Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad

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

History

Chartered in 1900 by a group of local landowners and acquired in 1902 by John Roll McLean (owner of The Washington Post) and Senator Stephen Benton Elkins, the 15-mile electrified railroad began operating in 1906. The first scheduled car reached Great Falls Park in Fairfax County on July 3 of that year.

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 Railroad. 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, State Route 309) 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 Railway (W&OD). 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.

Stations

The stations on the GF&OD and on the Great Falls Division of the W&OD (with locations of sites in 2008) were:

Station	Location	Coordinates	Jurisdiction	Side of Tracks	Photo	Notes
Georgetown	M Street, N.W., between 35th and 37th Streets, N.W.	38°54′19″N 77°04′13″W	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	38°53′58″N 77°04′18″W	Arlington County	West	undated colorized postcard & 1923 interior photo of passenger terminal	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. Historical Marker: Rosslyn Station
Colonial	I-66 at N. Nash Street	38°53′55″N 77°04′28″W	Arlington County	South
Rosslyn Freight House	I-66 near N. Oak Street	38°53′56″N 77°04′32″W	Arlington County	North
Mackeys	I-66 at N. Quinn Street	38°53′52″N 77°04′44″W	Arlington County	Northwest
Park Lane	I-66 east of N. Uhle Street; north of Lee Highway	38°53′50″N 77°05′04″W	Arlington County	Southwest
Pearce	I-66 near N. Adams Street	38°53′54″N 77°05′22″W	Arlington County	South
Clark	I-66 near N. Calvert Street	38°53′52″N 77°05′35″W	Arlington County	South		Near east side of Spout Run.
Thrifton	I-66 between Lee Highway and Spout Run Parkway	38°53′47″N 77°05′54″W	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	Lee Highway (between traffic lanes) at N. Monroe Street (east side)	38°53′46″N 77°06′15″W	Arlington County	South
Cherrydale	Intersection of Lee Highway and Old Dominion Drive at Military Road (east side)	38°53′49″N 77°06′30″W	Arlington County	Southwest	circa 1908
Harrison	Old Dominion Drive at N. Thomas Street	38°53′58″N 77°06′51″W	Arlington County	South
Greenwood	Old Dominion Drive at Lorcum Lane (northwest side); east of N. Vermont Street	38.8991534°N 77.1170604°W / 38.8991534; -77.1170604 (Former location of Greenwood Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad))	Arlington County	South
Maplewood	Old Dominion Drive between traffic lanes north of Lee Highway; west of N. Abingdon Street	38°53′55″N 77°07′17″W	Arlington County	South
Livingston	Old Dominion Drive at 24th Street N. (north side)	38°54′03″N 77°07′28″W	Arlington County	Southwest		24th Street N. was Livingstone Street prior to 1932 (named for Colin H. Livingstone)
Lyonhurst	Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N.	38°54′07″N 77°07′33″W	Arlington County	Southwest		Named for the nearby estate of Frank Lyon (now Missionhurst)
Summit	Old Dominion Drive at 26th Street N. (southeast side)	38.9031°N 77.12677°W / 38.9031; -77.12677 (Former location of Summit Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad))	Arlington County	Southwest
Rixey	Old Dominion Drive at N. Glebe Road (east side)	38°54′15″N 77°07′43″W	Arlington County	Northeast	undated	Named for the nearby estate of Dr. Presley Marion Rixey. Marymount University now occupies the Rixey estate. Later station on southeast side of tracks.
Jewell	Old Dominion Drive at Rock Spring Road (north side)	38°54′28″N 77°07′58″W	Arlington County	Southwest	undated	Named for Charles Jewell
Vanderwerken	Old Dominion Drive at Little Falls Road (northwest side)	38°54′35″N 77°08′13″W	Arlington County	North		Named for Gilbert Vanderwerken
Franklyn Park	Old Dominion Drive at Franklin Park Road	38°54′55″N 77°08′54″W	Fairfax County	Northeast	undated
Rockwell	Old Dominion Drive near Dominion Crest Lane	38°55′06″N 77°09′00″W	Fairfax County	Southwest
Chesterbrook	Old Dominion Drive at Kirby Road (northwest side)	38°55′18″N 77°09′13″W	Fairfax County	Northeast
El Nido	Old Dominion Drive at Birch Road	38°55′26″N 77°09′42″W	Fairfax County	North
Selva	Old Dominion Drive at 6th Place	38°55′35″N 77°09′57″W	Fairfax County	Southwest
Viresco	Old Dominion Drive between Pimmit Run and Linway Terrace	38°55′44″N 77°10′04″W	Fairfax County	Northeast		Southeast side of B&O Railroad right-of-way
Lawnvale	Old Dominion Drive near Holmes Place	38°55′51″N 77°10′22″W	Fairfax County	Southwest
McLean	Old Dominion Drive at Chain Bridge Road (northwest side)	38°56′03″N 77°10′40″W	Fairfax County	Northeast		Named for John Roll McLean
Ingleside	Old Dominion Drive at Ingleside Avenue	38°56′09″N 77°10′59″W	Fairfax County	Northeast
Balls Hill	Old Dominion Drive at Balls Hill Road (east side)	38°56′30″N 77°11′39″W	Fairfax County	West
Hitaffer	Old Dominion Drive at Swinks Mill Road (south side)	38°56′48″N 77°12′41″W	Fairfax County	Northeast
Jackson	Old Dominion Drive northwest of Swinks Mill Road	38°56′51″N 77°12′50″W	Fairfax County	Southwest	undated
Spring Hill	Old Dominion Drive at Spring Hill Road (east side)	38°57′10″N 77°13′35″W	Fairfax County	Northeast
Prospect Hill	Old Dominion Drive at Bellview Place	38.95836°N 77.236467°W / 38.95836; -77.236467 (Former location of Prospect Hill Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad))	Fairfax County	Northeast	undated
Belleview	Old Dominion Drive at Bellview Road	38°57′40″N 77°14′25″W	Fairfax County	Southwest	undated
Glendale	Old Dominion Drive at Towlston Road	38°58′12″N 77°14′58″W	Fairfax County	Southwest
Peacock	Old Dominion Drive at Peacock Station Road (east side)	38°58′25″N 77°15′12″W	Fairfax County	Southwest	undated
Fairview	Old Dominion Drive at Falls Run Road	38°58′40″N 77°15′26″W	Fairfax County	West
Elkins	Old Dominion Drive at Georgetown Pike (north side)	38°58′54″N 77°15′25″W	Fairfax County	West	undated	Named for Stephen Benton Elkins.
Dickeys Road	Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls Park	38°59′36″N 77°15′20″W	Fairfax County (National Park Service)			Named for Dickey's Inn. Near former site of Matildaville.
Great Falls	Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls Park	38°59′48″N 77°15′19″W	Fairfax County (National Park Service)	Inside turnaround	1. undated postcard 2. undated photo	Terminal station of GF&OD and Great Falls Division of W&OD.

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
  • Old Dominion Drive, Arlington and Fairfax Counties

• Trail
  • I-66 Custis Trail between Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn and Lee Highway (at Lyon Village Shopping Center, Arlington

See also

• Northern Virginia Trolleys
• Washington and Old Dominion Railroad

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. 

• Interstate Commerce Commission (1916-07-01). "GF&OD Railroad 1916 ICC Valuation Maps". W&OD Railroad Maps. Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority: Washington & Old Dominion Regional Park. http://www.nvrpa.org/park/w_od_railroad/content/wod_railroad_maps. Retrieved 2010-09-15. 

External links

• Historical Marker: The Great Falls Line, by Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, in website of HMdb.org The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
• Paul McCray's website on Washington and Old Dominion Railroad. Accessed 2010-07-01.
• Yahoo group discussing the Washington and Old Dominion RR and Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad
• "Circa 1920 system map of Washington and Old Dominion Railway". Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority historical marker: "Bluemont Junction". HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database. Photograph by Craig Swain, Leesburg, VA, dated 2009-11-22. http://www.hmdb.org/PhotoFullSize.asp?PhotoID=87524. Retrieved 2010-08-18.  Map shows stations and route of Great Falls Division of W&OD Railway (formerly route of Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad).