Two interesting facts found in The Lake Barcroft Story.
https://lakebarcroft.org/about
1) Columbia Pike was constructed as a toll road in 1808, and was then called the Washington Gravelled Road.
2) Lake Barcroft came into being in 1915. An increasing need for water by the City of Alexandria led the Alexandria Water Company to build the dam and establish a reservoir to store the waters from the branches of Holmes Run. The North Branch of Holmes Run is now called Tripps Run.