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87-676: The Foundation's overseas origins date to the 1970s. The origins began with a group of Muslim scholars, businessmen, and scientists from the Middle East and Asia who moved to the U.S. in the 1980s. The network began with the incorporation of the SAAR Foundation, Inc., in Herndon, Virginia , as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in July 1983. The parent corporation dissolved in 2000 and was replaced by the Safa Trust, which

174-494: A day labor center called the Herndon Official Worker Center (HOW Center), operated by Reston Interfaith's Project Hope and Harmony under a grant from surrounding Fairfax County . The HOW Center was created on March 23, 2006, in response to daily gatherings of Hispanic workers at a local 7-Eleven store. The 2006 election for Mayor and Town Council revolved mainly around the issue, and resulted in unseating

261-679: A 1300-foot long trestle constructed around the same time for the Southern Railway. In contrast to the Southern Railway's earlier Bluemont Branch service, the W&;OD Railway's Bluemont Division did not serve Washington Union Station . In the first few months, they invested in several upgrades to the system. To join its two lines, the W&OD Railway constructed a double-tracked Bluemont Division connecting line that traveled between two new junctions in Arlington: Bluemont Junction on

348-480: A 60-day postponement of the abandonment while they put together a plan to use the right-of-way for transit. However, according to WMATA general manager Jackson Graham , the estimated cost of using the full right-of-way for commuter rail was $ 70 million. Because WMATA did not expect the proposed transit line to be able to generate enough ridership to be cost-effective, WMATA rejected that option. On November 10, 1967, WMATA announced that it had come to an agreement with

435-638: A branch that paralleled the WO&;W while traveling between Manassas and Strasburg, Virginia , where it connected to railroads in the Shenandoah Valley west of the Blue Ridge that the WO&W did not reach (see: Manassas Gap Railroad ). In 1888, the Richmond and Danville began to operate the WO&W's trains between Washington, D.C., and Round Hill. During this time, President Grover Cleveland frequently rode

522-464: A major metropolitan region) by converting its train station into a museum and visitors center and by relocating a Norfolk Southern Railway caboose to a nearby site and repainting it in W&OD livery. The caboose was originally acquired in 1989 by Herndon Historical Society member, George Moore, to whose memory the caboose was dedicated after his death in 2003. Although the caboose itself never traveled through Herndon, it remains an iconic part of

609-463: A time of continued change for the W&OD. In 1941, not only did the railroad end passenger service (temporarily, as it would turn out), but it began to convert its operations from electric to diesel or gasoline power; a process that it completed in 1944. The retrenchment and diesels, coupled with growth in Arlington - and an accompanying increased demand for building supplies - led to, starting in 1940,

696-568: A variety of plays, musicals, concerts, and educational theatre programming each season. Herndon is within the Fairfax County Public Schools district. Public schools serving students within the Herndon town limits are: Private school options include: Dominion Christian School , St Joseph's Elementary and several Montessori schools. Private schools south of Herndon, in nearby Floris : Fairfax County Public Library operates

783-548: A year before defaulting on their debt. It was sold again in 1883 and the name changed to the Washington, Ohio and Western (WO&W) Railroad. During this time, owners purchased new rolling stock and upgraded the rail and several bridges. In 1886, through a series of consolidations, purchases and leases the Richmond and Danville Railroad took control of the WO&W through a lease agreement. The Richmond and Danville also acquired

870-495: Is Sheila A. Olem, who was first elected to Council in 2010 and served as Vice Mayor in 2018 until her election as Mayor in 2020. The Mayor chairs the Council and heads the executive branch of the town government. The Police Department, independent of the county police department, is headed by Chief Maggie DeBoard, and consists of 56 sworn officers. The Herndon Police Department achieved national recognition on November 8, 1986, by becoming

957-674: Is part of the Dulles Technology Corridor , which Fortune magazine named the "Netplex" because of the presence of the headquarters of such companies as AOL , XO Communications , Stride, Inc. , Verizon Business (formerly MCI, formerly WorldCom, originally UUNET), and Network Solutions , which began as the InterNIC – the registry where every domain name was once administered. Some of those companies are within Herndon. Others have Herndon mailing addresses but are located in unincorporated Fairfax or Loudoun counties; for example, south of

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1044-557: The Army of the Potomac back to Washington and on August 8, 1865, it was returned to its original owners. Because of the damage and neglect, service was not restored to Herndon until 9 January, 1866 and to Leesburg until 1867. After the war, the line was extended along the grade built before the war, reaching Clarke's Gap in 1868; and the planned western terminus was changed from Paddy Town via Vestal's gap to Piedmont, WV via Snicker's Gap. In 1870

1131-810: The Bluemont Junction Trail , the Mount Jefferson Park and Greenway Trail, several other trails , Interstate 66 (I-66), and Old Dominion Drive (VA Route 309) have replaced much of the railroad's route. The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad was originally incorporated as the Alexandria and Harper's Ferry (A&HF) Railroad in 1847. The goal of the A&;HF was to connect to the Winchester and Potomac River Railroad in Harper's Ferry and thus redirect trade from

1218-601: The Dulles Toll Road . These include Deltek and Stride. According to the Town's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the principal employers in the Town are: Prior year's CAFRS are also available. The town is organized as an incorporated town by the Commonwealth of Virginia , and is governed by an elected Mayor and Town Council who serve on a part-time basis. Update on Town of Herndon, Virginia The current mayor

1305-659: The Dunn Loring station served as the town's post office, but was then torn down in 1963. In 1969 the Leesburg Passenger Station suffered its 3rd fire and was destroyed. By 1969, the C&;O had removed all of its tracks and ties (the ties were sold in bundles of 25 for $ 75), except for some tracks that were crossing paved roads; and the County started covering those in late 1968. In late 1969, bulldozers started tearing up

1392-606: The Great Depression . In 1932, the railway went into bankruptcy and was again placed in receivership. The receivers chose new management that cut employees, service and rolling stock in an effort to reduce costs. To further cut costs, the railway abandoned operations on the Great Falls Division between Thrifton Junction and Great Falls in stages with the process completed in June 1934, with the last train run on June 8. Several of

1479-652: The Köppen Climate Classification system, Herndon has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Its sister city is Runnymede, Surrey, England, United Kingdom . Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad (colloquially referred to as the W&;OD and sometimes the "Virginia Creeper") was an intrastate short-line railroad located in Northern Virginia , United States. The railroad

1566-576: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park , which features the W&OD Trail. With the exceptions of lands transferred to the Virginia Department of Highways , the land that lay west of the Alexandria/Arlington boundary was sold for $ 4.91 million to Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) (part of which was incorporated into Dominion Virginia Power in 2000) for power line right-of-way. In 1977 VEPCO agreed to sell their land to

1653-577: The "Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Historic District" was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). A 2000 NRHP registration form states that the Historic District is eligible for the listing because the District "is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history". The form contains an in-depth description of

1740-469: The 133 shippers who still used the railroad's freight service opposed the purchase. The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), which was interested in converting the line to a commuter rail service, also opposed the purchase. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which at the time was planning to construct a rapid transit system for the Washington area, tried to postpone

1827-556: The AL&;H began operating to Vienna in 1859 from a terminal near Princess and Fairfax Streets in Alexandria's present Old Town neighborhood . In early 1860, service was extended to Ashburn and in May to Leesburg in Loudoun County , and the right-of-way had been graded all the way to Clarke's Gap . One of the early passengers was President James Buchanen when visiting his summer White House,

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1914-727: The Alexandria-Bluemont line and Thrifton Junction on the Georgetown-Great Falls line. They also constructed a turning wye at Bluemont Junction which ended between 7th and 8th street N. The connecting line passed through Lacey (near the west end of Ballston ), crossing on a through girder bridge over a competing interurban electric trolley line, the Fairfax line of the Washington-Virginia Railway (see Northern Virginia trolleys ). By October 1912 they had electrified

2001-586: The Bahamas and the Isle of Man making them difficult to trace. Traced funds arrived at financial institutions designated by the U.S. Treasury as financial conduits for terrorist groups like Al Taqwa Bank and Akida Bank Private, LTD. Other funds were traced to a group, WISE, linked to the organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad . In the years that followed the investigation, SAAR was fined "more than $ 500,000" for contempt of court for failing to turn over documents subpoenaed by

2088-523: The Beltway to Herndon for the use of commuter trains, an option that WMATA did not exercise. A last minute offer to buy the railroad at its salvage cost and keep it running that the railroad's customers made was rejected in 1967. In January 1968, the ICC decided to permit the C&O to abandon and sell its line and the railroad planned to run their last train on January 30, 1968. But a temporary restraining order kept

2175-633: The Blue Ridge Mountains through the Bloomery Gap of Cacapon to Paddytown in what is now West Virginia and there connect with a railroad serving the coal fields. Construction on the line began in 1855, under the presidency of Lewis McKenzie . Still intending to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River to reach the coal fields that are now within Mineral County , West Virginia ,

2262-512: The Bluemont Branch made a desirable target. In 1911, McLean and Elkins formed a new corporation, the Washington and Old Dominion Railway . In that year, they concluded negotiations with the Southern Railway to lease the Southern's Bluemont Branch and to take over all service on the branch on July 1, 1912. The lease excluded the portion of the Southern's route that connected Potomac Yard with

2349-604: The Bluemont Branch. Connecting trains shuttled passengers between Alexandria Junction and the former AL&H terminal in old town Alexandria. On weekends, express trains carried vacationers from Washington to Bluemont and other towns in western Loudoun County in which resorts had developed. Meanwhile, in 1906, electric trolleys began to run on the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad (GF&OD) northwest to Great Falls from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. The line, which John Roll McLean and Stephen Benton Elkins owned at

2436-615: The Bluemont Division cars or trains then continued their trips through Falls Church, Vienna, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, Clarke's Gap and Purcellville to terminate in Bluemont, Virginia, at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, following a route that was similar to that of Virginia State Route 7. The railway's electrification system distributed 650 volts direct current (DC) to its Bluemont Division cars and trains through overhead catenary lines , even though by 1912 this system

2523-592: The Bluemont Division from Bluemont Junction to Leesburg and by December all the way to Bluemont. Most of the Bluemont Division's passenger cars or trains ran on the W&OD Railway's Great Falls Division's line from Georgetown over the Aqueduct Bridge through Rosslyn to Thrifton Junction. From Thrifton Junction, the trains ran on the Bluemont Division's connecting line to Bluemont Junction, where they met other Bluemont Division passenger cars or trains that ran from Alexandria, following Four Mile Run in Arlington. Some of

2610-617: The District's historical resources and of the railroad's history, as well as maps that show the locations of the Districts's major historical features. Great Falls Park was eventually purchased by the Fairfax Park Authority in 1953 and in 1966 transferred to the National Park Service wherein it became a National Park. 45 miles of the railroad's original 54 mile long, 100 foot wide Bluemont Division right-of-way remain today as

2697-599: The East Falls Church station had been removed from the site, reused and then eventually destroyed. The bridge over U.S. Route 29 (Lee Highway at the time and Langston Boulevard later) had been partially removed by early 1970 and the remainder removed by 1979. The bridge over the Capital Beltway , built along with the beltway around 1963, was torn down in 1974 to accommodate Beltway widening. In 1999, Virginia Department of Historic Resources staff determined that

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2784-544: The Herndon Fortnightly Library in Herndon. The primary highway serving Herndon is Virginia State Route 228 and its truck route. SR 228 heads directly through the center of town via Elden Street, Monroe Street, Park Avenue and Dranesville Road. SR 228 Truck diverges from Elden Street southwest of downtown on Herndon Parkway, following that road northwestward, northward and northeastward around central Herndon, finally reaching Dranesville Road north of downtown. At

2871-552: The Potomac River from Georgetown, many W&OD passengers transferred in Rosslyn to the trolleys of the competing Washington-Virginia Railway. Most of the W&OD's freight trains ran between Potomac Yard, Bluemont Junction and either Rosslyn or various locations along the Bluemont Division. In 1917, John McLean died from cancer and the railroad ownership passed to his heirs and those of Elkins. The heirs had little interest in running

2958-503: The Railway's Bluemont Division and the portion of the former Great Falls Division that had remained between Rosslyn and Thrifton (which was no longer a junction). They negotiated a new, cheaper lease with Southern Railway. Shortly thereafter, in 1939, the railroad began to scale back. It abandoned the western end of its line which had connected the towns of Purcellville and Bluemont. This section had seen steep declines from passengers and from

3045-611: The SAAR Foundation looking for ties to the Al Taqwa Bank and the Muslim Brotherhood . Over 500 boxes of files and computer files were confiscated, filling seven trucks. Investigations from Operation Green Quest led to seventy indictments and $ 33 million in seized funds by 2003. Herndon, Virginia Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia , United States, part of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area . In 2020,

3132-576: The Shenandoah that had started going to Baltimore via the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad. But in 1848, the Winchester and Potomac became part of the B&;O putting an end to that plan. In 1853 the charter of the A&HF was amended to change the name to the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire (AL&H) Railroad and change the route to pass as close as possible to Leesburg, then through Clarke's Gap and into

3219-628: The Sterling Hotel in Sterling. Because of its proximity to Washington, D.C. , the line saw much use and disruption during the Civil War . In May 1861 it was seized by Union forces and incorporated into the U.S. Military Railroad . A month later, under General Lee's orders, retreating Confederate troops destroyed much of the line west of Vienna. The Union primarily used the railroad to bring wood into Washington and to supply Union troops at camps south of

3306-576: The Virginia State Highway Department started condemnation proceedings to acquire the right-of-way, which was eventually donated to the state, where it crossed Shirley Highway. The section where it crossed the future Interstate 66 was also donated. The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission asked the ICC to reconsider its decision but in November 1968 it rejected that request. After the W&OD stopped running passenger trains in 1951,

3393-544: The W&OD as the Virginia highway department saw the right-of-way as potential highways and trucking continued to take away business. The highway department began negotiations to purchase the Rosslyn spur in 1960 and was trying to buy the mainline as early as 1962 for the construction of a road that was to become Interstate 66 (I-66). In July 1962, the highway department bought the Rosslyn spur for $ 900,000 and in September 1963,

3480-510: The W&OD's route in Sterling for a new coal-fired power plant, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) purchased the W&OD from Elkins, but did not change the railroad's name. However, PEPCO instead chose a site in Maryland for its power plant after the C&O had concluded the purchase. In 1957, the W&OD's prospects improved with the construction of Dulles Airport , for which it had

3567-501: The Winchester extension (which included a cup through rocks at Scotland Gap between Round Hill and Snickersville) and a new 131-foot Howe truss bridge was erected over Broad Run. The expense of expansion, the Panic of 1873 and the burden of debt took their toll and in 1878, the Washington and Ohio went into receivership. It was acquired by new owners in 1882 and they changed the name to the Washington and Western Railroad , but it only lasted

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3654-459: The abandonment in the hopes of using part of the right-of-way for transit. The highway department simultaneously made plans to secretly sell all but 4 miles (6.4 km) of the route to the Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) (now Dominion Virginia Power ), whose transmission lines were running along the railroad's right-of-way . In addition, the W&OD agreed to sell to VEPCO

3741-406: The average family size was 3.54. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 38.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 3.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 111.0 males. The median income for a household in the town

3828-571: The cars that ran on the Great Falls line were dismantled later that year and the tracks were pulled up in mid-1935. The abandoned railway route then became Old Dominion Drive ( Virginia State Route 309 ). In 1979, the Great Falls Divisions old rail trestle over Difficult Run , the last physical piece of rail infrastructure still in use from that line, was demolished after years of carrying automobile traffic on Old Dominion Drive. In addition,

3915-575: The city. On June 17, 1861, it was the site of a small battle, when troops from South Carolina ambushed the train near Vienna. The line also benefited from the war, because the Union built connections from it to the Alexandria & Washington railroad and the Orange and Alexandria as well as a new railroad bridge across the Potomac with the AL&H was able to access. At the end of the war, the railroad helped transport

4002-467: The closing of the flour mill in Round Hill and the railroad couldn't afford to repair the Round Hill trestle when it needed it. Service ended in February and the rails and electrical equipment were delivered to Southern as salvage. In the same year, the signature station in Rosslyn was torn down to make way for a better entrance to the Key Bridge. On April 12, 1941, it ended all passenger service, although freight and mail service continued. The 1940s were

4089-416: The development of Falls Church and Dunn Loring; and, at the end of its operational life, hauled materials used in the construction of Dulles Airport and the Capital Beltway . It is one of the few steam railroads in America to have transitioned to both electric and diesel operations. After the closure of the railroad, the track was removed. The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail (W&OD Trail),

4176-428: The downtown area that both locals and tourists visit daily. The caboose and station offer a glimpse of the original downtown's historic charm, which residents are passionate about preserving. On January 14, 2004, the Town of Herndon commemorated its 125th anniversary. The town of Herndon was part of a nationally reported controversy involving illegal immigration beginning in 2005. The controversy revolved around

4263-412: The first profits in 28 years. Mail service by trolley railway was unusual, and in 1941 it was believed to be the only trolley railway postal service east of the Mississippi. After some of the trolley wire had been removed in 1942 and sold as scrap to support the United States' World War II effort, the W&OD was forced in March 1943 to resume passenger service between Rosslyn and Leesburg to reduce

4350-512: The former AL&H terminal in old town Alexandria. In 1912, the GF&OD became the "Great Falls Division" of the W&OD Railway, while the Southern's Bluemont Branch became a part of the W&OD Railway's "Bluemont Division". The W&OD electrified all of its operations over the next four years, becoming an interurban electric trolley system that carried passengers , mail , milk and freight . From that time onward, W&OD trains crossed over Potomac Yard , which opened in 1906, on

4437-637: The grand jury investigation. The fines have not been paid, however, because the SAAR Foundation no longer has assets in its name in the U.S. As part of Operation Green Quest , a multiagency task force led by the U.S. Customs and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, SAAR was investigated in an investigation into suspected terror financing entities. Their mission was focused on closing down illicit financial systems and repairing vulnerable and legitimate systems that could be used to raise funds for terrorists. On March 20, 2002, federal agents raided 14 interlocking business entities in Herndon, Virginia, associated with

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4524-399: The highway department that would give WMATA a two–year option to buy a 5 miles (8.0 km) stretch of the right of way from Glebe Road ( Virginia Route 120 ) to the Capital Beltway (now Interstate 495 (I-495)), where I-66 was to be built. WMATA would operate mass transit in the highway's median strip . WMATA would have a 2-year option to buy the 10 miles (16.1 km) of right-of-way from

4611-447: The line open until the U.S. District Court in Alexandria sustained the decision in July setting the last for August 27, 1968. On the last day, B&O switcher 9155 pulled two empty lumber cars to Potomac Yard from the Murphy and Ames Lumber Company siding in Falls Church. On August 30, the railroad shipped its three diesel locomotives to the B&O's Baltimore engine terminal, from which a salvage dealer purchased them. In October 1968,

4698-471: The mid-twentieth century. Though it never reached the Shenandoah Valley or the West Virginia coal country, or allowed Alexandria to compete with Baltimore for western trade as envisioned, it did play a significant role in the development of northern Virginia. It served as a local carrier that was extensively used and fought over during the Civil War; served Washington vacationers headed to the Blue Ridge mountains; hauled agricultural products into Washington; aided

4785-420: The nearest railhead. Between 1958 and 1960, thirteen bridges between Sterling and Potomac Yards, including the one at Difficult Run that dated back to 1884, were replaced with larger ones and worn-out rails and ties were replaced. In 1959, hauling traffic for both the construction of Dulles and the Capital Beltway the railroad had its most profitable year ever. The 1960s were a decade of decline and closure for

4872-540: The need for tires due to shortages caused by the war. After finding few riders, the railroad asked to discontinue passenger service in June, noting that it was using gasoline, which was also being curtailed for the war, but their request was denied. In late 1943, the railroad leased a used Budd two-car streamlined gas-electric passenger train and in February 1944 expanded passenger service to Leesburg and Purcellville using gas–electric motor cars and cars pulled by diesel–electric locomotives . At first passenger demand

4959-428: The organizations were "phantom" entities engaged in reverse money-laundering. Special Agent David Kane of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement testified in a 2003 affidavit that the most likely cause for the group's presence was "to conceal support for terrorism". Seventy percent of the contributions to SAAR charities came from within the SAAR network. Millions of dollars ended up in an offshore bank account in

5046-434: The population at the census was 24,655, which makes it the largest of three incorporated towns in the county. The actual dimensions of the town of Herndon are fairly small. However, the United States Post Office treats nearby unincorporated communities in northwestern Fairfax County as part of a Greater Herndon region, including Dranesville , Floris , Franklin Farm , McNair , and Oak Hill . The early settlement

5133-399: The population were military veterans , and 52.5% had a batchelor's degree or higher . In the town 7.1% of the population was below the poverty line , including 11.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those aged 65 or over, with 16.2% of the population without health insurance . As of the census of 2010, there were 23,292 people, 7,472 households, and 5,357 families residing in

5220-403: The population. There were 6,962 households, of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and

5307-428: The pro-center Mayor and two councilmembers. The center closed after less than two years of operation, in September 2007. The Herndon Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Herndon is located at 38°58′17″N 77°23′19″W  /  38.97139°N 77.38861°W  / 38.97139; -77.38861 (38.971478, −77.388675). According to the United States Census Bureau ,

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5394-540: The railroad and in 1918 and 1922 the Virginia Corporation Commission ordered the railroad to make improvements, which the absentee owners never did. In 1923, the W&OD Railway ceased operating from Georgetown when the federal government replaced the aging Aqueduct Bridge with the new Francis Scott Key Bridge . At the same time, the railroad constructed a new passenger station in Rosslyn which became its "Washington" terminal. The W&OD Railway lost money every year after 1912 and fell upon particularly hard times during

5481-422: The railroad stopped operating to Rosslyn. The railroad then removed its tracks between Lacey (south of Washington Boulevard ) and Rosslyn by November 1964. In February 1965, the Commonwealth of Virginia contracted to buy 30.5 miles (49.1 km) of the mainline between Herndon and Alexandria for $ 3.5 million. The C&O Railway then petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) for permission to abandon

5568-521: The railroad's remnant. The purchase would eliminate the need to build a grade separation where the railroad crossed the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway (now part of Interstate 395 (I-395) ) at grade and at another grade separation for I-66. The purchase would also provide 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of right-of-way for I-66, saving the state $ 5 million. Business interests in Loudoun County, the Arlington County Chamber of Commerce, various state, county and local officials, railway labor organizations and 21 of

5655-415: The receivers also ended passenger service between Bluemont Junction and Alexandria in 1934. With the reduced service they were able to cut their rolling stock by more than half that year. In 1936, the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad , a new corporation that Davis Elkins (the son of Stephen Benton Elkins) had created, assumed operation of the remnants of the W&OD Railway, which consisted only of

5742-467: The remaining 17.5 miles (28.2 km) of right-of-way not purchased by the highway department. This included the 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Herndon, a 4-mile section at Vienna, one mile at the Alexandria end and two 1000 foot long sections at Sunset Hills and Falls Church. The sale would thus prevent the NVTC from buying the land for mass transit. In August 1967, transit advocates led by Del. Clive L. DuVal II (Fairfax-Falls Church) and WMATA secured

5829-533: The right-of-way for construction of I-66 and the Metrorail line. In August 1970, the 80 year old East Falls Church station , located south of the tracks on the west side of Washington Street/Langston Boulevard, was torn down also to make room for I-66 and the Metrorail line. The station was torn down piece by piece and given to Arthur Brown who moved it to Amissville, VA for use as a trading post. As of 1973 he had not reconstructed it because of uncertainty about widening US-211. Two older buildings that had served as

5916-482: The routes of the Potomac River and the present Virginia State Route 7 . The single-tracked line followed the winding course of Four Mile Run upstream from Alexandria through Arlington County to Falls Church . At that point, the railroad was above the Fall Line and was able to follow a more direct northwesterly course in Virginia through Dunn Loring , Vienna , Sunset Hills (now in Reston) , Herndon , Sterling , Ashburn and Leesburg . The line turned sharply to

6003-418: The rural surroundings of the Washington, D.C. area, the town of Herndon developed into a hub of dairy farming and vacationing for area residents, aided by its presence along the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad (later to become the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad ). When the railroad was converted into a hike-and-bike trail , Herndon capitalized on history and small-town feel (in

6090-402: The section of line between Potomac Yard and Purcellville that they had leased from the Southern Railway. The Southern Railway retained ownership of the easternmost section of the railroad's route, which still connected Potomac Yard to the Southern's freight and passenger stations in old town Alexandria. In 1956, believing that the Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO) would select a site near

6177-459: The seventh police agency in Virginia and the 42nd police agency in the United States to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Herndon boasts a wide variety of diversions and celebrations year-round. Among the community events are: Herndon contains the Herndon Depot Museum, the site of " Mosby's Raid on Herndon Station ", which was a Civil War skirmish that took place on St. Patrick's Day , 1863. Also within

6264-470: The south end of town, SR 228 meets Virginia State Route 267 , a high speed, high-capacity toll road which provides access to Washington, D.C. (via Interstate 66 ) and Washington Dulles International Airport . In 2022, the Silver Line's extension opened, providing service at Herndon station . The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to

6351-402: The time, crossed the Potomac River on the old Aqueduct Bridge and passed through Rosslyn. The trolleys then traveled northwest on a double-tracked line through Arlington and Fairfax County to reach an amusement park ( trolley park ) that the railroad company constructed and operated near the falls. The GF&OD had been such a success, that they began to look for opportunities to expand and

6438-459: The town has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km ), all of it land. Just over two acres of land in the town are technically in Loudoun County . (Some information from the 2022 American Community Survey ) Of the households, 57.7% were married couple families, 19.9% were a male family householder with no spouse, and 16.1% were a female family householder with no spouse. The average family household had 3.53 people. The median age

6525-520: The town is The Herndon Centennial Golf Course, the Herndon ArtSpace (a community art gallery), community center with basketball and racquetball courts and multiple baseball fields, and an aquatic center. Adjacent to the community center is Bready Park, with indoor tennis courts. Additionally, every residence within the town borders is within a mile or less of a public park. Herndon is home to a professional live theatre, NextStop Theatre , which produces

6612-521: The town. The population density was 5,129.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,980.7/km ). There were 7,190 housing units at an average density of 1,703.3 per square mile (657.6/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 50.7% White , 9.5% Black , 0.7% Native American , 17.9% Asian (8.5% Indian, 1.6% Vietnamese, 1.5% Chinese, 1.2% Filipino, 0.7% Korean, 0.1% Japanese, 4.2% Other Asian), 0.0% Pacific Islander , 16.0% from other races , and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.6% of

6699-411: The train to Leesburg to fish and the town of Dunn-Loring was platted along the tracks. In 1894, the newly formed Southern Railway absorbed the Richmond and Danville Railroad and acquired the WO&W. In 1900, the Southern Railway extended the line westward for four miles from Round Hill to Snickersville, which was then renamed Bluemont; but abandoned all plans to go to West Virginia. The extension

6786-478: The west after passing through Clarke's Gap in Catoctin Mountain west of Leesburg. Its tracks then continued westward through Paeonian Springs , Hamilton , Purcellville and Round Hill to reach its terminus at Bluemont. A branch connected the line to Rosslyn . The W&OD was one of the major commercial and transportation corridors of the northern Virginia area from the mid-nineteenth century through

6873-444: The western terminus was changed again, this time to Point Pleasant, WV , which required a charter with the new state of West Virginia. In compliance with the new charter the name of the line was changed to the Washington and Ohio Railroad . At the same time, the line was extended to Hamilton (then called Irene Station) and passenger service was doubled In 1874, the line was extended to Purcelleville and then Round Hill, grading began on

6960-423: Was $ 72,912, and the median income for a family was $ 79,140 (these figures had risen to $ 92,947 and $ 108,446 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $ 44,197 versus $ 35,548 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 26,941. About 4.7% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over. Herndon

7047-471: Was 35.5, 24.4% of people were under the age of 18, and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The largest ancestry is the 8.6% who had German ancestry , 53.7% spoke a language other than English at home, and 41.8% were born outside the United States, 44.9% of whom were naturalized citizens . The median income for a household in the town was $ 133,403, and the median income for a family was $ 155,901. 5.0% of

7134-570: Was a successor to the bankrupt Washington and Old Dominion Railway and to several earlier railroads, the first of which began operating in 1859. The railroad closed in 1968. The Railroad's oldest line extended from Alexandria on the Potomac River northwest to Bluemont at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Snickers Gap , not far from the boundary line between Virginia and West Virginia . The railroad's route largely paralleled

7221-491: Was becoming obsolete by 1200 V systems. Single overhead lines carried the Great Falls Division's electricity over its tracks. Stationary and movable electrical substations containing Westinghouse alternating current (AC) to DC converters were located at Round Hill, Leesburg, Herndon, and Bluemont Junction. . The W&OD's main passenger line ran from Georgetown and Rosslyn through Thrifton Junction, Bluemont Junction and westward to Bluemont. However, after crossing

7308-735: Was done to service tourist and day-trippers from Washington. The Southern Railway designated the line as its Bluemont Branch. When the Spanish-American War broke out, the War Department built Camp Alger near Dunn Loring and the WO&W found new business ferry soldiers back and forth to the base. It even carried President William McKinley to Camp Alger to see the troops. By 1908, steam locomotives were hauling Southern Railway passenger trains from Washington Union Station in Washington, D.C. , to Alexandria Junction north of Old Town Alexandria, where they switched to travel westward on

7395-401: Was great enough to justify three round trips a day, but after the war ridership dropped and in 1950 it was scaled back. When the post office department canceled its mail service contract in 1951, the railroad stopped carrying both passengers and mail. The last passenger car ran on May 31, 1951; thereafter, the railroad carried only freight. In 1945, the W&OD Railroad acquired ownership of

7482-573: Was named Herndon in 1858, after Commander William Lewis Herndon , an American naval explorer and author of Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon . Commander Herndon captained the ill-fated steamer SS Central America , going down with his ship while helping to save over 150 of its passengers and crew. In the 1870s, many Northern soldiers and their families came to settle in the area, taking advantage of moderate climate and low land prices. Originally part of

7569-504: Was run by many of the same group of individuals. SAAR was named after the patriarch of the wealthy Saudi Arabian al-Rajhi family, who are also the foundation's largest donors. Federal investigations allege that SAAR makes up a network of up to one hundred non-profit and for-profit organizations with known ties to radical Islamist groups. Many of these organizations shared the same address in Virginia, which led investigators to claim that many of

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