| Herndon
Historical Society Celebrates 30th Anniversary |
By Jeannie Baumann
Observer Staff Writer |
| It all started with a nickel on a railroad track. |
| The Historical Society of Herndon, which celebrated its
30th anniversary last Sunday at a ceremony in the Herndon
Municipal Center, began in an effort to save the Herndon Depot.
|
| "I put a nickel on the railroad tracks and the last train
to leave Herndon smashed it," former Herndon Town Councilman
Richard Downer recalled. "And the big question came up: What
are we going to do with the old train depot?" |
| There was a proposal at the time to raze the depot and build
a parking lot to address the town's dire need for parking
spaces. But Downer and 25 other town residents felt it was
important to preserve the building as part of the town's history. |
| In a move he calls "selfish," Downer founded a group to
save the depot, and called the first meeting to order Jan.
21, 1971 with 74 charter members. |
| Today, the Depot is designated as a historic landmark and
houses the society's museum of Herndon's history. |
| "I feel very proud when I see it on the police badges. The
building that almost got torn down for a parking lot is now
the symbol of Herndon and should be," Downer said. |
| "It was the center of life when it was an agricultural area." |
| Since accomplishing their initial feat 30 years ago, the
historical society, has expanded into a program, that in addition
to collecting hundreds of historical artifacts, has designated
more than 20 buildings as historical landmarks and began the
Herndon Homes Tour of historic homes in the area. |
| "As a society, we are very proud of what has been accomplished,"
society President Chuck Mauro said during a speech at the
anniversary celebration. |
| "As we go forward, our dedication to preserving the history
of the area remains the same. We hold five meetings per year
where we invite speakers to talk on topics of historical interest.
We continue to maintain and upgrade the museum in the depot.
We will continue to bring together those people interested
in history, and especially in the history of the Herndon,'"
Mauro said. |
| Mauro chronicled some of the society's major accomplishments,
such publishing a brief history on the town, acquiring and
restoring the caboose, as well as implementing the "plaque"
program that preserves the historic buildings. |
| Today, Mauro said the society has 60 members. |
