Donated to the Arlington Historical Society in 1975, this is Arlington's oldest residence. It was built around 1742. It is a rare example of the homes where the working class people of the time lived. It is occupied by a caretaker for the Society and the interior may be seen by calling ahead. The small house - with its original logs, clapboard roof and pegged floorboards - is one room with a loft and an attached lean-to room at the rear. The house was built by John Ball on a 166-acre land grant from Lord Thomas Fairfax and later owned by William Carlin, tailor to George Washington. Three generations of the Carlin family owned the property for more than 100 years. The third generation, brother and sister Andrew and Anne, ran a dairy farm and built the 1880 house that adjoins the Ball cabin.

In Arlington, a historic district can be a single building, such as a house, church, school, or shop; a group of buildings, such as an apartment complex, a neighborhood, or a commercial center; a single natural feature, such as a rock formation or tree, or grouped natural features, such as a garden or park. Cemeteries and battlefields can also qualify. Thanks to the efforts of county historic preservation staff, there is a large and growing list of properties that are on the National Register of Historic Places. Please visit the Society website for details.

Owned by the Arlington Historical Society, the Ball-Sellers House is on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in America.

by Willard Webb: In the mid 18th century, yeoman farmer John Ball built a one-room log cabin with a loft in what is now Arlington, Virginia. Later he added a lean-to and covered the structure with clapboard. Amazingly, this primitive cabin survives today. The house is a rare example of the dwelling of the ordinary person during the 1700s. Plus, it is the oldest house in Arlington. See the full story on the Society website.