[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1834-E1835]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   LAKE BARCROFT: PAYING TRIBUTE TO A COMMUNITY CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

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                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 18, 2000

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay honor to the 
community of Lake Barcroft, in Falls Church, Virginia, which will be 
celebrating its 50th anniversary this coming Wednesday, October 18, 
2000, Driving or walking through the community, the natural beauty of 
Lake Barcroft may be taken for granted. It is easy to overlook the 
obvious and never think to question why or how the present evolved. 
Trees and bushes planted 35 years ago turned mud flats into gardens. 
Street signs unique to Lake Barcroft grace the landscape. Curbs and 
gutters prevent flooding and erosion, and the lake itself is a 
glittering gem.
  The Barcroft community was named in memory of Dr. John Barcroft, who 
built both a home and a mill on a tract of land that came to be known 
as Barcroft Hill. The surrounding land, known as Munson Hill Farm, was 
a large tract of land between what is now Bailey's Crossroads and Seven 
Corners. During the Civil War, both Munson Hill Farm and Bailey's 
Crossroads were scenes of military action. Dr. Barcroft's home and mill 
were overrun by the retreating Union Army after the Battle of Bull Run. 
Bailey's Crossroads became a Union encampment while the Confederates 
occupied positions in both Annandale and Fairfax County. Later, the 
Federals constructed Fort Buffalo at the present site of Seven Corners. 
Fort Buffalo become one of the ring of forts protecting the District of 
Columbia during the war.
  Almost 90 years later, on February 23, 1954, the residents of Lake 
Barcroft officially launched the Lake Barcroft Community Association 
(LABARCA). The residents had come together informally over the prior 18 
months to build a new life in a new community and, most importantly, to 
save the lake. Like most Washingtonians, they came from other places. 
This created a common bond and a reliance on each other. Their varied 
backgrounds and individual talents resolved numerous problems from 
water sedimentation to litigation. Much was accomplished by the few 
people who first formed the community association.
  In the summer of 1952, almost two years after the start of 
development, 15 families had completed homes in Lake Barcroft. Of 
these, eleven families present at the first meeting of the homeowners 
association formed the Executive Committee. The Committee took a strong 
stand against mass, speculative housing development in the area. Other 
civic actions provided voter information concerning registration and 
local elections. The association coordinated mail delivery to roadside 
mailboxes with the U.S. Post Office. Unique, wooden road signs were 
designed and installed. Landscaping and a sign with lighting enhanced 
``Entrance One.'' Beautification and the installation of storm drains 
at the beach commenced.
  Lake Barcroft achieved up-scale status at the beginning of the 
sixties. Over just a few years, the number of families living at Lake 
Barcroft increased substantially: from 368 in 1956, to 650 in 1958, 783 
in 1960. By mid-1960, Lake Barcroft Community Association membership 
reached a record high; of the 783 families in Lake Barcroft, 78 percent 
were members.
  The first competitive race for president in LABARCA history took 
place in late 1959. The election featured two candidates, each highly 
qualified and dedicated to the community. Ralph Spencer, an official at 
the Department of Agriculture, had been asked to run in recognition of 
his work as Chairman of the Planning Committee. Ralph promoted the 
community center despite pessimistic arguments against a ``dance hall'' 
on the lake.
  A faction in favor of dredging the lake convinced Stuart Finley to 
enter the election based on his knowledge of sediment and erosion; he 
had produced a fifty-part television series, Our Beautiful Potomac. 
Funding for slit removal had been approved by Fairfax County, so 
association pressure mounted to resolve a festering sore, the gradual 
decay of the lake. Stuart won the low-key and friendly election. Ralph 
Spencer pitched right in and volunteered to take on the task of 
procuring and maintaining street signs, a responsibility he has held to 
this day.
  Mr. Speaker, today Lake Barcroft is a thriving community of 
approximately 1,025 homes. The families of Lake Barcroft have formed a 
tight-knit community featuring annual civic affairs meetings, beach 
parties, Easter egg hunts, annual Labor Day games, and golf outings. I 
am proud to represent this tremendous group of citizens, and I am 
honored today to recognize their rich and storied history.

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