| Page 2 of 2 < |
Barcroft: A Lake Superior In Fairfax
Betsy Washington and Kevin Howe on Lake Barcroft, which is home to wildlife that include beavers, great blue herons, geese and sea gulls
(Photos By Jonathan Ernst For The Washington Post)
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Without a major commercial anchor, home sales were initially slow. In 1950, there was no Capital Beltway or many of the communities along Columbia Pike and near Seven Corners.
As the suburbs grew, however, home sales in Lake Barcroft began to flourish, Bracken said.
On June 21, 1972, the remains of Hurricane Agnes dumped record-setting rains along the East Coast. The rain caused an earthen portion of the lake's dam to give way, according to Bracken's book. Residents awoke to discover the lake had drained completely.
After a period of shock, residents re-grouped and formed a Watershed Improvement District, which enabled the community to levy taxes and float a bond to restore the lake and strengthen the dam.
Those times were difficult, but served to unify the community, Bracken said.
Barcroft's amiable vibe, said Phillip Kemelor, 48, was a major factor in his decision to move his family from Capitol Hill to Lake Barcroft five years ago.
"It was pretty wild to see how nice the lake was," Kemelor said, recalling his initial visit to Lake Barcroft.
"On Capitol Hill you [can] walk 10 minutes to get a cup of coffee. But here you can walk 10 minutes to get to the beach," said Kemelor, as he played catch with his son, 5. "It's a pretty good trade-off."
Vicki Haugen, 55, said her family knows more neighbors by name than they have in any other place they have lived.
"You see people out walking and you actually know them," added Elliot Haugen, 58.
"People in the community are from a lot of different backgrounds and the lake acts like the glue that holds this community together," he said.
Goslin, 68, the president of the Lake Barcroft Association, said he has noticed the demographics of the neighborhood slowly change as long-time residents age and move on.
"There're now zillions of children on the beaches and the community is filled with a great civic spirit," said Goslin, a resident since 1989. "It's a very unusual place. The lake is the center of the community."
