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Bluemont, Arlington Virginia, (not to be confused with Bluemont the unincorporated community in Loudoun County), is located in west central Arlington County, Virginia. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Washington Blvd. on the north, N Glebe Rd on the east, N Carlin Springs Rd on the south and Bon Air Park and Four Mile Run on the west.

Bluemont’s early history dates back to Colonial times, when Arlington was part of the Northern Neck Proprietorship owned by Lord Fairfax in England. A tobacco planter named John Colville, purchased a 1,321 acre parcel adjacent to Lubber Run (“The Lubber Tract”), as well as tens of thousands of acres in deals with Lord Fairfax’s brother and Virginia land agent, William. By 1749, Colville was the third largest slaveowner in Fairfax County, a tobacco grower, mill and tavern tavern owner. Upon his death, the tract went to the Earl of Tankerville, who subdivided and sold it at auction in 1789. Some of the surviving lot lines are Carlin Springs Road, Wilson Blvd., 11th St. N., and N. 16th Street.

The Virginia land value crash of the early 1800’s led to farm foreclosures and a mass exodus to the west, then during the Civil War, Bluemont was effectively destroyed during its use as encampment sites, makeshift hospitals and forts. Crops were trampled, fences became firewood, livestock was confiscated and used to feed soldiers, timberland was cut for building material. Rifle trenches, ammunition bunkers and berms defaced the ground. Barns, outbuildings, and private homes were occupied, damaged, or destroyed. Many residents fled and the area was re-settled by army veterans, camp followers, and former slaves.

The Bluemont neighborhood reinvented itself again in the 1890’s as a railroad town and  Streetcar Suburb from the late 1890’s through the mid-1940’s and its growth accelerated after WWII, completing buildout by 1960.

Architecture in Bluemont ranges from simple cottage-style farmhouses to stately homes, including Colonial and Colonial Revival, Cape Cod, Craftsman and Craftsman Bungalow, Farmhouse, Dutch Revival and many of the styles typical of Arlington County.

Arlington County designated approximately 70% of Bluemont as a low-density residential neighborhood. Parks and other public places make up about 20%, while commercial and mixed-use areas make up the remaining 10%. Bluemont has two business districts; the Glebe Road business district and the Wilson Boulevard business district.

Amenities include a wetlands refuge and beaver pond, streams, stands of heritage trees, historic sites, the satellite campuses of two major universities, and bicycle trails. Parks include Lacey Woods Park, Ballston Pond Park, Fields Park, Bon Air Park, portions of Bluemont Park and Bluemont Junction Park. The Washington and Old Dominion Trail runs from Purcellville to the Potomac River and passes through Bluemont on its western edge, running along Four Mile Run through Bon Air Park and Bluemont Park. The Bluemont neighborhood is also desired for its convenience to DC, proximity to public transportation, access to parks and recreational areas, as well as Ballston, Clarendon and other desirable Arlington City locations.

A detailed history of Bluemont