Mary Carlin House
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Mary Carlin House is one of the oldest homes in Arlington. The original part of the house—a log structure—was built around 1800 by tailor William Carlin, whose customers included George Washington. Logs of the original house are still visible and there is a historical marker describing the house located next to this private residence.
Images
The Mary Carlin House is one of the oldest homes in Arlington. Built around 1800, it is named after teacher Mary Carlin, who was born in the house and lived here for the rest of her life.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
William Carlin purchased the property in 1772 from a man named John Ball. It appears it was part of a larger tract of land called Glencarlyn. His grandaughter, Mary Carlin, was born in the house and became a teacher. She lived here for her entire life. The house remained in the family until 1901 when descendant William H.F. Carlin died. In 1905, Charles H. Lane bought the house, which was apparently still only a log structure. The grounds also included a barn and a shed. Lane demolished a lean-to kitchen that had been built and replaced it with a new kitchen.
By 1967, it was in bad shape and the new owners bought it for only $13,000. Over the coming years, they renovated and expanded the house to its current size. The small structure next to the house is a shed that covers an old well. The owners allowed tours of the house in 1969, 1974, and 1993.
Sources
Clark, Charlie. "Mary Carlin House." Falls Church News-Press. November 4, 2014. https://www.fcnp.com/2014/11/04/our-man-in-arlington-106.
Lane, Munson H. "Brief History and Recollections of the Village of Glencarlyn and Vicinity." http://arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Lane-Brief-Hist-Recollections-of-Village-of-Glencarlyn-Vicinity-AHM-1970.pdf.
"Mary Carlin House." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed May 17, 2023. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=56352.
The Historical Marker Database