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Hidden
Treasures | Reston
and D.C. Metro Area Maps
History
of Reston
In
the beginning it was a large parcel of land, well-watered
and forested, in the Northern Virginia Piedmont.
It was a place waiting to become the most remarkable
community of its region. Only imagination, experienced
judgment and funding were needed to realize this
potential. The story of Reston’s growth becomes
more fascinating as it unfolds.
Over
a period of approximately 70 years, several attempts
were made to create the place that is today a large,
self-sufficient community spread over more than 7,000
acres. First a doctor from Philadelphia tried to establish
the Town of Wiehle here in the 1890s. It turned out
that he was ahead of his time. Then two brothers from
Kentucky, cattle raisers and distillers, drew up a town
master plan in the 1950s. Too many problems arose and
frustrated their efforts. Their successor, a Realtor
and builder of large shopping centers from New York
City, proved to be under capitalized and was followed
by two major oil companies eager to try their hand at
land development.
Meanwhile,
the idea of community building was experiencing an
evolution. The concept of “new towns” emerged
in western England and Scandinavia in response to
the demands of modern living. The idea was simple
and sound: a self sufficient urban development, taking
the form of a small-to-medium size city with a broad
range of housing and planned commercial, industrial,
educational and recreational facilities. It was a
place where urban landscape in a rural setting could
offer a quality of life, amenity and individual dignity.
It
was Robert E. Simon, Jr., who saw this land in 1961,
fell in love with it, and succeeded in gathering
the essential elements needed to begin the process
of bringing the new town concept to Northern Virginia.
The new town which resulted was named “Reston”, using the
founder’s initials and the English suffix for
town. In its 11.5 square mile space, over 58,000 residents
live, work, play and enjoy Reston as their home.
Bob
Simon engaged noted planners and architects to prepare
a grand design for the development of his land and a
talented environmentalist to plan for the management
of open space. He persuaded the Fairfax County Board
of Supervisors to pass an ordinance making possible
the clustering of housing closely together so that open
space with fields and trees could serve as large areas
of commonly held land to improve the physical appearance
and the environmental quality of the community. Natural
streams were dammed to form lakes, and village centers
were designed to provide shopping facilities and other
services. Lake Anne Village Center with its tall apartment
building, Heron House, and innovative townhouses surrounding
the lake like a European coastal village, became an
internationally recognized symbol of this growing American
New Town.
Providing
the services of roads, streets, sewer, water, shopping
centers, parklands and recreational facilities, and
working with county officials to provide schools,
libraries, and other necessities became too great
a burden for one man’s bank account. One of
his principal investors, Gulf Oil, stepped in to
save the project from bankruptcy in 1967. It is to
their lasting credit that Gulf Reston officials continued
development of the New Town and for more than ten
years encouraged a diversity in housing sizes, styles,
and prices. The company actively sought businesses
and organizations that would establish themselves
in Reston and thus provide opportunities for residents
to work near the places where they lived.
Civic,
cultural, sports, and religious organizations were
formed and flourished. A citizens’ effort of
major significance was the building of the Reston
Community Center at Hunters Woods Village. It required
seven years of planning and design to provide space
for programming which would appeal to a wide range
of community interests. Close cooperation with Fairfax
County officials was needed to establish an administrative
board and a special taxing district to fund the ambitious
plan.
When
the Mobil Corporation bought the remaining undeveloped
land from Gulf Reston in 1978, Reston Land Corporation
was formed as a subsidiary. The new developer also
followed Simon’s master plan for the development of the
New Town. Long-planned projects came into being; additional
schools and parks, a regional county branch library
building, the Reston Hospital Center, a shelter for
the homeless, a county magisterial district office building,
and the Cameron Glen nursing center for the elderly.
High technology firms found campus-like office or R&D
park designs desirable and the location close to Washington
a strong factor in the decision to build or lease facilities
in Reston. The business community banded together in
1984 and established the Reston Board of Commerce,
now consisting of some eight hundred members working
to strengthen effectiveness and ties between business
and the community.
By
the end of 1988, over 1,400 companies had established
themselves in Reston, employing 31,000 people, more
than an average of one and one-half jobs per household.
High technology firms like Sperry were followed by others,
especially after the Dulles Toll Road opened in 1984,
shortening the driving time to Tysons Corner and Washington.
Time and again, company officials spoke of the community
design, housing, amenities, and the talented work force
as being major factors in their decisions to settle
their businesses in Reston. The overwhelming commitment
of numerous businesses to Reston, starting in the early
years with USGS, has provided the broad employment base
so vital to the new town concept.
Another
key component in Bob Simon’s original master plan
for Reston was the heart of this urban landscape in
a rural setting. The 20 acre first phase of Reston Town
Center was dedicated in October 1990, developed by a
new corporation, Reston Town Center Phase I Associates,
in cooperation with Boston based Himmel/MKDG. This first
unit of a larger plan included 220,000 square feet of
retail space, 290,000 square feet of office buildings
and professional space, the 514 room Hyatt Regency Hotel
and an 11 screen movie theater. A large fountain topped
with a distinctive statue of Mercury became the Center’s
focal point.
Across
Market Street from the Mercury Fountain, a barrel-vaulted
glass roofed Pavilion was built in 1993 over an ice
skating rink used during winter months. For the rest
of the year it is a large, open air building for
concerts, festivals, seasonal celebrations, and children’s
events.
The
planning and development of Reston have surpassed
all expectations as has the phenomenally successful
Reston Town Center. In 1996, the total number of
visits to the Town Center for all purposes during
the year was more than 5 million. It has become the “downtown” for
western Fairfax County and eastern Loudoun County.
Nineteen
ninety-seven was a year of change for Reston. In addition
to new leadership for Reston Community Center, Reston
Interfaith and Reston Community Hospital, Mobil Land
Development Corporation sold its real estate holdings
in Reston. Westbrook Partners purchased all undeveloped
land in Reston, including Reston Town Center. Equity
Office purchased Reston Town Center, and Blackstone
obtained the Hyatt Regency Reston. Speculative office
buildings are again on the horizon and more than 1,000
townhomes and condos are being developed in Reston Town
Center.
Reston
will continue to attract national and worldwide recognition
and awards as it has from the beginning. The outpouring
of creative energy which has resulted in its singular
success is combined with the rich legacy of its past,
the vitality of its people and the success of its business
community to make the promise of its future a bright
one.
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