Paul Revere road past it on his historic ride warning of the impending arrival of British troops.

Arlington was the scene of some of the worst fighting in the Battles of Lexington and Concord that started the American Revolutionary War in 1775.

[2] Most of the commercial, civic, and religious buildings in Arlington Center were built later in the 19th century or in the early years of the 20th.

Two noteworthy sculptures by Cyrus Dallin can be found on the grounds including The Menotomy Hunter and The Robbins Memorial Flagstaff.

Unusual is the octagonal Central Fire Station, which anchors the east end of the district, built in 1926 to a design by George Ernest Robinson.