Home of Arthur and Betty Nalls

Here follows an excerpt from the Fall 2011 edition of the "Franconia Remembers" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

IN MEMORIAM
Arthur “Buddy” Nalls
By Carl Sell

Other than his time in the Army during the 1950s, Arthur (Buddy) Nalls spent his entire life in Franconia. That didn’t make him unique among his extended family and neighbors. Most everyone in Franconia until the recent population explosion lived here all their lives. What did make Buddy unique was his ability to build houses with character, working with his hands and his mind, not sophisticated modern equipment that makes the job easy but lacks personality.

Buddy passed away in the home he built at the corner of Beulah Street and Steinway Avenue after a long illness. He wasn’t far from where it all began 82 years ago as he was the second of three children born to Carroll Lynwood Nalls and Mattie Martha Rogers Nalls. In fact, the Nalls’ homestead was located on the land where Buddy built the home for his wife, Betty, and their three sons. He is survived by Betty, sons Arthur, Cary and David, grandchildren Jessica, Emily, Adam, Arthur E., Brian, Valerie and Cary and great grandson Noah Nalls.

He also is survived by a sister, Julia Nalls Lee. An older sister, Gladys Mae Nalls Shain, died in 2000. Julia provided information about her and her husband’s families for a story in Volume I of Franconia Remembers, the Museum’s series of books that capture the area’s history through first-hand knowledge.

Betty Nalls and son Cary both are members of the Board of Directors of the Franconia Museum. Cary operates Nalls Produce on land on Beulah Street he bought from his grandparents. Arthur, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, was a Marine fighter pilot who is involved in real estate and property management. He is a nationally known inventor and pilot of vintage aircraft. David operates Nalls Farm Market in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Berryville, Virginia.

Buddy went to Franconia Elementary School and graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1946. He joined the United States Army in 1950 and served in Korea. He and Betty were married at Pohick Church on March 21, 1952, just before Buddy went off to war. When he returned, they lived at his sister Julia’s home and Buddy began a career as a carpenter that would result in many Franconia area homes. In fact, Betty liked the one he built on Steinway so much that she and young Arthur moved in one day in 1955 while Buddy was at work on another project. Imagine his surprise when he came home and found he had moved!

Perhaps Buddy’s signature housing accomplishment was the large home he built for George Dodd on land across from Franconia Elementary. It includes an elevator. His largest job was a 27-unit townhouse project in the City of Alexandria. Betty recalls that one of the new townhouse owners complained to the City about her steps. The City investigated and found nothing wrong. That was Buddy’s only complaint in a long career as a builder. Most of Buddy’s work involved building single family homes in Franconia.

In recent years, Buddy and Betty enjoyed travel and cruises, especially a trip to Bermuda. A yearly highlight was an anniversary dinner with the family, most recently at the new National Harbor on the Potomac. They were married for 59 years.

Buddy provided a bridge to a different Franconia and his recollections of friends and events of days gone by helped newcomers understand the past. His legacy lives on in the home he built here and the major footsteps he left for others to follow.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Spring 2011 edition of the "Franconia Remembers" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

Betty Nalls
Written by Carl Sell

Soda Jerk*, movie cashier, short-order cook, competitive horsewoman, loving wife and mother, accomplished organist and accordionist, friend, neighbor, and history buff with a deep knowledge about Franconia and its long-time families.

All of the above describe Betty Plaugher Nalls, who recently joined the Board of Directors of the Franconia Museum. Long an advocate of preserving the area’s history, Betty and her husband Buddy know so much about Franconia they can preserve for future generations. There isn’t much community activity either or both haven’t been involved in over the last half century or more.

A very young Betty came to Franconia with her parents, Ward and Sylvia Plaugher, in 1935. Two years later, her dad and mom would establish a small store that was the forerunner of Ward’s Corner, a Franconia landmark for more than 20 years. In time, the business would include a restaurant, theatre, gas station and, pardon the expression, barroom in the back.

Betty, Gloria (the oldest of the three sisters) and Gwen (the youngest) all worked in the family business (except the barroom), went to school at Franconia Elementary and later Mount Vernon High School.

As a teen-ager, Betty would make ice cream sodas, milkshakes, banana splits and cook hamburgers in the restaurant. She also doubled as the cashier for the movie theatre, where patrons usually didn’t know what was playing until they came to the window. Betty’s dad would send John Posey and Jack Coffey to Washington, D.C., to pick up movies and they never knew what they had gotten until they opened the reel. The movies cost 40 cents for adults and 20 cents for kids. The theatre was named after Betty’s mother.

Ward’s Corner was famous for its live country music, featuring rising stars being showcased by Connie B. Gay, a local radio personality. They included Jimmy Dean, Roy Clarke, Grandpa Jones and the Stoneman family, a Franconia group that included 22 members if you ask Buddy and 16 if you ask Betty. Anyway, the group played a variety of instruments, some homemade, sang and danced. One of the girls, Ronni, later was featured in the popular television show, Hee Haw.

The Plaughers owned all the land between what is now Old Rolling Road and Brookland Road, including the current skating rink and town house community. There was a barn and pasture behind the business where Betty learned to guide her horse over the jumps. She would become an excellent rider, winning ribbons in the many horse shows that took place in the area, including those sponsored by the Franconia and Penn-Daw fire departments.

Betty’s dad wasn’t known for keeping the cleanest car in Franconia. One day, he sent her to the local Kaiser-Frazer dealership (located in the building where Franconia Hardware and subsequently Paradiso Restaurant is located) to have it cleaned. There she met a young gas station attendant named Buddy Nalls, who refused to clean the car but did snag a date with the pretty young driver. They went on a double date with Percy Benton and Lois Simms (Percy had the car) to the Ice Capades at the old Uline Arena in Washington, D.C (where the Beatles subsequently made their American debut) and Buddy recalls that Betty wanted one of every souvenir on sale.

Buddy and Betty were married on March 21, 1952 at Pohick Church. Buddy was in the army and subsequently served in Korea. When he came home, he began doing remodeling work and that led to home building. In fact, he built the house he and Betty have lived in on Steinway Street since 1955. When it was finished, Buddy went to work on another house one morning. When he came home that night to the house across the street where he thought he lived, he found out that Betty had moved them into the new house, slick as a whistle in one day.

Betty and Buddy would have three sons, Arthur born in 1954, Cary in 1956 and David in 1957. Arthur went on to graduate from the United States Naval Academy and became a renowned Marine test pilot. He currently is in the real estate business in Washington, D.C. Cary, who with help from his grandfather Carroll Nalls, started the business from his little red wagon, owns and operates Nalls Produce on Beulah Street, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011. Brother David has his own successful produce business, located on Route #7 just over the Blue Ridge Mountains near Berryville, VA. Cary also is a member of the Franconia Museum’s Board of Directors.

Betty learned to play the organ and worked at Demaine’s Funeral home and various area country clubs. She had her own organ and Buddy and the boys would lug it back and forth to the clubs for performances. The accordion was a lot lighter. The organ remains in the Nalls’ household, but Betty got rid of the accordion some time back.

Betty, along with members Sonny Wright and Margaret Welch bring a long and deep understanding of Franconia to the Board of Directors, helping make up for the loss of founder Jac Walker who died in 2009. There are 15 directors, all trying to preserve their unique history of Franconia and those who have gone before.

*For those who never visited an old-fashioned soda fountain, the name came from the fact that the clerk would “jerk” the handle on the fountain that produced the soda, which was mixed with a gas to make it fizz.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Spring 2008 edition of the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

Arthur Nalls, Jr.
Pictured is the world’s smallest ride-able bicycle which was documented and published in the Guinness World Book of Records in 1974, and was the official record holder for several years. The bicycle was designed and built by Arthur L. Nalls, Jr. of Franconia, Virginia, who was a Franconia Elementary School student and a graduate of Hayfield Secondary School.

This unique bicycle was on display at the Franconia Museum History Day event on October 27, 2007. Arthur could not be there as he was busy with his hobby and passion, flying one of his vintage planes in an air show. His parents, Arthur, Sr. and Betty Nalls proudly displayed the unique bicycle and scrapbooks, and allowed anyone to try riding it. A few children and adults found it exciting to try and see what a feat it must have been for Art to build, and actually ride this tiny vehicle. His dad said that his son was always designing and drawing as a young teenager. He was not distracted by TV.

The bicycle is made of scrap parts from a washing machine, several bicycles and assorted junk, which he welded together into a sturdy and rideable bicycle. It measures a bit less than 5 inches tall. In 1974, while a student at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Art demonstrated his project to England’s Guinness Book of Records officials. He was instructed to ride a certain distance down a hall and back, which he was able to do. This achievement was recognized by several television shows including; “I’ve Got a Secret;” “To Tell the Truth;” “David Frost;” and “Geraldo,” where he demonstrated pedaling the tiny bicycle.

Art graduated from the Naval Academy in 1976, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1979, he was designated a Naval Aviator and received his wings of gold. In 1985, Art was the “one Marine per year” selected for test pilot school. Art served in the Lebanon conflict and in the Persian Gulf. He fortunately survived two crashes. Due to his extraordinary skill in landing his plane that was damaged, he was selected to fly a Sea Harrier, a fighter plane used in close combat. The Harrier takes off and lands vertically.

Since his retirement ten years ago, Colonel Arthur Nalls has pursued his passion for flying which led him to purchase three vintage planes. His latest purchase of a Sea Harrier was a feat in its self. Getting approval from FAA and customs, the plane was shipped from England in sections. He is the first private owner of a Harrier in the world. Check out his web site at NallsAviation.com and witness the assembly and restoration of the plane.

On November 20, 2007, Art’s first flight in his Harrier was successful, taking off and landing from a perfect hover at St. Mary’s Regional Airport, Maryland. The next day, a few minutes into his second flight, the ship experienced hydraulic system problems. This forced an emergency landing. In order to get it back to St. Mary’s Airport, Art had the jet hooked to a pickup truck, and with six police car escorts, towed it nearly eight miles. He sat in the cockpit dressed as Santa Claus, and with a “Ho, Ho, Ho” waved to truckers and motorists.

Art has flown in many air shows in his L-39 Albatros, a bright shiny black two-seater. He also owns and flies a 1939 Cub L-4, a plane used for surveillance. He is a member of the Confederate Air Force, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and flying antique aircraft.

Art is indeed enjoying an exciting career!!