Produced by Mark C. Orton and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net A HISTORY _of_ THE BOUNDARIES _of_ ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA Office of the County Manager Arlington, Virginia 1967 [Illustration: THE BOUNDARIES OF ARLINGTON 1791 1801 1846 1870 1875 1915 1929 1936 1946 1966] FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION This collection of documentary references to the boundaries of Arlington County was first published in 1957. This new edition contains revisions made in the light of fuller knowledge, and brings the story up-to-date by taking account of the change in the common boundary with the City of Alexandria which went into effect on January 1, 1966. This pamphlet can serve as a guide for those who need to know what jurisdiction covered this area at any particular time. It provides information for the student as well as the title searcher--in fact, for anyone interested in the history of what is now Arlington County. [Illustration: Signature of Bert W. Johnson] Bert W. Johnson County Manager A History of The Boundaries of Arlington County, Virginia TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction--Arlington County Today 1 1608-1789 2 The Charters of James I to the Virginia Company Charles I Charter to Lord Baltimore The Counties of the Northern Neck of Virginia 1789-1847 3 Into the District of Columbia: Cession of 1789 Location of the Federal District Out of the District: Acts of 1846 In Virginia Once More, 1847 ARLINGTON'S BOUNDARY WITH THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA 14 Establishment of Alexandria as a Town Territorial Accretions of Alexandria to 1870 County-City Separation, 1870 Annexations by Alexandria from Arlington, 1915 and 1929 Readjustment of Boundaries, 1966 ARLINGTON'S BOUNDARY WITH THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 24 Boundary of Commission of 1935 Acts of 1945 and 1946 POSTSCRIPTS--TOWNS IN ARLINGTON COUNTY 27 The Town of Falls Church The Town of Potomac No More Towns Appendix. Bibliography. A History of The Boundaries of Arlington County, Virginia It is one of those paradoxes so characteristic of Arlington that the area composing the County did not exist as a separate entity until it was ceded by Virginia to form part of the District of Columbia. The Act by which the Congress of the United States took jurisdiction over this area directed that that portion of the District which had been ceded by Virginia was to be known as the county of Alexandria.[1] (It was not until 1920 that it received the name of Arlington.)[2] [1] Acts of Congress, February 27, 1801 and March 3, 1801. U.S. Stat. at Large, Vol. 2, pp. 103, 115.