Vienna’s Windover Heights Historic District is a little secluded, but on Sunday, April 28, the neighborhood is throwing open its doors to the public for its annual A Walk on the Hill.
The small neighborhood is located just northwest of the Maple Avenue near Lawyers Road. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Windover Heights being designated as a historic district.
The festival is planned to include live music and photography exhibits, in addition to tours of the historic neighborhood. During the celebration, visitors are also invited to stroll through 50 participating yards and landscaped gardens.
Several homes in the neighborhood date back to the late 19th century, with the local history going back further with stories of Union soldiers using the area as a cavalry outpost during the Civil War.
According to town documents, notable historic spots on the tour include:
- 214 Lawyers — The original First Baptist Church was built here in 1887 by the black community on land deeded for $1 by Major O. E. Hine, Vienna’s first mayor. The material was from the Union Army barracks of the Civil War. This was the first church in Vienna and was also used as a school until the 1890s.
- The Barn at Windover — The barn was originally part of the Salsbury dairy farm on the hill. Handmade wooden pegs have continued being used in the building’s preservation and the original design is maintained.
- The West End Cemetery — The land was deeded in 1884 by Capt. Harmon Salsbury and his second wife, Susannah Freeman, to the small black community that had grown up around the Salsbury farm. Many of the tombstones date to the turn of the century and before. Thomas and Daniel West, prominent black citizens, are buried here. In 1987 Historic Vienna, Inc. rededicated the cemetery as a historic Vienna landmark.
The event is free and open to the public, with local residents providing punch and cookies during the celebration. Parking for the event is available at the Green Hedges School and at the Vienna Arts Society (243 Church Street NW).
Photo via Facebook
(Updated April 12) Posh! — a high-end interior designer at 419 Maple Avenue E in Vienna — is having a closing sale.
Nearly all merchandise in the store is 20 percent off, though given the luxury implied in the store’s name, that still leaves most larger items in the store well over $1,000.
Prices in the store range from a $6,000 credenza near the front to $33 linen hand towels.
Employees at the store would not say when the store was planning to fully close, though the store remains very heavily stocked with merchandise.
(Updated 1 a.m.) Video from Freedom Hill Elementary in Vienna showed at least six cars driving past a school bus loading up with children.
As a reminder for those who might not have been paying attention during their driver’s ed class: if a school bus is loading or unloading passengers, whether or not the lights are active or the stop sign is extended, drivers are required to stop unless the bus is on the opposite side of a median or barrier.
Drivers are also required to remain stopped until all passengers have been loaded and the bus moves again. Failure to do so could result in a ticket.
1/5 It saddens me to share this- after watching cars consistently blow past stopped school buses picking up elementary students on Gallows Rd in Vienna, VA- I have been pushed into civic action. This clip is from this morning, but is representative. pic.twitter.com/5I0ZLBufB0
— Sam S. Lee (@OpenNotion) April 8, 2019
During VDOT’s initial proposal for I-66 corridor improvements, the Federal Highway Administration noted that concerns were expressed about pedestrian safety on Gallows Road.
The person who posted the original video said that the clip was representative of pick-up and drop-off at the school.
But the story has a happy ending, at least, with Fairfax police arriving the next morning to monitor traffic and enforce the laws.
I must give props where it is due. Mclean PD officers came out this morning to hold drivers accountable. Thank you @FairfaxCountyPD! This is what responsive local gov looks like. cc: @GerryConnolly @ChapPetersen @TownofViennaVA @FreedomHillES @TysonsReporter
— Sam S. Lee (@OpenNotion) April 9, 2019
Photo via Twitter
At an upcoming event, a local business owner is planning to talk about growing up with one of America’s most notorious white supremacists.
On Friday (April 12), the Vienna Business Association (VBA) is planning to host a lunch and discussion with Kelvin Pierce, a local business owner and son of a prominent racist and antisemitic author.
Today, Kelvin Pierce is the co-owner of Commonwealth Home Design, Inc., a Vienna-based residential design and remodeling firm operating since 1986.
Pierce’s father was William Luther Pierce, a neo-Nazi and author of the novels Hunter and The Turner Diaries, which inspired the Oklahoma City bombing.
A description for the event says it will be an uplifting discussion of hardship and recovery.
“Kelvin was profoundly influenced by his father while growing up and tells his story of rampant abuse, mental illness and eventual recovery,” the VBA website said.
The event is scheduled to be held in the Vienna Moose Lodge (9616 Courthouse Road) from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Advance RSVPs are due by 4 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). Tickets for VBA members are $15 or $20 for non-members. Late registrations and walk-ins are $25.
Photo via Commonwealth Home Design
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of the most interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us! Also, be sure to check out our new event calendar.
Tuesday (April 9)
- Free Cone Day — 12-8 p.m. at Ben & Jerry’s (136 Maple Avenue W) — The Vienna Ben & Jerry’s is hosting a Free Cone Day in partnership with local nonprofit The Committee for Helping Others. Anyone who comes in for free ice cream can donate to the group.
- Solarize Community Forum — 7:30 p.m. at Vienna Town Hall (127 Center Street S) — Local residents and business owners are invited out to a discussion with Solarize NoVa on the economics behind going solar.
Wednesday (April 10)
- Open House Tasting — 5-6 p.m. at Bards Alley (110 Church Street NW) — The Bard’s Alley bookstore in Vienna is hosting an open house testing with local vendors offering a selection of soups, hummus, desserts and more. Drink specials will also be on offer. The event is free to attend with no reservation required.
Thursday (April 11)
- Columbine 20 Years Later — 7:30-9 p.m. at Westbriar Elementary (1741 Pine Valley Drive) — Moms Demand Action’s Virginia chapter is hosting a retrospective on the Columbine shooting. Two women who lived through the experience, a teenager at the school and a local psychologist, are scheduled to discuss their experiences and take a look at what’s changed since then.
Friday (April 12)
- Film Distribution and Finance Seminar — 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Angelika Film Center (2911 District Ave) — The NOVA Fest and Capital Film Market are hosting a seminar for people interested in getting involved in the movie-making business. Agents will be on hand to talk about how people with films or scripts they’re looking to sell can connect with the right producers. Tickets are $26.
- Family Flashlight Egg Hunt — 7:30 p.m. at Glyndon Park (300 Glyndon Street NE) — Bring a flashlight and a basket for Vienna’s evening egg hunt. The hunt starts at dark, with a visit by the Easter Bunny at 8 p.m. Tickets are $3 per child with a limit of six per family.
Saturday (April 13)
- Record Store Day — 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. at Records and Rarities in Tysons Corner Center — Records and Rarities is hosting “Record Store Day”, a celebration with 10 percent off all used vinyl, free coffee and cinnamon buns, and several prizes and giveaways. The line is planned to start at 7:30 a.m. outside the store.
- Masters’ Putt-Pong Tournament — 12-2 p.m. at Brandbox in Tysons Corner Center — Chubbie’s is hosting a two-on-two putt-pong tournament. The game is a riff on party classic beer-pong, but with golf accouterment. All participants will receive a free cooler bag and $5 off any casual stretch shorts. The tournament is the first of a series of events at the mall’s BrandBox events.
- The Last Bison and Broke Royals — 8 p.m. at Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave E) — Indie folk band The Last Bison is scheduled to perform at Jammin’ Java. Tickets are $15 for general admission or $25 for premier tickets.
Sunday (April 14)
- Sesame Street Sing-a-Long — 11:15 a.m.-12 p.m. at Nordstrom Tysons Corner Center (8075 Tysons Corner Center) — Sesame Street Live — a show coming to the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax on May 4 — is hosting a free show at the Tysons Corner Center Nordstrom. Attendees can also save $5 on the main show in May.
- Paint for Pups and Kitties — 12-2:15 p.m. at Muse Paintbar (2920 District Avenue) — A paint and sip event at the Muse Paintbar in the Mosaic District will raise money for City Dogs Rescue and City Cats. Tickets are $45.
Photo via Facebook
A moratorium on new development applications for Maple Avenue was scheduled to expire in June but could be pushed back to October, marking over a full year of no new applications.
On the agenda for tonight’s (Monday) Vienna Town Council meeting is a request to schedule a public hearing for May 13 to discuss extending the suspension of the Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) Zone from June 27 to Oct. 31.
Last year, the town was roiled in controversy as citizens and Council members argued back and forth over whether a new mixed-use development replacing the Vienna Wolf Trap Hotel was too large for Maple Avenue.
“If we’re going to have a project there, this one is not ready for primetime,” said Councilmember Howard Springsteen at the August meeting. “I think the developer has done a horrible [public relations] job and has created a firestorm of concerns around town. This is probably one of the most divisive things that has come to this town in 20 years.”
In September 17, the Town Council voted to suspend the MAC Zoning while town staff redesigned the town’s guidelines. The redesign process has been conducted throughout the winter and into spring. Two community workshops to solicit public feedback were held on March 29 and 30.
But the agenda item notes that staff needs more time to work on putting the suggestions from the public and Vienna officials into new guidelines:
Staff recommends extending the suspension of the MAC Zoning regulations to enable completion of proposed new design guidelines and incorporate potential recommendations from the multimodal transportation study into the amendments to the MAC Zone regulations.
The agenda item notes that a joint meeting of the Town Council, Planning Commission and Board of Architectural Review was held on March 20 but the meeting was continued to May 1.
Additionally, the Town of Vienna also recently commissioned a Maple Avenue Corridor Multimodal Transportation and Land Use Study whose results are expected to be received this summer and could be incorporated into the design guidelines.
File photo
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
Spring Break is almost upon us in Fairfax County and that means Easter. If you’re staying in town, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate.
The Town of Vienna holds 2 different Easter Egg Hunt events in town. One requires tickets, and is sold out but you should know about this for future years. The other doesn’t require pre-registration.
- No tickets required. Held on Saturday, April 13 from 10:30-1130 a.m. at the Freeman House (131 Church Street NE, Vienna). Events is for children 12 and younger and includes an Old-Fashioned Egg Roll, a visit with the Easter Bunny and egg decorating.
- This event requires tickets and is sold out. However, for future events, the event is held on April 12 at 7:30 p.m. Bring a flashlight and basket to find eggs at dusk! Also present will be the Easter Bunny and a moon bounce.
Other Events Around Town:
- Unfortunately, this event is also sold out. However always check online to see if someone has changed their plans and looking to resell their tickets. The event is held at Meadowlark Botanical Garden on Tuesday, April 16 at 11 a.m. Bring a basket for your child, ages 2-11. The event includes crafts, snacks and a visit from the Easter Bunny.
- Held on April 20, starting at 10 a.m. with egg hunts starting every 30 minutes. Registration is required. The event includes the egg hunt split up by age, crafts and an Easter Bunny visit.
Easter Eggstravaganza at Roer’s Zoofari
- The Zoo just over the Vienna line in Reston, will have an egg hunt, face painting, bounce house and crafts on Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14 and April 20-21.
Easter Egg Hunt in Falls Church
- The City of Falls Church will hold an egg hunt on Saturday, April 20 at 10 a.m. Children under 11 years old can bring their own baskets and hunt for eggs and meet the Easter Bunny. The event is free and doesn’t require reservation. After the event there’s a craft tent, a magic show at 10:30 a.m. and egg dying.
Cake chain Nothing Bundt Cakes is hosting a very brief celebration of its 300th store opening.
From 3-3:05 p.m., stores nationwide are planning to give away up to 300 confetti “bundtlets” — little bundt cakes — for 300 seconds. The cakes are limited to one per person.
The Vienna location for Nothing Bundt Cakes opened in November at 129 Maple Avenue W.
Bundt cakes are made in a pan that gives them a distinctive ring shape. In addition to ten cake flavors and forty unique designs, Nothing Bundt Cakes also offers various cake-themed gifts and decor.
This isn’t the first free cake giveaway at the bakery. The first 50 guests at the store’s grand opening January got free bundtlets for one year.
Photo via Facebook
An unwanted hug led to a call to police in the Town of Vienna Thursday evening.
The creepy incident happened at the intersection of Maple Avenue W at Center Street N and was reported around 6:45 p.m., according to police.
“A woman advised she was standing in front of Starbucks when an unknown man approached her and asked for a hug,” said today’s Vienna Police Department crime report. “When the woman ignored the man, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. The woman ran from the man and notified the police after she arrived home.”
Should the man ever be caught, he could face assault charges.
Photo via Facebook
Fairfax County and the Town of Vienna are working together on a plan to potentially replace the Patrick Henry Community Library (101 Maple Ave E).
The rebuilding is part of a $91 million bond referendum planned for this fall to upgrade the County’s aging libraries. The Patrick Henry Community Library was originally built in 1971.
In September, the Town Council unanimously agreed to finance part of a feasibility study with Fairfax County to look at adding a new parking structure to the building in addition to potential renovations to the library itself, according to InsideNova.
According to the FY 2020 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), the Town of Vienna will be working in a joint partnership with Fairfax County to determine whether to renovate or completely replace the building.
Photo via Google Maps
