Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad

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The Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad (GF&OD) was an interurban trolley line that ran in Northern Virginia during the early 20th century.

Contents

[edit] History

Chartered in 1900 by John Roll McLean (owner of The Washington Post) and Senator Stephen Benton Elkins, the 15-mile electrified railroad was built from Georgetown in Washington, D.C., to Cherrydale in Arlington County in 1904 and to Great Falls Park in Fairfax County in 1906. From Georgetown, the railroad crossed the Potomac River on a superstructure built on the upstream side of the old Aqueduct Bridge to Rosslyn in Arlington, where it made connections with an older electric trolley line, the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railway. From Rosslyn, the railroad travelled northwest along the north side of Lee Highway (now part of U.S. Route 29) to Cherrydale and then on its own right-of-way (now Old Dominion Drive) in Arlington and Fairfax Counties through forests, farmland and fruit orchards, bypassing the existing villages of Lewinsville and Langley.

At Great Falls, the railroad constructed an amusement park, which became a popular destination. The park featured a carousel, a dance pavilion, a picnic area and the nighttime illumination of the falls.

The owners gave their own names to two stations located at the railroad's crossings of major roads: McLean Station at Chain Bridge Road and Elkins Station at Old Georgetown Pike (State Route 193). The station at Chain Bridge Road became a focus for development that evolved into the community of McLean, Virginia.

In 1911, McLean and Elkins incorporated the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Railway. In 1912, the Georgetown-Great Falls line became the Great Falls Division of the W&OD Railway, sharing its trackage with the Railway's Bluemont Division between Rosslyn and Thrifton Junction (near the present Lyon Village shopping center). In 1932, during the Great Depression, the W&OD Railway went bankrupt. Service ended on the railway's Great Falls Division in 1934. In 1935, Fairfax and Arlington counties obtained the right-of-way west of Thrifton Junction in settlement of delinquent taxes. Most of this right-of-way became Old Dominion Drive.

Interstate 66 (I-66) and the Custis Trail now run on the railroads's former right-of-way between Rosslyn and Thrifton Junction. Lee Highway runs on or near the railroad's former right-of-way between Thrifton Junction and N. Quincy Street. Old Dominion Drive runs on the former right-of-way between N. Quincy Street and Great Falls Park.

[edit] Stations

The stations on the GF&OD and on the Great Falls Division of the W&OD (with locations of sites in 2007) were:

Station Location[1][2] Jurisdiction Side of Tracks Photo Notes
Georgetown 2 M Street, N.W., between 35th and 37th Streets, N.W.[citation needed] District of Columbia West Terminal station of GF&OD and W&OD until 1923. Adjacent to Georgetown Car Barn, which served Washington's electric street cars.
Rosslyn Passenger Terminal: Fort Myer Drive (west side) between George Washington Memorial Parkway and Lee Highway[citation needed]] Arlington County West 1. undated colorized postcard & 1923 interior photo of passenger terminal

2. 1925 photo

 The GF&OD and W&OD stopped at a passenger shelter from 1904 to 1923. The W&OD terminated behind a passenger station on Fort Myer Drive from 1923 to 1938 and in the present route of I-66 from 1938 to 1968. All of the stations and termini were near the present site of the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel.[3]
Colonial I-66 between N. Nash and N. Oak Streets[citation needed]] Arlington County South Near Rosslyn freight station
Mackeys I-66 at N. Quinn Street (west side)[citation needed] Arlington County South
Park Lane I-66 east of N. Uhle Street[citation needed] Arlington County West
Pearce I-66 near N. Adams Street[citation needed] Arlington County South
Clark I-66 near N. Calvert Street[citation needed] Arlington County South
Thrifton I-66 between Lee Highway and Spout Run Parkway[citation needed] Arlington County South North of Lyon Village shopping center. Named for Hugh A. Thrift. East of junction with Thrifton – Bluemont Junction connecting line.
Dominion Heights [citation needed] Lee Highway (north side) at N. Monroe Street Arlington County
Cherrydale [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at N. Quebec Street] Arlington County
Harrison [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at N. Thomas Street] Arlington County North
Greenwood [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at N. Vermont Street (west side), north of Lorcum Lane] Arlington County South
Maplewood [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive west of N. Abingdon Street] Arlington County South
Livingston Heights Old Dominion Drive at 24th Street N. (north side)][citation needed] Arlington County West 24th Street N. was Livingstone Street prior to 1932 (named for Colin H. Livingstone)
Lyonhurst Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N.[citation needed] Arlington County Named for the nearby estate of Frank Lyon (now Missionhurst)
Summit [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at 26th Street N. (southeast side)] Arlington County Northeast
Rixey [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at N. Glebe Road (east side)] Arlington County Southwest undated Named for the nearby estate of Dr. Presley Marion Rixey. Marymount University now occupies the Rixey estate.
Jewell [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at Rock Spring Road (north side)] Arlington County East undated Named for Charles Jewell
Vanderwerken [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at Little Falls Road (west side)] Arlington County North Named for Gilbert Vanderwerken
Franklin Park [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at Franklin Park Road] Fairfax County undated
Rockwell Old Dominion Drive Fairfax County
Chesterbrook Old Dominion Drive at Kirby Road[citation needed] Fairfax County
El Nido Old Dominion Drive at Birch Road[citation needed] Fairfax County
Selva Old Dominion Drive at 6th Place[citation needed] Fairfax County
Viresco Old Dominion Drive at Linway Terrace[citation needed] Fairfax County
McLean Old Dominion Drive at Chain Bridge Road[citation needed] Fairfax County Named for John Roll McLean
Ingleside Old Dominion Drive at Ingleside Avenue[citation needed] Fairfax County
Balls Hill Old Dominion Drive at Balls Hill Road[citation needed] Fairfax County
Hitaffer [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive near Old Gate Court Fairfax County
Jackson Old Dominion Drive near Swinks Mill Road[citation needed] Fairfax County South undated
Spring Hill [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at Spring Hill Road Fairfax County
Prospect Hill [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at Bellview Place] Fairfax County Northeast undated
Belleview [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at Bellview Road] Fairfax County Southwest undated
Glendale [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive at Towlston Road] Fairfax County
Peacock Old Dominion Drive at Peacock Station Road (east side)[citation needed]] Fairfax County Southwest undated
Fairview Old Dominion Drive at Falls Run Road[citation needed] Fairfax County
Elkins Old Dominion Drive at Georgetown Pike[citation needed] Fairfax County undated Named for Stephen Benton Elkins.
Dickeys Road [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls Park Fairfax County (National Park Service) Named for Dickey's Inn near former site of Matildaville.[4]
Great Falls [citation needed] Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls Park Fairfax County (National Park Service) 1. undated postcard

2. undated photo

 Terminal station of GF&OD and Great Falls Division of W&OD.

[edit] Roads and trails along railroad route

  • Roads
    • I-66 between Fort Myer Drive and bridge over Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) west of Spout Run Parkway], Arlington[citation needed]
  • Trail
    • I-66 Custis Trail between Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn and Lee Highway (at Lyon Village Shopping Center, Arlington[citation needed]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Locations of stations according to distances in Harwood, Herbert Hawley (2000), "Washington & Old Dominion Station List, 1916: Great Falls Division", in Rails to the Blue Ridge: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, 1847–1968, page 141. (ISBN 0-615-11453-9)
  2. ^ Locations of sites in 2007 on hybrid satellite image/street map from WikiMapia
  3. ^ Key Bridge Marriott Hotel official website. Accessed March 18, 2008.
  4. ^ Photos of Dickey's Inn on Dickeys Inn at Matildaville page of Great Falls Historical Society, Virginia, official website. Accessed March 18, 2008.

[edit] References

  • Harwood, Herbert Hawley (2000). Rails to the Blue Ridge: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, 1847–1968. ISBN 0-615-11453-9. 
  • Williams, Ames W (1989). The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad. ISBN 0-926984-00-4. 

[edit] Links