The Story
This is Rosslyn, VA. Let's go into its history!
In the colonial period, a ferry transported people from here to Washington DC's Georgetown. A community developed known as Ross Lynn, named after a local farm owned by William and Carolyn Ross.
Following the American Civil War in the 1860s, a lawless community developed at the base of the new Aqueduct Bridge. Rosslyn became a notorious den of gambling and "working girls" awash in alcohol. A nearby ravine was known as Dead Man’s Hollow. It was so dangerous that Virginia farmers returning from DC frequently traveled in an armed convoy.
A series of raids in 1905 led by Crandal Mackey sought to "clean up" the area.
From 1896 through 1941, Rosslyn was an electric railroad hub, with three lines connecting Washington DC to Northern Virginia.
Civil Rights unrest of the 1960s and “white flight” from DC was one of the major causes for Rosslyn’s rapid development. Businesses and government agencies looked for office space close to the Capitol that seemed safe from rioting.