Crossman House
It is a two-story frame house, in the Late Victorian style and sits on a fieldstone foundation.
George Crossman was born in Pennsylvania. He became a successful dairy farmer in Alexandria County (which was renamed Arlington County in 1920) and in 1892 built a Victorian style home in the East Falls Church neighborhood of Arlington that earned a place on the National Register of Historic Sites. His father, Isaac, bought the land in 1864 when he moved his family to Virginia. He was a prominent figure in the development of Falls Church and served as alderman when the town was incorporated in 1875. He eventually became known as “one of the fathers of Falls Church.” The Crossman United Methodist Church was built on land he donated.
In 1890, Isaac gave his son, George, 60 acres. The house was completed by the time George married Nellie Dodge on April 7, 1892. The couple’s wedding announcement referred to George as a “popular ladies’ man.” Like his father, George also proved to be a successful dairy farmer. He deeded the house to his son, William who was born in the house in 1895 and William lived there for 60 years. Like his father and grandfather, he farmed and his was one of the last dairy farms in the county.
You can see this great old house, today at 2501 North Underwood Street. It is a two-story frame house, in the Late Victorian style and sits on a fieldstone foundation. It has a cross-gable roof and features an original wrap-around front porch with turned posts and balusters. One of the most unusual features of the house is the carvings in the exterior eaves that, when the sun shines, creates shadows that make it appear as if birds are flying against the house.
The street in front of the house was known as Crossman Street until its name was changed to North Underwood Street in 1935. In 1936 East Falls Church broke off from Falls Church and became part of Arlington County. The dairy farm closed by 1949 and the Crossman family sold the land in 1954. A portion of the property became the Tuckahoe Gardens subdivision. Tuckahoe Elementary School and Bishop O'Connell High School stand on land that was once part of the Crossman Farm.
In 1955, Stephen and Irmgard Grey bought the house and obtained its historic designation. When the Grey sold the house in 1991, the three subsequent owners significantly restored and renovated the house. In 2000, the house was awarded Arlington Heritage Award for restoration. The house was painted white for more than 70 years. During renovation, the removal of an area of dry wall revealed a layer of green paint on the exterior. Based on the paint discovery and an old photo, the house was repainted to what is believed to be more historically accurate colors.
