Funds Needed To Save Ball-Sellers House In Arlington From Destruction

ARLINGTON, VA — The Arlington Historical Society is holding a fundraising campaign to help preserve the Ball-Sellers House, the oldest structure in Arlington.

The Ball-Sellers House, built around 1750, is being destroyed, according to the Arlington Historical Society, by powderpost beetles that are eating away at the wooden structure.

The Arlington Historical Society is seeking to raise $6,000 in a GoFundMe campaign for the spraying and a moisture barrier that will protect the house from the beetles. The group also hopes to use the funds to continue monitoring the house.

As of Thursday afternoon, the campaign, titled "Save a Piece of History From Being Eaten," had raised about $4,000 for the Ball-Sellers House.

Located at 5620 Third Street South in Arlington's Glencarlyn neighborhood, the Ball-Sellers House is owned and operated by the Arlington Historical Society.

The farm house was built in the 1750s by farmer John Ball. Three generations of the Carlin family owned the house next, starting with the Glencarlyn namesake, William Carlin, who was a tailor for George and Martha Washington. The house has been restored to its colonial era condition.

The house is open to the public from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays from April through October. Online tours of the house are also available.

The Arlington Historical Society, a nonprofit group, relies on donations and membership fees.