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Ball-Sellers House

Arlington, United States of America

Ball-Sellers House

The Ball–Sellers House, also named the John Ball House, is the oldest building in Arlington County, Virginia. It is an historic home located at 5620 Third Street, South, in the county's Glencarlyn neighborhood. The Arlington Historical Society, which owns the building, estimates that the one room lo

g cabin was built in the 1740s. 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. The cabin is presently the oldest building known to exist in Arlington County. It is a rare example of the dwelling of the ordinary person during the 1700s. John Ball obtained a 166-acre land grant along Four Mile Run from Lord Fairfax in 1742. To construct his cabin, he felled trees and hewed logs. He notched the logs and chinked the cracks with mud daubing. Visitors today can see the original logs with the daubing, as well as the wide plank floors. The rare oak clapboard roof is among only a few board roofs preserved in the nation. John, his wife Elizabeth, and their five daughters lived in this little house. An inventory of Ball's estate indicates they lived a simple...

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