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Arlington board apologizes and approves historic marker acknowledging Queen City neighborhood's eviction
Summary
The Arlington County Board unanimously adopted a resolution acknowledging the history and destruction of Queen City, issued a formal apology for the county government's failure to protect residents after the 1942 eviction, and approved the placement of a historic marker.
The Arlington County Board on May 13 unanimously adopted a resolution acknowledging the history of the Queen City neighborhood, its origins after the Civil War, the forcible eviction of its residents in 1942, and the county's failure to advocate for those families.
County preservation staff described Queen City's origins as a community connected to Freedman's Village. Lauren Farris, supervisor of the county's historic preservation program, and John McNair, historic preservation specialist, said the marker text was developed with the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington and the Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board, and approved by that board in January 2025.
The county read and adopted a resolution that formally acknowledged the county government's role in failing to protect the neighborhood and promised to continue efforts to "mend these wrongs." Chair Takis Carantonis apologized on behalf of predecessor boards and invited William Volin, a living former resident, to speak. Volin called the destruction of Queen City "an atrocity" and urged the county not to close the matter.
County staff said they selected a location for the marker at the southeast corner of Army Navy Drive and South Joyce Street; an unveiling event is planned for June 2025. The county said the marker will focus on the neighborhood's origins, the pattern of displacement in 1942 to complete Pentagon road access, and the community legacy carried forward by descendants and relocated residents.
Ending: The board's resolution and the historic marker move are intended to recognize a chapter of Arlington history and to provide public acknowledgement and remembrance; staff will coordinate the installation and a public unveiling this summer.
