The Herndon Depot Museum is a unique spot located in the small town of Herndon, Virginia. Built in 1857, it was originally used by the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad, but later served the Richmond and Danville Railroad, the Southern Railway, and the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad. The museum can be found at 717 Lynn Street, at the intersection of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail and Station Street. It is situated right next door to the Herndon Town Hall, a Works Progress Administration project built in 1939.
The Herndon Historical Society operates the museum, which contains a wide range of artifacts and relics. Visitors can find railroad memorabilia, information on United States Navy Commander William Lewis Herndon, and items from the USS Herndon (DD-198) during World War II. There are also artifacts from local residents.
The depot was famously the site of a raid on St. Patrick's Day in 1863, led by Confederate Army Captain John S. Mosby. His men managed to surprise the Union Army picket guarding the station and captured officers, soldiers, and horses with no Confederate casualties.
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At one point, the railroad was an integral part of Herndon's agricultural history. Large dairy farms surrounded the village and farmers would use the railroad to ship milk to Washington for processing and distribution. It was a hub of activity in the community, with businesses popping up around the station to take advantage of the easy access to transportation.
However, as cars, trucks, and better roads came into use, the railroad began to lose its importance. Its last major assignment was hauling sand to be used in the concrete mix for runways at Washington Dulles International Airport. The railway and the depot closed in August 1968.
The depot building is a one-story wooden structure, measuring 70.5 by 20.1 feet (21.5 m × 6.1 m). Its only decorative feature is the Victorian style buttresses under the eaves, while many of the original pieces, like the window and door framings, two baggage doors, semaphore, and several pieces of hardware, remain intact. In 1979, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service of the United States Department of the Interior. Additionally, the building's site is marked as part of the Virginia Civil War Trails Program.
