Coffee and Local History

Virginia Clarity and I met in a pleasantly empty Starbuck's last Tuesday. The conversation was so enjoyable, 90 minutes passed unnoticed.

According to Ms. Clarity, the Customliner met its end approximately seven or eight years ago. Small by today's standards, it was being used as a rental property at the time of the final sale. The new owners had it torn down and built a new house in its place. And so, apparently, the Customliner lived out its life in Herndon without much ceremony.

In the forty-five years it was here, the Customliner and its neighborhood saw tremendous changes to their hometown. Now a D.C. suburb of approximately 22,000 people, Herndon in 1955 was a farming town of about 2000. Ms. Clarity recalled shopping in downtown Herndon and knowing everyone in the stores. Hardly a likely event now.

Federal government workers were already settling in Herndon in the mid-fifties. There was no Beltway at the time, and Metrorail was decades away, but workers could still get to the city by taking the W&OD railroad and streetcars into Washington. The W&OD still hosts commuters today - on bicycles.

Ms. Clarity purchased her Herndon Woods home a few months after the Customliner's arrival, and still lives there today. She says Herndon Woods was the town's first subdivision, advertised as reasonably priced housing friendly to couples with young children. Her reasons for buying her home: a desire to return to Herndon, reasonable cost, and to be close to her parents.

Ms. Clarity also recalled the financial inequalities that existed between the sexes at the time. If both spouses worked, only the husband's income would be considered in financing a home. After all, the woman would be giving up her job to keep house and take care of children! It also would have been difficult for a married woman to obtain a credit card in her own name. Why would she need one when her husband had an account? Single "working girls" might have an easier time getting credit, but in Ms. Clarity's experience, they would "go beserk" and spend beyond their means.

It seems hard to believe now, but credit cards would not have been readily available in 1955. In fact, Ms. Clarity says her parents did not get their first credit cards -- for gas -- in 1968, and she did not get any of her own until that same time. And credit limits were much lower and payment terms stricter. (Are we heading back in that direction today?)

The way Herndon Woods was built also reflects a different time. Instead of clearing the lot, existing trees were preserved. And the houses were built at different angles so that the yards formed an unfenced common area which was used for neighborhood get-togethers on weekends. A novel idea when so many neighborhood yards are now boxed in by fences.

My next step is to visit Ms. Clarity's home, and perhaps get some photos!

Hope on the Horizon

The past couple weeks have been discouraging. I hadn't heard back from Ms. Clarity. Fred Fiske was kind enough to reply to my letter, but he only recalls broadcasting from the home show, not any details. Mid-Century Mike's contact did not come through.

I'd been close to giving up this mission. Then, Virginia Clarity replied to my e-mail! We are tentatively scheduled to meet September 30. At that time, perhaps, all will be revealed.

Cultivating a Friendship

I'm trying to set up a coffee with Ms. Virginia Clarity. I suspect she may have some interesting things to say about what life was like back when the Customliner touched ground. In an e-mail, she says she doesn't recall much celebration for the house's arrival. In fact, she believes a town councilman at the time referred to the housing development as "Herndon's first slum." Hmm.

I've also mailed off a letter to Fred Fiske at WAMU radio.

Interesting information to follow soon. I hope.

RIP Customliner

This afternoon, I sent an e-mail to Carol Bruce, president of the Herndon Historical Society. She in turn forwarded it to the society vice president, aptly named Virginia Clarity.

Ms. Clarity, who has been a resident of Herndon Woods since 1955, reported that the Customliner is no longer standing. It has been replaced by a large, white house.

After all this effort, I feel I should drive by and scatter flowers on the house's front lawn. What a sad way to end the saga.

Now I can turn my attention to conducting a post mortem. Who made the decision to demolish the Customliner and why? Did it bring excitement to the little town of Herndon when it first arrived? How long did it survive in Herndon Woods?

This will be like investigating the death of a friend.

Fred Fiske

Having been unsuccessful at finding a phone number or e-mail for Fred Fiske, I've decided to write him a traditional business letter and send it in care of WAMU radio.

I can't remember the last time I wrote a formal letter on paper. What business style would be best? Block? Modified block? Does anyone even know what those terms mean anymore?

Hopefully, Mr. Fiske will have some insights on what the Home Show was like, and how the Customliner construction was received.

A Trip to Herndon Woods

I've been sitting at my computer trying to compose an e-mail to Fred Fiske. But it doesn't seem to be happening tonight. So instead, I shall update you, dear readers.

I reached Chris Martin last Monday. Unfortunately, he didn't have a lot of information on the Customliner. He suggested the answer might be found by knocking on doors or talking to senior citizens who might remember the event. He encouraged me to continue, noting that I would find the answer, it would just take some time.

Knocking on strangers' doors? That will take time. Most of the time will involve me getting up the nerve to do it.

Or so I thought, until a fellow musician and I took a field trip to Herndon Woods on Tuesday. This National Homes community still thrives on Austin Lane. A vintage car is even parked on the street. And through the large front windows of one of the homes, we noticed someone was inside.

"Should we go ask?" my friend says.

"We can't just walk up to their front door and knock!" was my first answer. But ... it could make a good story for the blog. And so we did.

Far from having the door slammed in our faces, my friend and I were greeted by a gracious young couple. They clearly had not been born when the Customliner arrived in Herndon, and didn't know much about their home's history other than it was built in 1955. But they did refer us to two long-time residents who might know.

Neither of these people were home at the time. But I took down their addresses and will attempt to locate phone numbers for them. And get in touch with Fred Fiske.

Once again, it's time to get on the phone.

Some New Angles

The dog days of summer are upon us, blunting my enthusiasm for the search.

On a quiet Sunday afternoon, I returned to the historical Washington Post, looking for any relevant articles I might have missed. Nothing new to be found between February 27, 1955 (when the Home Show closed), and December 31, 1956 (an artibrary date of my choosing.)

I did get a whiff of how big the Home Show was when I browsed the radio listings from February 19, 1955. At 1:00 pm on station WWDC, deejay Fred Fiske hosted "Prize and Party:" four hours of music from the Home Show.

Is this the same Fred Fiske who is now a senior commentator for WAMU radio? Would he care to share his insights?

At 1:45 pm, station WRC broadcast the Home Show opening, with Johnny Batchelder "handling the interviews."

My other promising source is "Mid-Century Mike." Mike blogs on Modern Capital, where he keeps track of mid-century modern homes and neighborhoods surrounding Washington, D.C.

In the July 13 posting, Mike describes a 1955, two-story home in Herndon Woods that was designed by architect Charles Goodman and built by National Homes. As of August 1, the home is for sale for $250,000.

Could this be it?

I e-mailed Mike and asked if he knew whether this was the property that had been built for the Home Show. He has not seen anything in his research, but he does know someone who lived in the house in the 1970s and has asked her what she knows. Needless to say, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

So with the weekend drawing to a close, it looks like I have some more phone calls to make.

Meanwhile, check out Modern Capital for more information on mid-century modern architecture in D.C., and Charles Goodman, the architect who designed the Customliner (and other models) for National Homes.

Sources:

Modern Capital

The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Feb 19, 1955; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post pg. 21