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Charles M. Goodman and his legacy at  the Commons of McLean

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Gallery of important Goodman Architecture

Charles M. Goodman may be most remembered for making the elegance of Modernist design available to the American middle-class home buyers. Open space, prominent use of glass, and blending buildings into their natural surroundings were all hallmarks of his design aesthetic.

Goodman had turned his focus to residential architecture after a distinguished career with the U.S. government, where his Modernist touches also had a major impact. The following are just a handful of Goodman’s notable creations from across his career.

  • National Airport
  • Goodman House
  • Alcoa Care-Free
  • Hollin Hills
  • Hickory Cluster
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (National Airport)

During Goodman’s tenure as an architect for the U.S. government, some of his most celebrated designs were the U.S. Federal Building for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, several federal post offices, the U.S. legation (early embassy) in Iceland, and the original terminal building for Washington National Airport (now National Airport). To this day, his work on the airport’s Terminal A is much admired and has been meticulously restored.

Goodman House

In 1946, Goodman purchased this Victorian-era farmhouse in Alexandria, Virginia, to serve as his personal home. Soon enough the great architect was renovating the house and building a striking “International Style” addition, including an L-shaped glass pavilion. The renovated home was featured in the New York Times Magazine in 1954. In 2013, the Goodman House was entered in the National Register of Historic Places.

Alcoa Care-Free

In 1957, the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) moved into residential construction. They hired Charles M. Goodman to design the “Alcoa Care-Free Home.” About 24 of these identical model homes were built across the country, each utilizing 7,500 pounds of aluminum. Details included an aluminum roof, aluminum-framed windows, and distinctive purple aluminum siding. Though 50 Alcoa Homes were planned, construction proved to be too expensive and the program was cut short. The Alcoa Home in Rochester, New York, was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

Hollin Hills

In 1946, Goodman was hired to create the site plan and design the homes for Hollin Hills, a new community in Hybla Valley, Virginia. Goodman suggested keeping as much of the natural terrain as possible, and incorporated it in his plans. Roads followed the contour of hills; streams and the valley formed park space. In an innovative move, instead of placing the 463 houses—in 14 different styles—parallel to their streets, Goodman angled each one to face sunshine, providing both privacy and views. In 2013, Hollin Hills was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Hickory Cluster

In 1962, Goodman was commissioned to design Hickory Cluster, a hillside of townhouses in a progressive planned community overlooking Lake Anne and the Village Center in Reston, VA. It was perhaps Goodman's most daring creation yet. He grouped the 90 international-style townhouses in 3 clusters on only 10% of the available land, leaving the rest as woods, water, and trails. The striking box-like homes—with glass walls, prominent balconies and rooftop terraces—offered impressive views and, in close proximity to one another, an intentional element of community and sharing.

I am no shrinking violet when arguing the case for responsible architecture with an inherent vital beauty that moves men's hearts..."
—Charles M. Goodman, his essay for Rice University's Department of Architecture collection The People's Architects 1963

Did you know?

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy

The Commons of McLean and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy had something in "common." They both resided in McLean, Virginia (just not at the same time)! The former First Lady spent the latter part of her youth in the idyllic setting of Merrywood Estate in McLean, Virginia, overlooking the Potomac. According to writer Gore Vidal, a relation by marriage, she "tried to recreate Merrywood's heavenly ambiance" during her time in the White House.

The Hope Diamond

Evalyn Walsh McLean, daughter-in-law of John Roll McLean (namesake of McLean, VA), was the proud owner of the Hope Diamond. A wealthy gold heiress, she bought the infamous diamond from Pierre Cartier for $154,000 in 1912. The Hope Diamond is said to be cursed, and oddly she and her family did experience many misfortunes. The deep blue, 45.52-carat gem was also owned by actress Elizabeth Taylor prior to its current display at the Smithsonian.

History's Heroine

Dolley Madison was First Lady when the British overran the White House and set it ablaze in the War of 1812. As their army neared, the fearless wife of President James Madison, in his absence, refused to leave until she rescued George Washington's portrait from certain destruction. At the last moment, two gentlemen arrived to help, and she entrusted it to them with detailed instructions before embarking on a route that took her straight through Tysons Corner.

The Signal Tower

During the Civil War, the Union Army built a wooden signal tower at Peach Grove Stockade (now Tysons) in Fairfax County. They would wave a series of signal flags from that high vantage point so westward-moving Union troops confronting the Confederate Army could communicate with Union soldiers like themselves stationed in the east at forts defending the federal government in Washington, D.C. The photo is a typical signal tower in Civil War Virginia.

The Radio Tower

In 1952, in the early days of the Cold War, the U.S. Army erected a classified radio tower on the same site in Tysons Corner where the Civil War signal tower once stood. This Emergency Military Communications System would be the main relay station between the President, the Atomic Energy Commission and various capital region military installations and defense communications facilities in the event of war. The tower is still maintained today by the Fort Belvoir Army installation in Fairfax County. Shown: Fort Belvoir Headquarters (photos of tower are prohibited).

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