The Yorktown Civic Association traces its history of involvement in the community and advocacy for neighborhood issues back to the time shortly after the first subdivision – Milburn Terrace – was built. The Milburn Terrace Subdivision Association was formed in 1945 for the purpose of having the subdivision builders replace faulty furnaces – an endeavor in which the association was successful. In 1946 the Millburn Terrace Association merged with the recently formed Garden City Association with Joe Camden as President. New subdivisions were being developed in the vicinity so the name “Northwest Arlington Civic Association” was adopted in 1947. The name was selected because, at that time, the area made up the main developed portion of the northwestern segment of Arlington County – the area north of Lee Highway and west of Glebe Road. This was not the case for long, as the development of the 1950s and 1960s in Arlington led to many new subdivisions, neighborhoods, and – eventually – civic associations. It was not until 1992, however, that the name was changed to the Yorktown Civic Association.

Two of the major issues which the association addressed in the 1950s and 1960s had to do with George Mason Drive. One issue was to have the County cover the open stream which flowed down the middle of George Mason from Lee Highway to the current Rock Spring Park. The Association was also active in the effort to develop Rock Spring Park and prevent George Mason Drive from being extended through the park and becoming a major thoroughfare through the neighborhood. Although association activity declined in the 1970s and 1980s a group of leaders – including Ruth Camden, Ruby Smith, and Vernon Davis – made certain that the association did not disband.

The 1990s saw a renewed level of activity by the Association under the leadership of Ted Weihe. A major accomplishment was the completion of the Yorktown Neighborhood Conservation Plan in February 1995. This was one of the first plans completed under Arlington County’s innovative Neighborhood Conservation program whereby neighborhoods are able to plan and implement local improvement for items such as parks, landscaping and streetlights. Through Neighborhood Conservation funding the YCA has successfully implemented such projects as new curbs and gutters for North Jefferson Street, traffic circles and islands, street lighting, and neighborhood signs. Neighborhood Conservation funding paid for improvements and upgrades to the Chestnut Hill tot lot as well as for the new playground equipment installed in Chestnut Hill in 1999. All of these efforts were spearheaded by the Yorktown Civic Association. All total, the Yorktown neighborhood has been the beneficiary of more than $1 million in Neighborhood Conservation funded improvements – only one of two Arlington Civic Associations to receive over one million dollars in NC funds.

In the late 1990s the Civic Association was active in the expressing community concerns during the development of the Marymount University parking garage at Yorktown Blvd and 26th St. The YCA was successful in getting Marymount to relocate the garage and to scale back the size, as well as to add landscaping and sidewalks. During this time the YCA began involvement with infill development issues – an issue that has grown in importance as more and more of the larger lots in the Yorktown neighborhood are acquired for multi-home development.

Under the leadership of Sandi Berenbaum (President 1998 – 2002) the Civic Association was actively involved in the issue of the development of a master plan to renovate Greenbrier Park (which also serves as the athletic fields for adjacent Yorktown High School) and Chestnut Hill Park (site of the Tot Lot and Playground). The YCA actively opposed the County’s initial proposal to demolish up to 12 nearby residences to expand the two parks and urged the County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources to work directly with the Arlington County School staff to jointly work on the master plan for Greenbrier Park and the plan for Yorktown High School addition and renovation together.

The Civic Association also advocated that the county and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) undertake steps to redesign and improve the dangerous intersections along Lee Highway at George Mason Drive and at Harrison St.

For the past several years the Yorktown Civic Association has sponsored our own local Neighborhood Day (usually held the second Saturday in May) celebration with a community day in Chestnut Hill Park with free balloons, refreshments, and entertainment.

Newsletter “Civic Pride”

The association’s history has been chronicled in its newsletter, “Civic Pride,” published continuously for over 49 years. The most recent years of our Newsletters are available in PDF format.