Completing a decade-long process, Hollin Hillswas named to the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 30. The National Park Service announced the decision on Oct. 18.”Hollin Hills Historic District is a harmonious, well-designed Modern Movement neighborhood of innovative, moderately priced houses set within a natural landscape,” says the nominating submission, which includes 468 buildings, sites and structures as contributing resources.  “The foundation of the neighborhood’s success was the collaborative interpretation of the traditional large-scale merchant building practices by developer/builder Robert C. Davenport and architect Charles M. Goodman.”

On Goodman’s designs, the nomination says: “A product of the Modern Movement, the buildings were created from standardized plans with prefabricated modular elements and window walls that unite the interior with the outdoors. One of the most identifiable facets of the houses is the contiguous series of floor-to-ceiling, 3-foot-wide window modules, which are free of traditional ornamentation. As architect Charles M. Goodman experimented with his house designs and trimless modular windows, the window areas were enlarged, often grouped to extend the full length of an elevation while carrying the weight of the roof.”The Virginia Department of Historic Resources had previously approved Hollin Hills as a Virginia landmark historic district. The award-winning Fairfax County neighborhood has been long been recognized as one of the ground-breaking modernist suburban communities to be developed post-World War II. Goodman’s Rock Creek Woods, Hammond Wood and five homes in Takoma Park are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Speaking of Hollin Hills, mark your calendars for the biennial Hollin Hills House & Garden Tour. The 2014 tour will take place rain or shine on Saturday, May 3, 2014.