Did you know the Fairlington Community Center served as Fairlington’s only elementary school until 1950, when Abingdon Elementary opened to ease crowding at Fairlington? In September of 1942, the Arlington School Board applied for a grant from the Federal Works Agency – and was given $190,000 for an elementary school. The school was finally finished in 1944 and served grades 1-6. With no cafeteria, Fridays became “hot dog days” with Fairlington mothers taking turns to cook hot dogs and bring them for the students’ lunch.
In 1950, the Fairlington was organized with the older children on the right side of the building and the younger children to the left. There was no cafeteria at this time, but there were hints that one could be put in place in the coming year. With the advent of the baby boom, Fairlington Elementary had two shifts of classes.
Room layout excerpted from the Fairlington Elementary Parent’s Handbook of 1950, courtesy of the Arlington Public Library Center for Local History archives.
Later, an addition was put on the school to create a gymnasium – lunchroom combination. The county closed Fairlington Elementary in 1979 due to declining enrollment, and now serves as the Fairlington Community Center.