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"Old
Arlington Beach - 1927" by Paul McGehee. Arlington, Virginia's Potomac
shore playground of the 1920's, Arlington Beach was a recreational spot
with a man-made white-sand beach, swimming and amusement park.
Difficult to imagine that this once existed but for a brief few years
in the 1920s, near the foot of the Highway Bridge (presently the
location of the 14th Street Bridge) over the Potomac River, close to
where the Pentagon stands today. Opening to the public on May 30, 1923,
many a lazy summer day was spent there by residents of the National
Capital region. Beachgoers could change in the bath houses and bathe in
the calm waters of the Potomac, rent canoes, or just pleasantly enjoy
the breeze while sunbathing. The adjacent amusement park featured the
"Bowler Dips", a wooden roller coaster built in 1925, as well as an
airplane ride, ferris wheel, a race track, a carnival area with
numerous arcade attractions...and a beautiful carousel, with carved
wooden horses which brought smiles to the faces of kids and adults
alike. There was also a large round building housing a partially
open-air Dance Pavilion, surrounded by eateries. Imagine dancing to a
live band while the enticing smell of hot dogs filled the air! Picnics
were fun family get-togethers at Arlington Beach....filled with
laughter, good food and good times. Such were the carefree days of
summer in the 1920s at Arlington Beach. But, the good times were soon
to come to an end...in 1925, next to the amusement area, there opened a
small airport called Hoover Field (where the Pentagon is now located).
Hoover was known as one of the most dangerous air fields in the country
in those early days of aviation, with many obstructions surrounding the
airstrip. It was not uncommon that beachgoers would witness crashes of
the small planes on a regular basis! The airport was needed, however,
and grew with each coming year. In 1929, the Washington Airport
Corporation bought Arlington Beach for additional landing space...and
all of a sudden, after just 6 years of existence...Arlington Beach was
no more. Everything was either removed or torn down to make way for
Hoover Field's expansion...including the big wooden roller coaster. Not
a trace of the old days of sun, sand and shore remained. "Old Arlington
Beach - 1927" is faithfully reproduced
from Paul's original color pencil acrylic paint artwork as an archival
quality print issued in a strictly limited edition of only 2,000 pieces
each hand-signed by the artist.
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