Old Dominion Drive Notable Facts
(Formerly the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad)
- Old Dominion Drive used to be the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad – an electric trolley that ran from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. to the scenic Great Falls in Virginia from 1906-1934.
- Our community, McLean, was named after one of the wealthy men who bought out the original GF&OD charter in 1902. John R. McLean was owner of the Washington Post. He partnered with West Virginia Senator Stephen B. Elkins.
- In 1902, McLean and Elkins bought land at Great Falls and turned it into a resort with a dance pavilion and carousel. Their GF&OD trolley transported Washingtonians who were looking to escape the hot, humid weather for cooler temperatures and entertainment in Virginia.
- The 14-mile route from Washington, D.C. to Great Falls included stops located at what is now the Greenway Heights neighborhood and nearby vicinity. The Spring Hill stop was located at where the Sunoco station now sits. The Prospect Hill stop was located just after Kimberwicke Road at what is now 8354 Old Dominion Drive, and the stop after Prospect Hill was called “Bellview” and it was located at Bellview and Old Dominion Drive where a large mansion now sits.
- In terms of passengers, McLean and Elkins’ investment in the GF&OD railroad was a huge success from the start. By 1907, the line carried nearly 1.7 million people.
- A year into operation, McLean and Elkins were operating with a $100,000 deficit. Collisions were common and passengers were often left waiting for the arrival of a train. By 1916, both McLean and Elkins had died. Their heirs continued to operate the business but with little interest as the rail line was hit by a series of labor strikes.
- A combination of factors led to the GF&OD railroad’s demise: The Great Depression, automobiles and more paved roads.
Double Click here to see film of the W&OD Railroad in action – Film wod rr 1939
- On June 8, 1934 the GF&OD made its last run. Soon after, the tracks were torn up and the land was turned over to Fairfax County to pay for delinquent taxes. Former Greenway Heights-area resident Manning Gasch (previous property owner of Prospect Hill on Bellview and previous property owner of the now abandoned property located at 8501 Georgetown Pike), was pivotal in raising private funds to help pave over what is now Old Dominion Drive.
Sources:
- Louise C. Curran, McLean Remembers Again (The Sound Publications, 1976), 54-55.
- NOVA Parks, Paul McCray Collection, Permission granted & Information transmitted Jan. 18, 2018, https://www.novaparks.com/parks/washington-and-old-dominion-railroad-regional-park/history.
- Manning Gasch, Washington Post Obituary, August 27, 1997, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/08/27/oscar-ellison-jr-dies/a6499a53-d01e-40db-956f-66d2768ff7c7/?utm_term=.6de88bf1f352