Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad
The Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad 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 and Senator Stephen Benton Elkins, the 15-mile electrified railroad began operating from Georgetown in Washington, D.C., in 1906. The first scheduled car reached Great Falls Park in Fairfax County, Virginia, 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 & Falls Church Railway. From Rosslyn, the railroad traveled northwest along the north side of Lee Highway to Cherrydale and then on its own right-of-way in Arlington and Fairfax Counties through forests, farmland and fruit orchards, bypassing the existing villages of Lewinsville and Langley. At Great Falls, the GF&OD constructed a trolley park, which became a popular destination.
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. 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 & Old Dominion Railway. In 1912, the Georgetown-Great Falls line became the Great Falls Division of the W&OD, sharing trackage with the W&OD's Bluemont Division between Rosslyn and Thrifton Junction. In 1935, Fairfax and Arlington counties obtained the right-of-way west of Thrifton Junction in settlement of delinquent taxes. Most of the right-of-way was converted into Old Dominion Drive.
Interstate 66, the Custis Trail, and Lee Highway were built on the former GF&OD roadbed between Rosslyn and Thrifton Junction.
Stations
The stations on the Great Falls Division of the W&OD were:| Station | Location | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | Side of Tracks | Photo | Notes |
| Georgetown | M Street, N.W., between 35th and 37th Streets, N.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 between George Washington Memorial Parkway and Lee Highway | Arlington County | West | 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. The railroad terminated near a maintenance shop in the present route of I-66 a short distance west of Fort Myer Drive from 1938 to 1964. All of the Rosslyn stations and termini were near the present site of the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel. Historical Marker: | ||
| Colonial | I-66 at N. Nash Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Rosslyn Freight House | I-66 near N. Oak Street | Arlington County | North | |||
| Mackeys | I-66 at N. Quinn Street | Arlington County | Northwest | |||
| Park Lane | I-66 east of N. Uhle Street; north of Lee Highway | Arlington County | Southwest | |||
| Pearce | I-66 near N. Adams Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Clark | I-66 near N. Calvert Street | Arlington County | South | Near east side of Spout Run. | ||
| Thrifton | I-66 between Lee Highway and Spout Run Parkway | Arlington County | South | North of Lyon Village shopping center near southeast end of Maywood Historic District. Named for Hugh A. Thrift. East of junction with Thrifton – Bluemont Junction connecting line. | ||
| Dominion Heights | Lee Highway at N. Monroe Street | Arlington County | South | Adjacent to Maywood Historic District | ||
| Cherrydale | Intersection of Lee Highway and Old Dominion Drive at Military Road | Arlington County | Southwest | |||
| Harrison | Old Dominion Drive at N. Thomas Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Greenwood | Old Dominion Drive at Lorcom Lane ; east of N. Vermont Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Maplewood | Old Dominion Drive between traffic lanes north of Lee Highway; west of N. Abingdon Street | Arlington County | South | |||
| Livingston | Old Dominion Drive at 24th Street N. | Arlington County | Southwest | 24th Street N. was Livingstone Street prior to 1932 | ||
| Lyonhurst | Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. | Arlington County | Southwest | Named for the nearby estate of Frank Lyon | ||
| Summit | Old Dominion Drive at 26th Street N. | Arlington County | Southwest | |||
| Rixey | Old Dominion Drive at N. Glebe Road | Arlington County | Northeast | Named for the nearby estate of Dr. Presley Marion Rixey. Marymount University now occupies the Rixey estate. Later station on southwest side of tracks. | ||
| Jewell | Old Dominion Drive at Rock Spring Road | Arlington County | Southwest | Named for Charles Jewell | ||
| Vanderwerken | Old Dominion Drive at Little Falls Road | Arlington County | North | Named for Gilbert Vanderwerken | ||
| Franklyn Park | Old Dominion Drive at Franklin Park Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Rockwell | Old Dominion Drive near Dominion Crest Lane | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Chesterbrook | Old Dominion Drive at Kirby Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| El Nido | Old Dominion Drive at Birch Road | Fairfax County | North | |||
| Selva | Old Dominion Drive at 6th Place | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Viresco | Old Dominion Drive between Pimmit Run and Linway Terrace | Fairfax County | Northeast | Southeast side of B&O Railroad right-of-way | ||
| Lawnvale | Old Dominion Drive near Holmes Place | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| McLean | Old Dominion Drive at Chain Bridge Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | Named for John Roll McLean | ||
| Ingleside | Old Dominion Drive at Ingleside Avenue | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Balls Hill | Old Dominion Drive at Balls Hill Road | Fairfax County | West | |||
| Hitaffer | Old Dominion Drive at Swinks Mill Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Jackson | Old Dominion Drive northwest of Swinks Mill Road | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Spring Hill | Old Dominion Drive at Spring Hill Road | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Prospect Hill | Old Dominion Drive at Bellview Place | Fairfax County | Northeast | |||
| Belleview | Old Dominion Drive at Bellview Road | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Glendale | Old Dominion Drive at Towlston Road | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Peacock | Old Dominion Drive at Peacock Station Road | Fairfax County | Southwest | |||
| Fairview | Old Dominion Drive at Falls Run Road | Fairfax County | West | |||
| Elkins | Old Dominion Drive at Georgetown Pike | Fairfax County | West | Named for Stephen Benton Elkins. | ||
| Dickeys Road | Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls Park | Fairfax County | Named for . Near former site of Matildaville. | |||
| Great Falls | Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls Park | Fairfax County | Inside turnaround | 1. 2. | Terminal station of GF&OD and Great Falls Division of W&OD. |
Maps
W&OD Railway system maps
Topographic Maps
- 1915 topographic map of northwestern Fairfax County, showing the route of the W&OD Railway's Great Falls Division between Difficult Run and Great Falls:
- 1915 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the route of the W&OD Railway's Great Falls Division between Georgetown and Great Falls:
- 1917 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the route of the W&OD Railway's Great Falls Division between Georgetown and Great Falls:
- 1929 topographic map of Washington, D.C., the city of Alexandria, Alexandria County, Falls Church and northeastern Fairfax County, showing the routes of the W&OD Railway's Great Falls Division between Rosslyn and Great Falls: