Arlington was the first Virginia locality, and is one of only a few nationwide, to create a Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) — a groundbreaking effort to comprehensively identify and rank specific types of our historic buildings according to their historical and architectural significance.
The first phase of this effort identified and ranked nearly 400 historic garden apartments (complexes and individual buildings), shopping centers and commercial buildings built between approximately 1909 and 1962. Each property was classified into one of six categories: Essential, Important, Notable, Minor, Altered/Not Historic and Demolished. There are only 23 properties identified in the highest category of Essential — those with the greatest historical, architectural or visual prominence in our community.
Creating the HRI, as well as developing strategies for preserving Arlington’s most vital historic resources, was one of two priority recommendations in the County’s Historic Preservation Master Plan. Nearly 25 percent of the properties surveyed as part of the study have been demolished since 2000, underscoring the need for strategies and incentives to protect our important historic buildings. The HRI serves as a planning tool to help balance preservation goals with new development and other community benefits.
The HRI focuses on eight goals for encouraging the preservation and rehabilitation of historic properties featured in the list. Read the full list of goals and policies.