Hours: 1-4 pm on Saturdays April through October. Exceptions to this for 2023 are: very rainy days, days that are below 50 degrees or that are a lot about 90 degrees. (email us if you’re not sure) (The house has no electricity or air conditioning which is why we are not open in really hot or really cold weather)

Location: 5620 Third Street, South, Arlington VA 22204

Phone: 703-577-7042

Email: info@arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org

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The Ball-Sellers House, owned and operated by the Arlington Historical Society, is located at 5620 Third Street South, in the Glencarlyn neighborhood of Arlington.  This farm house was built by at least 1750 by farmer John Ball and is the oldest structure in Arlington County.  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.

east-side

The last private owner was Marian Sellers who lived in the house as a child.  She donated the house to the Society in 1975.  The building is on the National Register of Historic Sites and is designated a Virginia State Historical Landmark. Knowledgable docents provide free guided tours of the main floor, the loft, the root cellar and the grounds. They discuss how the house was built, its owners, and its place in history.

If you are interested in a free tour for your group or family of any age and size, or if you would like to volunteer with us, please email: info@arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org

The Ball-Sellers House in the News

Tour by Video

An Arlington Treasure: The Ball-Sellers House.  This short video takes you through the house, built in the 1750s, and discusses its owners as well as its role in Arlington’s history.

  • Written by Martha Orth
  • Narrated by Marcel Taube
  • Produced by Channel 31’s Robert Farr and Joan Orvis in cooperation with the Arlington Historical Society.

Caretakers of History — Becca Castaneda Editor (Mar 27, 2020)

A Love Affair With an Old House: The Ball-Sellers House Story

Martha Orth, who was a member of the team who accepted the house and helped restore it,  tells the story of the Ball-Sellers House at an AHS public program commemorating the 40th anniversary of the donation by Marian Sellers. The house was built by John Ball c.1750 and donated to the Society by Marian Sellers in 1975. Mrs. Orth discussed how the house was acquired, how the Society preserved and restored it, and the history of the owners of the house through the centuries.

Read a Brief History of the House here.

DHR+logoNomination: Virginia Landmarks Register
nattrustlogoLetter from the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Ball-Sellers House Pamphlets and Brochures