Broyhill Crest celebrates 70th anniversary
The Broyhill Crest neighborhood is 70 years old this year.
Residents and former residents are invited to an anniversary celebration July 4, 12-4 p.m., at the Broyhill Crest Recreation Club.
The Broyhill Crest Community Association is planning live entertainment, children’s activities, a showcase of local businesses, a raffle, and giveaways. Anyone who would like to join the program should contact [email protected].
With about 1,1557 homes, Broyhill Crest is the largest community in Annandale.
The first homes were built in 1952 on farmland acquired by the M.T. Broyhill and Sons Corp. Broyhill purchased 90 acres, most of it from Joseph and Jane Coker and Willfred and Marion Dominy.
After the first 196 homes were developed, the Broyhill company purchased additional land from R.S. and Charlene Oliver. The Olivers operated a dairy farm, and the original farmhouse is still there, on Gallows Road.
Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, the chief of naval operations (1970-74), was an original owner. His son recalled seeing cows from their backyard on Picket Court.
The Broyhill company was owned by M.T. Broyhill and sons Joel and Marvin Broyhill.
Joel Broyhill was a Republican member of Congress, serving 11 terms from 1953 to 1974. He was known for his support for federal workers and his opposition to integration in the 1950s and 60s.
The deeds for the first homes in Broyhill Crest prohibited selling to “anyone who is not a Caucasian.” That language stayed in the official sale documents well into the 1990s, although by then it was ignored. Today, the community is extremely diverse, reflecting the demographics of the greater Annandale area.
Some of the streets in the community were named for Confederate officers, including Stuart Court, Early Street, Ewell Street, Murray Lane, Pickett Court, and others.
Among the major selling points for the new homes were air conditioning, which was a luxury then, and General Electric kitchens with dishwashers and metal cabinets. The first ramblers were listed at $14,950.
The Broyhill Crest community initially had about 500 homes. Over the years additional neighborhoods became part of the Broyhill Crest Community Association, including Annandale Gardens, Rolf Heights, Oliver Park, Kenwood Park, Holly Hills, Oliver Knolls, Chatelain Village, Annangrove, and Masonville Heights.
Masonville Elementary School opened in the neighborhood in 1955. The school closed in 1980, and the building was used by Fairfax County Public Schools for administration offices. It was known as the Donald Lacey Center.
Most Broyhill Crest kids were bused to Beech Tree Elementary School until Mason Crest Elementary School was built on the former Lacey Center site in 2012.
15 responses to “Broyhill Crest celebrates 70th anniversary”
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Nice to learn about the neighborhood and nice that they’re having a celebration. I just hope it will be a nice, peaceful celebration and not include the use of dangerous, illegal fireworks!
Wow!!! I have like a year living here. so nice read this!
Donna says: Very interesting writeup. My husband and I have lived in Masonville Heights since October 1977. Our daughter was 8 mths. old when we moved in, and we have a son who was born in 1979. We have been very happy here and have many fond memories over the years. Hope the celebration is a success!!
My family moved there in 1963. We lived on Terrace Drive and my first real job was as a lifeguard at the Broyhill Crest pool. Wish I could attend the festivities.
Maybe it’s finally time to look into renaming some of our streets. Especially considering they were obviously named by someone that clearly did not express clearly inclusive views about minorities. Just a thought.
Want to rename Washington, D.C. too?
Gah 😫 enough with the renaming, please.
Which street names do you find offensive?
I grew up on Longstreet Ct. Walked to Masonville in the ’60’s. Had to cross a creek before Kendale Rd was finished. Went to the pool every summer. Hard to believe those hoses are now 70 years old. My parents bought it new.
I agree with the suggestion to rename the streets that were named after confederate officers. Let’s stop honoring them. Surely there are more worthwhile people we can memorialize.
Just Confederate officers? Why not rename all streets named after white men so that we can finally start some reconciliation.
We don’t need to find faultless people to honor going forward. All these folks did was fight to preserve slavery. That was their only contribution. You don’t need to worry about protecting the honor of white men. They are honored in plenty of ways.
I grew up on the edge of Broyhill Crest (not in ine of the Broyhill homes). My house is gone now, with a McMansion in its place. Was one of the small group of Masonville kids that was bussed to Woodburn for a year.
And honestly, when you find someone to honor and rename ALL these streets for people who lived without fault, let me know. Thx.
$16750 in today’s dollars is $182k… That’s how a single salary family in 1952 could afford to buy a house and raise children in a safe neighborhood. It’s impossible today to afford a new 3br home even w 2 salaries. What has changed?? Where are the safe neighborhoods? Where are the homes for $180k?
I’m going to go with “the inevitable concentration of wealth in the upper classes resulting from unchecked capitalism” as my final answer.