Herndon Historical Society

Servin’ the Pies - The story of Kitty Hanna's run in with John Singleton Mosby

by Carol Bruce

There are many places throughout Herndon that evoke thoughts of an earlier time— from the beautiful old homes along Elden Street to the old Town Hall and, of course, the Depot. But some of the Town's most interesting and colorful history is associated with the resident of a place that you probably wouldn't give a passing glance. It's the little white frame cottage across from . . .

The Gas House

by Carol Bruce

Have you ever wondered about that little concrete building across the street from the Herndon Municipal Center? It’s an acetylene gas generating station—one of several that used to be located throughout Herndon. It dates to about 1900, when two brothers and . . .

Herndon’s Red Caboose - More Than a Local Landmark

by Carol Bruce

The big red caboose that sits between the Herndon Municipal Center and the W&OD trail is more than a local landmark. It is a symbol of the railroad that for so many years was the heart of our town. What eventually became known as the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad had its origins more than a century and a half ago, in Alexandria. In 1853—after an earlier effort to establish a railroad . . .

The Detwiler Brothers

by Carol Bruce

Several weeks ago this column focused on the little acetylene gas generating station located across the street from the Herndon Municipal Center. In that column I said that two brothers—Edwin (Dr. Ed) and Benjamin (Dr. Ben) Detwiler—founded the Herndon Gas Company . . .

Herndon's Sears Houses

by Carol Bruce

The older neighborhoods throughout Herndon boast a wide array of historic homes— everything from 19th century farmhouses, to cozy bungalows, to sturdy American Foursquares, to ornate Queen Anne Victorians. And at least a few of those homes were ordered as kits from the Sears and Roebuck catalog. You may think of Sears today as the go-to place for power tools and home appliances. But for years, beginning with its establishment back in . . .

The Herndon Fortnightly Library

by Carol Bruce

“Along with the coming of Dulles International Airport and Reston there came to our quiet little village a great influx of people and the need, it was thought, for a county library.” The little building at 660 Spring Street that now houses the Herndon Friends Meeting has quite a history. The Herndon Fortnightly Club—an organization . . .

Herndon’s Hungarian Connection

by Carol Bruce

Ferenc Nagy was an active member of the Herndon community and, in fact, is responsible for Herndon having the regional presence that it enjoys today. The next time you’re driving through the middle of Herndon, take a look at the big white house at the corner of Elden and School Streets. Now the home of former Herndon Town Council member Harlon Reece and his wife Midge, it was . . .

A Little Lump of Coal

by Carol Bruce

The Historical Society is proud to have several very special items relating to William Lewis Herndon on display in the depot. There’s an interesting story in the connection between the town’s namesake and a little lump of coal that is on display in the museum. The Town of Herndon is named for William Lewis Herndon, a naval hero. He was born in 1813 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Orphaned at an early age, he entered the Navy when he was 15. In 1851, he was assigned to lead . . .

Herndon’s Historic Homes Registry

by Carol Bruce

Visit the Walking Tour page on the Historical Society website, pick out a few of the structures from the historic registry that are listed there, and take a stroll back through Herndon history! Herndon’s wonderful array of older homes has attracted many people to the Town over the years; I am one of them. I moved here because I loved the homes and the sense of history and community that . . .

Take a Walk Through Herndon History - Early churches and schools

by Carol Bruce

The holiday season is a time to celebrate, and for many of us that means the addition of an unwanted pound or two. What a great excuse to go for a walk! Next time you feel the need to get out and stretch your legs, walk with a purpose. Take a walking tour of some of the properties listed on Herndon’s Historic Registry. You can start at the Herndon Depot on Lynn Street. (If you decide to walk between noon and 3:00 p.m. any Sunday afternoon except Christmas, stop in and . . .

The Many Faces of Herndon’s Downtown

by Carol Bruce

The buildings in Herndon’s downtown area have undergone many changes in use over the years. There have been lots of stores—grocery stores, drugstores, general stores, feed stores, and more—and a few surprises, too! The building that houses Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern and Roaches in the Attic . . .

Old Town Council Minute Books: A Snapshot of the Past

by Carol Bruce

There’s a host of interesting—and sometimes amusing—information to be found when reviewing the old Town Council minute books. One of the most important of the many duties carried out by the Town Clerk’s office is keeping the minutes of the Town Council meetings. Those minutes, going back to the first Town Council meeting on January 14, 1879, . . .

Old Town Council Minute Books: Part 2

by Carol Bruce

In our last column we shared some of the interesting — and occasionally amusing — insights into Herndon’s past that can be found in the old Town Council minute books. Here are a few more. Once again, thank you to Town Clerk Viki Wellershaus and her staff for their assistance with this column. There must have been some attendance issues at those early Council meetings, . . .

Taxes, Tramps, and Houses of Ill-Repute

by Carol Bruce

This is the third in an occasional series of columns that looks at some of the interesting— and sometimes amusing—insights into Herndon’s past that can be found in the old Town Council minute books. It was the American scientist, inventor, statesman, printer, and philosopher Benjamin Franklin who said, . . .

Let There Be Light…And Clean Closets

by Carol Bruce

This is another in an occasional series of columns that looks at some of the interesting— and sometimes amusing—insights into Herndon’s past that can be found in the old Town Council minute books. Exactly 100 years ago last month the Town began moving toward providing public utilities for its residents. On August 5, 1912, . . .

The Simple Village Life

by Carol Bruce

Memories of Herndon, Virginia chronicles the Town’s early years, beginning in 1879. The author’s goal was to “let recollection keep sacred the paradise of memories.” Lottie Dyer Schneider was born in Herndon in 1879, the year the Town was incorporated. In 1962, while living in Marion, Virginia, she wrote Memories of Herndon, Virginia, her recollection of life in her hometown. In 1979, . . .

Livestock, Fruit, and Liquor Stores

by Carol Bruce

This is another in an occasional series of columns that looks at some of the interesting— and sometimes amusing—insights into Herndon’s past that can be found in the old Town Council minute books. From the very beginning, livestock were a topic of considerable interest among the Town’s elected officials. On April 26, 1879, . . .

If Walls Could Talk: The Tale of the Herndon Depot

by Virginia Clarity

If walls could talk, the Depot would certainly have a lot to say. Much has happened in and around the building throughout the 150 years that it has stood in the midst of downtown Herndon. Constructed in 1857 as a stop on the Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire Railroad, the building consisted of two rooms—the waiting room and the adjoining freight room. The route of the line through the rural area enabled . . .

A Look Back in Time Through the Lens of a Ledger

by Virginia Clarity

The records people keep can give a wealth of knowledge and history. William Harmon Kephart was born in 1856, into a family of weavers. In his early years he spent his days in his father’s handloom woolen factory in Beltsville, Maryland, weaving carpets. During the Civil War the family moved to Loudoun County, where his father built Rock Bridge Woolen Mills near Lincoln. Mr. Kephart later . . .

Back to the Future: Herndon’s first Metro…100 Years Ago!

by Richard Downer

A 100-year-old newspaper article provides a glimpse back at the origins of Herndon’s 21st century reality. At the Herndon Depot Museum there is a 100-year-old copy of The Observer newspaper, dated October 12, 1912. (The Observer name of 1912 was the inspiration for the name of the more recent Herndon Observer newspaper that served Herndon from 1976 until 2010.) The headline on a front-page article read, “Electric Cars In Operation - New Schedule Convenient and Satisfactory—Some Operating . . .

The Importance of Ancel St. John

by Barbara Glakas

I have written once before about Ancel St. John. However, as I learn more about him it becomes increasingly clear to me how important a figure he was in Herndon’s early history.

Who was Ancel St. John? That is a question that few people in Herndon seem to know the answer to. Although his contributions were many, he arrived in Herndon later in his life and never set down long-term roots, which may have contributed to his name being lost to history.

It was not until several years ago, when I took a very close look at the first official map of Herndon – the 1878 map drawn by cartographer G.M. Hopkins – that I noticed that many parcels of land in the downtown Herndon area were owned by . . .

The Coleman Family Cemetery

by Barbara Glakas

It all started at a Herndon Historical Society meeting last fall. The guest speaker, a local historian, casually mentioned that there was a small, unmarked cemetery behind Herndon Middle School. He said it belonged to the Colemans, the first family to build a house in Herndon. I had never heard about this, so I asked him if the cemetery was marked. His answer was no, it was just an overgrown plot of land next to the school’s tennis courts. The conversation quickly . . .

Herndon’s Early Public Schools

by Barbara Glakas

Herndon has a rich history when it comes to public education. In fact, this year marks the 100th anniversary of Herndon High School. Our last column (“Herndon’s Historic Homes Registry”) made mention of the home at 725 Center Street. This home is not only significant for its age, but also because it originally housed . . .

Memories of Herndon High School: The Locust Street Years

by Barbara Glakas

Many long-term Herndon residents have memories of their days at “the old Herndon High School” on Locust Street. Last month we wrote about one of the earliest Herndon schools, which was located at 725 Center Street (“Herndon’s Early Public Schools”). A new school that housed all 12 grades was built on Locust Street in 1910-11. It was destroyed . . .

Herndon’s First Church

by Barbara Glakas

The first church to be built in Herndon remains today, at the corner of Center and Elden Streets. The first church to be built in Herndon was the Northern Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church. It was built in 1872 on a tract of land formerly owned by Ancel St. John, a member of Herndon’s first Town Council, and is still located at 800 Elden Street, . . .

From Wilkins Store to Jimmy’s Tavern: A Herndon Landmark

by Barbara Glakas

More than 100 years later, the large frame structure at the corner of Elden and Spring Streets remains a Herndon landmark. In the mid-1800s, Herndon was a small dairy farming community. It began to grow as the railroad arrived in the 1850s. The Depot was built in 1857, and stores, buildings, and homes grew up around it as people moved into the area. In 1897, Cora Laws, foster daughter . . .

Herndon’s Town Seal

by Barbara Glakas

Herndon’s Town seal provides a visual representation of several important aspects of our history. In 1976, Herndon joined in as the nation celebrated its bicentennial. One of the many activities that took place was a Town-sponsored contest to design a new town seal. On June 8, 1976, the Town Council, led by Mayor Gary Lopp, passed a resolution thanking those who had participated in the contest and announcing the creator of the winning design, Tony DeBenedittis, an art teacher at Herndon High School. He received a $100 . . .

J.E.B. and Laura

by Barbara Glakas

We may never know the true nature of the relationship between J.E.B. and Laura. Many of you already are familiar with Laura Ratcliffe, a southern sympathizer who once lived just outside Herndon on Centreville Road and helped John Mosby during the Civil War. [For more about Laura, see the December 26, 2010 column, “Laura Ratcliffe, Herndon's Confederate Spy.”] But you may not be familiar with her relationship with Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart. James Ewell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart was . . .

The Carroll House of Runnymede Park

by Barbara Glakas

Runnymede Park, one of nine parks in the Town of Herndon, is a heavily wooded natural park of 58 acres which boasts over 450 native plants, diverse wildlife habitats, the Sugarland Run stream, and Native American artifacts that date back hundreds of years.

If you have ever travelled along the eastern portion of Herndon Parkway, you have noticed the entrance into Runnymede Park, marked by a small parking lot, a picnic shelter and a two-story brick home, known as the Atkin’s House, built in 1956 and named after the family who built it. That house is currently occupied by residential tenants – the Alger family -- who keep a watchful eye over the property.

But if you have never walked deeper into Runnymede Park, you may not have yet discovered another little jewel, . . .

“This Town Needs a Good Party!”

by Barbara Glakas

Another Herndon Festival has recently come to an end. Do you know how and why the Herndon Festival first got started? Flashback to 1980: Jimmy Carter was President, Tom Rust was Mayor of Herndon, and Herndon’s population was s little over 13,000. At that time, the Town had an annual arts and crafts show near the old Town Hall, but a man named Arno Randall . . .

Then and Now: Herndon’s Gardening Pride

by Barbara Glakas

Gardening and hometown beautification have been time-honored traditions in Herndon. Over the years this has included individual home gardens, farm gardens, and garden-related organizations. In 1935, some of the women of Herndon formed The Home Interest Garden Club of Herndon. Their club objectives included promoting interest in gardens, protecting windflowers and shrubs, encouraging civic planting and landscaping, and encouraging the culture of flowers among . . .

The Herndon Veterans Memorial

by Barbara Glakas

The Veterans Memorial on the Town Green provides a link to Herndon’s namesake—and to the U.S. Naval Academy. If you have ever wandered around the Town Green behind the Herndon Municipal building you have probably noticed the tall grey obelisk, Herndon’s Veterans Memorial. It is a half-size replica of the famous Herndon Monument located on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The Annapolis monument was dedicated in memory of Commander William Lewis Herndon, . . .

Windows of Herndon’s Past

by Barbara Glakas

What’s the story behind the old stained glass windows that two Grace Street residents recently found in their garage? We may never know for sure, but the mystery is an intriguing one. While I was acting as a docent in the Herndon Depot Museum one recent Sunday afternoon, two Town residents—Phil Jones and Aubrey Stokes—walked in and inquired about the significance of the stained glass windows in the transom . . .

The Old Town Hall

by Barbara Glakas

Located in the center of Town on the Town Green, the building we now call the Old Town Hall has had many uses in its 73 years. Sitting proudly at the corner of Elden and Station Streets is Herndon’s first official municipal building, now commonly referred to as the Old Town Hall. But long before the building was erected in 1939, the Town Hall property served as a center of commerce, . . .

A Herndon Military Hero

by Barbara Glakas

Because next Sunday is Veterans Day, we thought it would be appropriate to tell the story of Congressional Medal of Honor winner Wesley L. Fox, a legendary hero within the Marine Corps whose roots are in Herndon. The Medal of Honor is the highest award that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services. One of those medals was awarded to a Marine . . .

Who Was John Singleton Mosby?

by Barbara Glakas

On Sunday, March 17—the 150th anniversary of the original event—Mosby’s Raid on Herndon Station will be reenacted. The Herndon Historical Society and the Herndon Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the free event with support from the Town of Herndon and many local businesses. There will be two reenactments of the raid, . . .

Major William Wells and Mosby’s Raid on Herndon Station

by Barbara Glakas

On Sunday, March 17, Mosby’s Raid on Herndon Station will be reenacted at 11 a.m and 2 p.m. The Herndon Historical Society and the Herndon Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the event with support from the Town of Herndon. Many Herndon residents are familiar with Confederate Captain John S. Mosby’s raid at Herndon Station on March 17, 1863. But few may be familiar with the story of a famous Union Officer who . . .

Private French Dulany, C.S.A.

by Barbara Glakas

A story of a Confederate soldier who met his demise in Herndon. As you have learned from our last series of articles about Mosby’s Raid at the Herndon Station, Col. John Singleton Mosby frequently operated his Confederate Cavalry unit around the Northern Virginia area. One man who rode . . .

The Crounse Family

by Barbara Glakas

The Crounse family was one of a number of northern families that relocated to Herndon during the Civil War era. Our last article, “Private French Dulany, C.S.A.” (March 25), was about a young Confederate soldier who was killed in Herndon during the Civil War. He was buried on a hill where the Crounse house now stands, at the corner of Madison and . . .

Herndon’s Arbor Day Tradition

by Barbara Glakas

Herndon’s history includes a focus on trees, which were celebrated this past Friday on Arbor Day 2013. People plant trees on Arbor Day, a celebration that was originated by J. Sterling Morton, a Nebraska newspaper editor who later became President Cleveland’s Secretary of Agriculture. The first Arbor Day was held in . . .

Sgt. Wayne M. Kidwell, U.S. Army

by Barbara Glakas

On this Memorial Day weekend we remember Wayne M. Kidwell, for whom the Town’s American Legion post is named. Herndon’s American Legion Post #184 was chartered in 1989. The first Sergeant at Arms, John Kirk, suggested naming the Post after Wayne M. Kidwell, a Herndon native who was killed in action in Vietnam. At a meeting on . . .

Memories Abound in Chestnut Grove Cemetery - Part1

by Barbara Glakas

Herndon’s history is a reflection of the many people who have lived here over the years. And many of those people now rest in Chestnut Grove. In 1874, Mrs. Katherine Barker, with the financial assistance of 30 other citizens, purchased a section of land for a cemetery at the northeast corner of the Town, . . .

Memories Abound in Chestnut Grove Cemetery - Part2

by Barbara Glakas

Herndon’s history is a reflection of the many people who have lived here over the years. And many of those people now rest in Chestnut Grove. This is a continuation of the list we began in last week’s edition.

Herndon's 1910 Mosby’s Ranger Reunion

by Barbara Glakas

Col. John Singleton Mosby was known as one of the greatest guerillas in American history. One hundred and three years ago, on Sept. 10, 1910, 96 of Mosby’s Rangers gathered in the Town of Herndon for...

Remembering Herndon's History: How the Town Got Its Name

by Barbara Glakas

You may know of the man the town was named for—but do you know how and why he was chosen as its namesake? Many people know that the Town of Herndon was named after William Lewis Herndon, the Virginia native and brave Naval officer who went down with his ship in 1857. That ship was the SS Central America. It carried mail, passengers, and 15 tons of...

How Elden Street Got Its Name

by Barbara Glakas

How did Elden Street get its name? The short answer is: We are not one hundred percent sure, but we do have some information that gives us some hints.

Over 200 years ago Ferdinando Fairfax sold 370 acres of land in the downtown Herndon area to members of the Coleman family. Some deeds are missing from this time period, which makes some information spotty.

Oral history regarding the origin of Elden Street has been passed down in Herndon through the years. The gist of the oral history goes like this: “A man named Colonel...

Early Women Voters in Herndon

by Barbara Glakas

On May 21, 1919, the United States House of Representatives passed the 19th Amendment, to grant women the right to vote. Two weeks later the Senate did the same. By August of 1920, the amendment accomplished the final threshold of obtaining the concurrence of three-fourths of the states, causing the constitutional amendment to be officially ratified.

Virginia, however, was stubbornly not one of those states that supported the amendment. In February of 1920 Virginia voted against ratifying the amendment. But by August of that same year, the required 36 states had approved the ratification proposal and it became law all over the country. As a result, the right to vote could not be denied to women, even in Virginia. It was not until 1952 that Virginia finally ratified the 19th Amendment.

In the years just prior to the national ratification, women were...

Ladies Auxiliary of the Herndon Volunteer Fire Department

by Barbara Glakas

In the early 1900s, before Herndon had electricity, heat was primarily provided by coal or wood stoves and light was provided by oil lamps. Most of the buildings in Herndon were wood frame and had wood-shingled roofs as well, which provided plenty of tinder for accidental fires.

One March evening in 1917 a fire broke out in Harrison’s livery stable on Station Street in downtown Herndon. This resulted in what is called “The Big Fire,” an unbridled fire which destroyed many homes and businesses along Station and Pine Streets. This is the event that prompted the organization of the Herndon Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD).

After the fire, the Herndon Town Council started discussing fire prevention codes, they appointed...

Historic Street Names in Herndon

by Barbara Glakas

Have you ever wondered about the origins of some of the street names in Herndon? Some are obvious. We have, for instance, a “president’s neighborhood” where many streets are named after 18th and 19th century U.S. presidents. Such streets include George Washington Crossing as well as Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Van Buren, Jackson, Grant, Fillmore, Tyler and Monroe Streets.

We also have a “golfer’s neighborhood,” where streets are named after golf professionals such as Floyd and Snead Place, Elder and Nicholas Court, and Trevino and Player Way.

There are other streets in Herndon, however, that specifically relate to the town’s history. Some of these streets...

Durbin Van Vleck’s Subdivision

by Barbara Glakas

One of Herndon’s early subdivisions is the Van Vleck subdivision, which includes the land that is generally surrounded by Monroe Street, Park Avenue, Dranesville Road and the Herndon Parkway.

Durbin Van Vleck (1833 - 1898) was born in New York and was an artist/wood engraver by trade. Van Vleck moved to California early in his life, spending much of his time in San Francisco. According to Edan Milton Hughes in his book, “Artists in California, 1786-1940,” 

                 “Van Vleck exhibited at the American Institute in 1851 and the following year settled in San Francisco where he was                                         associated with Charles Christian Nahl. He lived at 10 Sutter Street and had his wood engraving shop at 611 Clay Street                                   where he was a partner of [William] Keith from 1864-68. Keith named his only son in his honor.”

William Keith (1838-1911) was a Scottish-American painter known for his California landscapes. The California Artist Research Archive of The Bancroft Library of the University of California, describes Keith as...

Frederick Washington’s Life in Segregated Herndon

by Barbara Glakas

Frederick H. Washington was born in Herndon in 1926. His childhood home later became the location of the H&S Plumbing Store, formerly at the corner of Grove and Grant Streets. That building has since been torn down and H&S now has a new brick building on Grove Street, next to the business’s original location.

The fact that Mr. Washington grew up in downtown Herndon is unusual, as most African American families of that time almost exclusively lived in two areas of Herndon: Oak Grove or Cooktown. Oak Grove was located on the west end of town, between Sterling Road and the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, near the present location of...

Mrs. Greear’s Memories

by Barbara Glakas

Virginia Pauline McFarland Greear (1893-1991) was once widely known as the Town of Herndon’s unofficial historian, called a “walking encyclopedia” by some. She was born in Arcola (formerly Gum Springs) in Loudoun County. Her mother was in fragile health and died young. Virginia came to Floris in 1896 to live with an aunt and uncle – James and Emma Cockerille - who raised her. She graduated from Floris High School in 1911.

After getting married in 1945, she moved to the family farm of her husband – Arnold Greear. Arnold came to Herndon in 1912 and by the early 1920s was a mailman, using a buggy pulled by a two-horse team to make deliveries along Herndon’s rural mail route. Shortly before he retired in 1952 he broke...

Preserving Old Herndon

by Barbara Glakas

Within the town of Herndon still stand two homes that date to the late 1700s. There are also many other old homes and commercial buildings that date to anywhere between the mid-1800s to the early 1900s.

Herndon has always taken pride in its historic structures, but in the mid-20th century - as a result of rapid growth and change - many townspeople began worrying about the loss of some of its older structures. Fearing that downtown Herndon might lose its historic character, the town conducted a survey of what would be considered contributing structures; that is, structures that contributed to the town’s history, either because of its age and architecture, or because of an event of historic significance that may have...

How the Herndon Depot was Saved

by Barbara Glakas

The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad stopped service in 1968. Soon after, a debate ensued in Herndon as to what to do with the Town’s historic - and then abandoned - c. 1857 train station building, commonly called the Herndon depot.

In 1970 a town discussion was going on about the possibility of tearing the depot building down in order to use that area for additional parking, something that would benefit the businesses along Lynn and Station Streets. .

Herndon resident Richard Downer had lived in town since 1953. He was also a downtown business owner and member of the town’s Park and Playground Committee. He felt that the depot building was the reason why the town of Herndon existed. He was correct, of course. Up until the 1840s, Herndon (which had not yet been named) had no more than a handful of homes, and no known businesses, other than farming. Once the railroad and depot were built, development started occurring around the train station - much like...

Early Reston History

by Barbara Glakas

We thought we would briefly digress from Herndon history to talk a bit about our neighbor, Reston, and its early history. At one time, Reston was just a short five to six-minute train ride away from Herndon on the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad.

Early on, the Fairfax family owned most of Virginia. In the 1850s a man named Benjamin Thornton, who was a British owner of Montpelier, bought over 8,000 acres of land in what is now Reston from the Fairfax family. Thornton’s brother managed the land and when the rail came through the train station was called the Thornton station. The small train stop building is still located at....

Herndon’s History, In Brief

by Barbara Glakas

The town of Herndon is located on the northwest side of Fairfax County, Virginia. Handmade arrowhead points were once uncovered on the property of the Herndon Centennial Golf Course and in Herndon’s 58-acrea natural park, Runnymede Park. These arrowheads are thousands of years old, indicating the long-ago presence of Prehistoric Indians, possibly attracted by the abundant wildlife and plant life, as well as the nearby water sources, Sugarland Run and the Folly Lick stream branch.

It is believed that the first home in the area that we now consider the incorporated limits of the town of Herndon was possibly built as early as the 1770s, near the present location of Herndon Middle School. That home was torn down in the 1960s. Another early home, thought to be built c. 1783, still stands on....

The Village Blacksmith

by Barbara Glakas

Henry Simms was the only blacksmith listed in the Town of Herndon’s first official census in 1880. He also happened to be one of the only African Americans in the Town of Herndon to own a business.

The Town of Herndon was incorporated in 1879. It’s first enumerated census of the people who lived within the incorporated town limits was taken in 1880. That year there were 422 people living in the town. Of those 422 people, 88 of them were listed as “heads of households.”

Henry Simms was listed as a blacksmith. It is known that he owned his own blacksmith business. Two other African American men – Frank Weaver and Robert Clemons – were listed as....

Harvey Earlton Hanes

by Barbara Glakas

Harvey Earlton Hanes, who went by his middle name and was commonly referred to as H. Earlton Hanes, was a prominent resident of Herndon, Virginia, who eventually became a lawyer and a Delegate to the Virginia General Assembly, representing Fairfax County.

Hanes was born in Ashburn, Virginia, in 1871 and had several siblings. He was the son of George Washington and Gertrude Hanes. His father was a blacksmith and wheelwright, as well as a former Confederate soldier.”

Hanes went to public school in Ashburn up to the seventh grade. He initially worked in his father’s blacksmith shop. In the meanwhile, he also taught himself....

Follylick Farm

by Barbara Glakas

One of the last working farms within the Herndon area was Follylick Farm, owned by the Young family. The farm consisted of 99 acres of land on the north edge of town, in what is now considered part of the Kingston Chase subdivision. The farm would be operated by Freeland G. Young, Sr. (1895-1980), and later by his youngest son, Freeland Young, Jr. (1930-2016).

In the mid-1800s, this land was part of Joseph Orrison’s farm. Orrison owned several hundred acres that generally stretched from the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad on the south, and from Crestview Drive and Dranesville Road on its west and east, respectively. The Orrison’s land area was comprised of what now includes parts of the Herndon Centennial Golf Course, and the Kingston Chase, Hiddenbrook and Barker Hill subdivisions. After Orrison died he willed his land to his descendants. Parts of the Orrison land was sold over the course of years.”

Son of a farmer from Grayson County, Virginia, the elder Freeland Young married his wife, Ida, in 1917 and they went on to have....

The Road Sirs Car Club

by Barbara Glakas

Car Clubs were popular in Virginia in the 1950s and 1960s. They gave young men a strong sense of identity and the opportunity to meet and associate with other car enthusiasts in their surrounding communities. With their car ownership - and through the use of plaques, jackets, patches, and license plate holders - the members would proudly display their car club affiliation.

Fairfax and Vienna were known to have car clubs. The town of Herndon was no exception. The club in Herndon was a club called the Road Sirs. That club’s heyday was between the mid-1950s and the mid- 1960s. ”

A teenager named Gary Haines, who once lived on Quincy Street, was the main organizer of the club. Regarding his motivation to form the club he said....

Dispatch from the U.S.S. Herndon

by Barbara Glakas

The Town of Herndon was named after Commander William Lewis Herndon, a brave Navy officer who died in 1857 when his ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean at the hands of a devastating hurricane.

By 1860 the U.S. Naval Academy had erected a twenty-one-foot obelisk in Herndon’s honor on the Annapolis grounds, known as the Herndon Monument. The town of Herndon’s veteran’s memorial on the town green is a smaller sized replica of the Herndon Monument. ”

The Navy also honored Commander Herndon by naming two ships after him. The first ship named the U.S.S. Herndon was a Clemson-class destroyer (DD-198) which was launched in 1919. The ship served....

Slavery in Our Area

by Barbara Glakas

The Town of Herndon was not incorporated until 1879, several years after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. Nevertheless, in the late 1700s through the mid-1800s, when the institution of slavery was still legal, there were many people who lived in and around the area that would later become known as Herndon, and some of those people owned slaves. ”

During the pre-war time, many Fairfax County residents owned slaves. Information on individual slaves is sparse, since those who were enslaved were considered property, were not allowed to own property themselves, usually did not appear on....

1850s: Life Before the Railroad

by Barbara Glakas

Recently discovered in the Herndon Depot Museum files was a memoir written in 1910 by John Ford Hazard. He was a member of the Hazard and Cox families, who had once owned some land in the town of Herndon in the 1850s. His memoir gives some insights as to how the location of the Herndon Depot (or train station) may have been determined, and also what life was like in Herndon during that time period.

John Ford Hazard was born of a Quaker family in 1844 in the town of Wheatland, in Monroe County, New York. His father was named Thomas Hazard. He had an uncle on his mother’s side named Thomas Cox.

John Ford Hazard explained in his memoirs that three things were going on in 1850: “Foreigners began to come into the country. The Irish came in droves. Owing to the potato rot they were starving at home and America seemed....

Our First Mayor, Isaiah Bready

by Barbara Glakas

Many Herndon residents are familiar with Bready Park, the recreational area with athletic fields, tennis courts, and a playground next to the Herndon Community Center. The park was named after Isaiah Bready (1830-1913), Herndon’s first mayor, who was elected in 1879. Not coincidentally, the Herndon Community Center and its adjacent park were built on some of the land which once comprised part of Bready’s farm.

Isaiah Bready was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1830. His family had long roots in Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Thomas Bready (1755-1818), who was born and died in Bucks County, served as a private in the Revolutionary War in Pennsylvania’s 10th Regiment. Isaiah’s parents, William (1797-1859) and Maria Bready (1798-1860), also lived in Bucks County into the 1850s. William Bready was a farmer and he and his wife had several children. In the 1850 census, 20-year-old Isaiah was living with his parents and four siblings, farming with his father and older brother. Records of Neshaminy Presbyterian Church, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, show that Isaiah had an adult baptism in 1854.

After the Civil War it was not unusual for northerners to move south where land in Virginia was affordable. However, the Breadys appeared to take interest in....

Miss Harris’s Poems of Oak Grove

by Barbara Glakas

Oak Grove is a historically African American community that dates back to the 1860s. Located near Herndon’s western boundary line, Oak Grove was once considered part of the town of Herndon but, due to boundary changes over the years, much of Oak Grove is now considered part of eastern Sterling.

In segregated Herndon, Oak Grove was once the center of African American community having its own church, school, store, Odd Fellows lodge and cemetery. Community members remember the many lawn parties in Oak Grove. Frederick Washington, a former African American resident of Herndon, recalled the festivities at the lawn parties were “big time.” He said, “They would cook, and sell it, and they danced. Then you would have some of the older people that played string music, like guitars or mandolins, whatever, and they would dance.”

Schooling in the Oak Grove community in the 1800s was originally held within their early log Oak Grove Baptist Church building. At some point in time a one-room school house was built....

TB and a Letter to Charles Burton

by Barbara Glakas

On December 22nd of 1934, Herndon Mayor Allen H. Kirk typed out a Christmas letter to Charles Manley Burton on Town of Herndon letterhead.

Kirk (1876 -1955), a very accomplished mayor, served in that capacity from 1933 to 1937, during the Great Depression. Burton (1910 – 1935) was a member of Herndon’s well-known Burton family. He was a graduate of Herndon High School and was a member of Herndon’s Volunteer Fire Department. His namesake and grandfather, Charles Marshall Burton, was the town’s first Town Sergeant in 1879.

Kirk was writing to Burton while Burton was at the Catawba Sanatorium. This institution was founded in 1908, was located in Roanoke, and was the first of many state-sponsored health institutions created for the purpose of....

50 Years of the Herndon Historical Society

by Barbara Glakas

In this year, 2021, we have decided to take moment to toot our own horn and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Herndon Historical Society.

The whole effort started in 1970 when the Town of Herndon government started discussing what to do with the Herndon depot, which had been abandoned after the trains stopped running on the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad in 1968. On the table was a discussion about tearing down the building to make room for additional parking for the businesses along Lynn and Station Streets.

Believing that the depot was a historic structure, and the reason the town of Herndon existed, a group of concerned residents, organized by resident Richard Downer, began meeting and campaigning to save the depot. Their campaign worked and, by a close one-vote margin....

The Sleigh Ride

by Barbara Glakas

In the mid-1880s, Herndon had a handwritten newspaper called “The Weekly Comet.” The Herndon Depot Museum has four original fragile copies, issues dating from 1886 and 1887.

“The Weekly Comet” newspaper is handwritten on ruled 12” x 8” paper. The pages are held together with two metal fasteners at the top. The front-page list the contents. The contents include articles, editorials and commentary, stories, puzzles and poems. The writers are not named in these articles, but often used pseudonyms. However, it is easy to see that....

May Burton’s Autograph Book

by Barbara Glakas

Long before there were school yearbooks there were autograph books. These small booklets of blank pages were exchanged amongst friends and classmates, where they would write personal messages, drawings or small pieces of verse. Autograph books remained popular through the 19th century, until they were replaced by yearbooks.

Found in the Herndon Depot Museum was an autograph book that dates to the late 1800s. The book has a teal-colored hard cover. The front cover says “Album” and is decorated with debossed depictions of birds and flowers. The beige colored pages, now faded with time, have red color around its outer edges, intentionally colored by a printer as a decorative touch.

All the autograph entries were written to a young lady named May. When the book is opened, the first page says:....

Mr. Kidwell’s Love Poem

by Barbara Glakas

There is no better month than February to write about a love poem.

Leona Eveline Crounse was a member of a prominent Herndon family. Her father, Amos Crounse, was a Civil War veteran who was born in New York. He and his wife, Isabelle, moved to Virginia after the war, first to Sterling and soon after settling in the town of Herndon. Amos served on the Herndon Town Council from 1880 to 1883. He also worked for the Treasury Department, commuting to Washington, D.C., on the train. The Crounse family house still stands today at 642 Madison Street.

Amos and Isabelle had ten children. One of them was Leona who was....

The Father of the Herndon Parkway

by Barbara Glakas

Edward N. Stirewalt (1918-1995) had a vision. That vision was a transportation circle around the town of Herndon which would later become the Herndon Parkway.

Stirewalt was born in Hartsville, South Carolina. He attended High Point College and later the University of North Carolina, where he graduated with a master’s degree in chemistry. Soon after he joined the Navy where he worked in Tennessee as a chemist on the Manhattan Project. In 1945, during the latter part of the World War II, he was assigned to a ship in the Philippines which bombarded the coast of Japan.

After the war, Stirewalt went to work as a....

The Tyler Connection

by Barbara Glakas

President John Tyler (1790-1862) was born in Charles City County, Virginia, located along the James River, west of Williamsburg. His family had long roots in Virginia, dating back to Colonial Williamsburg. His father, John Tyler Sr., was the governor of Virginia from 1808 to 1811. Their descendants, however, reached all the way to today’s Herndon!

In the Tyler family tradition, John Tyler attended the College of William and Mary, graduating in 1807. Tyler entered the bar and then started a legal practice in Richmond. In 1811, at age 21, Tyler was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. That same year, after the onset of the War of 1812, Tyler organized a militia company to help defend Richmond, a unit called the Charles City Rifles. In 1816 he was elected as a Representative to the U.S. Congress. Citing illness, he declined to seek reelection in 1820 and return to private law practice. Nonetheless, he eventually returned to state politics, and was reelected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1823. Next, he was elected as governor of Virginia in 1825. He served as Vice President of the United States in March of 1841. But after President William Henry Harrison died a month later, Tyler became President, a position he held until 1845.

After his presidency, Tyler retired to his....

The Ice House Café Building

by Barbara Glakas

Many Herndon residents will remember the Ice House Café and its Oyster Bar, a well-loved Herndon restaurant/bar for nearly forty years, located at 760-762 Elden Street. Patrons will remember the café for its cozy atmosphere – with its table cloths, brass fixtures, woodwork, as well as its mounted animal heads and photos of historic Herndon on its walls. Patrons will also remember its extensive wine list, its delicious food, and its great live music. However, long before the Ice House Café came on the scene in 1979, this building had a long history of previous occupants.

The land on which the Ice House Café sits was bought by Welton T. Updike, John B. Keyser and Maurice P. Haines in 1947. The taller right side of the building was built on the lot in 1948 by Welton Updike, who was a local builder. There were apartments on the second floor. On the first floor was a drug store. The drug store changed hands at least...

Civil War Troops in Herndon

by Barbara Glakas

During the Civil War there were many instances of troops being in Herndon, both Union and Confederate. In this article we will describe a few of those instances.

We get significant insight about what Herndon was like during the Civil War from former Herndon resident Catherine “Kitty” Kitchen Hanna (1830-1907). Kitty, who witnessed many local events going on during the war, recounted her memories in a book entitled “Reminiscences of an Oldest Inhabitant, A Nineteenth Century Chronicle.” In the 1860s there were not many homes in town, and hers was located...

When was the Herndon Depot Built?

by Barbara Glakas

Sometimes history needs to be re-written. By that we do not mean that we should just “re-write” history for the sake of making it say something we want. Instead, we sometimes find it necessary to re-write – or update – history when we become aware of new information. And that is the case with the construction date of the Herndon Depot (also sometimes referred to as the Herndon train depot, train station or station house.)

For many years we believed that the Herndon Depot was constructed in circa 1857. However, based on new information that we have recently discovered, we now know that it was built either in late 1859 or in 1860.

Why did we formerly believe it was built in 1857?....

The Irrepressible W.T. Updike

by Barbara Glakas

W.T. Updike was a former town resident described in local newspaper articles as a man of many behaviors, from mean and ornery, to thoughtful, winking, chuckling, bashful, bold and sly. Dan Chamblin, one of the original owners of the Ice House Café, described him as “a real piece of work."

Two of those Herndon Observer newspaper articles were published in February and March of 1988, which recounted some of his exploits and how Updike built some Herndon housing developments in the 1940s and 1950s - with or without the town’s....

Dead Man’s Hollow

by Barbara Glakas

Frances Darlington Simpson Onacewicz (1914-1998) was the daughter of Joseph J. Darlington, a prominent Washington lawyer who once owned a summer home and estate in the town of Herndon from the 1890s up until the year he died in 1920. The grand house continued to be used by the Darlington family for several years after his death."

Frances spent many summers at her grandfather’s Herndon home in her youth. In 1963 she wrote a cookbook which included not only recipes, but also anecdotes from her time in Herndon. The book is entitled...

The Ratcliffe-Coleman-Hanna Gravesite

by Barbara Glakas

Hidden in a grassy area that is adjacent to the parking lot of the Washington Dulles Marriott Suites Hotel at 13101 Worldgate Drive is a grave headstone that simply lists three surnames, “Ratcliffe, Coleman, Hanna.” It is surrounded by a short, black, wrought iron fence with a gate. The fence is surrounded by hedges and holly trees which, over the years, have grown so tall that the headstone is no longer easily visible from Centreville Road. This is known to be the gravesite of Laura F. (nee Ratcliffe) Hanna (1836-1923). Her husband, Milton Hanna (c. 1842 – 1897), is presumably buried there as well. 

Much has already been written about Herndon resident, Laura Ratcliffe, and her exploits as a Confederate spy during the Civil War. In short, she first met J.E.B. Stuart in 1861, while nursing wounded Confederate soldiers at his headquarters, "Camp Qui Vive," in...

Hazel’s Carry Out

by Barbara Glakas

Back in the 1970s and 1980s there was a popular, small restaurant in downtown Herndon called Hazel’s Carryout Restaurant. It was located in the little building with an A-frame roof on Spring Street, on the south side of Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern, across the street from Herndon’s fire house. The little restaurant operated there for about 15 years. The building was originally the carriage house for Reed’s Funeral Home (now Adams-Green Funeral Home). In more recent years the building has served as a prep and storage building for Jimmy’s Tavern.  

The restaurant was named after Hazel Jenkins, the owner and cook. Hazel was born to Bernard and Lillie Cressel in 1930 in Rural Retreat, Virginia, located near the southwest corner of Virginia, not too far from the Tennessee border. She had ten siblings and spent many of her early years in the kitchen helping...

From Rail to Metrorail!

by Barbara Glakas and Richard Downer

Over 100 years ago, Herndon got its first electric rail line. In 1911 a corporation that was then called the Washington and Old Dominion Railway (as opposed to Railroad) was formed, leasing the Southern Railway’s Bluemont branch. It was during this time period that the railroad went electric. In 1912 a brick substation was built alongside the east side of Herndon’s depot to provide power to the newly electrified trains. Trolley service was established with a 48-minute express service from Herndon to Georgetown.

Inside the Herndon Depot Museum is a 110-year-old copy of The Observer newspaper (later named the Herndon Observer), dated October 12, 1912. The headline on a front-page article read, “Electric Cars in Operation. New Schedule Convenient and Satisfactory—Some Operating Troubles—Changes....”...

The Odd Fellows Lodge

by Barbara Glakas

Herndon once had an African American Odd Fellows lodge, in the Oak Grove neighborhood on the west side of town. What is an Odd Fellows lodge?

The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows (GUOOF) – a mutual aid fraternal organization - was founded in the United States (as well as Canada, South America and Jamaica) in 1843. The GUOOF traces its origins back to an English order by the same name that was founded in the late 1700s.

In 1902, Charles H. Brooks wrote a book called “The Official History and Manual of the Grand Order of Odd Fellows in American.” He explained that Odd Fellowship did not....

First Hand Accounts of a Civil War Raid

by Barbara Glakas

During the Civil War, the only skirmish that occurred in the town of Herndon was a raid that was conducted by Confederate Captain John S. Mosby and his band of rangers against a Union outpost comprised of soldiers from the 1st Vermont Cavalry Regiment. The Vermont unit in Herndon was led by Lieutenant Alexander Watson. Visiting in Herndon that day was Union Major William Wells and two other officers - Captain Schofield and Lieutenant Cheney – who were also from the 1st Vermont Cavalry. The day was March 17, 1863.

In 1863 the Town of Herndon had not yet been incorporated. However, since its new railroad depot had just been built in 1860, with a new post office inside named the Herndon Post Office, the surrounding area became known as “Herndon station.”

Found in a 1904 Fairfax Herald newspaper was an article which described what occurred in Herndon on March 17, 1863. It was a first-hand account written by....

A Poem for a Soldier of the Sea

by Barbara Glakas

Found in the storage closet of the Herndon Depot Museum was a framed poem entitled “Herndon,” written by Silas Weir Mitchell (1829 – 1914). The framed poem was donated by the wife of Brodie S. Herndon (a member of the family of Commander William Lewis Herndon).

Mitchell was a prominent physician, scientist, novelist and poet from Pennsylvania. Mitchell studied at the University of Pennsylvania and the Jefferson Medical College. He later served as an army surgeon during the Civil War. He wrote 170...

The Town’s First Hotel

by Barbara Glakas

On Lynn Street in downtown Herndon, next to the Nachman building that houses the Green Lizard Cycle Shop, there are three small businesses located inside a one-story brick building. However, before that brick building was constructed, that lot boasted another important Herndon amenity – The Herndon Hotel. This is known to be the town’s first hotel. In Herndon’s earlier years, travelers boarded in other residents’ homes or in rooming houses. The Herndon Hotel was a well-known asset to the community in the early 1900s, an ideal stopping place for travelers, as well as a home-like abode for permanent guests.

In 1865, the land along New England who moved to Herndon after the Civil War and later served on Herndon’s first Town Council in 1879. Donald LeVine’s book, “Herndon, The Land: 1649-1900,” shows that...

The Yount Family

by Barbara Glakas

One of the older homes in Herndon is commonly known as the Yount or Payne house. It is grand old house that sits atop a hill at 106 Monroe Hill Court, sometimes affectionately referred to as “The Monroe Hill house.”

This land was originally part of what was known as the Thompson Tract, about 198 acres of land on the east side of Monroe Street. Slowly the Thompsons sold off various pieces of land, including the land where the Yount house now sits.

In the 1860s the land changed hands several times from....

The Memorable Haley Smith

by Barbara Glakas

Haley McCool Smith (1917-1994) was referred to as Herndon’s godfather of youth sports. Former Herndon Observer staff writer, Peggy Vetter, once said, “Smith can fairly be called the pied piper of Herndon. He loves kids and young people, and the affection and respect are returned.” Whether it was basketball, soccer, football or basketball, Smith was widely credited with being a preeminent leader of youth sports in Herndon in the late 1960s to the early 1990s, a hero to many of the town’s children.

Smith also served several terms on the Herndon Town Council. He was not considered what some may think of as a typical politician, because he never resorted to subterfuge and instead was straightforward and candid. He was called “quite the character” by some. He once told Vetter, “I tell it like it is,” and Vetter retorted, “and you knew exactly what he meant,” adding, “Haley had a lot of opinions and never...

The Fortnightly Library

by Barbara Glakas

The history of the Herndon Fortnightly Library started in 1889, with the forming of the Herndon Fortnightly Club. That year marked ten years after the town’s incorporation, when the town’s population was about 800. The club started with a group of eleven Herndon women who decided to get together every two weeks, calling their group “The Fortnightly Club.” The club collected forty books for research and to read and educate themselves about such topics as literature, art, science and other “interests of the day.”

The eleven charter members of the club came from the Herndon, Thornton Station (now Reston) and Sully areas. They were Mrs. John Barker, Miss Maria Bready, Miss Ida Castleman, Miss Lulu Castleman, Miss Virginia Castleman, Mrs. Florence Duffy, Mrs. J.W. McKeene, Miss Lillie Shear, Miss Ann Thornton, Miss Catherine Thornton, and Miss Ellen Thornton. According to past club president, Virginia Clarity, the club met in...

Dr. Meyer: The Baby Doctor

by Barbara Glakas

Dr. William Meyer was a popular doctor in Herndon, from the 1920s to 1960, and was well known for delivering many babies, earning him the moniker: “The Baby Doctor.”

Dr. Meyer was born in c. 1891 in Enfield, North Carolina. He was one of thirteen children. His parents were Simon and Antonia Meyer. Simon was born in Germany and Antonia was born in German-Austria. They came to the United States between 1873 and 1882. They married in 1883 and settled in Enfield, North Carolina. All the children were born in North Carolina. Simon was a mercantile merchant. He was also instrumental in founding a...

The Ghost in Brush Strokes Salon

by Barbara Glakas

In little wood framed building at 711 Pine Street is a business called Brush Strokes, a salon that has been in business at that location since 1998. The building dates back to circa 1900, possibly a little older.

Former Mayor, Elisha Dyer, once owned that property in the late 1800s. Dentist, Dr. Ben Detwiler, bought the property from Dyer in 1888, and then he sold it to his brother, Dr. Edwin L. Detwiler, MD, in 1893. Dr. Ed had also previously bought the property next door (now the Herndon Clock and Watch Co.) in 1886. It is not clear which years Dr. Ed may have lived in these buildings – as he later lived in a house on...

The Hutchison Men

by Barbara Glakas

Hutchison families have been prolific in Herndon for many generations. This article will highlight three men from one Hutchison family, spanning across three different generations.

Lycurgus Emory “Curg” Hutchison (1835-1924) was born in the Arcola area of Loudoun County. As a 25-year-old in 1860 he was a farm laborer, living at home with his parents, Redding and Catherine Hutchison. His father was a carpenter. When the Civil War broke out, Lycurgus joined the....

Hidden Gems

by Barbara Glakas

Maybe you have seen some of these. Or maybe not. As you walk through Herndon, you may have noticed some hidden – and sometimes not so hidden – interesting historic “gems,” which harken back to Herndon’s past. For instance…

Spring Houses: On the west side of the Herndon Centennial Golf Course are a couple of....

The 2000 Time Capsule

by Barbara Glakas

What was happening during the year 2000 millennium? Some people predicted it would be the end of the world. Also known as the Y2K problem, others anticipated a potential problem in the coding of computerized systems which many feared would create havoc in computer systems around the world.

Millenium celebrations occurred around the world. In the United States, President Clinton and thousands of spectators watched the Washington Monument light up at midnight. In New York’s Times Square, a ball was dropped made of Waterford Crystal. Billy Joel performed in Madison Square Garden, where he sung “Auld Lang Syne” at midnight. Neil Diamond sung “America” at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Disney had a millennium celebration at the Epoc theme park in Florida. It seemed like every jurisdiction around America had fireworks. And I went to....

A Whistling Tale

by Barbara Glakas

What we are sharing today is a story written in an 1886 edition of an old Herndon newspaper called “The Weekly Comet.” The Herndon Historical Society has a few original copies of these fragile hand written newspapers in its Herndon Depot Museum. The newspapers include editorials, national news, stories, poems, puzzles and word games.

One story in this 1886 issue captured our imagination. It was a tale of a conversation held between a boy and a group of men who happened upon each other inside a Herndon store. Not only did we enjoy the light humor in the story, but we imagined ourselves standing in an old Herndon store in the 1880s, putting ourselves in this time period when Herndon was predominantly....

Discoveries at The Herndon School

by Barbara Glakas

This story is about The Herndon School and different discoveries and artifacts that have been found there. 

The School Building: 

One of Herndon’s earliest schools – The Herndon School – was formerly located at 725 Center Street. That school operated there from 1868 to 1912. After the school building on Center Street was vacated, it was sold to Russell Lynn in 1912. Soon after he sold it to Herndon resident and businessman, Orland Chamblin. Chamblin renovated the school building to make it into a home as a wedding gift for his daughter, who married in 1915.

The original school building, constructed in 1868, was a simple rectangular building, positioned on an east-west axis. Sometime later, possibly as early as the 1870s, an addition was constructed onto the east end of the building which included a new front porch and a steeple on the roof. That resulted in the school becoming a T-shaped building, with the new addition on a north-west axis, facing Center Street. The school was originally positioned on the far....

The First Baptist Church of Herndon

by Barbara Glakas

At the end of the 1800s, the town of Herndon already had a Methodist church, an Episcopal church, and a Congregational church. Next came the First Baptist Church of Herndon in 1899.

Details on the church’s beginnings are sparse, due to a fire which destroyed early church records. One source said that the early records of the church’s organizational years and pastors were “destroyed by a fire in the home of one of the members who was clerk of the church at the time.” Regardless, here is what is known.

According to the church website, the First Baptist Church congregation was established in Herndon in 1899. Long-time congregant, Linda A. Soller, who wrote....

The Darrell Trust Fund

by Barbara Glakas

George Augusta Darrell served as Herndon Mayor in 1929-30. He endowed funds to be used in the town of Herndon for educational purposes.

Darrell was born around 1859 in the Broad Run area of Loudoun County. In his early life he lived with his parents and was a farm laborer. He married Georgia Lee Darrell in 1883. Their son, Guy, was born in 1884. In 1899 he was listed as being employed as a Quartermaster packer for the War Department in Alexandria. Census documents show that the Darrell family lived in the Dranesville area in 1900 and Darrell continued working as a laborer. By 1910 he was working as a clerk and was renting a home in Herndon. He continued his job as a government clerk into the 1920s and ultimately owned a home on Station Street in Herndon. In 1927 Darrell was elected....

The 1955 Nuclear Evacuation Plans

by Barbara Glakas

The early decades of the Cold War were defined by fears of nuclear attack. In the 1950s and 1960s many people remember how weekly booming air raid test sirens would blare across the community. These sirens were used to warn the general population of approaching danger. Many school children remember periodic air raid “duck and cover” drills in which they were instructed by their teachers to crouch underneath their desks in their classrooms to “protect” themselves from an air raid or a nuclear blast.

Just a few years earlier, during World War II, Herndon women staffed an airplane spotter station off Spring Street, on a knoll just east of where St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church is now located. Former Herndon resident, Ellen Kephart, said this of her WWII experience at Herndon’s spotter station: “We were very patriotic. I worked in the tracking station for....