Hunter's Crossroads - South Glebe & Columbia Pike
This page needs to be updated I am waiting for a large complex which is in the process of being built and will house apartments with business on the first fall.
February 17, 2016 updated 01/15/2016
Town Center: Alcova Heights, Arlington Heights, Douglas Park
Pike 3400
One of the main Intersections on the Pike is at South Glebe Road. This area is known as Hunter's Crossroads history below but the name is rarely used today. On the southwest corner is Pike 3400 a new apartment and townhouse complex t. The complex has a five-story apartment building and 43 townhouses. The ground floor of the apartments is commerical space. (I will give more information on 3400 once all of the complex has been completed).
ALLL THE BUSINESS BELOW HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED
Westmont Shopping Center
On the northeast corner is the Westmont Shopping Center, a small strip mall that opened in 1941 history below.
Simplicity Urgent Care Center which is part of the INOVA Medical Group is on the north side of the center and Boston Market and Papa John's are on the south side.
Current Businesses
Simplicity Urgent CareLiberty: Tax Prepartion, 3259
Sebartian: Hair Salon, 3257
Mom' s Pizza's, 3255
Mattress Discounters, 3254
Sports House Grill: Restaurant, 3249
Car Quest: Auto Parts, 3237
Boston Market:: American Comfort Fare, 3233
Papa John's: Pizza , 3233A
Update
Simplicity Urgent Care has been changed to Inova Urgent Care. It remains the same company.
Inova Urgent Care, 3263
Bank of America
Bank of America is on the northwest corner of the Pike at 3401 Columbia Pike directly across from the Westmont Shopping Center.
Exxon and Midas
On the southeast corner is an Exxon Station, Tiger Mart and Midas, Automotive Service Center at
1001 South Glebe Road.
History
Hunter's Crossroads
South Glebe Road was built in the 18th century to connect Northern Arlington to Alexandra. Columbia Turnpike was built in 1808. Hunter's Crossroads eventually became the name of the intersection.
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In the late 1850tys Louisa Hunter gave the land on the northeast corner of the of Columbia Pike and Glebe Road to the Methodist Church. The church became known as Hunter's Chaple. During the civil war in 1861 the church was seize and distroyed by Union Troops. The congregation eventually moved to a new church a couple of blocks away at 716 South Glebe. It is no longer at this location as of late 2015.
By the 1920s both Glebe and the Pike had surfaced roads.
Westmont Shopping Center
On the northeast corner where Westmont Shopping Center is located was Snoot's farm which housed the first fire truck for this area in one of its barn. A fire station was later built on Edgewood behind what is now Pike Park.
The Westmont Shopping Center opened in 1941. In 1940 the Washington Post reported:
Another shopping center is scheduled for Arlington, Va. Progressive Building Corporation, headed by Hyman Eckhaus, president, has purchased as the site, more than 90,000 square feet at the northeast intersection of Columbia pike and Glebe road, it is reported. The transaction was handled through the office of Kelley, Steele & Branner and Gilliam Parramere. The structure described as an outstanding one, has been designed by E. J. Conner.Washington Post 06/16/1940
The projected center will represent an investment of approximately $250,000, and will be ready for occupancy October 1. According to estimates, density of Arlington traffic has increased almost 100 per cent since last year’s count. On this basis, it is estimated 12,000 cars on Columbia pike and 600 on Glebe road will pass the site daily. Kelley, Steele & Branner will be the leasing agents.
Library
There have been a lot of businesses in this shopping center including a Ben Franklin's Five and Dime. At one point there was a branch of the Arlington library . The Library moved into 3239 in 1959 and stayed until 1975, when it moved to its present location on S. Walter Reed. The library was on the the east corner of the center and its doors faced Glebe Road, the same section of the shopping center that is shown in the Hollywood Video photo below.
The Ben Franklin Five and Dime closed at the end of 1978. The store had been at this location for 27 years. The store closed because of an rent increase.
Benton, 46 and his wife, Sheila, bought the store for $50,000 five years ago. They say they are closing it because their profit margin is not high enough to meet a more than doubling of their rent.washington post 1978
Hollywood Video & Drug Stores
There were at least three drug stores Carrier's Drug, Dart Drug and Rite-Aid Pharmacy each replacing the other in that order. Hollywood Video replaced Rite-Aid. Hollywood Video arrived in 2003 and was gone by 2007. Simplicity Urgent Care Center opened in this spot in 2010.
Notoriety
Notoriety came to Westmont via Champion Billards.
At Champion Billiards, authorities said, juveniles as young as 15 were found using cocaine and participating as intermediaries in drug transactions. Others as young as 12 were suspected by police of using and trafficking in illegal drugs....Washington Post 12/11/1981
Among those charged... three managers of Champion Billiards at 3249 Columbia Pike in the Westmont Shopping Center, who were also charged with illegal gambling. Police said they found no evidence that the owners of the firms were involved.
Bakeries and Five Guys
There were two bakeries, the first was Clement's Pastry which moved to DC and was replaced by Brenner's Bakery. Brenner's moved from the southeast corner of the Pike and Glebe where it had opened in 1946. Brenner's was in Westmont for many years but lost their lease in 2001and H & R block moved into their location
In 1986 Jim Murrell and his sons opened their first location for Five Guys hamburgers and in the beginning their buns were baked by Brenners.
Chevrolet
Rosenthal Chevrolet replaced Brenner's Bakery on the southeast corner when Brenner's moved to Westmont.. I am not sure of the date when Chevrolet moved into this space. Chevrolet was replaced by Pike 3400 which opened in 2015.
Biblography
Arlington County Historic Preservation Office
Claim for Hunter Chapel
History of an Early Turnpike
Historical Markers,
Social History of Columbia Heights
Memories of Arlington Virginia
Washington Post
Wikipedia