Herndon Historical Society

Herndon Historical Society The official page for the Herndon Historical Society (HHS). The Society is involved in many activities beyond maintaining the museum.

More details can be found in the Society's newsletters (www.herndonhistoricalsociety.org/newsletterminutesarchive.html), however some of those activities include:

• THE DEPOT

Although the Town of Herndon owns the depot, the Historical Society has from time to time expended funds to help maintain it. The most recent project was the restoration of the original railroad semaphore that is fixed on

the depot roof.


• HISTORIC HOMES REGISTRY

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


• THE CABOOSE

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


• ANNUAL MODEL TRAIN SHOW

Each December for the last few years the Historical Society, along with the Herndon Foundation for the Cultural Arts and the Herndon Chamber of Commerce, has sponsored an Annual Model Train Show. This event—which is held in ArtSpace, Herndon’s community art gallery—features both HO and N gauge model trains.


• THE GAS HOUSE MINI PARK

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


• AND MORE ...

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

This old photo of Herndon is dated c. 1920s, likely taken from atop a water tower that used to be located near Vine and ...
08/30/2026

This old photo of Herndon is dated c. 1920s, likely taken from atop a water tower that used to be located near Vine and Center Streets. It shows an aerial view of the intersection of Vine and Grace Streets. The view is looking in a southwest direction. A short section of Vine Street can be seen at the bottom of the photo, where it intersects with Grace Street. Grace Street is shown running diagonally, left to right. At the far left you can see the former Saint Timothy's Episcopal Church, which is now Herndon’s Masonic Lodge, that sits at the corner of Elden and Grace Streets. If you follow Elden Street westward, you can see some homes that still exist today, such as 830 Elden Street, which appears as a dark-colored home with white windows. The white house that is next home on Elden Street appears to be 840 Elden Street. The next two homes appears to be 900 and 904 Elden Street. Way off in the background (which can be seen right above 830 Elden Street’s rooftop), is a big brick building, which is Herndon High School on Locust Street. The second photo is a of the school. This school was built in 1912 but burned in 1927. A new school was later re-built on that lot. 264

Shown here is a c. 1948 photo of an early brick fire department building that used to be located on Station Street, acro...
08/27/2026

Shown here is a c. 1948 photo of an early brick fire department building that used to be located on Station Street, across the street from the Herndon Depot. The Big Fire of 1917 prompted the Town of Herndon to establish a fire department. By 1920, Herndon’s first fire chief was appointed, Roscoe Crippen. By 1921 it was reported that the Herndon Volunteer Fire Department had it first fire engine (a chemical pump on a Model T chassis). A lean-to type of structure was attached to the side of the Murphy and Ames Lumber Company building (also on Station Street across from the Depot) as a temporary shelter for the new vehicle. The fire engine would reside there until a fire house could be built. In 1923 a one-garage wood frame fire house was erected on Elden Street, on the west side of the Herndon Theatre (now The Upholstery Shop). The Herndon Citizen’s Association devised a fundraising plan whereby school children would sell bricks at a price of $.30 each to help pay for a new brick fire station, which was built c. 1929. It remained Herndon’s fire station until a new fire house was built on Spring Street in 1950.

Seen here is the tall Walker Building, which once sat at the north-east corner of Pine and Station Streets in downtown H...
08/23/2026

Seen here is the tall Walker Building, which once sat at the north-east corner of Pine and Station Streets in downtown Herndon. This is the lot where Zeffirelli’s Italian restaurant is now located. Albert Tobias Walker bought this lot from William Robey in 1905. Walker built a new large building, known as the Walker Building, in c. 1910. At the time it was the tallest building in Fairfax County. It had a store in it, but we are not sure what other businesses were housed inside the building. Sadly, the building did not last too long. It burned down in Herndon’s 1917 Big Fire. By 1923 a court determined that Mr. Walker was “declared and adjudged bankrupt.” At a public auction, George B. Robey (one of William’s sons) bought the land for $6700. After the fire, a new building was built on the lot (exact year unknown, but prior to 1937). The second photo shows the building in c. 1930s-40s. Many who have lived in Herndon for a while may remember one popular business that later occupied the building -- The 5 and Dime Café, shown at left in the last photo in c. 1990. The Zeffirelli Ristorante Italiano opened in the building in 1991.

Here is an old tree-lined scene of Monroe Street looking south toward Elden Street (which was then called Washington Str...
08/20/2026

Here is an old tree-lined scene of Monroe Street looking south toward Elden Street (which was then called Washington Street). The photo is from c. 1915-20. Seen at left is the house at 762 Monroe Street, which is located just two blocks north of Elden Street. A sole street light is in the center of the photo. The roads in Herndon remained dirt or gravel for many years to come.

The building at 845 Station Street has been through a lot of changes over the years. In the early 1900s the lot had a l...
08/05/2026

The building at 845 Station Street has been through a lot of changes over the years. In the early 1900s the lot had a livery for horses on it. But the livery burned down in Herndon’s 1917 Big Fire. After the Big Fire, a brick building was built on the lot which initially housed Harrison’s garage, which provided services for early Ford Motor Company automobiles. Later the building expanded and it housed a variety of other businesses such as Wright’s Tractor Company, Long Agricultural Equipment, Northern Virginia Tractor Company, and Perfection Automotive Company. The building is now home to The Closet of the Greater Herndon Area, a popular thrift and second-hand store.

Seen here is a photo of a steam locomotive in the center of the town of Herndon in c. 1910. At left is the Herndon depot...
08/01/2026

Seen here is a photo of a steam locomotive in the center of the town of Herndon in c. 1910. At left is the Herndon depot. In the center is the locomotive and its other cars, plus a wooden platform where farmers used to bring their milk cans every day to load onto the train. At right is Lynn Street where you can see the people on Lynn Street using their personal transportation of the day - horse and wagons. The buildings from left to right are the Hutchinson and Mitchell building, which later became a pharmacy building that burned in 1969; William Taylor’s jewelry shop, which is now Maude Salon; and Schneider’s Hardware store, which later became Dudding Hardware and Taylor Rental Center, which burned in 1980, and is now a parking lot. Note in front of the locomotive that there are two railroad tracks, one being a side rail to allow stopped trains to pull off to the side.

Address

717 Lynn Street
Herndon, VA
20170(MAILINGADDRESS:POBOX99,HERNDONVA20172)

Opening Hours

12pm - 3pm

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