Wartime Housing
J.E.B. Stuart Homes
The J.E.B. Stuart homes were one of several federally funded projects that built low-cost WWII housing with a minimum of amenities.
Built in the southern part of the county, they were constructed without regard to Arlington County building and zoning regulations. Segregated according to race, as was the custom at that time, the George Pickett, Shirley, J.E.B. Stuart and Jubal Early homes were for whites. The George Washington Carver and Paul Dunbar home were for blacks. The homes were built on concrete slabs without basements and heated by coal stoves. Tenants were selected on the basis of need. Residents of the Stuart homes, pictured above, and the other developments were for people employed by the rapidly-growing federal government during the war years; Arlington County in general had a significant upsurge in population during the 1930s and 1940s.
After the war, those who could afford to moved out of the homes and the properties gradually deteriorated. The federal government wanted to dispose of the projects and offered them to the County to be used for low income families living in sub-standard housing. However, the County decided against the offer as acceptance would have entailed the establishment of a local Housing Authority, a proposal which was very controversial at the time. As a result, the homes that had been built to a higher, more permanent standard were sold to tenants and the others were razed.
What About You?
Do you remember the J.E.B. Stuart homes and similar housing? What were the war years like in Arlington? Let us know what you remember!
I remember living with my grandmother on Twentieth Street in Arlington during WWII when my father was in Europe. We were not allowed to go near the housing project that, until I was an adult, I always thought was called Jubalalie.
Jeanne: I believe the housing project you are referring to were the Jubal Early projects. My family lived in the George Pickett and the Jubal Early projects in the late 40s/early 50s (?), before moving to an apartment building at 100 Chesapeake St SE, Washington DC. I will look for some old pix to post.
Also, I remember there being a Donut Dinette nearby (on Columbia Pike maybe?). They were 5 cents apiece I believe. I went to buy one every time I had a nickel! The large oil vats were right there to watch the raised donuts being made…and I can still recall the “aroma” of those glazed donuts today.
Shirley
In the late 40s I lived in the post WWII George Pickett Public Housing (Pickett Homes) located off of lower Columbia Pike, attended Pickett Elementary School, and Patrick Henry Elementary School. The homes were single story, cinderblock row house residences with Ice Boxes, Coal Bins and clothes lines out front. Victory Gardens grew nearby with delicious sun-ripened tomatoes available for the picking by a child of 7 years old.
I remember the neat children we had in our neighborhood. We were all close and knew the grown ups were keeping an eye out for us. I remember the ice cream man and the vegetable cart. Fireworks on the Forth of July. The hill we rode our bikes down. I accidentally ran into a building coming down the hill and losing control of my bike. I remember my friends older brother who had a train set. A teenager who taught me the ABCs. My neat school teachers. We have some neat pictures of our time there from 1948 to 1953. It was a good place to grow up.
I remember very well Shirley Homes, where I lived from 1945-1949. It was located between Ridge Road
and Glebe Rd. Do you know where I could get any
pictures of Shirley Homes? Would love very much to see it again.
Please email me with any info you may have- thank
you
Frank Gore
Sandy, I lived in Shirley Homes from 1945 to 1949.
Is that the same project you lived in? If you have some neat pictures of Shirley Homes, I’d love to find a way that I could see them. I have such good memories of that time, but no photos.
Frank
Our family lived there I believe in the mid to late forties. We were very close to all of the other families and it was safe and fun. I can remember snips of the way the house looked ( I was about 5 when we moved). My older brother and I shared one of the two bedrooms – I remember it was barely big enough for the bunk beds and 2 dressers; a small living/dining a area adjacent to a small open kitchen. Even though it was small and considered low income housing, my memories are of love and family.
I KNOW ALL ABOUT THE SHIRLEY HOMES,1940′S THIS WAS A GREAT PLACE
FOR A CHILD TO GROW UP,PLENTY OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN ,MORE THAN ENOUGH TO MAKE UP A BALL TEAM..REALLY NICE PEOPLE,THOUGH WE WERE ALL DIRT POOR…NEVER ANY CRIME THERE…THINK EVERYBODY THERE SUPPORTED THE WAR EFFORT DURING WW2.EVERYBODY WAS ORDERED OUT AROUND 1953..LATER THE WHOLE PLACE WAS TORN DOWN..THERE IS NEXT TO NOTHING ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE SHIRLEY HOMES
Gary, you have the same memories as I do, would love to find some photos of Shirley Homes, if you know of any please let me know.
Thanks
We lived there from around 1951 – 1953 or so. My younger sister was born while we lived there. I have bits and pieces of memories from our time there. I have a few pictures taken from our tiny back yard, showing the row of apartments behind us.
Frank,
Unfortunately we don’t have any photos of Shirley Homes. Hopefully someone else who does will see this…
I also lived in Shirley Homes. Lived there with parents and four older brothers. I think about all the fun I had growing up back then. Had a lot of friends and on summer nights all the kids would play outside till it got dark.
Were they ever called Pickett Homes? My Dad lived in projects about that time and he always referred to them as Pickett Homes.
Hi Susan,
Yes, your father was correct. As was stated in the original post, “Segregated according to race, as was the custom at that time, the George Pickett, Shirley, J.E.B. Stuart and Jubal Early homes were for whites. The George Washington Carver and Paul Dunbar home were for blacks.”
More information can be found in the Arlington Historical Magazine Vol. 9, No. 1, October 1989, pg. 35:
“The old Pickett Homes were built on the site of St. John’s Orphanage on the south side of Columbia Pike between South Scott Street and Court House Road. Built on concrete slabs, this was emergency housing during and subsequent to World War II primarily for military personnel and their families. The Dorchester and Executive Apartments now occupy that site.”
Earlier this year I was looking at old aerial photos and saw the Jubal Early and J.E.B. Stuart Homes, which I never knew existed, having not been around those areas until a few years after they were torn down. I started researching all the old war-era low-rent housing complexes in Arlington. The only two I remembered from my own experience were the George Washington Carver and Paul Lawrence Dunbar Homes, the latter being torn down between 2003 and 2007 and the former being sold recently and, assumedly, intended for replacement soon.
Anyone know the exact location of shirley homes? I have a feeling they were near 4 mile run in arlendria area.
Bob,
You are correct – the Shirley Homes were located off S. Rolfe Street, near Arlington Ridge Road.
The Location of Shirley Homes was between Ridge Rd and Glebe Rd. Four Mile Run ran along Glebe Rd at this location. Spent may hour playing in Four Mile Run.
We moved to Shirley Homes in 1942. They were very small and had been quickly/poorly built. We had a coal burning stove, ice box, and shower only in the tiny bathroom. But, it was our first real home and seemed like a mansion to us. We had an elementary school on site, a wonderful recreation area across from the school and a lot of kids to play with. I had a lot of friends and we grew up together there. No crime and the parents all looked out for all the children. Good memories.
Shirley Homes was bordered by Glebe Road and running perpendicular to that was Arlington Ridge Road. I lived from 1943 to 1952. I have fond memories of softball games after school and during the summer. Playing outside until your mother called for you. Has a lot of friends there.
My three sisters and I lived in Shirley Homes (2700 block of S. Meade St.)from about the early 40′s to the early 50′s. I have fond memories of friends and adventures in the immediate neighborhood and around Four Mile Run. Our family was damned poor, but I didn’t realize it. However, it must have been tough on my two older sisters who attended school outside the neighborhood with students of affluent families, and on my Mother who was always trying to ‘make ends meet’.
I lived at 1479 S. Pierce St. and have the same memories as you. Was strange hearing you say that you were poor but didn’t know it, because as I look back at that time, those are my same thoughts too.
Right after WWII a lot of families were just starting off and times can be tough getting started.
Can you tell me who was Shirley Homes named after?
Frank,
We believe that they were named after Henry G. Shirley, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Highways, who died in 1941.
The first highway from Route 1 to the 14th Street Bridge was also named after him – the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway – which is now part of I-395 and I-95. Just for fun, check out this VDOT video comparing a drive up 395 in 1949 to 2014 to see how much the landscape has changed.)
Thank you very much for your research, appreciate the info.
Frank Gore
Can you tell me when was Shirley Homes built?
(Thanks)