Herndon Historical Society

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A YEAR IN REVIEW 2020

A YEAR IN REVIEW 2019

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The Herndon Historical Society
HerndonHistoricalSociety@gmail.com
Headquartered in the historic Herndon Depot Museum.

Mailing address
:
      Street address:       
PO Box 99               717 Lynn Street      

Herndon, Virginia     Herndon, Virginia    
20172-0099              20170

Contact: 
Email: HerndonHistoricalSociety@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HerndonHistory/
  

Herndon Depot, circa 1905 - From the J. Berkley Green Collection of the Herndon Historical Society - - - 717 Lynn Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170

Happy New Year to Herndon Historical Society Members and Supporters:

 

We hope you are all staying safe and healthy. Until we are able to safely meet together again, we will safely bring you some local history via your computer. We have collected four YouTube videos on the history of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad for our January meeting. To view them, hold down the “Ctrl” button and click on each of the links.

 

  • NOVA History Remembered: The W&OD Railroad Begins (6 minutes and 18 seconds) https://youtu.be/6D1Z4wJOPB0 (Turn your volume up for this one)

 

  • NOVA History Remembered: The W&OD Railroad: After the Civil War (6 minutes and 20 seconds) https://youtu.be/A8_rM_zLRDI (Turn your volume up for this one)

 

  • NOVA History Remembered: Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad (10 minutes and 32 seconds) https://youtu.be/FiQRq3ZbWFY

 

  • NOVA History Remembered: The End of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad and the W&OD Railway (9 minutes and 5 seconds) https://youtu.be/dUnNyCJx_c4

 

These videos have been prepared by Paul McCray, who was the manager of the W&OD Trail for 20 years before becoming the Operations Director for NOVA Parks. His research about the W&OD led to a collection of almost 2,000 photos and over a thousand news articles and original documents from the railroad. These are wonderful reminders of our history in and around Herndon.

 

It's also time to renew our 2021 membership, so please rejoin by downloading and filling out the membership form below and sending your payment to the address listed on the form.

 

We hope to be able to see you soon!

 

All our best,

 

The Herndon Historical Society Board of Directors





NOTICE:  

September Meeting at the Depot Canceled!

We hope that you all are doing well as we head into Autumn!

The September Public meeting at the Herndon Depot with a speaker has been canceled. Instead, we would like to share a talk that occurred at the City Hall Annex on September 13th Titled, “The Occoquan Suffrage Prisoners”. The Fairfax Museum arranged for Alice Reagan, associate professor of history, Northern Virginia Community College to give this talk which gives insights on the suffragists who were arrested and imprisoned in Lorton at what was called the Occoquan Workhouse. The talk is interesting and recognizes an important milestone in American history. Please enjoy the talk by clicking on the following link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5KNvGsAtME


The Historical Society continues to work on new exhibits at the Depot including one about the history of Runnymede Park, which will have interesting artifacts. Our historian, Barbara Glakas, has also given guided tours of Historic Herndon to small groups which has raised funds for the Historical Society.  Her next one will be in October.  Stay tuned for details! The Board has volunteers that are continuing to work to look for new ways to share Herndon’s history in fun and interesting ways. 

The Herndon Historic Walking Tour would be one way to enjoy Herndon history and get fresh air and exercise! The hard copies of the brochures are available at The Herndon Florist Shop and the Green Lizard Cycling shop. The website also has the PDF of the Walking Tour for your convenience.

The Herndon Historical Society Board of Directors




  
  

Time to sit down and relax as you enjoy an interesting talk by historian Chuck Mauro of the Herndon Historical Society!

 

Chuck has written a number of books on Herndon and Civil War history. His latest book We Once Met by Chance follows four people’s lives during the Civil War. The lives of John S. Mosby, Charles Russell Lowell, Laura Ratcliffe, and James Robinson are true nonfiction stories which are woven into a narrative that gives insights into life during a turbulent era in our Nation.

 

This presentation is available through the link below.  The link is also available on the Herndon Historical Society Facebook page www.facebook.com/HerndonHistory. 

Also, please enjoy a presentation on the Historical Society’s year in review which is available for viewing by clicking here or by scrolling to the top of this page and clicking on the 3rd Column Tab labled "A YEAR IN REVIEW 2019". Additionally a new Column Tab (#2) has been added labled "A YEAR IN REVIEW 2020" highlighting last year's activities.

Chuck Mauro -    https://youtu.be/60QSzI9ZG2s

  
  


 


Book Announcement:

Copies of the book are available for sale at the Depot on Sundays from 12:00-3:00 PM. A portion of the proceeds from books sold at the Herndon Depot Museum will benefit the Herndon Historical Society.

To view an interview about the book, please go the the following "Chat with Charlie" link: 

http://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/vzE1oMYxyAJsr5CE2LxEdfBlceV604BC/series/3383/media/486849?sequenceNumber=3&autostart=true&showtabssearch=true .




See our facebook page to keep up with great information about local history! (facebook.com/HerndonHistory)



Historic Homes Registry Program

Click here to see Herndon Historical Society's Historic Home Plaque Registry Walking Tour Sites complete with historical descriptions.

Click here to read local articles about Herndon on the Herndon Patch website. All articles can also be found on the Herndon History Articles page; "click on the "Herndon History Articles" link in the lefthand column.

Intersection of Pine and Station streets (J. Berkley Green Photo Collection of the Herndon Historical Society)
Unspecified early Herndon Mill (Herndon Historical Society)
Early Locomotive in Herndon. (Herndon Historical Society)
Lynn Street, c. 1912-1920 (Buell Family Photo Collection)
Herndon High School, c. 1924 (Herndon Historical Society)
Dulles Park Shopping Center, 1969 (Herndon Historical Society)
 

  Herndon’s History, In Brief

by Barbara Glakas


Herndon - The Land - 1649-1900 - by Donald LeVine - 1982
Click here to go to our new RESEARCH page which contains all chapters and appendices

NEW! USS Herndon Artifacts Come Home....click the following link to continue to The Connection March article.

http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2018/030718/Herndon.pdf



About Us 

The Herndon Historical Society was founded in 1971. Its purpose, as stated in the Society's constitution, is “…to bring together those people interested in history, and especially in the history of the Herndon, Virginia, area.” 

The Society established a museum in conjunction with the Town’s centennial celebration in 1979. The museum, which is open from noon to 3PM on Sundays March through mid-December, is located in Herndon’s historic train depot adjacent to the WO&D trail in the heart of the downtown. The museum contains an array of materials and collectables that illustrate the life, conditions, events, and activities of Herndon and the surrounding area.

When We Meet

The museum is the location for Historical Society meetings and for other special functions. The Society holds meetings three times per year—on the 4th Wednesday in January, May, and September. The meetings, which are free and open to the public, feature guest speakers—including authors, journalists and historians—who focus on topics of local historical interest. For information about meeting dates, times, and topics contact Society President Nancy Saunders, HerndonHistoricalSociety@gmail.com.

Click here to see the Herndon Historical Society's Newletters and Meeting Minutes.

 

What We Do

The Society is involved in many activities beyond maintaining the museum. For example:

• The Depot

The Herndon Historical Society maintains a museum in the Herndon Depot in downtown Herndon on Lynn Street. Although the Town of Herndon owns the depot, the Historical Society has from time to time expended funds to help maintain it. The most recent project was the restoration of the original railroad semaphore that is fixed on the depot roof.

 • Historic Homes Registry

The Society sponsors the historic home registry program designed to increase public awareness of Herndon’s older homes and buildings and their contribution to the Town’s distinctive character and spirit. Once an owner documents the history of the home and demonstrates that it satisfies certain criteria—such as the original structure being 50 or more years old and compatible with the character of Herndon, as well as being of historical or architectural significance to the Town—the application is approved and a request for a resolution is submitted to the Herndon Town Council. Once the resolution, which certifies the historic significance of the structure, is adopted, the structure is eligible to receive a plaque. All documentation becomes part of the Society’s research library, and a picture and brief history are placed on the Historical Society’s website.  Click here for more information about applying for the Registry. 

• The Caboose

In 1989, longtime Society member and railroad aficianado George Moore located a surplus Norfolk and Western caboose, arranged for it to be transported to Herndon, and coordinated with the Herndon Department of Public Works to install the section of track on which it sits. Located adjacent to the W&OD trail—formerly the W&OD railroad line—the caboose serves as a reminder of the town’s rail history. Although the caboose is now the property of the Town of Herndon the Society continues to monitor its condition and to fund the interior maintenance. Following his death in 2003, the caboose was dedicated in George’s memory. In 2008, the interior was restored and the windows were improved to make them water tight.

• Annual Model Train Show

Each December, usually the second weekend, the Herndon Historical Society, along with the Herndon Chamber of Commerce, sponsors an Annual Model Train Show and Caboose/Depot Open House. The event is held at the Depot, Caboose and the Herndon Municipal Center - - Features HO, N and O gauge model trains.

• The Gas House Mini Park

In 1999, the Historical Society funded restoration and improvements at the gas generating facility located across from Herndon’s Municipal Center. Improvements included a display that explains how the facility operated, along with landscaping for the mini-park that surrounds it. The park is dedicated in memory of former Society president Larry Clarity, and the benches it contains were donated in memory of another longtime member, Bill Moffett.

• And More…

The Society continues to engage in educational and preservation-oriented activities designed to ensure that the public remains interested in and aware of the history of the Herndon area. For example, Society members were actively involved in working with the Town to ensure that the historic “yellow house” was relocated from behind Adams Green Funeral Home to a new site at the corner of Oak and Pearl Streets and made available for sale when it was slated for demolition.


A BRIEF HISTORY OF HERNDON

The Town of Herndon is situated on land that was originally patented to Robert King Carter, Jr. and Thomas Barnes. Most of Herndon was included in the Carter patent, while Barnes held a small portion of property along the Loudoun County line. Both patents can be traced to Charles II.

Five and one-half million acres were patented to Thomas, 1st Lord of Culpeper. This included all of Fairfax and Loudoun counties. A portion of the land can be traced through Lord Fairfax to the Carter and Barnes land. (For details see "Herndon, the Land: 1649-1900," by Donald Levine. Copies are located in the Depot Museum, the Herndon Fortnightly Library, and the Virginia Room of the Fairfax City Library.)

In the early days, this area consisted of a collection of farms. The railroad arrived in about 1857, and the railroad station became a center of the community. Businesses sprang up around the station, attracted by the ready access to transportation.

In 1858, it was determined that a U.S. Post Office would be appropriate at this location. Meetings were held so area residents could select a slate of names to be presented for consideration. Local family names were suggested and, for a variety of reasons, rejected by the Postmaster General.

More meetings were held. Local legend holds that a stranger stood up at one of those meetings and proposed the name of William Lewis Herndon. Captain Herndon, a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was a noted seafarer and an explorer of oceans and other waterways. He became a hero as the result of a well-publicized disaster at sea off the coast of the Carolinas in 1857.

Herndon was in command of the steamer Central America, which ran the New York-Panama route, the sea route of the Gold Rush 49ers. Steaming north on that ill-fated journey, the ship encountered a hurricane off Cape Hatteras and sank. She carried 575 passengers and crew, and a reported two to three million dollars in gold. The women and children and a few men who manned the lifeboats survived, but Captain Herndon and 425 other men were lost. The stranger at that long-ago meeting is believed to have been one of the male survivors.

However it actually came to be suggested, the name Herndon was presented and approved. In 1859, the Herndon Post Office was established. During the next 20 years, the community--both business and residential--grew slowly. There was a lull during the Civil War, when the railroad was partially destroyed.

On January 14, 1879, the Commonwealth of Virginia approved a charter and Herndon became an incorporated town. Herndon was then, as it is today, about four and one-third miles square, with the Depot roughly at its center. The town government was to be a council of seven, elected annually. The mayor was to be elected from and by the council, also for a term of one year.

The town's growth was modest into the 1900s. Dairy farming thrived, as the railroad provided an efficient method of transporting the milk to the processors (creameries) and distributors.

Passenger trains provided transportation for those who worked in Washington. In addition, the rail line provided a comfortable means of travel for Washington residents to travel to the resort towns--including Herndon--along the line. These city dwellers came to escape the Washington summers and to enjoy the fresh country air.

The railroad continued to provide the backbone for the area for many years. Inevitably, however, changes began to occur that would dictate the end of the railroad's importance. Roads were steadily improved, and trucks and automobiles became more dependable. A commuter could drive to work; a milk truck could pick up milk from a farmer's barnyard; and a delivery truck could bring the merchant's goods to his door.

The last big job the railroad handled was the hauling of sand to be used in the concrete mix for the runways at Dulles Airport. The last train ran through Herndon in August 1968.

Herndon is no longer a small, out-of-the way farming village, and Washington, once a distant 20.9 miles away, is now little more than a 20-minute drive on the Dulles Toll Road.



HOW TO JOIN
Membership dues are $20 per calendar year. Make checks payable to Herndon Historical Society and mail to: Treasurer, Herndon Historical Society, P.O. Box 99, Herndon, VA 20172. Be sure to include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address with your check. If you are interested in becoming a member please download the form below and either mail it to us or bring it when you attend a meeting.


Document
Download a Membership Form

MEETING SCHEDULE
The Society meets in the Depot on the fourth Wednesday in September, January, and May. Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. and are open to the public.

 

OFFICERS & BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Nancy Saunders, President: HerndonHistoricalSociety@gmail.com


Charlie Waddell, Vice President
Scott Tilton, Treasurer
Heather Parks, Secretary
Richard Downer, Director
Chuck Mauro, Director
Barbara Glakas, Director


LINKS

The Virginia Room: www.co.fairfax.va.us/library/branches/vr/default.htm

Fairfax Genealogical Society: www.fxgs.org/

Fairfax County History Commission: www.co.fairfax.va.us/visitors/history/histcomm/index.htm

Historical Society of Fairfax County, Virginia: www.fairfaxhistoricalsociety.org/index.html

Remembering the W&OD Railroad: www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9401/railroad.html

Town of Herndon: www.herndon-va.gov

Official Virginia Tourism Website: www.virginia.org

Fairfax County Convention and Visitor's Bureau: www.fxva.com

Mosby's Rangers: www.mosbysrangers.com




Constitution Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Amendment, and Certificate of Incorporation


Herndon Historical Society Constitution Bylaws (accepted 25 May 2016))
Herndon Historical Society Constitution Bylaws (as of 23 March 2011)
Herndon Historical Society Articles of Incorporation
Herndon Historical Society Articles of Amendment
Herndon Historical Society Certificate of Incorporation
 

 
Webmaster: Steve Sensabaugh