WETA Digital Extras

Over the past several decades, Arlington's Columbia Pike corridor has grown into one of the most ethnically diverse communities in the nation, which makes it a fascinating subject for study. But how do you capture the essence of a community? It's a big question and one that Lloyd Wolf and his collaborators on the Columbia Pike Documentary Project has been trying to answer since 2007.

By the time she was 23, Joan Mulholland had participated in more than fifty sit-ins and protests. She was a Freedom Rider, a participant in the near riotous Jackson, Mississippi Woolworth Sit-in, and helped plan and organize the March on Washington in 1963. On a local level, she was part of the first Arlington sit-ins, which integrated lunch counters across northern Virginia.

The need for fire protection has been ever-present since the nation's founding. In Arlington, Virginia a network of neighborhood volunteer fire departments served this need for many years. In 1940, the county hired its first career fire fighters. In the years since, ACFD has distinguished itself through its service to the community and response to national and local emergencies.

For about 10 years following the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Arlington, Virginia, became a destination for Vietnamese immigrants fleeing communist rule. Attracted by the proximity to the nation's capital and the Pentagon, thousands of Vietnamese settled in the area and many opened shops and restaurants. Then, almost as quickly as it had developed, "Little Saigon," faded away.

Kristi Griner, Head Brewer at Capitol City Brewing Company, shares her observations about the local brewing scene in the Washington area, how DC beer stacks up to the rest of the country and what Washingtonians like to drink.

Garrett Peck, author of "Capital Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in Washington, D.C." discusses the history of brewing in the nation's capital. D.C.'s beer heritage dates back to 1770 and claims some very innovative brewers. However, the local beer market changed tremendously after Prohibition and the city was left without a hometown brew for decades before a recent resurgence.

Luis Araya immigrated to Arlington, Virginia from Bolivia in 1966, when very few Latinos lived in the county. He reflects on the changes he has seen over the years and the influence of Latinos in Arlington today.

Washington, D.C.'s Heurich Brewery has been gone for over 50 years and the beer recipes were lost. But that didn't stop Mike Stein, a local homebrewer, from attempting to recreate the brewery's historic brew. Thanks to his research and the help of the Heurich House Museum and DC Brau Brewing Company, Washingtonians can sample a historically accurate pre-Prohibition Lager.

Local author and historian Garrett Peck discusses Washington's history as "a drinking city" and the failed attempt by Temperance lobbyists to transform it into the Model Dry City of Prohibition.