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The History of Whitlow’s on Wilson in Arlington

Discover the history of Whitlow's on Wilson in Arlington, from its original location at 11th and E St. NW in Washington, D.C., to its current home in Clarendon. Learn trivia about the popular bar and find out where Arlington County received its name.
Willard's Hotel
Looking west on G Street NW from 13th Street showing the commercial buildings on the northwest corner of the intersection including the Church of the Epiphany.
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Whitlow’s on Wilson wasn’t always in Arlington. For a really long time, starting around the end of World War II, it was down at 11th and E St. NW. Oliver Carr, a developer, had acquired much of the block in the mid-1980s, in the hopes or revitalizing it with new office and retail space. The same block also held the old M.E. Swing Coffee Company.

By 1989, Whitlow’s had closed down with a guaranteed spot in the new development by Carr. Unfortunately, the project stalled, the market bottomed out and it never got off the ground.

Whitlow's Restaurant and retail stores at 11th and E Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C., photographed before they were demolished to make way for new buildings
Whitlow’s Restaurant and retail stores at 11th and E Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C., photographed before they were demolished to make way for new buildings

Tired of waiting around, Gregory D. Cahill moved his business out to Clarendon in 1995, using some of the old furniture, and opened the new Whitlow’s on Wilson.

So, the next time you’re there on a Thursday night, surrounded by hundreds of intoxicated recent college grads (seemingly dominated by UVA, JMU, Penn State and Michigan kids), make sure to share this bit of trivia … also, don’t forget to learn where Arlington County received its name.

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