Are you living in Virginia? Or are you staying there for just a few days and do you want to discover interesting places and spend a great time? Herndon Depot is just the place to visit. It is a museum located at 717 Lynn St, Herndon, VA 20170 in Fairfax County. The Herndon Depot Museum’s history and artifacts make it a place you must absolutely discover.
Description of the Museum
In March 1863, on St. Patrick’s Day, Captain John S. Mosby, from the Confederate Army led a raid. During that raid, Mosby and his men captured officers and soldiers by surprising the Union Army picket who was guarding the station. This was a great act for Mosby. What was also great was that there weren’t any casualties for the Confederate army. Well, the place where this raid took place is actually the site of Herndon Depot Museum. So, by going to Fairfax County and by visiting the museum in Herndon, VA, you already have the opportunity to discover an important spot in American history. The museum is also located at the intersection of the Station Street and the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail.
The museum building is a wooden vertical board and batten structure, rectangular in shape and with one story. It measures 70.5 by 20.1 feet. The only decorative feature we can find on the building are Victorian style buttresses under the eaves. The parts of the building which are original are the framings of the windows and door and the two baggage doors. Several pieces of hardware and the semaphore are also original. In June 18, 1979, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This was done by the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service of the United States Department of the Interior.
Things to discover at the Museum
There was a railroad in Fairfax County and contributed to the development of agriculture. So, you can discover railroad memorabilia at the museum. The railroad has played an important role in the life of Herndon, VA residents. In fact, it was part of their daily lives as large dairy farms surrounded the village. Every day, farmers shipped milk on the railroad to Washington. There, the milk was processed and distributed. No wonder that information about the railroad is displayed at the museum. Other businesses were created in the community thanks to the railroad and were found around the station.
If the museum was named Herndon, it was not by chance. Herndon is actually the name of William Lewis Herndon, an outstanding Commander of the United States Navy. Of course, information on Commander Herndon is also available at the museum. In the museum, visitors can also find information from local residents, from World War II, and artifacts from USS Herndon (D-198). The latter was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was commissioned as USS Herndon in the United States Coast Guard before being transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Churchill, where she served until being named Deyatelny for the Soviet Navy.
If you happen to be in Herndon, VA, don’t forget to visit Herndon Depot Museum. It is a wonderful place that Fairfax County can be proud of and which will immerse you in a part of American history.
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