# 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 from Georgetown in Washington, D.C., in 1906. The first trial run was in March 1906, but only went as far as Difficult Run and the first scheduled car reached Great Falls Park in Fairfax County, Virginia, on July 3 of that year. They laid a second track in 1908.
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 (see Northern Virginia trolleys). From Rosslyn, the railroad traveled 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, Virginia 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 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 (Virginia State Route 123) and Elkins Station at Old Georgetown Pike (Virginia 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 & Old Dominion Railway (W&OD) and in 1912, the new W&OD signed a 50-year lease on the Southern Railway's Alexandria-Bluemont line. In the same year, it then constructed a double-tracked Bluemont Division connecting line that traveled between two new junctions in Arlington: Bluemont Junction on the Alexandria-Bluemont line and Thrifton Junction on the Georgetown-Great Falls line. 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.

## Remnants

Not much remains of the Great Falls Division.
The right-of-way west of Thrifton Junction became Langston Blvd (formally Lee Highway) and Old Dominion Drive; and the right-of-way between the Key Bridge and Thrifton Junction became Interstate 66. The trestle over Difficult Run lasted until 1979, when it was replaced because it could not handle the loads required of it.
Great Falls Trolley Park became Great Falls Park, part of the National Park Service.
Several area names, like the town of McLean, also remain.

## Stations

Download coordinates as:
* KML
* GPX (all coordinates)
* GPX (primary coordinates)
* GPX (secondary coordinates)
The stations 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 / ﻿38.90519°N 77.070293°W﻿ / 38.90519; -77.070293﻿ (Former location of Georgetown Terminal (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | 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 (1923 to 1938): Fort Myer Drive (west side) between George Washington Memorial Parkway and Lee Highway | 38°53′58″N 77°04′18″W﻿ / ﻿38.89957°N 77.071785°W﻿ / 38.89957; -77.071785﻿ (Former location of Rosslyn Passenger Terminal (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | West | Undated photo of front of station Undated colorized postcard & 1923 interior photo of passenger terminal 1948 | 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 Archived August 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Historical Marker: Rosslyn Station |
| Colonial | I-66 at N. Nash Street | 38°53′55″N 77°04′25″W﻿ / ﻿38.89866°N 77.07374°W﻿ / 38.89866; -77.07374﻿ (Former location of Colonial Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | South | | |
| Rosslyn Freight House | I-66 near N. Oak Street | 38°53′55″N 77°04′32″W﻿ / ﻿38.898682°N 77.075433°W﻿ / 38.898682; -77.075433﻿ (Former location of Rosslyn Freight House (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | North | 1959 circa 1963 | |
| Mackeys | I-66 at N. Quinn Street | 38°53′52″N 77°04′44″W﻿ / ﻿38.8978717°N 77.078914°W﻿ / 38.8978717; -77.078914﻿ (Former location of Mackeys Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | Northwest | | |
| Park Lane | I-66 east of N. Uhle Street; north of Lee Highway | 38°53′50″N 77°05′04″W﻿ / ﻿38.89709°N 77.084509°W﻿ / 38.89709; -77.084509﻿ (Former location of Park Lane Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | Southwest | | |
| Pearce | I-66 near N. Adams Street | 38°53′54″N 77°05′22″W﻿ / ﻿38.89823°N 77.089466°W﻿ / 38.89823; -77.089466﻿ (Former location of Pearce Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | South | | |
| Clark | I-66 near N. Calvert Street | 38°53′52″N 77°05′35″W﻿ / ﻿38.89782°N 77.092985°W﻿ / 38.89782; -77.092985﻿ (Former location of Clark Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | South | | Near east side of Spout Run. |
| Thrifton | I-66 between Lee Highway and Spout Run Parkway | 38°53′48″N 77°05′53″W﻿ / ﻿38.896626°N 77.098048°W﻿ / 38.896626; -77.098048﻿ (Former location of Thrifton Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | 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 (between traffic lanes) at N. Monroe Street (east side) | 38°53′46″N 77°06′15″W﻿ / ﻿38.8960055°N 77.1040356°W﻿ / 38.8960055; -77.1040356﻿ (Former location of Dominion Heights Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | South | | Adjacent to Maywood Historic District |
| Cherrydale | Intersection of Lee Highway and Old Dominion Drive at Military Road (east side) | 38°53′49″N 77°06′30″W﻿ / ﻿38.8969741°N 77.1083701°W﻿ / 38.8969741; -77.1083701﻿ (Former location of Cherrydale Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | Southwest | circa 1908 | |
| Harrison | Old Dominion Drive at N. Thomas Street | 38°53′58″N 77°06′51″W﻿ / ﻿38.89947°N 77.114174°W﻿ / 38.89947; -77.114174﻿ (Former location of Harrison Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | South | | |
| Greenwood (Lee Heights) | Old Dominion Drive at Lorcom Lane (northwest side); east of N. Upton Street | 38°53′57″N 77°07′01″W﻿ / ﻿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 / ﻿38.89867°N 77.12139°W﻿ / 38.89867; -77.12139﻿ (Former location of Maplewood Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | South | | |
| Livingston (Livingstone Heights) | Old Dominion Drive at 24th Street N. (north side) | 38°54′03″N 77°07′28″W﻿ / ﻿38.90073°N 77.124431°W﻿ / 38.90073; -77.124431﻿ (Former location of Livingston Heights Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | Southwest | | 24th Street N. was Livingstone Street prior to 1935 (named for Colin H. Livingstone) |
| Lyonhurst | Old Dominion Drive at 25th Street N. | 38°54′07″N 77°07′33″W﻿ / ﻿38.90189°N 77.125799°W﻿ / 38.90189; -77.125799﻿ (Former location of Lyonhurst Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | Southwest | | Named for the nearby estate of Frank Lyon (now Missionhurst) |
| Summit | Old Dominion Drive at 26th Street N. (southeast side) | 38°54′10″N 77°07′38″W﻿ / ﻿38.902907°N 77.127108°W﻿ / 38.902907; -77.127108﻿ (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 / ﻿38.9042925°N 77.1286476°W﻿ / 38.9042925; -77.1286476﻿ (Former location of Rixey Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | Northeast | undated | 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 (north side) | 38°54′28″N 77°07′58″W﻿ / ﻿38.90781°N 77.132692°W﻿ / 38.90781; -77.132692﻿ (Former location of Jewell Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | 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 / ﻿38.90980°N 77.136987°W﻿ / 38.90980; -77.136987﻿ (Former location of Vanderwerken Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Arlington County | North | | Named for Gilbert Vanderwerken |
| Franklyn Park (Franklin Park) | Old Dominion Drive at Franklin Park Road | 38°54′55″N 77°08′54″W﻿ / ﻿38.91540°N 77.148453°W﻿ / 38.91540; -77.148453﻿ (Former location of Franklyn Park Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Northeast | 1910 undated | |
| Rockwell | Old Dominion Drive near Dominion Crest Lane | 38°55′06″N 77°09′00″W﻿ / ﻿38.9183177°N 77.1500731°W﻿ / 38.9183177; -77.1500731﻿ (Former location of Franklin Park Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Southwest | | |
| Chesterbrook | Old Dominion Drive at Kirby Road (northwest side) | 38°55′18″N 77°09′13″W﻿ / ﻿38.9215898°N 77.1535599°W﻿ / 38.9215898; -77.1535599﻿ (Former location of Chesterbrook Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Northeast | | |
| El Nido | Old Dominion Drive at Birch Road | 38°55′26″N 77°09′42″W﻿ / ﻿38.92394°N 77.161762°W﻿ / 38.92394; -77.161762﻿ (Former location of El Nido Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | North | | |
| Selva | Old Dominion Drive at 6th Place | 38°55′35″N 77°09′57″W﻿ / ﻿38.92639°N 77.165893°W﻿ / 38.92639; -77.165893﻿ (Former location of Selva Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Southwest | | |
| Viresco | Old Dominion Drive between Pimmit Run and Linway Terrace | 38°55′44″N 77°10′04″W﻿ / ﻿38.928889°N 77.1678776°W﻿ / 38.928889; -77.1678776﻿ (Former location of Viresco Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | 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 / ﻿38.9309379°N 77.1728396°W﻿ / 38.9309379; -77.1728396﻿ (Former location of Lawnvale Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Southwest | | |
| McLean | Old Dominion Drive at Chain Bridge Road (northwest side) | 38°56′03″N 77°10′40″W﻿ / ﻿38.93404°N 77.177692°W﻿ / 38.93404; -77.177692﻿ (Former location of McLean Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Northeast | | Named for John Roll McLean |
| Ingleside | Old Dominion Drive at Ingleside Avenue | 38°56′09″N 77°10′59″W﻿ / ﻿38.93582°N 77.182946°W﻿ / 38.93582; -77.182946﻿ (Former location of Ingleside Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Northeast | | |
| Balls Hill | Old Dominion Drive at Balls Hill Road (east side) | 38°56′30″N 77°11′39″W﻿ / ﻿38.94159°N 77.19419°W﻿ / 38.94159; -77.19419﻿ (Former location of Balls Hill Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | West | | |
| Hitaffer | Old Dominion Drive at Swinks Mill Road (south side) | 38°56′48″N 77°12′41″W﻿ / ﻿38.9466559°N 77.2114956°W﻿ / 38.9466559; -77.2114956﻿ (Former location of Hitafer Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Northeast | | |
| Jackson | Old Dominion Drive northwest of Swinks Mill Road | 38°56′51″N 77°12′50″W﻿ / ﻿38.9474402°N 77.2139579°W﻿ / 38.9474402; -77.2139579﻿ (Former location of Jackson Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Southwest | undated | |
| Spring Hill | Old Dominion Drive at Spring Hill Road (east side) | 38°57′10″N 77°13′35″W﻿ / ﻿38.95275°N 77.226382°W﻿ / 38.95275; -77.226382﻿ (Former location of Spring Hill Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Northeast | | |
| Prospect Hill | Old Dominion Drive at Bellview Place | 38°57′30″N 77°14′11″W﻿ / ﻿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 / ﻿38.96098°N 77.240308°W﻿ / 38.96098; -77.240308﻿ (Former location of Belleview Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Southwest | undated | |
| Glendale | Old Dominion Drive at Towlston Road | 38°58′12″N 77°14′58″W﻿ / ﻿38.96998°N 77.249559°W﻿ / 38.96998; -77.249559﻿ (Former location of Glendale Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Southwest | | |
| Peacock | Old Dominion Drive at Peacock Station Road (east side) | 38°58′25″N 77°15′12″W﻿ / ﻿38.97348°N 77.253223°W﻿ / 38.97348; -77.253223﻿ (Former location of Peacock Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | Southwest | undated | |
| Fairview | Old Dominion Drive at Falls Run Road | 38°58′40″N 77°15′26″W﻿ / ﻿38.97777°N 77.257141°W﻿ / 38.97777; -77.257141﻿ (Former location of Fairview Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | West | | |
| Elkins | Old Dominion Drive at Georgetown Pike (north side) | 38°58′54″N 77°15′25″W﻿ / ﻿38.98177°N 77.25686°W﻿ / 38.98177; -77.25686﻿ (Former location of Elkins Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County | West | undated undated | Named for Stephen Benton Elkins. |
| Dickeys Road | Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls Park | 38°59′36″N 77°15′20″W﻿ / ﻿38.99338°N 77.255688°W﻿ / 38.99338; -77.255688﻿ (Former location of Dickeys Road Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | 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 / ﻿38.99663°N 77.255355°W﻿ / 38.99663; -77.255355﻿ (Former location of Great Falls Station (Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad)) | Fairfax County (National Park Service) | Inside turnaround | undated postcard undated photo undated colorized photo of dining hall | Terminal station of GF&OD and Great Falls Division of W&OD. |

## Maps
### W&OD Railway system maps

* "Washington and Old Dominion Railway system map". c. 1920. Archived from the original on January 7, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2019 – via r2parts.net.

### Topographic Maps

* 1915 topographic map of northwestern Fairfax County, showing the route of the W&OD Railway's Great Falls Division (Electric RR) between Difficult Run and Great Falls: Marshall, R. B.; Sutton, Frank (1915). "Topography: Virginia: Fairfax Quadrangle". Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior: United States Geological Survey. Retrieved January 20, 2020 – via Virginia Historical Topographic Maps, Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection, Perry–Castañeda Library, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
* 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: Marshall, R. B.; Sutton, Frank (1915). "Topography: Maryland — District of Columbia — Virginia, Washington and vicinity". Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior: United States Geological Survey. LCCN 87691472. Retrieved July 24, 2020 – via Library of Congress.
* 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: Marshall, R. B.; Sutton, Frank (1917). "Washington and Vicinity: Maryland: District of Columbia: Virginia". Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior: United States Geological Survey. LCCN 87691475. OCLC 15519039. Retrieved July 24, 2020 – via Library of Congress.
* 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:"Washington and Vicinity: Maryland: District of Columbia: Virginia". Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior: United States Geological Survey. 1929. LCCN 87693006. OCLC 15653164. Retrieved July 24, 2020 – via Library of Congress.