Chronicling the Past in Bronze in Herndon
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Chronicling the Past in Bronze in Herndon

Town installs four of the final six Historic Markers.

763 Grace Street, Herndon Seminary: 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 Grace and Vine Streets. In 1881, Mrs. Castleman built the house on this site, where she and her daughters lived and continued to run the Herndon Seminary, a private boarding and day school for young ladies. The seminary was in operation until 1926.

763 Grace Street, Herndon Seminary: 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 Grace and Vine Streets. In 1881, Mrs. Castleman built the house on this site, where she and her daughters lived and continued to run the Herndon Seminary, a private boarding and day school for young ladies. The seminary was in operation until 1926. Photo by Mercia Hobson.

By Mercia Hobson

Thursday, February 13, 2020

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Screenshot via Town of Herndon website

Map showing Herndon Historic Marker locations.

Town of Herndon crews installed four new Historic Markers in late January, adding to the Town's Marker Program. In October of 2016, Mayor Lisa Merkel unveiled the first marker, which commemorated "The Big Fire" that consumed most of downtown Herndon. The sites of the newly installed markers are Town Hall, 730 Elden Street-Herndon Dairy, 725 Center Street-Herndon School, 763 Grace Street-Herndon Seminary and 195 Herndon Parkway, Runnymede Park-Hawkins/ Carroll house.

“There are two more markers planned for installation, one for the Town Hall (730 Elden Street) and the other for the Herndon Theatre (757 Elden Street),” said Town’s spokesperson, Anne Curtis.

Described as "really beautiful" by Mayor Merkel in 2016 when she announced the unveiling of the first marker during a Town Council Public Hearing, the plaques are cast bronze, etched with a stainless steel Town Seal and bronze photo with a traditional mount for freestanding markers with a fluted post. When the final two markers are installed, there will be a total of 21 markers. “The map on the marker webpage shows all marker locations and topic/content, including those that have not been installed yet,” said Curtis.

"The historic marker program has been successful in its mission to memorialize historic sites important to Herndon and help enhance awareness of local history. A lot of Herndon’s character and sense of community can be traced to the places, people, and events highlighted in these markers,” said Bryce Perry, Deputy Director of Community Development, Town of Herndon.

For more information about the program, visit www.herndon-va.gov, search historic-marker-program and herndonhistoricalsociety.org.

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Town Hall, Herndon Dairy; The Scott family, Caitlin Dearing, Alistar, 2½, and Cameron check out one of the newest Herndon Historic Markers, this one located on the Town Hall near the Herndon Depot. 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 fast way to move fresh milk to markets in Washington, D.C. From a platform previously located on this site, farmers loaded their milk containers onto the train each morning and returned each evening to retrieve their empty containers for reuse the next day.

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Runnymede Park, Hawkins/Carroll house: 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 until the late 1980s. It is the only house in Herndon that remains in its original rural setting and stands as a reminder of Herndon agricultural heritage. Among the particularly distinctive architectural features of the house is the etched heraldry found above doors and windows that serves as a reference to the French lineage of some members of the Hawkins family.

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

725 Center Street, Herndon School: 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 grades. In the 1870s, it became part of the Fairfax County school system. The schoolhouse was vacated in 1912 when a larger public school was built on Locust Street.

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