Lake Barcroft is a 680-acre community in eastern Fairfax County near Seven Corners, Bailey’s Crossroads, Annandale, and Falls Church. It is just nine miles to downtown Washington DC. Lake Barcroft offers a small town, community feel in the heart of a highly urban area. As its name suggests, the heart of the community is the lake.
Lake Barcroft History
Lake Barcroft was named for local doctor John W. Barcroft, who built a home and operated a mill in the area until the Civil War.
In 1913, the Alexandria Water Company began construction of the Lake Barcroft Dam to create a drinking water reservoir for the City of Alexandria. In 1949, the city began to draw its drinking water from the Occoquan Reservoir and shortly after, Colonel Joseph Barger and Associates purchased the reservoir, dam, and adjacent land, They began to develop it as a residential community, with the vision of a rustic enclave of “country” homes.During the early 1950s, residents formed a homeowners association. In 1970, community residents purchased the lake, dam, and common grounds and established the Barcroft Lake Management Association.
Lake Barcroft Real Estate
Lake Barcroft features more than one thousand homes on the beautiful wooded lake for which it is named. Famed Charles Goodman designed many of the homes in Lake Barcroft, which has one of the DC area’s largest concentrations of mid-century modern homes. Other home styles include ramblers, Colonials, and split levels.
Lake Barcroft Community
Lake Barcroft sense of community is strong. It hosts many annual events including parades, Fourth of July fireworks, and social gatherings held on its beaches. The lake itself offers five private beaches, staffed by lifeguards in the summer, and allows electric powered pontoons, sailboats and self-propelled boats – all to the delight of outdoor enthusiasts.
Lake Barcroft Favorites
Visit nearby Peking Gourmet Inn, a family-run Chinese restaurant that’s been serving local politicians and celebrities for 40 years. It has been named one of the country’s top 10 Chinese restaurants, thanks to its signature dish, a tableside feast of duck served with delicate pancakes, homemade hoisin sauce, and green onions from the nearby Tsui family farm.
Want to know what it’s like to live in Lake Barcroft? Let’s go on a neighborhood orientation tour!