History of Raymondale, Falls Church, VA

Raymondale is a neighborhood of 142 homes situated in the gently rolling hills of Falls Church, Virginia.
In 1955, Westwood Properties, Incorporated surveyed what was once forested land of oak and poplars with Holmes Run Stream meandering through it. The L-shaped plot of acreage was an ideal location for a neighborhood to be built to provide affordable and comfortable homes for the myriad of young post-World War II families coming to the Washington, D.C. area for job opportunities in the military and various government agencies.
Raymondale was created over the course of several years in the mid-1950’s in seven sections of development. Several different styles of homes were offered to prospective and eager buyers, all of them reflecting the open plan casual and family-friendly attitudes that were so much a part of post-War living.
Brick ramblers by architect A. B. Lowstuter, called the “Mark II” (featuring the “Teen Room”) and the “Mark III” (featuring “Center Hall Plan”), promised among other amenities, Hotpoint kitchens in the “new pastels” with dishwasher, disposal, 11 cu. ft. refrigerator, and an oven which featured a rotisserie. Cathedral ceilings, glass gables with wide overhangs, and the careful blending of brick and wood were characteristics of these homes which line much of Brad St., Sheffield Court, and Add Dr.
Another open-plan rambler, “The Raymondaire”, was a smaller option built on a slab with large picture windows, sliding glass doors, and attractive low roof lines are featured on Carol Lane, Brandy Court, St. James, and part of Brad St. The Raymondaire echoes the Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian style of architecture, an affordable style the renowned architect developed after the war so all families could live in homes that had few interior walls and large windows letting in lots of natural light.