Historical Markers and War Memorials in Herndon, Virginia
Fairfax is the county seat for Fairfax County
Herndon is in Fairfax County
Fairfax County(710) ► ADJACENT TO FAIRFAX COUNTY Alexandria(378) ► Arlington County(461) ► Fairfax(48) ► Falls Church(137) ► Loudoun County(345) ► Prince William County(660) ► Washington, D.C.(2607) ► Charles County, Maryland(150) ► Montgomery County, Maryland(753) ► Prince George's County, Maryland(644) ►
Touch name on this list to highlight map location. Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
The aforementioned Japanese-American units from World War II are the most highly decorated units in military history.
They exemplified duty, honor, and country to the utmost while taking on some of the toughest assignments during the war. . . . — — Map (db m126638) HM WM
Circa 1900. The Herndon Gas Company was established in the early 1900s by two brothers, Edward and Benjamin Detwiler. The company provided gas for downtown Herndon street lights and for lights in a few of the Town's more affluent households. . . . — — Map (db m516) HM
Near here two foraging expeditions came in conflict, December 20, 1861. The Union force was commanded by General Ord, the Confederate by J.E.B. Stuart. Stuart attacked in order to protect his foraging parties, but was forced to retire after a sharp . . . — — Map (db m92721) HM
In the fall of 1861, Fairfax County found itself between two large armies. Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and his army occupied the Centreville area. The Federal army, still regrouping after the devastating defeat at the First Battle of . . . — — Map (db m115854) HM
On December 20, 1861, a large Union brigade under the command of Brigadier General Edward O.C. Ord collided with a smaller Confederate force led by Brigadier General J.E.B. Stuart that was foraging for provisions near the small town of . . . — — Map (db m182204) HM WM
Since 1880, when a group of Herndon residents formed a Cemetery Association, these grounds have served Herndon as the final resting place for many local residents. Its 23 acres were mostly consolidated from land owned by the Barker and Detwiler . . . — — Map (db m186890) HM
The Town of Herndon commemorates the Chestnut Grove Cemetery Association, incorporated January 18, 1954, as volunteer trustees to provide for the operation, maintenance, and perpetual care of the Chestnut Grove Cemetery. Throughout the . . . — — Map (db m186891) HM
The Coleman family, which included the Revolutionary War officer Col. John Coleman, built their home on this site around 1800. It was one of the earliest houses in the area. The Coleman's managed a 300-acre farm, a portion of which later became an . . . — — Map (db m126634) HM
Built in 1876, Elwardstone was the home of Isaiah Bready, the first mayor of Herndon. Bready operated a portion of the original 200 acre family property, which reached from the Herndon Centennial Golf Course to Grace Street, as a dairy farm. This . . . — — Map (db m126635) HM
This unique stone cabin was built c. 1909 by James A. Hawkins, a local banker and farmer. It originally served as the residence for a twenty acre farm that bordered Sugarland Run. The house was later occupied by the Martz and Carroll families up . . . — — Map (db m186876) HM
The Moffett family operated a blacksmith shop on this site from 1906 to 1955. William Henry Moffett, a fifth-generation blacksmith, took the shop over from his father after it was burned and rebuilt in 1917. Fairfax County Park Authority bought the . . . — — Map (db m133076) HM
In the early 1900s Herndon dairy farmers led the state in production. For decades, dairy farming was the primary industry and dominant land use of Herndon. Herndon downtown businesses flourished in support of the industry. The railroad provided a . . . — — Map (db m145967) HM
After the "Big Fire" of 1917 the Town Council and Citizen's Association formed a volunteer fire department, the fourth in Fairfax County. By 1949, the Herndon fire department had 150 volunteers, and in 1950, the original 1929 fire house was replaced . . . — — Map (db m126633) HM
The Herndon Fortnightly Club was founded in 1869 by eleven women interested in studying literature, art, science, and the popular interests of the day. Early on, the Club decided to start lending books. By 1900 they had collected over 1000 volumes. . . . — — Map (db m126632) HM
Mary Lee Castleman, an active member of the St. Timothy's Episcopal Mission, wanted to establish a proper school for girls. She first established the Herndon Seminary on the upper floor of the old mission building, formerly located at the corner of . . . — — Map (db m186873) HM
Herndon grew up around this railroad station. The town received its name in 1858 when the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad (later the W&OD) arrived and a post office was established in the newly built station.
Herndon quickly became . . . — — Map (db m152) HM
At midday on March 17, 1863, 40 blue-coated cavalrymen ambled into Herndon Station on the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad in no-man's-land between Confederate and Union positions. The hamlet contained a depot building and steam-powered . . . — — Map (db m214235) HM
This building was built in 1921 by Thomas E. Reed as the Herndon Theatre. Reed operated the building as a movie house for several years. He sold it to Henry Lego who continued to operate the theater. Up until its closure in the 1960s, the Herndon . . . — — Map (db m186868) HM
The Town Hall was built in 1939 as a government-funded Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works project. It was Herndon's first official municipal building and has since provided important utility to the community. Many Town departments . . . — — Map (db m145966) HM
Lynn Street and Station Street developed in the mid-19th century as Herndon's center of activity and commerce. Proximity to the railroad depot and daily visitor, farmer, resident, and commuter traffic made this area convenient for business. At the . . . — — Map (db m115844) HM
Around the turn of the 19th century, Herndon became a popular summer destination for those looking for a change of pace from Washington D.C. An hour ride by train provided a convenient option for visitors to enjoy the Virginia countryside in . . . — — Map (db m115851) HM
Constructed in 1872 for a North Methodist Episcopal congregation, this building ushered in a church building period in Herndon. By 1915 six churches served Herndon's growing population around its historic center. After 67 years at this location and . . . — — Map (db m126640) HM
Pine Street was already established when Herndon became a Town in 1879. Its historic mix of uses demonstrated the importance of downtown in providing local services to residents. in the 19th and early 20th centuries it had the largest building in . . . — — Map (db m126639) HM
Confederate spy Laura Ratcliffe was born in
Fairfax County in 1836. During the Civil War,
she became an acquaintance of Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart who introduced her to then-Lt. John Mosby in 1862. Mosby credited her with preventing his capture . . . — — Map (db m1642) HM
On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1863, Confederate Capt. John S. Mosby and 40 Partisan Rangers attacked the picket post of the 1st Vermont Cavalry guarding this station on the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad. The detachment commander Lt. . . . — — Map (db m151048) HM
On March 17, 1863, "The Grey Ghost," Captain John Singleton Mosby, and his band of Confederate Rangers of the 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, conducted a surprise daytime attack near Herndon's railroad station. Mosby's Rangers captured Union . . . — — Map (db m115850) HM
The Oak Grove School operated on this site from 1953 to 1964, with educator Earl L. Pulley as principal. The school served African American elementary students from the Town of Herndon and surrounding areas of both Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. . . . — — Map (db m187627) HM
Built on this site in the early 1780s, the George Payne house is thought to be the oldest house still standing in the Town of Herndon. Payne was a nephew of William Payne, a close friend of George Washington. The original two-story, four-room, . . . — — Map (db m145083) HM
On the night of March 22, 1917, a fire started at a nearby livery consumed downtown Herndon including this portion of Station Street and much of Pine Street. Although the use of dynamite prevented further devastation, fourteen buildings were lost. . . . — — Map (db m126637) HM
In 1957, Planning Commission Chairman Edward N. Stirewalt originated the idea for a circular drive around the Town. This concept was placed in the Town's 1958 master plan. Construction began in the 1960's and continued as the Town grew from a . . . — — Map (db m126636) HM
The house on this property was Herndon's first public school. It was built in 1868 as a one room schoolhouse and expanded to three rooms in the 1870s. It was a segregated school that the Herndon School Association operated for children of all . . . — — Map (db m186869) HM
In the years before motor vehicles came to dominate transportation, business was never better for the Washington & Old Dominion Railway. Demand for passenger and freight service boomed, while the W&OD's owners balked at spending the money necessary . . . — — Map (db m44101) HM
In 1900, the Virginia state legislature passed a law that required separation of races in public spaces. This included schools, restaurants, hotels and public transportation—which at that time was primarily the use of trains. This was nicknamed . . . — — Map (db m214237) HM
The Yellow House, built in the mid 1800s on Elden Street, overlooked the downtown with its two-story porch and vibrant color. It was residence of Madison Whipple, the Postmaster of Herndon in the 1860s, and later Thomas Reed, Herndon's first . . . — — Map (db m186867) HM
The 100-ft wide W&OD has been called "the skinniest park" in Virginia. But it is also one of the longest parks, 45 miles of paved trail for walking, running, cycling and skating and more. Built on the roadbed of the former Washington & Old Dominion . . . — — Map (db m115846) HM
The railroad that became the Washington & Old Dominion was born in Alexandria in response to the competition in shipping posed by the port in Baltimore, which was served by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The B&O was diverting farm produce from the . . . — — Map (db m153) HM
This memorial is dedicated in honor
of the valiant men and women
of the Town of Herndon
Commonwealth of Virginia
who rendered unyielding service
to the cause of liberty
in declared and undeclared wars
to keep the United States of . . . — — Map (db m133078) WM
The 100-foot-wide Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park (W&OD Trail) features a 45-mile asphalt trail for walking, running, skating, bicycling and other activities and a 33-mile, parallel, gravel bridle path for horseback riding and . . . — — Map (db m186871) HM
Laura Ratcliffe, a spy for noted Confederate officers J.E.B. Stuart and John S. Mosby, lived here at Merrybrook after the Civil War. It is the only known remaining house associated with her. During the war, she lived two-and-a-half miles south of . . . — — Map (db m126642) HM
In 1946 Hal and Ruth Launders settled here on what was then a farm on the road to Centreville just south of the town of Herndon. Hal lived in Washington before the War and worked in public relations. He served with the Coast Guard in the South . . . — — Map (db m205832) HM
The Frying Pan Spring Meeting House witnessed much Civil War activity. Union and Confederate military records mention the location numerous times as a meeting place and a site of skirmishes. In 1861 and 1862, encampments of Confederate troops . . . — — Map (db m154530) HM
This circa 1791 Baptist Church standing on its original site represents a continuous tribute to early religious freedom for slave and free together. — — Map (db m5608) HM
Frying Pan Springs Meeting House was erected c. 1791 on land granted by Robert “Counsellor” Carter to a group of “Old School” Baptists. In addition to local farmers the fundamentalist beliefs of its members also attracted free blacks and slaves . . . — — Map (db m5609) HM
The Frying Pan Meeting House, constructed by 1791 on land donated by the Carter family in 1783, was used for Baptist services until 1968. Named for nearby Frying Pan Branch, the church is a rare example of 18th-Century architecture in western . . . — — Map (db m95104) HM
This pin oak replaces the 200 year old oak that was a sapling when the congregation first met in the Frying Pan Meeting House Baptist Church, 1791.
Planted on Arbor Day, April 26, 1991, in celebration of the centennial of the National . . . — — Map (db m197020) HM
Why Do We Have Nest Boxes?
Bluebirds need nest boxes to survive! After house sparrows and starlings were introduced to North America, these aggressive birds dominated the natural cavities (holes) for nesting and bluebird numbers declined. . . . — — Map (db m198252) HM
Dedicated to Harry Middleton, Jr. for his 22 years of faithful service to the Frying Pan Farm Park Friends Board. This Middleton family barn, built by Harry's great grandfather in 1897-98, was donated to the park by Harry Middleton, Jr. in 1998. — — Map (db m197025) HM
New equipment for farms will not again be plentiful until the material needs of our armed forces are fully met. It is now your patriotic responsibility to secure maximum production with whatever equipment may be available. The accomplishment will . . . — — Map (db m198257) HM
Gears to the right of the driver's seat transfer power from the large drive wheels to the rake reel. Pulled over a swath of mowed dry hay, the rake teeth move the hay along the rake's length, forming a windrow along the left side. The side . . . — — Map (db m198255) HM
Built as an exhibit building in 1962, with funds raised by Fairfax County 4-H Club members and other county citizens, this barn commemorates the Fairfax County 4-H Fair held on this site annually since 1948. — — Map (db m197032) HM
Built in 1917 on the site of an original shop in the Town of Herndon is dedicated to the memory of Hatcher H. Ankers--Granger--Churchman--Civic Leader--Chairman of the Frying Pan Park and Youth Center Advisory Board--whose leadership and devotion . . . — — Map (db m197031) HM
The Smokehouse
The "meat house" was moved here in 1987, from the Murphy dairy farm off Frying Pan Road. Used for over 100 years to preserve pork and other meats, it is larger than a traditional family smokehouse.
The building served as . . . — — Map (db m197024) HM
The threshing machine performs three separate operations as one unit. These are: separating, cleaning, and stacking straw, from grains, beans and other seed crops. The machine is powered by a belt connected to a tractor pulley. Frick Company, . . . — — Map (db m198254) HM
Van Brunt Light Draft Grain Drills owe their success to their practical working qualities. It has been the purpose of the makers so to construct these machines that they will do the best possible work in the most difficult seeding conditions. . . . — — Map (db m198253) HM
Moved to second edifice September 19, 1982 at 13615 Coppermine Road, before moving to third edifice located at 2516 Squirrel Hill Road on May 1, 1999
Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church was organized in 1866 and held services in The Old Floris . . . — — Map (db m126641) HM
The large boulder, located just south of here, served as an important landmark during the Civil War, when Col. John S. Mosby’s Partisan Rangers (43d Battalion, Virginia Cavalry) assembled there to raid Union outposts, communications, and supply . . . — — Map (db m2165) HM
Mosby’s Rangers (43d Bn., Va. Cav.) used this rock as a rendezvous point and met here to divide the spoils after raids. The renowned Southern spy and scout Laura Ratcliffe, who lived nearby, showed this rock to Col. (then Captain) John S. Mosby, . . . — — Map (db m9957) HM
Clover Hill, the residence of Alexander Turley, was built near here ca. 1823 on a high point of Turley's 450-acre farm. The two-story brick house featured Alexander Turley's initials incorporated into the chimney using glazed bricks. Slave cabins . . . — — Map (db m95088) HM
