Wrap-Up: The Fate of the Major Players in the Customliner Saga

The National Homes Customliner was built inside the D.C. Armory as part of the 1955 Washington Home Show. Designated a featured attraction, it was viewed by more than 50,000 people.

At the end of the Home Show, the Customliner was moved to the Herndon Woods subdivision in Herndon, Virginia. A picture of the Customliner appeared in the Washington Post and Times Herald on March 27, 1955.

The Customliner remained in Herndon Woods until 2002. A demolition permit for the property was issued by the Town of Herndon on May 15 of that year. Although the actual date of demolition is not known, the first inspection of the home that now occupies the site took place on July 11, 2002.

The annual Washington Home Show continued at the D.C. Armory through the remainder of the 1950s and into the 1960s. Attractions for 1956 included "'Back Yard Vacationland,' which included a home with 'three standing walls' and an entire back yard meant to show 'homemakers how to stretch the family living area into the back yard.'" In 1957, attendees viewed a "Teen-Age Haven" (masculine and feminine versions) and a "'Miracle Kitchen sponsored by RCA Whirlpool to demonstrate possible future mechanical kitchen innovations.'"

Following the 1961 event, the next Washington Home Show was canceled over a dispute between Home Show sponsors and the District Armory Board. At that time, the Board implemented a $1 parking fee as a way to help finance a new stadium. According to James Pearson, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Washington, exhibitors balked at investing in displays when patrons might boycot the show over the new parking charge.

In 1963, the Home Show was replaced by a "Parade of Homes" which featured newly constructed homes on a street in northern Virginia.

Sources:

Home Show House Features Outdoor Living
The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Feb 13, 1955; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post (1877 - 1991)
pg. G4

Save on Short Lengths
The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Mar 27, 1955; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post (1877 - 1991)
pg. G10

Colleen McKnight, Special Collections Librarian
Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

Building Inspections
Town of Herndon, Virginia

Conference on Fairfax County History

Anyone in the Fairfax area mid-November might be interested in attending the Fourth Annual Fairfax County History Conference. It will be held Saturday, November 15 from 8:30 am to 4:15 pm at the main campus of Northern Virginia Community College, 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003.

Speakers include Chris Martin, Ph.D., whom I've mentioned on this blog.

Sessions include "Seven Corners: A Post World War II Transformation" and "All Roads Lead to Fairfax: Tourist Courts and Diners." 20th century architecture and Fairfax County's agricultural heritage will also be discussed.

Registration is $30 and includes parking, breakfast and lunch.

For more information, contact Lynne Garvey-Hodge at 703-322-1811 or lghassoc@erols.com.

Technical Difficulties ... Please Stand By

I had to cancel my date with Virginia due to an incredibly persistent cold which has been going strong for the past couple of weeks.

In between long stretches tucked under the covers watching "Judge Judy," I logged on to Barbara Sher's bulletin board. To my delight, I discovered the ever-helpful regulars had provided suggestions for improving my blog. What better motivation could there be to get out of my pajamas and back on track?

Tomorrow I'm heading back to the Fairfax City Library with some fresh, meaty questions for the folks at the reference desk. And I'll reschedule my visit with Virginia Clarity next week.

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.