts an outdoor reunion in the Spring for some of the original “Bedford Lane kids” — folks whose families were all original owners of homes on Bedford in the early 1950s — including Ann Brickelmaier Hix, George Brickelmaier Jr, and Allison’s mother, Mary Ann Davis Abbott.

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The June 2021 Bulletin makes an appearance, featuring a story on Robert Davenport’s farm in the countryside (which he preferred over the houses he built in Hollin Hills). There are reports on the upcoming July 4 picnic and Graduates’ Parade; a note that CAHH membership is up 20 percent, at 328 members; an alert that Peter Kinzler’s new book has been published; a note that the new bocce court on Rippon Road is open for play; updates on the parks and streambed restoration; and much more.

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The Hollins Hills Chess Club is formed in June, co-founded by Tom Shupe (Marthas Road), a United States Chess Federation Expert, and Gabriel Schoenfeld (Marthas Road), a USCF national master. The club is free and open to all Hollin Hills residents regardless of skill.

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School graduation ceremonies are, once again, put on hold due to the pandemic, but the Civic Association holds its second community parade for the graduates on June 5. Congrats to all the nineteen grads who were honored! (See more here.)

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Hollin Hills author Peter Kinzler (Stafford Road) comes out with a new book in June, titled “Highway Robbery: The Two-Decade Battle to Reform America's Automobile Insurance System.”

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On June 10, Hollin Hills welcomed its newest resident: John Joseph Spittell was born to Jack and Marie Spittell of Stafford Road, weighing in at 7 lb 12 oz.

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Despite being a “modified” event (no ponies, community band or traditional sack races) due to Covid restrictions, the 2021 Fourth of July picnic in Voigt Park is a great success — with Hollin Hillers patriotically consuming 450 hot dogs, two kegs of beer, and over 400 ice cream bars. (See photos here.)

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The Summer 2021 Bulletin comes out, with a look ahead to the House + Garden tour coming up in September; reports on the Memorial Day Service and the Grads Parade; loads of pictures from the July 4 picnic; a wlecome to many new residents; a farewell to neighbor Jerry Kahan, who passed away in May at the age of 83; and much more.

••••••

Original Hollin Hills settlers John Arnold Edelman and Margaret Monteith Edelman of Recard Lane pass away in 2021, within several months of each other. Arnold, who died on August 25 at the age of 97, became a B-17 bomber pilot at 19, graduated from Harvard with a degree in Economics, worked with the Marshall Plan in rebuilding post-war Europe, and spent his career at the World Bank.

Margaret, a teacher and psychotherapist who was an advocate for social justice, died on November 24, also at 97. The couple had lived in Hollin Hills since 1957, raised four children here, and were married for more than 75 years.

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Thanks to a $2,350 grant from the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and Plant NOVA Natives, new landscaping using native plants is installed at the Fort Hunt entrance to Hollin Hills by volunteers on September 12. All existing shrubs and perennials are cleared from the bed to make room for plants with year-round interest, low maintenance needs, and beneficial attributes for local animals and insects.

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After the annual Community Yard Sale had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, it returns to the Pool parking lot on Saturday, September 18, to the joy of discerning bargain-hunters.

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Jerome Gordon and Kevin Roberts host a benefit concert at their Rebecca Drive home on September 18 for Sound Impact, a chamber music collective devoted to education. About 50 Hollin Hillers (all masked, of course!) are treated to an unusually up-close, imaginative and beautifully-played program of mostly string quartet music, featuring Jerome Gordon on viola and fellow Hollin Hiller Gino Madrid on violin.

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The 2021 Hollin Hills House + Garden Tour, originally scheduled for May 2020 but postponed several times due to the pandemic, finally takes place on September 25. Under the leadership of Heather Shuster, the event (which features 13 homes and gardens, as well as a vintage car show) is a huge success, attracting more than 1,500 visitors and raising $130,000 for the community.

“The day was memorable not only for the beauty of the architecture,” writes the Bulletin, “but also for the striking collections of art and furniture on display – as well as the contingent of architects, designers, artists and landscape architects on hand to discuss their work.”

See the tour brochure here. See photos from the tour, here.

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An act of vandalism takes place at the Hollin Hills Pool during the early morning hours of October 6, and Fairfax County Police apprehend two individuals believed to be involved. Most of the vandalism takes place inside the Lifeguard Office and Pool House, and many Bluefish trophies and photographs are damaged beyond repair.

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Over 200 Civic Association members gather on October 9th for music, beer, sauerkraut, grilled bratwurst and fun — the 2021 Oktoberfest celebration, in other words — under the big tent at the Hollin Hills Pool. There are lederhosen and funny hats, barking dogs, folks arriving on scooters, and plenty of smiles all around. See the pix here.

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Lois Warshawer, a resident of Brentwood Place since 1956, passes away on October 14 at the age of 95. Lois was known for her kindness, compassion and empathy for others, and for her wisdom in taking joy in simple things. “To take up something and not become expert was impossible for her,” says her husband Alan.

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Dozens of Hollin Hillers lace up their shoes for the 4th Annual Hollin Hills Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot on November 25, with a 1K Fun Run for the kids and a 5K run around the neighborhood for the more ambitious.

Johnny Pearson ties with Xander Mowers at 6’42" in the Fun Run, and Brian Krainer, Eric Capito, and Stine Svenningsen cross the finish line together at 24’39"in the 5K race.

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Thanks to the generosity of the National Building Museum, Hollin Hills receives a superb digital collection of historic photographs taken by the architectural photographer Robert C. Lautman, who captured Hollin Hills as it was being built in the early 1950’s. A priceless record of the original houses and landscaping, the photographs can be seen here.

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The results of a community survey on the proposed Historic Overlay District designation are released on December 6, and the "Yes" votes (262) in favor of establishing an HOD are more than four times greater than the "No" votes (65), with 82% of all homeowners participating in the poll.

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About sixty Hollin Hillers meet in McCalley Park for the annual community Christmas Carol Sing-Along on December 19. The carolers are valiantly led by Rilke and Haiku Burgiel (Rebecca Drive), who keep everyone (mostly) in tune and (mostly) on the right page. Santa makes an appearance and passes out candy canes, thanks to his always-jolly assistant, Bob Hale.

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In December, construction work on the stream restoration project in Brickelmaier Park comes to an end; replanting the work area with native species will begin in the Spring. Construction continues in Goodman Park.

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Hollin Hills has a very good year in real estate in 2021, with 26 homes selling at an average price of $979,076. Thirteen of those sell for over $1 million, including one for $1,275,000 - the highest price ever for a Goodman home.

••••••

For the second year in a row, John Nolan and Anna Barbour (Rebecca Drive) win the Great Hollin Hills Christmas Light Competition. Tom Voskuil and Lynn Umemoto (Lisbon Lane) take the ‘Best Lights’ category, while Gus Matson and Barbara Liggett (Recard Lane) win ‘Best Tree’ and Daniel and Kelly Walsh (Marthas Road) take ‘Most Midcentury.’

2022

The January 2022 Bulletin hits the streets, with an essay on preserving Charles Goodman’s legacy in Hollin Hills; a report on the very strong community support for the proposed Historic Overlay District status; a report on the latest meeting of the Mount Vernon Council of Civic Associations (MVCCA); a memoriam for original settler Margaret Edelman, who passed away in November; the start of a Notable Veteran series, featuring Mike Greene; a test of a 1957 recipe for Orange Date Nut Bread, taken from the Hollin Hills Cookbook; a report on the annual Hollin Hills Holiday Lights contest; and much more.

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On January 3, Hollin Hills is hit by a major blizzard. Nearly a foot of wet snow falls, knocking down trees and robbing just about everyone of power. But neighbors band together, help each other out, and everyone has a pretty good time.

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In January, realtor Lee Braun reports that Hollin Hills had a great year in real estate in 2021, with 26 homes sold at an average price of $979,076. Thirteen of those homes sold for over $1 million, including one for $1,275,000 — the highest price ever for a Goodman home.

••••••

In her 2021 Parks Report, Parks Committee Chair Elisabeth Lardner notes that, “not only did the long-overdue restoration of the Goodman and Brickelmaier streambeds begin, but we also took up the fight against invasive species with renewed fury. Thanks to our hard-working wardens and volunteers, a fun new bocce court was installed in Voigt Park, piles of junk were pulled from Paul Spring Creek, bamboo was mercilessly dug from McCalley, the entrances to Hollin Hills were beautified, and Voigt returned to glory for the 4th of July picnic!”

••••••

On January 30, native bee specialist Sam Droege gives a presentation to the community on the need to preserve our native bees and the importance of native landscapes to their survival, and provides ideas on things you can do in your yard to support bees. The talk, presented by Friends of Hollin Hills, can be seen at the FOHH website here. Gretchen Spencer has a wrap-up of the talk here.

••••••

The February 2022 Bulletin appears as a special Valentine’s Day issue, with an essay on “How to Seduce a Hollin Hiller”; a report on six couples who were married in their own Hollin Hills homes; a report that Kevin Roberts and Jerome Gordon welcomed their beautiful new son Kayden James to their Rebecca Drive home in January; a story by Jaelith Hall-Rivera on how her Kimbro Street neighbors banded together during the January snowstorm; and much much more.

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On February 23, Darren Pogoda and Jan Derevjanik flick a switch and become the first solar-powered homeowners in Hollin Hills. With 27 minimalist panels on their Marthas Road roof, they are on track to reduce their household electricity bill to zero, while contributing to the supply of renewable energy.

••••••

The March 2022 issue of the Bulletin hits the newsstands, with reports on building a natural ecosystem right here at home; reports on upcoming events and the recent park clean-up (following damage from the January snow); another in the Notable Veterans series, featuring Matt Kies; welcomes to many new residents; a report on the recent FOHH talk on bees by expert Sam Droege; and much more.

••••••

In a major step forward for protection of Hollin Hills’ architectural heritage, the Historic Overlay District (HOD) designation for Hollin Hills is approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on March 8. Exterior renovations requiring a permit will now need approval from the County’s Architectural Review Board before being allowed to proceed. (For more information, see our guide to navigating the design approval process.)

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On March 20, Jere Gibber and Laura Trieschmann give a presentation on “Hollin Hills: Our Evolution from Subdivision to Historic District,” hosted by the Friends of Hollin Hills. A video of the one-hour event is available on the FOHH website; click here.

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In March, Mohra Gavankar of Elba Road buys and installs a magnificent 1955 Road Runner mobile home in her garden. Extremely red and extremely retro, it is destined to become a landmark. Read the wild story behind it here.

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In its April issue, Virginia Living Magazine runs a story by Jill Devine on “Hip, Historic, Hollin Hills”.

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At a well-attended 2022 Spring Membership Meeting of the CAHH on April 12, the membership votes 76-63— after a contentious debate — to approve a financing plan of $144,000 for the construction of six pickleball courts, to replace two of the decrepit tennis courts near the Hollin Hills Pool.

The issue had been hotly debated for several weeks on the Hollin Hills Forum, after the CAHH leadership had quietly moved toward taking out a larger, $200,000 loan to fund the project without putting it before the full membership — a move that was met with concern and even anger from the community. The plan was abandoned in favor of a new, more modest plan. Construction of the new courts begins in May.

At the meeting, the membership also voted to amend the CAHH bylaws to create a standing Hollin Hills House+Garden Tour Committee, and change the name of the Hollin Hills Tennis Committee to the Hollin Hills Pickleball and Tennis Committee.

••••••

Read more than you ever wanted to know about the Great Pickleball War in the April 2022 issue of the Bulletin, which also contains news about the new HOD designation for Hollin Hills; a cool nature scavenger hunt for kids; Design Review Committee updates; a welcome to new residents; and all the other usual bits and bobs from around the community.

••••••

The 2022 Winter Potluck is moved (temporarily) to Spring, and takes place on April 24 at the Pool Pavilion.

It was pretty much everything you could ask of a Sunday afternoon. There was the company of Hollin Hillers (the finest people on earth) and the open margarita bar, which in themselves are probably sufficient for earthly happiness. Adding to the idyll was the golden afternoon sunlight, the kids playing on those big wooden kid-contraptions, several very cute and charming babies, Jaelith’s sunglasses, and so much hummus, pita bread and healthy raw vegetables that you were practically guaranteed to live forever.

Kudos to organizers Roxy Hoveyda and Matt Kies. Click here for pix.

••••••

Voigt Park turned into un po’ d’Italia on April 30, when about two dozen Hillers — armed with their best Italian accents — came down to Rippon Road for the official Grand Opening of the Hollin Hills bocce court.

It was a beautiful, dolce far niente Saturday afternoon —perfect for this relaxed and easy game — and aside from bocce itself there were Italian flags, Italian wines, Italian chocolates, your-name-in- Italian name tags, Italian gesturing, and Marianne Martz’s molto impressionante Italian language skills. There was maybe more socializing than actual bocce-ing, but tutto andò bene and the event stretched well into the early evening. Click here for pix.

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On May 6, the gardens of Gretchen Spencer (Popkins Lane) and Katie Macklin (Marthas Road) are featured in the gardening website Garden Rant by Susan Harris.

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In the May 2022 issue of the Bulletin, former residents who grew up in Hollin Hills share their childhood memories in the essay, “Growing Up Modern”; Hollin Hills entrepreneurs Markos Panas and Noelie Rickey have opened the Beeliner Diner; Andrew Keegan reports on how to spot invasive plant species in your yard; we welcome Sol Simeon Rozan (who was born on March 10 to Lonnie Shekhtman and Adam Rozan) to the world (and Hollin Hills); a report on the Winter Potluck (held in April due to Covid); all the usual parks and DRC updates; and much more.

••••••

The CAHH holds its second annual Memorial Day Observance in Voigt Park on May 30th, featuring a keynote address from Fairfax County Supervisor Dan Storck, a flag-folding ceremony, and a wreath-laying ceremony.

••••••

The June 2022 Bulletin features stories on making the most of summer, including a report on “Ten Fun Things to do Around Hollin Hills”; news that the new pickleball courts will open in July; a note on the grand opening of the bocce courts; a photo essay by Gabriel Schoenfeld on the creative street number signs around Hollin Hills; a tongue-in-cheek survey of how to survive the summer; a report by Darren Pogoda on making the switch to solar energy in his home; and much much more.

••••••

On June 15, Barbara A. Wickham, who lived on Recard Lane for more than five decades, passed away peacefully at the age of 91. She was an active member of the community, for many years spearheading the annual July 4th picnic and editing the Hollin Hills Bulletin, and lived here for 52 years before moving to Westwood, Massachusetts.

••••••

Original Hollin Hills settler Elizabeth Gring Coffin, a former editor of the Bulletin who lived on Rebecca Drive from 1954 to 1965, passes away on June 29 at the age of 98.

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The construction part of the streambed restoration in Goodman and Brickelmaier Parks officially ends on June 29; replanting of both parks with native, non-invasive species by the County will continue into 2023. The Civic Association hires Robert Fina (Brentwood Place) to assist in the final surface trail alignment in Brickelmaier Park; Robert is a long-time Appalachian Trail crew leader.

••••••

The CAHH 2022 Fourth of July Picnic returns in full style as more than 300 Hillers come to Voigt Park to celebrate, drawn by perfect weather and traditions like the bike parade, pony rides, sack races, tug-of-war contests, fresh-grilled hot dogs, homemade salads and desserts – and of course the inimitable Mount Vernon Community Band. Click here for pix.

••••••

David Shear, a resident of Hollin Hills for more than fifty years, passes away on July 5 at the age of 90. As an official with USAID and OECD, a professor at Princeton University, President of the International Development and Management Group, and Chairman of the Jane Goodall Institute, David had a profound impact on the developing world over the course of his career.

••••••

The Hollin Hills Pickleball & Tennis Club holds its Grand Opening on July 10th, opening the new six courts.

Within a month, the Club has signed up more than 200 members from both inside and outside of Hollin Hills. Rebecca Bostick is Chair of the new club.

••••••

The July/August issue of the Hollin Hills Bulletin is released, with a report on the 4th of July picnic in Voigt Park; news about recent parks clean-up parties; a remembrance of Hollin Hiller David Shear, by Andrew Keegan; the usual updates about the DRC and so on and so forth; and a suggestion, during these miserable dog days of summer, that we hould maybe stop trying to do too much and just embrace JOMO — the joy of missing out.

••••••

The third reprinting of the book “Hollin Hills: Community of Vision” is released in July. Originally published in 1999 for the 50th anniversary of Hollin Hills, this 185-page resource on Hollin Hills is available from the Civic Association for $65 plus shipping. Important reading, and an essential addition to any Hollin Hills library.

••••••

The September 2022 issue of the Bulletin comes out, with a report on the replanting of Goodman and Brickelmaier Parks with native species; a welcome to newborn Hollin Hiller Juno Dennig, on Beechwood; a note that the Pickleball Club plans to install lights in the Fall, has reached 275 members, and will soon stop accepting new members; notes on upcoming events; and a look at the fascinating life of Hollywood-starlet-turned-nuclear-activist Jeanne Gayler.

••••••

On September 4, Hollin Hills composer and percussionist Tom Teasley performed to a packed theater (with lots of Hillers in the audience) at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, presenting live and wildly entertaining soundtracks to two classic silent movies. Drawing an orchestral range of sound from just a trap set and a few electronics, Tom kept up a jazzy, flowing accompaniment as the Charlie Chaplin film “Modern Times” (1936) and Buster Keaton’s poignant “Sherlock Jr.” (1924) screened overhead.

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Hollin Hiller Jeanne Gayler (left) — who won the Miss Louisiana title three times, became a Hollywood starlet, had roles in hundreds of movies and tv shows (from “Gunsmoke” to “Abbot and Costello Go To Mars”), was chased by Howard Hughes, nearly became Miss America — and then left to become one of the most powerful voices in the American anti-nuclear proliferation movement, is profiled in the Bulletin; read her amazing story here.

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On September 16, the Barbara and Robert Wade’s beautiful “atrium house” on Saville Court is profiled in Northern Virginia Magazine, and Barbara discusses life with an interior atrium.

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On September 23, the new Hollin Hills Supper Society holds its first pot-luck dinner. Launched by Catherine Korona and Becky McCarthy, the Supper Society is open to all residents, and will hold periodic dinners (usually with interesting themes) in Hollin Hills homes.

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The annual Hollin Hills Yard Sale (a tradition since 2013) is a big hit on September 24, with crowds flocking to the Pool parking lot and ensuring the survival of a free market in outgrown children’s clothes, board games that are only missing a few pieces, and one rather handsome pair of men’s lizard skin cowboy boots.

The October 2022 issue of the Bulletin hits the stands, with some strategizing about the 75th Anniversary next year; a discussion of foxes stealing our newspapers; thoughts about the psychic allure of Little Free Libraries; news that the Pickleball Club, awash in cash, is paying back its loan from early; a review of a concert by Hollin Hills percussionist Tom Teasley; praise for Finn Deutermann, Destroyer of Stiltgrass; Oktoberfest fashion guidance from Jaelith Hall-Rivera; and more!

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Germanophiles, beer-ophiles, and oompah-music-ophiles turn out in force on October 8 for the Civic Association’s 9th Annual Hollin Hills Oktoberfest celebration. More than 200 Hollin Hillers gathered in the Pool parking lot in crisp, cool weather for the event, and the women were beautiful in their dirndls and flower crowns, while the men were brave (and possibly chilly) in their lederhosen. Our favorite combo in town, the Mount Vernon German Band, was on hand with tubas and other gut-shaking brass, and entertained us with “O, Wie Bist Du Schön,” “Lili Marlene,” and an assortment of polkas and beloved oompah hits.

Master grillers Jeff Jenkins and Steve Labas, meanwhile, kept us fat and happy with a steady stream of vegan health foods (haha just kidding), and according to the statisticians we consumed 200 bratwurst, almost as many hot dogs, hundreds of rolls, and three entire 55-liter kegs of beer. Seasonal salads and potluck desserts added to the general rotundity.

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Hollin Hills musicians Jerome Gordon (viola) and Gino Madrid (violin) give a white-hot and sensual concert of Latin-infused music at the Unitarian Church on October 23rd, in a string quartet performance that wins them them wild applause and a standing ovation. Infused with Latin influences and folk songs, the program ranged from Vivaldi to a smoldering tango by Astor Piazzola, delighting the crowd of about fifty Hollin Hillers who filled the meeting room.

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The November 2022 Bulletin appears, with a preview of the upcoming Fall Membership Meeting, a report on the comfy Halloween skeletons of Hollin Hills, the proposed CAHH budget for 2023, a full report on Oktoberfest, and other flotsam and jetsam from around Hollin Hills.

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The Civic Association of Hollin Hills (CAHH) holds its annual Fall Membership Meeting on November 14 at the Sherwood Hall Library, where members elect seven new Board members, review the successes of the past year, and look ahead to upcoming projects. CAHH President Patrick Kelly, who is stepping down after four eventful years, chairs the meeting, where Kevin Roberts is elected as the new President, Nancy and David Harrity as co-Chairs of the Membership Committee, Gretchen Spencer as head of Parks, Gus Matson as Treasurer, Tara Ward as Recording Secretary; and Sean Vann as Member-at-Large.

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On November 19, well over 80 Hollin Hillers and guests gather at the Paul Spring Road entrance to Brickelmaier Park for the official “Grand Reopening” of Brickelmaier and Goodman Parks.

The celebration marks the completion of an eighteen-month, multi-million dollar Fairfax County project which has restored the streambeds in both parks, fixed the erosion problem, removed diseased and invasive species, and replanted the parks with thousands of healthy, native plants.

The ceremony is followed by a walk through the parks, along the comfortable new trails designed by Hollin Hiller Robert Fina, with explanatory signs along the way poiunting out the new native species that have been planted.

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On November 24, Hollin Hills grows by one resident when George Roger McGee is born, to Liz and Corey McGee of Mason Hill Drive. George is said to enjoy eating, music and meeting other babies (and dogs!) around the neighborhood.

In November, Hollin Hills entrepreneurs Markos Panas and Noelie Rickey (of Glasgow Road) buy The Dog Park – a boutique for discerning dogs — on King Street in Old Town Alexandria.

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The December 2022 Bulletin appears, with a farewell statement from CAHH President Patrick Kelly, who is stepping down this month after two terms. Also: reports on the Fall Membership Meeting, a report on the opening of Goodman and Brickelmaier Parks, some holiday fashion advice from Hollin Hills fashionista Jaelith Hall-Rivera, and much more.

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On December 6, the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination announces that Elisabeth Lardner, chair of the CAHH Parks Committee, has been awarded an Environmental Excellence Award for 2022.

“Elisabeth has performed two vital roles,” says the announcement. “She is a dedicated steward of over 30-plus acres of shared community parkland and is also a community liaison for two major stream restoration/storm water management projects currently underway in Hollin Hills. Woven throughout Elisabeth’s tenure as Parks Chair is her commitment to educating those in Hollin Hills about their parks and the environment.”

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2023

The January 2023 Bulletin appears, with a Happy New Year message from new CAHH president Kevin Roberts; an essay on “Why Our Parks Matter” by Elizabeth Lardner; the usual committee reports; an important study of piles of rocks (“How to Show That You Really Cairn”); and other harmless bits of this and that.

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In January, realtor Jodie Burns reports that Hollin Hills had a pretty good year in real estate in 2022. Not counting private off-market sales, 21 Hollin Hills homes were sold in 2022 (down from 26 the year before), at an average net sales price of $1,037,233 (up 5.9% from 2021).

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On January 23rd, 2023, Hollin Hills is showcased on the PBS real estate show “If You Lived Here.” The episode focuses on one of the first houses built in Hollin Hills, which came on the market last year. It’s a beautifully-renovated home at the corner of Drury Lane and Rippon Road, with two additions designed by our own very talented Rebecca Bostick. And boy did they love us. Read the story here.

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About a hundred Hollin Hillers crowd into the Unitarian Church on February 5 for the Civic Association’s annual Winter Potluck. The sock-hop-themed gathering features rockin' tunes, an open bar and more appetizers and desserts than anyone can count. The kids got to play with retro toys, while Chloe Miller (daughter of Arica and Eric) designed nifty centerpieces that were a huge hit, including a jukebox, a space shuttle, and a 1950’s car. About a dozen Hillers dressed up in vintage sock-hop style — and everybody had a blast!

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The Virginia House of Delegates passes Joint Resolution No. 637 on February 16, commending Hollin Hills on its 75th Anniversary next year.

Calling it “a vibrant community … known for its innovative architectural and landscaping designs,” the Resolution praises Hollin Hills’ “unique aesthetics and commitment to striking midcentury modern architecture,” its “distinctly rural character,” its numerous awards over the years, and its placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

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On February 16, Burt Kronstedt of Elba Road passed away at the age of 93, following surgery after a broken hip. Burt was the owner of the Alexandria Music Company, a well-known store in the Belle View Shopping Center.

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In an extraordinary act of kindness, a group of neighbors on Glasgow Road gather together in February to build a temporary wheelchair ramp for a neighbor just home from the hospital. Led by architects Anna Barbour and John Nolan, about a dozen volunteers work nonstop over the weekend to design and build the wooden ramp, allowing the neighbor to bypass the steps leading to her front door. Special thanks to Neil Greene, Todd Martin, Frank Willcoxon, Harris and Zak Lokmanhakim, Mike Greene, Hakan Topalhan, Justino Abad and Yoni Korona and everyone else who chipped in, for their kindness and generosity in helping build the ramp.

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 On February 26, 2023, Friends of Hollin Hills presents a talk by Doug Tallamy, one of the most thought-provoking ecologists in the world. Speaking to some 200 people at the Unitarian Church, Tallamy discussed the decline of biodiversity, how we can reverse the trend, and the importance of interconnected food webs happening in our very yards.

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The Hollin Hills Supper Society meets on St. Patrick's Day and celebrates with Irish-themed cuisine!  About 35 neighbors (many dressed in green) dine on fish and chips, corned beef, smoked salmon mousse, potato salad, soda bread, beer and cheese dip, Ginger Stout cake, cupcakes, and more.

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The March 2023 Bulletin appears (there is no February issue, as the editor is very lazy) with an essay titled, “Please Welcome Our New Robot Overlords”; a report on the relentless growth of pickleball in Hollin Hills; an onslaught of new Hollin Hills babies; a memoriam for Rudy (Mary Tracy’s black Poodle, who sadly passed away); an article on checking for radon; an amazing recipe for sushi dip; and much more news of the day.

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The March 2023 issue of Washingtonian Magazine runs an article titled “13 Outdoor Date Ideas Around DC” that singles out Hollin Hills as “Best for Design and Architecture.”

“Modern love meets midcentury-­modern design during a stroll through Alexandria’s Hollin Hills,” writes the magazine. “The neighborhood is known for its sleek, minimalist houses, inspiring a biennial tour of some interiors. The next official outing isn’t until 2024, but the Hollin Hills House + Garden Tour publishes past programs online, so you can check out the facades, leafy landscapes, and outdoor art on your own. There are even modernist Little Free Libraries.”

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On March 12, newly-elected CAHH President Kevin Roberts (right) regretfully steps down after just two months on the job, as the result of a promotion to a major new position at the Department of the Navy that will give him very little free time. Vice-president Frank Collins, with greatness thrust upon him, steps nobly — but humbly! — into the presidential role.

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On March 26, Architectural historian Kim Prothro Williams, an expert on historic communities, gives a fascinating talk at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, where she reviewed the development of midcentury modern homes and enclaves throughout the DC area.

In her presentation – presented by the Friends of Hollin Hills – Williams discussed her work with the DC Historic Preservation Office, where she leads a study aimed at identifying, and saving, as many midcentury modern residences as possible.

Read more about Williams’ important work in this 2021 article in Washingtonian Magazine, titled “Stop Tearing Down Midcentury Modern Houses!” — a sentiment we can all enthusiastically agree with.

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The April 2023 Bulletin appears, with an essay titled “The Joys and Terrors of Other People” (a guide for the introverts of Hollin Hills — read it here); a review of The Dog Park (the new pet-care project of Hollin Hills entrepreneurs Markos Panas and Noelie Rickey); a report on the 2022 finances of the Civic Association; the usual DRC reports; and so on and so forth.

Most importantly, April marks the launch of the Bulletin’s ongoing “Dog of the Month” feature, perhaps its most vital contribution to journalism yet.

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On April 17, the Civic Association holds its Spring Membership Meeting at the Sherwood Hall Library; Frank Collins is elected President and Pam Koger-Jesup is elected Vice-President. Membership dues are raised to $150 a year. Jolande Goldberg is awarded for her work in beautifying the pickleball courts.

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The May 2023 Bulletin appears, with an essay titled “Spring has Sprung, the Grass is Riz, I Wonder What My Gardening Plan Is”; a report on the Spring Membership Meeting, an update on the airplane noise problem; an in-depth article titled “Fertile Minds”, about the early years of Hollin Hills landscape design; and maybe some philosophy, or maybe not.

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In May, a new park bench is installed in Goodman Park, thanks to a generous gift from Susanne Garvey and Paul Phelps (Marthas Road), via Friends of Hollin Hills. It is handsome, comfy and ideally placed about midway along the park path — a wonderful addition to Goodman.

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In May, Hollin Hills teenager Sayla Runnels recruits a cadre of volunteers to spread wood chips on the muddy paths in Brickelmaier Park, build bee houses for native bees, and add four geocachcs — a great improvement to the parks!

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On May 29, about 50 people gather under cloudy skies in Voigt Park for the third annual Hollin Hills Memorial Day Observance. It was appropriately somber weather for the event, which honors our veterans who died in the service of their country.

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The June 2023 Bulletin appears, with an essay titled “Spring Cleaning, Rampant Freeganism, and Baby-proofing the Black Hole of Despair” (read it here); as well as reports on the May 27 opening of the Hollin Hills Pool; clean-ups around the parks; a congratulations to our new Hollin Hills grads; a memorial to Kate Tyeryar of Glasgow Road (who passed away in March after a brave struggle with cancer); and much more news and chit chat from around the community.

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On June 26, about forty bocce aficionados gathered in Voigt Park for the annual Friends of Hollin Hills Bocce Party, and the competition was fierce — though the best of them played with that unique Italian quality of disinvolto – when you're having too much fun (and looking too stylish) to care about winning or losing.

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We didn’t exactly get crisp, cool weather for the Fourth of July this year — in fact, it was literally the hottest day on planet Earth in 125,000 years!

But diehard Hollin Hillers didn’t let the impending fireball interfere with the fun at the Fourth of July parade and picnic this year, and over 300 of us braved the heat at Voigt Park for all our time-honored favorites, from gravity-defying sack races to splattery egg tosses.

There were tugs-of-war, three-legged races, pony rides on Tinkerbelle and Button, games of cornhole, and, for those feeling the heat, a quick splash in the creek. New this year was a celebrity appearance by George Washington and Betsy Ross (courtesy of Eric and Chloe Miller, in full costume), as well as the nattily-dressed dogs who brought a touch of canine class to the parade.

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In July, the heroic Hollin Hills Bluefish swim team finish the season in July as undefeated champions of their division. Yay! Also this summer, the Hollin Hills Pool Kids' Olympics saw teams competing in cornhole, bocce, Jenga, Connect Four, and the famous watermelon push.

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The July/August 2023 Bulletin appears, with a six-page report on the annual 4th of July Picnic and Parade in Voigt Park, with tons and tons of pix from our talented neighborhood photographers; a welcome to our newest Hollin Hiller, Charles Behar Korona (born on July 3); our Dog of the Month Bogart Wordsworth Gavankar; and much more extremely important stuff.

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Bob Kinzer, a resident of Hollin Hills for more than 50 years, died peacefully on August 6, at the age of 82. A physicist, Bob worked at the Naval Research Laboratory in the Space Sciences Division. His research took him to Argentina and Brazil, among other places, and included work on the Gamma Ray Observatory.

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Jerry Clapsaddle, an accomplished artist who was a resident of Hollin Hills from 1984 to 2006, passed away on August 21. Known for his “pattern painting,” Jerry’s art was well described by The Washington Post in a 1980 review. “Clapsaddle applies, in overlapping layers, some 10,000 little brush strokes-horizontals, verticals, diagonals and arcs,” wrote art critic Paul Richard. “Were he rushed or restless, the building of these pictures, the weaving of these color-tweeds, would no doubt drive him batty. But his works are never frazzled, instead, they suggest contentment and the pace of daydreams. They are mantras for the eye.”

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The September 2023 Bulletin appears, with an essay titled “Just Say No to Crazy! And Other Fun Things to do in the Apocalypse,” along with news about the war against invasives in the parks; a newly-discovered photo of Barney Voigt (the original landscape architect of Hollin Hills, who died in 1953); thoughts on aging from the always-delightful Peter Kinzler; and much other agreeable nonsense.

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The Stone Bridge Artists – a group of 18 local painters, potters, photographers, sculptors and others – held its third annual tour from September 8 to 10, with opportunities to meet and talk with the artists as well as seeing their work. The group includes a number of talented Hollin Hills artists (including potter Susan Cohen, sculptor Jolande Goldberg, and photographer Barbara Southworth), and the works were shown over five venues, including two homes in Hollin Hills and one in nearby Tauxemont.

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The October 2023 Bulletin appears, with an essay titled “The Wrinkles of Youth, Ponce de Leon, and an Endless Parade of Dogs (How Wonderful!)”; a farewell interview with former Bulletin editor Barbara Shear (who, sadly for us, is moving to Maryland); Cecilia Braun comes to the (dog) rescue; the Pickleball Club announces it will refurbish a tennis court; and all the other usual gossip and updates.

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The 10th annual Hollin Hills Oktoberfest celebration took place on the last Saturday in September, with more than 320 Hollin Hillers and friends gathering in the pool parking lot on a balmy afternoon for music, bratwurst, and (of course) beer – three-and-a-half kegs of it, in fact.

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On October 8, the Pickleball Club officially opens one new tennis court, after having it resurfaced. The sole remaining tennis player in Hollin Hills quietly rejoices.

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In October, a huge pile of mulch suddenly and mysteriously appears at the entrance of Brickelmaier Park. There is much scratching of heads and offering of theories, with speculation that some sort of dark, mulch-worshipping cult may be forming in our midst.

But a few weeks later the mound vanishes without a trace, as suddenly as it appeared. To this day, it remains one of Hollin Hills’ greatest mysteries, leaving only a sense of awe and wonder in its wake.

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The 10th annual Hollin Hills Community Yard Sale was held in the Pool parking lot on October 28th, and despite record-breaking temperatures, 23 families took part — the most of any of the annual yard sales.

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The Civic Association holds a “Newcomers Social” – an informal party designed to help new Hollin Hillers meet and get to know each other – in October. And despite the stormy skies, Social Committee chairs Roxy Hoveyda and Matt Kies welcomed dozens of newcomers (and new-ish-comers) and longtime Hollin Hillers into their elegant, art-filled home on Rebecca Drive for the event, for a relaxed afternoon of chatting, making new friends, and noshing on potluck.

It was a friendly and animated group, and ranged from retired couples like Larry and Sharon Porter (who moved to Beechwood Road in 2021), to young families like Seth and Christine Styers and their baby Evie – who closed on their house and joined the Civic Association just days before the event!

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The November 2023 Bulletin appears, with much pondering of Hollin Hills mysteries and bizarre events; a full report on Oktoberfest; the planting of native plants in McCalley Park; Peter Kinzler’s memoir of going birding with Barry Pearson; lots of pictures of dogs and cats; and other deep thoughts about many, many things.

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In November, Friends of Hollin Hills and the CAHH Parks Committee decided to remove the metal trash cans from Voigt Park. Instead, Voigt Park will join all other Hollin Hills parks and the many state and national parks that encourage visitors to “leave no trace behind,” and to take responsibility for carrying out their own trash.

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Also in November, Friends of Hollin Hills awarded the Parks Committee a grant of $4,500 to remove all the invasive plants in a triangular area of Voigt park bordered by Ripon Road, the asphalt path that leads down into the park across from Drury Lane, and the park itself. The goal is to remove all the invasives that are threatening the native plants in that section of the park, to allow them to thrive. This heavily wooded area is shrouded in parts with porcelainberry, English ivy, multifloral rose, wintercreeper, and some invasive shrubs including autumn olive, honeysuckle, and double-file viburnum.

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Lee and Peter Braun (and their dog Fletcher, of course) welcomed more than 60 Hillers to their stunningly-restored Alcoa House home on Elba Road home on November 10 for the latest get-together of the Hollin Hills Supper Society, and the party was a blast from start to finish. The Supper Society is an open-invitation group started by Catherine Korona and Becky McCarthy, where every two months a Hollin Hiller opens their home to anyone who signs up and brings a dish to share. The theme for November’s dinner was “tapas,” and the Braun’s dining room table was piled high with exotic Spanish delicacies.

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A big crowd turned out for the the Fifth Annual Turkey Trot on November 23rd, raising $490, all of which will go toward preserving the parks. The traditional Thanksgiving morning race was adopted this year by the Friends of Hollin Hills (FOHH), which plans to continue the tradition and help build awareness of our neighborhood parks.

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The December 2023 Bulletin appears, with a detailed and existential look at the upcoming 75th Anniversary; the CAHH proposed budget for 2024; an entertaining “homegrown holiday gift guide” of things made by Hollin Hillers (you’ll be amazed by the breadth of talent); and much more.

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The Civic Association held its Fall Membership Meeting on Monday, December 4 at 7:00 pm at the Sherwood Library, with about 50 members attending and another 23 on Zoom. CAHH President Frank Collins opened the evening by presenting Lee Ann Kinzer with a CAHH Appreciation for her late husband Bob, a much-loved member of the Hollin Hills community who passed away last August. Treasurer Gus Matson walked the audience through the organization’s finances and the budget for 2024, noting that the CAHH is in good shape financially, but that necessary expenses (insurance, mowing in the parks, storage, and so on) continue their inexorable rise.

Parks Chair Gretchen Spencer ran through recent developments, including the upgrading of the Davenport Street entrance to Hollin Hills; new signs in the parks discouraging dumping and noting that dogs must be leashed; the removal of trash cans from Voigt Park; the “very successful” growth of the native plant demonstration garden in McCalley Park, with over 90 new plants installed; and a grant from the Friends of Hollin Hills to remove invasive plants from Voigt Park.

Rebecca Bostick of the Pool Committee noted that the pool now has 285 households as members, and will have its wiring replaced this winter. She also noted that the Hollin Hills Pickleball and Racquet Club is up to 437 members, that timers are going onto the court lights so that they won’t stay lit when not in use, and that volunteers have been cleaning invasive plants from around the courts and planting bulbs to beautify the area.

The membership then voted on four open positions on the CAHH Board of Directors, unanimously re-electing Pam Koger-Jesup as Vice-President; Roxy Hoveyda and Matthew Kies as Co-Chairs of the Social Committee; David and Nancy Harrity as Co-Chairs of the Membership Committee; and Alene McMahon as Director-at-Large.

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On December 19, tickets for the May 2024 House + Garden Tour sell out after only ten days. What can we say but … wow!

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Music was in the air on Saturday, December 23, when about eighty Hollin Hillers – including dozens of kids – gathered in McCalley Park for the traditional Holiday Sing-Along.

Fueled by cookies, candy canes and considerable courage, the carolers sang some of the season’s most-loved songs, from “Jingle Bells” to “Frosty the Snowman” – with a rocking rendition of “Feliz Navidad” that had much of the crowd dancing (or at least happily bouncing) to the beat.

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Jeremy Kenney and Megan Smith (of Rippon Road) tied with Isabel Fernandez and Jay Vizgaitis (Whiteoaks Drive) as winners of the Hollin Hills Holiday Lights Contest this year. Congrats to everyone who decorated their homes so cheerfully!

2024

On January 1, Hollin Hills starts its 75th Anniversary Year. With the motto “Modern Then, Modern Now, Modern Forever,” the year-long celebrations will include two major events — the 2024 House + Garden Tour in May, and the FOHH-sponsored Symposium on Charles Goodman, in September — as well as many smaller, community-building events throughout the year, including block parties, informal talks, a progressive dinner and other get-togethers.

Tania Ryan and Stephen Brookes head up the 75th Anniversary Committee, with tireless work from members Julie Toma, Paul Trombley, Christine Kelly, Lee Braun, Lynn Umemoto, Tom Voskuil, Roxy Hoveyda, and Matt Kies.

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Hollin Hills poet Cliff Bernier writes “At 75”, a commemorative poem for the 75th Anniversary of the community.

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The January 2024 Bulletin appears, with an in-depth look at the 75th Anniversary year ahead; some thoughts about why Hollin Hills still feels so “modern”; a Hollin Hills anniversary poem; the proud winners of the Holiday Lights Contest; and much more wonderful stuff from around the community.

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A commemorative poster for the 75th Anniversary, featuring the architectural drawings by Dennis Carmichael of the different house types in Hollin Hills, is released. The posters (as well as coffee mugs, tote bags, and so on) can be purchased from the Civic Association’s online store.

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The savage wilderness of Goodman Park was tamed (a bit) in January, after a new wooden bridge was installed over the streambed at the concrete encasement. Thanks to Robert Fina for building this enhancement, which makes it much easier to cross that tricky section of the path.

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The February 2024 Bulletin appears with some deep thoughts (and amazing photos, see below) about snow; a feature article on “Hollin Hills Style”; Frank Collins’s memories of “Mac” McCalley, and all the other usual updates from around the Hills.

It will be the last Bulletin edited by Stephen Brookes, who has greatly enjoyed the role since June 2020, but is stepping aside to start a new, independent project called the Hollin Hills Journal (this amazing thing you are looking at right now), focusing on architecture, design, art, culture — and, of course, the incredible people of Hollin Hills. Many thanks to everyone who helped make the Bulletin such a great community newsletter over the years! New editor Christine Kelly will take over in the summer.

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Hollin Hillers made the most of snowy weather in January, catching the fun on camera and submitting hundreds of great entries to the Winter Photo Contest. First Prize goes to Stine Riis Svenningsen for capturing the joy of snow and friendship (above). 

Mohra Govankar’s lyrical abstract took second prize; and third went to Hye Jin Jang for tying architecture, nature and childhood into a perfect “Hollin Hills in winter” photo (right).

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The first gathering of 2024 for the Hollin Hills Supper Society took place in late January at the home of Christine and Patrick Kelly, as a lively group of about 40 neighbors noshed on German fare, with no shortage of sauerkraut, brats, and chocolate.

If you happened to be walking down Popkins Lane on that unseasonably warm Friday night, you might even have heard traditional German music wafting out the open windows, as the hosts surprised everyone with a live performer! Accordion player Russell Wilson (dressed in lederhosen for the occasion) entertained the guests and made it a very special evening.

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In February, the Civic Association releases a special 75th Anniversary edition of the Hollin Hills Directory. Redesigned, updated and expanded to 120 pages by editor Stephen Brookes, the Directory contains the names and addresses of Hollin Hills residents, as well as a new guide to community resources, a listing of Hollin Hills entrepreneurs, a Hollin Hills FAQ, a practical guide to the design review process, helpful guides to the parks and the Design Review Committee, and articles on everything from architecture to landscaping in Hollin Hills.

The Directory is distributed to CAHH members at the 2024 Winter Potluck.

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On February 25, the CAHH holds its annual Winter Potluck in the Unitarian Church. Bobby and Rob McCalley, the son and grandson of the late “Mac” McCalley — who ran the construction of Hollin Hills — are the special guests, and a spectacular (and delicious) 75th birthday cake, donated by Bread & Water bakery owners (and Hollin Hills residents) Marko Panas and Noelie Rickey of Glasgow Road, is served.

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On March 6, seven architecture students from North Carolina State University, led by Burak Erdim (Associate Professor of Architecture, and Coordinator: Graduate Concentration in the History and Theory of Architecture), are given a private tour of Hollin Hills, visiting four homes (including Alcoa House) and meeting with a number of residents.

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The Hollin Hills 75th Anniversary Series gets off to a lively start on March 9, with a talk at Susan Cohen’s home on “Living with Art in the Hollin Hills Home.”

Susie (a gifted ceramicist and a member of Hollin Hills Potters), got a lively discussion going with a talk that tied together Japanese ceramics, new trends in contemporary painting, the theories of art critic Peter Schjeldahl, her own career as an artist, and much more. (Click here to read an essay by Susie drawn from the talk.)

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On March 10, willow reeds are planted in Voigt Park to start a new Willow Dome — which, as it roots and grows, will form a cozy (and natural) children’s play space.

As Voigt Park is a Resource Protection Area (RPA), traditional play equipment is not allowed there, and the willow dome is a native plant friendly alternative.

The Willow Dome is funded by the Friends of Hollin Hills.

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On March 16, David Rivera and Jaelith Hall-Rivera open their stylish Kimbro Street home to about 50 visitors for a casual tour and talk, as part of the 75th Anniversary celebrations.

Their home, which won The Washington Post’s “Mad Men” contest in 2012, is featured in The Eclectic Interiors of Hollin Hills.

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On March 30, Rick and Ann Ward open their Marthas Road home to Hollin Hills art lovers, giving about thirty neighbors free rein to explore their extensive contemporary art collection.

Rick gave a thoughtful, in-depth talk about how he became a collector, and offered some practical advice on how build and display a serious art collection. More on the event here.

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On Easter Sunday, the First Annual Easter Egg Hunt takes place in Voigt Park.

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On the afternoon of April 7, Kayla Cross, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Supervisor for Invasive Plant Control, Inc. led a small group of Hollin Hillers on a tour of the three-year invasives removal project, which is now underway in a corner parcel of Voigt Park. She pointed out the invasives that had been cut and treated (including porcelain berry, winter creeper, and many others) and discussed the importance of a healthy canopy of trees, and highlighted the native plants that we hope will thrive and spread — including spice bush, ferns, sedges, and wild grape.

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On the afternoon of April 8, mostly-clear skies, perfect spring temperatures and Doug Megenity’s high-powered solar telescope draw more than 120 Hollin Hillers — ranging from newborns to nonagenarians — to Recard Lane to watch the 2024 partial solar eclipse together.

It was a hugely enjoyable community get-together, and a fine way to celebrate this rare celestial event, especially with the Doug — a very experienced amateur astronomer — on hand to explain to the rest of us exactly what was going on in the skies above. More on this hugely enjoyable day here.

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On April 20, thirty-six grown-ups, eight kids and five dogs celebrated Beechwood Road’s 70th birthday at a block party hosted by Mike Kilpatrick, greeters Wendy Montanari and Julie Curtis, and Jere Gibber.

There was cake and ice cream for the humans and biscuits for the dogs, and the guest list included current residents, former residents, and a few “Second Generation Hollin Hillers.”

Notable among the attendees was former Beechwood Roader Phil Hirschkop, who argued (and won) the landmark case, “Loving v. Virginia”, winning the right for a biracial couple to remain married in the State of Virginia.

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On April 20, volunteers installed a new Little Free Library in McCalley Park, stocked with books on native plants for adults and nature books for children.

Placed next to the two benches there, the new Library creates a pleasant, shady spot to read, and the books will help foster understanding of McCalley Park — which is a native plant demonstration garden. (For a fun read about the new Library, click here.)

Also on Earth Day, two new black gum trees were planted to commemorate the 75th Anniversary, one in Paul Spring Park (by the community entrance) and and one in Sutton Potter Park.

The Library and the trees were a gift from the Friends of Hollin Hills.

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On April 27th at 7 am, a small but enthusiastic group of Hollin Hillers gather in Goodman Park for a birding expedition led by Hollin Hills birder extraordinaire Ben Jesup. The group walks uphill from the foot of Goodman and returns down through Brickelmaier, as Ben guides the group through the avian delights of Hollin Hills.

We are reliably informed that the following fowl were spotted: hermit thrush, fish crow, American crow, blue jay, house sparrow, Northern cardinal, white-throated sparrow, Carolina wren, American robin, house wren, yellow-rumped warbler, white-breasted nuthatch, red-bellied woodpecker, American Goldfinch, tufted titmouse, and the Eastern towhee.

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The 2024 House + Garden Tour is held on May 4, and despite slightly damp weather, is a huge success, with over 1,700 visitors to the thirteen homes on the tour.

The day began with a yoga session and classic car show by the Hollin Hills Pool, and Old Town Trolleys ferried tour-goers between the houses all day, helping to ease traffic congestion. The day ended with a spectacular tiki-themed bash in the evening that brought together homeowners, sponsors and organizers to celebrate.

Tour co-chairs Heather Shuster and Holly Wetzel and the team did a fantastic and highly professional job, bringing in net revenue for the community of $104,684.97.

See the 2024 Tour program here.

Learn more about the next tour here.

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In May, Barbara Ward steps down as head of the Design Review Committee, after four years in this challenging and extremely important position.

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In May, the Summer 2024 Bulletin appears (under interim editor Tara Ward) with a round-up of the House + Garden Tour; a farewell to DRC chairman Barbara Ward; reports on events so far that have been part of the Hollin Hills 75th Anniversary celebration; two stories by Peter Kinzler; a report on the Nepenthe Gallery honoring our 75th; reports on the parks and the pool; and much more.

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On May 19, a quartet of Hollin Hillers absolutely dominated the annual Speed & Style Festival in Old Town, volunteering themselves as models for the event.

The Festival, which showcases vintage cars, drew 40,000 people, most of whom were near-blinded by the beauty of Tom Kuester and Mohra Gavankar (paired with a rare Apollo) and of Roxy Hoveyda and Matt Kies, paired with a stunningly-restored Citroen — two of the 120 cars on display.

Behold these gorgeous human beings, who walk among us like gods. (More here.)

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On May 25, Annick Kervoelen Buchanan, a resident of Hollin Hills since 1968, dies peacefully at her Marthas Road home. Originally from France, Annick taught French language and literature at Georgetown University for 40 years.

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A Memorial Day observance is held on May 27 in Voigt Park, with Hollin Hills resident and Naval War College Professor Charles Chadborn III as the keynote speaker.

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In June, Hollin Hills’ amazing Alcoa House on Elba Road — meticulously renovated by Lee and Peter Braun a few years ago — is profiled in Atomic Ranch magazine, bringing what may be the crown jewel of Hollin Hills architecture to the attention of the world. (Read our own story about the Alcoa restoration here.)

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“Rya-Palooza” — a totally shagadelic celebration of modernist Scandinavian textiles — took place on Marthas Road on June 8, as part of the 75th Anniversary celebrations. Perfect weather made it possible to have an indoor-outdoor exhibit of about thirty of these wild “art rugs” from the 1950s and 60s, and a good 40 people showed up for the fun.

Rya expert Melinda Purcell Byrd was on hand to provide a demonstration and talk, and hosts Stephen Brookes and Alene McMahon kept the guests fueled with Scandinavian treats.

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On June 20, realtors Lee and Peter Braun hosted an open house at their latest project — a showpiece home at 7200 Rebecca Drive that’s just received a top-to-bottom renovation. Dozens of Hillers came by to eat, drink and tour the Brauns’ meticulous restoration of a property that had become a bit of an eyesore over the years. More here.

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On June 22, the Hollin Hills Journal is launched. An independent online publication, it’s designed to showcase the best of Hollin Hills through creative, in-depth journalism on the people, architecture and life of this unique community. Edited by Stephen Brookes, and written and photographed by an amazingly talented crew of Hollin Hills contributors.

Dazzled by its brilliance, charm, erudition and wit, one impartial observer (the editor’s wife) predicts a Pulitzer.

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Also on June 22 (a brutally hot day), Steven Costoff and Shane Thrailkill open their elegant garden on Beechwood Road — inspired by the original 1953 Dan Kiley design — to several dozen Hollin Hillers, as part of the 75th Anniversary celebrations. Read about their garden here.

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The 4th of July was hot and steamy, but that didn’t stop hundreds of Hollin Hillers from coming to the annual Independence Day parade and picnic in Voigt Park!

The park was trimmed in patriotic brilliance, the Mount Vernon Concert Band filled the air with song, there were sack races and egg tosses, and all enjoyed hotdogs, drinks, an ice cream or three, and sides, sides, sides as far as the eye could see. More on the event here.

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On August 11, longtime Hollin Hills resident Milly Stanges passes away. Milly was one of the driving forces behind the formation of the Hollin Hills Pickleball and Tennis Club, and the building of the pickleball courts.

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On the beautiful night of September 6, the Hollin Hills Pool celebrates its 70th birthday, with swimming (of course) and the gathering of objects for a time capsule which will be stored safely and opened at the 100th birthday of the pool in 2054.

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From September 13-15, the Friends of Hollin Hills present an ambitious symposium on the work of Charles Goodman, holding a three-day series of lectures, discussions and tours at various locations in the DC area.

Titled “Living Modern-Building Community: The Architecture of Charles Goodman,” the event is designed to explore the extraordinary legacy and impact of the pathbreaking architect who designed Hollin Hills, and to deepen understanding of his work.

Speakers included a range of Goodman experts, from architectural historian Richard Guy Wilson, to such former and current Hollin Hillers as architects Gregory Hunt and John Burns, landscape architect Dennis Carmichael and builder Robert Fina, as well as speakers from Goodman-designed communities in the area.

Topics ranged from Goodman’s legacy, to modern architecture and community planning, to the challenges of maintaining a Goodman home. Most of the talks took place at the George Washington Masonic Temple, but participants also toured two historic Goodman designs: the Unitarian Universalist Church of  Arlington, and Severeid House, a custom-designed hillside house in Alexandria.

Click here to read the Symposium program. Videos of many of the talks may be seen here.

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On the afternoon of September 28, abstract painter Bobbie Godwin holds an open house for the community, talking about her work and exhibiting some of her many extraordinary canvases.

Several dozen Hollin Hills art-lovers attend, and speakers (including designer Michael Hentges) discussed Godwin’s work and influence, which was the subject of a profile earlier in the year in the Hollin Hills Journal.

Godwin’s highly atmospheric home, with its vast art collection and hand-made alterations (including the distinctive kitchen floor which Godwin designed and built herself) — was a delight to explore, as were the sculpture-filled gardens.

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On September 23, Hollin Hills poet and musician Cliff Bernier releases his latest collection, titled “Ocean Suite”. The chapbook of 26 poems — all of which take their inspiration from water — is reviewed here in the Journal.

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On September 29, neighbors from Whiteoaks Drive, Mason Hill Drive, Saville Court, Kimbro Street, and adjacent homes on Rebecca Drive gather to celebrate on the Saville Court cul-de-sac with a lively block party — one of the many such parties that have been held on streets all across Hollin Hills over the course of this 75th Anniversary year.

The day begins with a Zumba class led by Isabel Fernandez, followed by a delicious potluck lunch in the afternoon, giving neighbors a chance to meet.

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The October 2024 Bulletin appears with a “Hollin Hillers @ 75” series, with Bailey Spencer and Michael Hentges (who both turned 75 this year) writing about their eventful lives; a report on the Hollin Hills Jazz Combo (Mia van Zelst, piano; Jack Coulter, bass; Sean Vann, guitar and Bert van Zelst on drums); an end-of-summer update on the pool; reports on park clean-up parties; a questionnaire to determine why residents decide (or decide not) to become members of the Civic Association; and much more!

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On Saturday, October 5th, more than 80 Hollin Hillers gather for the community’s first “progressive dinner,” meeting up at the beginning of the evening for cocktails at Allison and Bryan Bierman’s home, then dispersing to eleven other homes around the neighborhood for smaller-scale dinners.

The guests then met up for dessert at the end of the evening at the home of Selva and Javier Sanchez.

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On Sunday October 13, over 250 Hillers and their guests meet up at the Pool for the 11th annual Oktoberfest celebration — a much-loved tradition started by David Rivera and Jaelith Hall-Rivera.

The partiers went through about 300 brats and almost four kegs of beer, and everybody had a great time — as, of course everybody always does at this great event. What’s not to love?

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The November 2024 Bulletin appears, with a look ahead at the Fall Membership Meeting; a report on the progressive dinner; an autobiographical sketch from Connie Thomasson titled “75 and Fabulous!”; a report on Oktoberfest; a page and a half of instructions on coping with the Civic Association’s new membership software (including figuring out whether you are a “bundle coordinator” or merely a “bundle” — we’re not kidding); and of course updates on the parks and so on.

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On the afternoon of November 16, Hillers gather at the Sherwood Hall Library Meeting Room for an in-depth — and fascinating — discussion on “Front Row to History: What Now for the U.S. Congress? A 50-Year Perspective from Hollin Hillers on Capitol Hill.”

The panel consists of four Hollin Hillers with decades of in-depth professional experience in key positions on the Hill, who shared their perspectives on how and why the Congress has changed since the late 1960s, moving from functional activism to its current dysfunction and near paralysis.

Senator Pat Roberts started as a House staffer in 1969, was elected to the House of Representatives (from the first district in Kansas) in 1981, and was elected to the Senate in 1996, where he served for four terms before retiring in 2020. Peter Kinzler also started as a staffer in the House in 1969 and worked mostly on committee staffs in both the House and Senate for 25 years before retiring when Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House in 1995. David Nexon served as Senator Ted Kennedy’s senior health policy advisor, and co-authored the book “Lion of the Senate: When Ted Kennedy Rallied the Democrats in a GOP Congress.” The fourth panelist, Collin Davenport, has worked as Legislative Director to Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) since 2016, during a time when Democrats have been in both the majority and minority.

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The December 2024 Bulletin appears, with a look ahead to the Fall Membership Meeting; a new plan for regular community events called “Community Connections”; reflections on the parks from outgoing Parks Director Gretchen Spencer; an appeal from Ben Jesup for neighbors to play strategy board games with; a memorial for Cynthia Lee McElroy, who passed away in October; an article on preventing “bird strikes” on our windows; and much more!

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On the morning of November 28 — Thanksgiving Day — the Friends of Hollin Hills sponsor the 6th Annual Hollin Hills Turkey Trot & Fun Run.

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On November 29, The American Conservative runs an article about Hollin Hills titled, “When America was Weird.” There are so many errors in it that we’re reluctant to even publish the link. But here it is anyway.

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On December 9, the Hollin Hills Civic Association holds its Fall Membership Meeting, voting to raise the membership dues to $225 next year, and electing Frank Collins to another term as President. Bryan Bierman was elected as Treasurer and Susmita Dastidar as Membership Chair, while Tara Ward was re-elected as Recording Secretary. Dan Schulke was elected as Parks Chair, and Sean Vann re-elected as Director-at large.

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Also on December 9, Augustine Joseph “Gus” Matson, 78, passes away peacefully at his Recard Lane home, after a brief battle with cancer. Gus was a beloved member of the Hollin Hills community for over 25 years, and had served as both President and Treasurer of the Civic Association.

Gus had 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, and is survived by his wife Barbara Liggett, and his seven children. He will be greatly missed for his humor, graciousness, creativity and dedication to Hollin Hills.

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On December 15, Hollin Hills holds its annual Holiday Sing-along in McCalley Park.

2025

The January 2025 Bulletin hits the newsstands, with an update on the CAHH Fall Membership Meeting in December; a review of the great events from last year’s 75th Anniversary celebrations; some New Year’s Resolutions from Hollin Hillers; a memorial for Gus Matson, who passed away in December; some thoughts on “Winter Magic” from Christina Curley; and much more.

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On January 18, original Hollin Hills settler Claire Chytilo passes away at 96 in Santa Barbara, California.  After marrying her husband Steve in 1951 and moving to Hollin Hills, she brought her energy, inquisitiveness, deep interest in others and appreciation of beautiful things to a multitude of community and civic activities, where she often took leadership roles.

Claire was a fiber artist, and contributed her talents and energy to local and national art organizations, including the Potomac Fiber Arts Guild and Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory. Known for her extensive knowledge and love of literature, poetry, art, and history, she was an inspiration to all who had the privilege of knowing her.

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On January 23, the Civic Association holds a “Budget Q&A” to answer any questions about the 2025 budget, as time ran short after the Board presented the budget Fall Membership Meeting in December.

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On January 25, Hollin Hills resident Diana Cull — a Sogetsu Riji Sensei — holds a workshop on how to prepare a Japanese ikebana winter flower arrangement. The well-attended event was held at St. Luke's Parish, and resulted in much beauty.

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On February 4, Thomas W. Fina — one of the first settlers in Hollin Hills — passes away at the age of 100. Tom had dedicated his life to the U.S. Foreign Service and helped shape the United States’ relationship with Italy over critical decades, and spent many years as the Executive Chairman of Democrats Abroad. He also participated deeply in the life of Hollin Hills, serving as President of the Civic Association, Chairman of the Parks Association, and more.

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On February 16, the Civic Association holds its annual Winter Potluck at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church.

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On February 24, the renowned singer Roberta Flack — one of Hollin Hills’ best-known residents — passes away at 88. Flack had lived on Marthas Circle in the early 1970s, when she first began to win international fame.

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In March, Hollin Hiller Paul Krizek (who has represented Virginia's 16th District in the House of Delegates for the past ten years), announces that he will seek re-election in November. In a campaign statement, Delegate Krizek noted that “it is clear to me that federal oversight of Trump and Elon Musk is virtually non-existent. Local state lawmakers are the last line of defense, and it is at the state level where we will hold our leaders’ actions accountable.”

For more information on Krizek’s campaign or how to get involved, visit his website or contact Delegate Krizek’s Campaign Manager, Kim Villalobos via email.

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On Sunday, March 9, Michael McGill stepped up to help guide a Smithsonian Associates tour of Hollin Hills. More than forty midcentury architecture aficionados arrived in a tour bus (en route between the Pope-Leighey House and the National Building Museum), and McGill (an architecture aficionado himself) graciously opened his own Drury Lane home to the visitors so they could see the interior of a Goodman home.

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