Historic Herndon

Yesterday I went to a lunch arranged by members of the Women's Club.  It was held at the Ice House cafe in Herndon.

The modern town of Herndon spreads over a large area, including the area adjacent to the airport where David works and the area where the Bargain Loft is situated which is where Herndon and the much newer town of Reston meet.

The original town of Herndon, of which  just a few historic buildings remain, grew up as a result of the building of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad in the mid 19th century.  The old station building, known as the Herndon depot, has been preserved and functions as a museum, only open on Sundays.

In the early days of the railway it provided a means for farmers in the Herndon area, mainly dairy farmers, to get milk and produce to market, as roads at that time were unpaved and could become impassable in wet or icy weather.  

The railway closed in 1968 and is now a cycle track which is very popular as it enables access from Washington into Virginia.  It seems ironic that the railroad, which passes through Reston as well as Herndon, should have been closed at the time when Reston was just being developed and it was fifty years before a rail link (via the metro) was re-established to Washington.

The Main Street through Herndon has a number of historic homes and buildings and, despite the fact that it is surrounded by very developed residential and business districts, it still has quite a small town feel to it.

It even had its own pumpkin patch..

The Ice House was exactly what it's name suggests..

Whether the ice was used by local businesses or to pack produce on trains for freshness I have not discovered.  It has been established as a cafe/restaurant for many years with a very traditional interior featuring stuffed heads of moose, wild boar, elk etc on the wall and a rather unusual notice just inside the door.,