Pine Spring Homes for Sale in Fairfax, VA

Pine Spring is a delightful community in Fairfax County, Virginia, where fans of mid-century modern homes for sale can find some truly inspiring creations. Located in the Falls Church area, this subdivision with 121 homes is one of the earliest of the post-war progressive period. The majority of homes were built in the early 1950s and exhibit an intriguing range of styles.

Mid-Century Modern Homes in Pine Spring

Sort by:

Homes for sale in Pine Spring were designed by several notable architects of the day, and developed by the Luria Brothers who also built the nearby Holmes Run Acres community in Falls Church. In this case, the architects were Chloethiel Woodard Smith—a pioneering female designer and developer in the Washington DC Metro area—Arthur Keyes, Nicholas Satterlee and Donald Lethbridge. Satterlee and Lethbridge also partnered with the Luria brothers on the Holmes Run Acres development between 1951 and 1953.

Home Styles in Pine Spring

There are both single-story and two-story homes in Pine Spring. The earliest structures are quite stylized, often with butterfly roofs, cubist shapes and interesting patterns of windows—large sectioned walls of glass on dominant sides, juxtaposed with smaller clusters of windows in other parts of the house. Also built during this period were some so-called Atomic Ranches—ranch or rambler-style floorplans with some twists, such as oversized windows and low-pitched roofs.

As time went on, styles began to change, with the inclusion of some Craftsman cottage-types as well as boxy two-story Split-levels and some unusual brick homes with a central entry flanked by pillars, the main wing pitching left with arched windows, and the garage wing pitching right. The building of homes for sale in this neighborhood continued into the mid-1960s.

Other Mid-Century Modern Neighborhoods in Fairfax County

Fairfax County, Virginia was a hotbed of progressive architecture after the end of World War II. This period, from the late 1940s to the late 1960s—and in some cases, into the 1970s—would later be called mid-century modernism. While there are plenty of standalone cases of custom modern architecture throughout the Washington Metro region, entire subdivisions devoted to the genre were the byproduct of a new generation of homebuyers seeking a suburban ideal that would mix eclectic style with affordability. Architects, developers and merchant builders embraced the challenge!

Holmes Run Acres in Falls Church is close to Pine Spring and involved some of the same principals. The project began in 1945 when developer Herman Schmidt deeded 122 acres as a new subdivision. Work wouldn’t begin until around 1951, however. Satterlee and Lethbridge were instrumental in the design process. The Luria Brothers built 185 homes between 1951 and 1953, Gabby Construction added 153 from 1954 to 1957, and Broder Homes chipped in 17 between 1959 and the early 1960s. The result was an interesting range of models and sub-types, with open cathedral ceilings, massive chimneys and grids of oversized windows.

Hollin Hills in the Hybla Valley region west of Fort Hunt, may be the most famous of the Washington Metro mid-century communities. Here you’ll find around 450 homes built between 1949 and 1970, nestled into woodsy and hilly terrain. The chief architect was Charles M. Goodman and the developer was Robert Davenport. Landscape architect Lou Bernard Voigt was also an important part of the endeavor, helping steer the idea of dwellings that would incorporate nature in interesting ways, such as angling homes in different directions, allowing unimpeded views from the giant windows. Goodman, who had designed government buildings during the war years, was a leading force when it came to inventive ways to control costs. His methods including prefabrication and assembling giant window walls from a series of modules. From flat and butterfly roofs to the extended glass walls, these homes helped set the standard for modernism on a large scale in Fairfax County and beyond.

Wessynton is a later example of modernism on a large scale. Located in the Mount Vernon area, the community offers 156 homes built on 65 acres of land abutting the Little Hunting Creek tributary. The community is also adjacent to Wessynton Woods and the Mount Vernon Trail greenbelt, and very close to the Potomac River itself.  Designed by Nicholas Pappas of the Deigert and Yerkes firm, the homes were built from 1967 to around 1972. There were five distinctly different models in single and two-story floorplans: Forest House, Garden House, Meadow House, Manor House and River House. Residents enjoy amenities such as a swimming pool, club house, tennis courts and playground.

Lake Barcroft presents an interesting mix of architectural styles with a wonderful common denominator—the 135-acre lake itself with all of its inlets, docks, beaches, a party barge and even a “music on the lake” series. While the subdivision was initiated circa 1950, there is not the uniformity common to many mid-century subdivisions. Also, there has been a substantial amount of reconstruction or additions over the years—some lakefront owners prefer big trophy homes to small Ramblers or cubist modernity. Still, there are some prime examples of progressive building, including homes designed by Charles Goodman.

Speaking of Goodman, the 90 “Hickory Cluster” townhomes overlooking Reston’s Lake Anne feature classic modern linear concepts, with grids of windows, cement beams, brick panels plus doors painted in bold primary colors. Other attributes include rooftop terraces, walled patios and landscaped walking paths. The townhouses are arranged around common area terraces and set into the woodsy hillsides, overlooking both the lake and town center. The end result is a fascinating combination of urbanism and naturalism. The residences were planned during 1962-1963, with construction taking place thereafter.

To learn more about homes for sale in Pine Spring as well as other mid-century modern neighborhoods in Fairfax County, call Andre Perez at District Partners at Compass (202) 798-3600.

Can't find the mid-century modern home of your dreams?

Sign Up Now and Gain Access to the Mid-Century Modern Collection


Unlock the Door to Exceptional Mid-Century Modern Living: Discover Our Curated Collection and Receive Updates on New, Coming Soon, and Off-Market Listings Matching Your Criteria.

Request Access Now

Bright MLS Logo

© 2024 BRIGHT, All Rights Reserved. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website appears in part through the BRIGHT Internet Data Exchange program, a voluntary cooperative exchange of property listing data between licensed real estate brokerage firms in which COMPASS participates, and is provided by BRIGHT through a licensing agreement. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than COMPASS. are marked with the IDX logo and detailed information about each listing includes the name of the listing broker.The information provided by this website is for the personal, non-commercial use of consumers and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Some properties which appear for sale on this website may no longer be available because they are under contract, have Closed or are no longer being offered for sale. Some real estate firms do not participate in IDX and their listings do not appear on this website. Some properties listed with participating firms do not appear on this website at the request of the seller.

Listing information last updated on March 29th, 2024 at 11:45am EDT.