A Guide to the Carrie Johnson Papers, 1958-2005, #RG 199

Biographical Information

Carolyn W. "Carrie" Johnson (1941-2018) was born in Milwaukee, WI. She graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts, and then came to the Washington, DC, area to work for centrist Republicans such as Senator Charles Mathias, Jr. (MD). In 1971, she helped advance the bill that established the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Johnson's writing work attracted the attention of Katherine Graham, owner of the Washington Post, and Graham hired Johnson to write speeches for her.

Johnson moved to Arlington in 1979 and started getting involved in her new community. She worked with the Arlington County Democratic Committee (ACDC) compiling lists of actual and potential voters, keeping the list up-to-date in a transient area. Over time, her lists became more complex and she welcomed new technology to create and maintain them. Johnson because known in ACDC circles as "The List Lady." In 2009, she won their Mary Marshall Outstanding Democrat Award.

Carrie Johnson's biggest contribution to Arlington County was her long tenure on the Planning Commission, from 1986 to 2005; Johnson was one of the longest-serving members in County history. She worked to make Smart Growth theory a reality, and was a key compromiser, able to bring disparate parties together to make a planning project a reality. Johnson was particularly proud of her work to create Long Branch Park, and was instrumental in the development of Fort Meyer Heights, Virginia Square, and Four Mile Run. After retiring from the Planning Commission, Johnson was still active in planning issues, joining working groups on projects and speaking at County Board meetings. Johnson made a vacation home in Butte, MT, and supported the local history efforts of the public libraries in both Butte and Arlington.

Scope and Content

RG 199, the Carrie Johnson Papers, is 4.6 linear feet, and dates 1958-2005, with the majority of the materials dating between 1990-2004. This collection contains Johnson's working materials for her tenure on the Planning Commission and publications that supported her work. There are memos, correspondence, meeting minutes, architectural plans, and maps, many with Johnson's handwritten notes on the margins.

These materials cover the development of several Arlington locations; this can sometimes be an entire neighborhood or just one particular building or project. It includes development of neighborhood sector plans, most notably for Virginia Square. There is significant material on Arna Valley, Pentagon Row, Rosslyn, and Virginia Square. Johnson also kept documentation on the actions and progress of the Planning Commission itself, recording its workplans and its yearly reviews. Lastly, Johnson collected publications that supported her Planning Commission efforts. Many Arlington County publications analyzed census data, and there are several publications on metro development and planning in the Washington DC area.

Arrangement

RG 199 has three series. Series 1, Projects and Planning , has materials on specific planning projects. This series has several subseries, each focused on a neighborhood or a particularly complex and large project. Some of these projects have turned into small neighborhoods themselves. Material in each subseries in generally arranged chronologically.

Series 2, Planning Commission Administration , has materials on the inner workings of the Arlington Planning Commission, and is generally arranged chronologically. Series 3, Publications , includes non-Planning Committee publications on topics related to planning and housing. This series is organized into two subseries: Arlington publications, and those published outside the county.

Folder titles in quotes (" ") reflect the original file names created by Johnson. Within quotes, anything in brackets ([ ]) were created by the archivist to clarify titles for the user. Folders with an asterisk (*) after the folder title has oversized materials that are located in special housing.

Contents List

Series 1: Projects and Planning

Subseries 1: Rosslyn Projects and Planning
- Box 1
  File 1: "Loop Road/Freedom Park," 1989 , 1993
- Box 1
  File 2: "Courthouse Hill," 1989 , 1994 , 1996 , 1999
- Box 1
  File 3: "Fort Myer Heights Background - Prospect House, Westie," 1963 , 1987 , 1980 , 1998
- Box 1
  File 4: "Fort Myer Heights #1," 1991 , 1998
- Box 1
  File 5: "Fort Myer Heights #2," 1999 (1)*
- Box 1
  File 6: "Fort Myer Heights #2," 1999 (2)*
- Box 1
  File 7: "Radnor Heights Projects/Monument Place, Brompton's, etc.," 1998-2001 *
- Box 1
  File 8: "Waterview - 2000 and 2002," 1999 , 2000 , 2002 , 2003 *
- Box 1
  File 9: "Twin Oaks," 2000
- Box 2
  File 10: "1881 Nash," 2001 , 2004 *
- Box 2
  File 11: "Navy League," 2001 *
- Box 2
  File 12: "Odyssey," 2001
- Box 2
  File 13: "WRIT Site Plan," 2002 *
- Box 2
  File 14: "1800 Wilson," 2003 *
- Box 2
  File 15: "Woodbury Park," 2003 *
- Box 2
  File 16: "Rosslyn Ridge - 1," 2003 (1)
- Box 2
  File 17: "Rosslyn Ridge - 1," 2003 (2)*
- Box 2
  File 18: "Gables-Troy St.," 2004 *
- Box 3
  File 19: "Rosslyn Ridge - 2," 2004 (1)
- Box 3
  File 20: "Rosslyn Ridge - 2," 2004 (2)
- Box 3
  File 21: "Rosslyn Ridge #3/6-04 PC/CB," 2004 *
- Box 3
  File 22: "Quality Inn (CH Road/50)," 2005 *
- Box 3
  File 23: "Rosslyn Transportation 1991-1996," 1991 , 1994
- Box 3
  File 24: "In-Between Study, Rosslyn-Courthouse," 2001-2003
- Box 3
  File 25: "Rosslyn C-O District 1996+," 1996 , 1997 , 2001 , 2002 (1)
- Box 3
  File 26: "Rosslyn C-O District 1996+," 1996 , 1997 , 2001 , 2002 (2)
- Box 3
  File 27: "Rosslyn Heights and Tapering," 2002
Subseries 2: Courthous Projects and Planning
- Box 3
  File 1: "Courthouse Area - 90s," 1988 , 1997
- Box 3
  File 2: "[Courthouse] Sector Plan Addendum," 1993
Subseries 3: Clarendon Projects and Planning
- Box 4
  File 1: "Clarendon Projects - The Hudson," 2000
- Box 4
  File 2: "Clarendon Projects - Post Office Block," 2003 *
- Box 4
  File 3: "BF Saul - Clarendon Center," 2004 *
- Box 4
  File 4: "Clarendon Projects - Peete - Fillmore Street," 2004 *
- Box 4
  File 5: "Clarendon Projects - Garfield Park," 2004 *
- Box 4
  File 6: "Clarendon Projects - 1201 N. Irving," 2005 *
- Box 4
  File 7: "Clarendon Plans and Studies," 2001 , 2003
- Box 4
  File 8: Clarendon Sector Plan Work, 1982-1994 (1)
- Box 4
  File 9: Clarendon Sector Plan Work, 1982-1994 (2)
Subseries 4: Virginia Square Projects and Planning
- Box 5
  File 1: "VA [Square] Apartments," 1999-2000 (1)
- Box 5
  File 2: "VA [Square] Apartments," 1999-2000 (2)
- Box 5
  File 3: "VA [Square] Apartments," 1999-2000 (3)
- Box 5
  File 4: "VA Square Projects - 3409 Wilson, Monroe St. Condos," 2003 *
- Box 5
  File 5: 3409 Wilson Boulevard, 2003 *
- Box 5
  File 6: Virginia Square Sector Plan, 1986 , 1992 , 2002 (1)
- Box 5
  File 7: Virginia Square Sector Plan, 1986 , 1992 , 2002 (2)*
- Box 5
  File 8: Virginia Square Sector Plan Development, 1990 , 1994 , 2000 , 2001
- Box 6
  File 9: "Virginia Square, 2002 - #2" Sector Plan, 2002
- Box 6
  File 10: "VA Square GLUP and Zoning Amendments," 2003
Subseries 5: Ballston Projects and Planning
- Box 6
  File 1: "Ballston Projects, Mid-1990s," 1983 , 1994 , 1996-1997 (1)
- Box 6
  File 2: "Ballston Projects, Mid-1990s," 1983 , 1994 , 1996-1997 (2)
- Box 6
  File 3: "Quincy St. Extension," 1990-1992
- Box 6
  File 4: "Quincy St. Extension," 1994-1996 , n.d.
Subseries 6: Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor Projects and Planning
- Box 6
  File 1: "Mall Axis 1982," 1982
- Box 6
  File 2: "R-B Corridor Mid-Course Review," 1984 , 1988-1990
Subseries 7: East Falls Church Projects and Planning
- Box 6
  File 1: "East Falls Church Planning 1986-2004," 1986 , 1987 , 1998 , 1999 , 2003 , 2004 (1)*
- Box 7
  File 2: "East Falls Church Planning 1986-2004," 1986 , 1987 , 1998 , 1999 , 2003 , 2004 (2)*
Subseries 8: Pentagon Town Center/Pentagon Row Projects and Planning
- Box 7
  File 1: Pentagon Town Center/Pentagon Row, October-December 1997 *
- Box 7
  File 2: Pentagon Town Center/Pentagon Row, 1997-1998 (1)
- Box 7
  File 3: Pentagon Town Center/Pentagon Row, 1997-1998 (2)
- Box 7
  File 4: Pentagon Town Center/Pentagon Row, August-November 1997 (1)
- Box 7
  File 5: Pentagon Town Center/Pentagon Row, August-November 1997 (2)
- Box 8
  File 6: Pentagon Town Center/Pentagon Row, 1955 , 1958 , 1959 , 1972 , 1990 , 1997 (1)
- Box 8
  File 7: Pentagon Town Center/Pentagon Row, 1955 , 1958 , 1959 , 1972 , 1990 , 1997 (2)
Subseries 9: Arna Valley Projects and Planning
- Box 8
  File 1: "Arna Valley Ap[artments] #1," 1991 , August-November 1998
- Box 8
  File 2: "Arna Valley Apartments #2," September-December 1998
- Box 8
  File 3: "Arna Valley Apartments #3," November 1998
- Box 8
  File 4: "Arna Valley Ap[artmen]ts #4," 1996 , 1998 , n.d. (1)
- Box 8
  File 5: "Arna Valley Ap[artmen]ts #4," 1996 , 1998 , n.d. (2)
- Box 8
  File 6: Arna Valley, 1998-1999 , n.d.*
Subseries 10: Potomac Palisades Projects and Planning
- Box 9
  File 1: Potomac Palisades Development, 1958-1989, n.d. (1)
- Box 9
  File 2: Potomac Palisades Development, 1958-1989, n.d. (2)
- Box 9
  File 3: Potomac Palisades Task Force, 1987, 1989-1990, n.d.

Series 3: Publications

Subseries 1: Arlington County Publications
- Box 10
  File 1: Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor Development Publications, 1972, 1975, 1976, 2002
- Box 10
  File 2: "A Long-Range County Improvement Program," 1975
- Box 10
  File 3: County Manager Regulation on Public Recreational Facilities, 1982
- Box 10
  File 4: Arlington "Offering Circular" Bond Sale, 1985
- Box 10
  File 5: "Arlington Virginia Profile," 1985, 1986, 1996, 2001
- Box 10
  File 6: Arlington "Community, Citizens, Civic, and Service Organizations," 1986
- Box 10
  File 7: Historic Maywood Publications, 1987, 1990, 1991
- Box 10
  File 8: Metro Corridor Development Publications, 1990, 2000, 2004
- Box 10
  File 9: Arlington County Census Data Reports, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2002
- Box 10
  File 10: Planning Information Reports, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004
- Box 10
  File 11: "Arlington Trends," 1992
- Box 10
  File 12: Metro Station Area Profile/Demographics," 1994, 2003
- Box 10
  File 13: "Vision 2020," 1995
- Box 11
  File 14: "Preserving Economic Growth and Quality of Life in Arlington," 1995
- Box 11
  File 15: "Mapping the Arlington Way," 2000
- Box 11
  File 16: Arlington Economic Development Publications, 2003, n.d.
- Box 11
  File 17: Arlington Forum Publications, 2003, 2006
- Box 11
  File 18: "Virginia Square Sector Plan, November 2002," 2002
- Box 11
  File 19: "Arlington County in Perspective," 2004
Subseries 2: Non-Arlington Publications
- Box 11
  File 1: "Toward a New Dominion: Choices for Virginians," 1984
- Box 11
  File 2: Metro Washington Council of Governments Publications, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995
- Box 11
  File 3: "Transit Oriented Development Best Practices Manual," 2002
- Box 11
  File 4: Small Business Ombudsman Update, EPA, July 2002
- Box 11
  File 5: "Built Environment - Healthy Communities, Healthy Homes, Healthy People," 2002
- Box 11
  File 6: Ad Hoc Baseball Stadium Advisory Committee, 2003*