Westover

Can you imagine a time when Westover wasn’t a bustling neighborhood? Westover in the 19th and early 20th centuries was farmland. Picture it: rolling fields, grazing livestock, a quiet, rural landscape. This area of Arlington was predominantly agricultural. Nicholas Febrey, a prominent civic leader and one of the largest landowners, held this land. The transformation of Westover began in the 1890s with the arrival of electric railways. This spurred development as real estate developers began subdividing the land, creating new communities like Fostoria. Westover, then known as Highland Park in 1907, began to take shape. The earliest houses in present-day Westover are located in this Highland Park community. Westover wasn’t built in a day. The development unfolded over decades. The construction of Walter Reed Elementary School in 1938 on McKinley Road, previously Febrey farmland, marked a significant step. Even then, Westover remained largely undeveloped. Ashton C. Jones and his wife, Margaret Rucker, owned most of the land at that time. They deeded it to Mace Properties, Inc., which developed much of the Westover Historic District we see today between 1939 and 1948. Miles A. Mace, the real estate broker behind Mace Properties, followed FHA guidelines to create affordable housing. This resulted in the construction of economical housing developments in the first half of the 20th century, shaping Westover’s character. In 1938, Arlington County rezoned 120 acres, paving the way for Mace Properties to build large multi-family apartment buildings. One of the earliest examples was a 152-unit garden-style apartment building constructed in 1939 at a cost of $600,000. The Westover Hills project followed in 1940, a landmark development in Mace Properties’ history. This project included single-family homes, twin houses, and garden apartments, designed by Thelander and architect Harry E. Ormston. Around the same time, in 1940, the Westover Shopping Center emerged, a 13-store retail hub along Washington Boulevard. This center originally included a Safeway, a “five and dime” store, and a pharmacy. Westover today retains much of its pre-World War II charm, with modest single-family homes and garden apartments. Many of these dwellings have been updated and expanded to meet modern needs, reflecting the ongoing evolution of this historic neighborhood. The Westover Shopping Center continues to serve the community. Westover’s story is one of transformation, from quiet farmland to a thriving community.