The Pine Spring community is located between Routes 50 and 29-211 in eastern Fairfax County, about one-half mile inside the Capital Beltway (I-495). view map

The community's name is derived from the fact that a spring ran from a grove of pine trees near where Pine Spring Road is now located. Luria Brothers began building this development of 121 homes on 55 acres of land in 1952. On Meadow View Road are five homes of more traditional design and five contemporary homes built by André Bodor.

Keyes, Smith, Satterlee and Lethbridge were the architects. Since its beginning, Pine Spring has received national attention, and was profiled in House and Home, November 1952; House Beautiful, June 1953; The Saturday Evening Post, January 28, 1961; The Washington Daily News, May 5, 1953; Time magazine, April 20, 1953 (advertising supplement for Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Co.); and on "The Home Show" with Arlene Francis. In recent years it has been showcased in several articles in the Washington Post, including several appearances in the "Where We Live" feature. The community has won awards from The Washington Board of Trade (biennial architectural competition) and also from the Housing Research Foundation. It is also featured in A Guide to the Architecture of Washington DC, published by the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Pine Spring Elementary School is located in the community, and Falls Church High School is only a short walk away, directly across Route 50. There is bus transportation to Luther Jackson Middle School. Shopping centers, churches, and Thomas Jefferson Public Library are close by. Pine Spring Park is located at the edge of the community.

Similar Communities and Homes

If you are a fan of Pine Spring's 1950's contemporary architecture, you might want to learn about several other communities in the U.S. that are also recognized as being important in the development of this style. Two are right here in the Washington area: Hollin Hills in Alexandria, and Holmes Run Acres in Annandale. The latter is Pine Spring's "sister" community, as it was also developed by Luria Brothers and has houses that are similar to the Pine Spring models. Another community that figures prominently in the history of this style is Arapahoe Acres in Colorado, which is listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places. Southern California, of course, is the native habitat for this style house, and the quintessential examples are seen in the famous Eichler homes.