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Memories of Reston
by Mary Chadsey

By popular request the "memories of Reston" has returned. Reston has grown up over the years, changing from a small, planned town with big ideas, and hard to drive to, to a sprawling bedroom community.

The following are a few submissions of the good old days, and growing up in Reston. If you have more to add, please email to me at: mary@chadsey.com

I have learned how special growing up in Reston was, I was a kid there from first to sixth grade and I used to walk everywhere.. by myself, it was great..I have a very special place in my heart for reston... Bill Bathurst

I grew up in Reston, first on Golf Course Drive and then on Inlet Court. My parents still live in Reston; I now live just south of Herndon, near Frying Pan Park. My parents and I used to walk everywhere and go sledding on the golf course. In the summer, friends and I would sell lemonade on the golf course. From Inlet Court, we walked or canoed down to Lake Anne Center to go to the book store or get ice cream. Back when we lived on Golf Course, I remember lots of trips to the Baskin Robbins at Hunters Woods. I remember flea market/craft shows and holiday events at Hunters Woods. I remember the Toll Road being built and the Wiehle Avenue bridge over the Access/Toll Roads. I even remember (barely) splashing in the pool/fountain at Hunters Woods, before it was filled in with dirt. I remember when the Reston Community Center was built and the time capsule put in. My whole family was horrified when the old Hunters Woods was razed for a strip mall with no shade. Town Center is nice looking and we love the fountain and the holiday events there, but that whole development has nothing to do with the Reston I grew up in. The new stuff is pretty but mostly sterile and is way overpriced. And what's the deal with cutting down all the trees? My whole childhood, Reston was paths and trees. Someone got greedy. - Arielle Masters

I remember when Twin Branches did NOT connect Lawyers Road and South Lakes Drive. - Jack

We lived in Reston from 1967 until 1972. There were less than 3,000 people there then. I have so many memories, some good and some bad. The bad were the first murder, a teenage girl, Gwen Ames, the mystery was never solved but it was really a big thing as everyone knew her and her family, and they were much loved. The second bad thing was that a small girl, think she was about 3 fell through the ice in Lake Anne and drowned. I still remember the sound of the drilling through the lake all winter trying to find the body. The day in the Spring when they finally found her her brother was at our house practicing in a band with our son, Michael. Band was Underground Current I think, they were very popular at the time. It was a very sad winter. We were among the first residents of Golf Course Island, had a great condo. 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 4 level, was on house tour several times and was also written up in Washington Post because we had moved there from Paris and had all French antiques so was different from a modern house with modern furniture. We use to volunteer at the Common Ground, Embry Rucker's coffeehouse so knew all the young people. Again it was very good time and very bad as Reston was one of the drug capitals of the Washington area so saw lots of good kids going bad. Thank God our kids all survived and are doing great. We went to the Methodist Church where Rev. Regan was Minister, that was one of the good things, the other good things was that it was a brand new town and drew lots of publicty, pictures, etc. from all over the country. I had better quit now, will write more later, hope to hear more about people from my era. -Rozetta Mariotte

Mary Chadsey is a part owner of the RestonWeb, foodie, rower, dabbler in the arts. Art would include anything that moves her at the moment... mosaic, sewing, painting, glass, etc.
Previous on Chadsey's meanderings:

Chadsey's Cooking Blog
On Turning Sixty
Memories of Reston