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Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Explorer ()
Date: February 16, 2011 12:31PM

I realize this is just outside of FFX, but I was curious to know if anyone had some first-hand knowledge of this place. From what I've read, it's a large farmhouse built in the 1930s by an artist and her well-to-do husband. It's got a large carriage house with servants' quarters above it and may or may not still have the original pool nearby.

When the owners sold the land to the Howard Hughes Medical Center, they worked out a deal that the house remain. So, now it sits, unoccupied, on this huge medical campus off Route 7. People have taken pictures of it on-line, but they're all from a distance.

Here's an aerial:
http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?q=janelia+farm+&mkt=en-US&FORM=BYFD

Has anyone ever poked around this place without getting chased off by a security guard?

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Larry ()
Date: February 16, 2011 06:53PM

Growing up in Loudoun County, I know this land very well. Have hiked/walked the property many times over last 25+ years. The original housing structures were restored some years ago on the exterior, at least, by Howard Hughes Medical Reasearch Center. One of the original barns, visible from Rt. 7, is still used for maintenance storage etc.

Don't know about interior restoration to the housing structures but, the outside looks amazing. You can park at the adjacent office park and walk around the buildings. There are No Trespassing signs posted but, I have never been approached during a visit.

Janelia Farm sits adjacent to old Coton Plantation that became Xerox training center and eventually, Landsdowne to the West. If you drive down Rt. 7, you can
still see an impressive stone edifice/entry between East and West bound lanes of Rt. 7 that used to be the grand entrance to Coton Plantation.

You can walk the property of Janelia Farm and manor house. It's impressive architecture. I drive a forklift for a living and even I, can appreciate!

To the East of the Janelia property... there is a ruler-straight road that moves North to the Potomac River and a gated bridge that crosses over to Selden Island. You should check this out soon while the foliage is down for Winter. As soon as things get green with Spring, the ticks are everywhere! Howard Hughes Research Center purchased Selden Island a few years back and is still contracted out as a sod farm... Selden Island is huge sitting in the middle of the Potomac River.

Btw... up to you if you want to jump the gate and cross over to Selden Island. Have done it many times w/o being accosted. However, be weary of nearby homeowners near the bridge!

This/these properties have been my own private hiking grounds for many years. It was only a matter of time for the influx of new residents to discover.

Fully realize that I'm opening up the floodgates to the masses for checking out this land... Check it out fast before the Hughes Med. Center starts putting up more fences and signs!!

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Explorer ()
Date: February 17, 2011 06:57AM

Thanks alot for the response Larry. From the pictures I've seen on the house online, it didn't look as if HHMI had restored the outside, but if they have I guess that means they don't have any immediate plans to destroy it. I read a brief history of the property and it said that everything in the house is original to the early 1930s, which makes it a shame that you can't seem to see the inside. From satellite pictures on historicaerials.com, it seems that the pool was bulldozed a couple of years ago. That's a shame as well, since I read that it was a pretty luxurious pool 70 years ago.

I do hope to get out there in the near future (as I share your concern about ticks in all that tall grass once it gets warmer). If the folks at HHMI are busy with their beakers and microscopes, and I don't mean any harm by walking around, hopefully I'll go unnoticed.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Walker Fairfax ()
Date: February 17, 2011 10:25AM

Over 10 years ago I went into the house several times. There was litigation over the property and I visited on official business. There was a guy living there with his girlfriend. The place was heated by fireplace.

As I recall, there was also litigation over the development of Landsdowne, but I think the Janelia Farms matter was a separate case. The archives of Loudoun and Fairfax County Circuit Courts might have more information for you.

I have also been into Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Many of the people who work there are very weird. They give nerds a bad name. The good thing about HHMI is the cafeteria. Food is very inexpensive and the coffee is free. I got a strip steak there once for $5.00.

Access to HHMI is restricted by security, but you might be able to walk up to the old house.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Explorer ()
Date: February 17, 2011 01:10PM

Yeah, I'm not at all interested in HHMI or what they're doing there, I'm just curious about the house.

That's really cool that you got to go inside. Did it seem pretty original to the 1930s, or was it all run down? From what little information there is online about the house, I was under the impression that no one had lived in the house for decades.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: walker fairfax ()
Date: February 17, 2011 01:17PM

I don't remember much about the furniture. The weather was cold and the guy who was there with a woman (I thought she was his girlfriend, but she could have been a business associate) heated the building with a fire place.

I am not a lawyer, but there was at least one case (possibly in Loudoun Circuit Court, Fairfax Circuit Court, or even U.S. District Court. I had to go there because of the case.

There had been a deal to buy the place and it might have backfired. The guy apparently had title to the property, but was about to lose it (which is what happened).

Why don't you find out who the owners WERE before HHMI bought the place?

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Explorer ()
Date: February 17, 2011 01:35PM

I'll see what I can find with another search. Like I said, the first couple of searches didn't turn up much.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Explorer ()
Date: February 17, 2011 02:52PM

I did manage to find the nomination for Janelia Farm as an historic landmark. It basically includes an IN DEPTH description of the property, top to bottom. As if I wasn't curious enough about the house to begin with!

http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Loudoun/053-0084_Janelia_1987_Final_Nomination.pdf

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Explorer ()
Date: February 17, 2011 03:18PM

Just for fun, I called the main campus phone number for HHMI, and asked if the house was open for tours since it's on the historical registry. I knew they wouldn't offer tours, but I was curious as to what they would say about it being off limits. I was transferred to a girl with a nice British accent who told me that because the house had not been renovated that it was "closed off". She did say that you can walk around the grounds of the "Manor House", so that's somewhat promising.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Larry ()
Date: February 17, 2011 06:19PM

Walker Fairfax and Explorer: Hey, appreciate your updates and offering of incredible/additional information. I'm still learning computers and intenet and can't do all that fancier stuff.

Looking back, my previous mention of HHMI (thanks for the abbreviation!) exterior resoration, was incorrect. I can only tell you that you that the Manor structures got a 'polish up' on the exterior maybe, 8 yrs. ago? Probably just paint and possibly new gutters. Anyhow, someone, HHMI I assume, are making an effort to take care of the structures and they look better on the outside, than, years back. I used to see cars parked at the Manor structures going back 7-8 years ago? After that, never saw any indication of the Manor being lived in and the iron workers/construction crews showed up in 2004/2005 in full force for construction of HHMI... and HHMI center is an impressive structure that still seems to be under construction.

For Explorer's interest in architecture... there are two separate stone building foundations along my aformentioned ruler-straight road to Selden Island. If you walk the road North to the Potomac, you'll see the first on your right(East) about half-way from Rt. 7 to Potomac. The second is a little further down toward the river... also on the right(East). Maybe, homes or just out-buildings? Of note: the second stone foundation nearest the river has a sculpted line/pattern worked into the mortar lines between stones. I've not ever seen this before and believe that it must have been an actual home at some point. Sorry, I don't have any pictures to share. Clearly, it was done with care and must have been an important building to someone. Given, the attention to mortar detail/working.

HHMI erected a 4-ft high green chain link fence that envelopes a perimeter through woods from HHMI gate toward the Potomac River. It's easily jumped. There is a beautiful stream and some notable dry stone walls that traverse the HHMI land and carry over to the Landsdowne golf course to the West. It's neat to see the impressive, hand-layed dry stone walls/fence that may have marked an old property boundary and/or kept the livestock in. There is also an NVRPA sanctioned trail that follows the Potomac River and is adjacent to the HHMI land.

Hey, scatter-gunning info. as it came to my mind. Hoping that it's of some use?

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Explorer ()
Date: February 18, 2011 07:42AM

Thanks for the info. Larry. When I do get out there some point next week, I'll let you know what I find.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: WalkerFairfax ()
Date: February 19, 2011 04:38PM

Explorer: Why not take a camera with you? Let us know how the manor house looks today.


Re: Janelia Farm Mansion Posted by: Explorer ()
Date: February 18, 2011 07:42AM


Thanks for the info. Larry. When I do get out there some point next week, I'll let you know what I find.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Larry ()
Date: February 20, 2011 06:53PM

Dear Explorer: Yes, please take photo's as, WalkerFairfax suggested! Would like to see pictures of how the house looks today since, I do not own a digital camera and cannot forward photos from many recent treks. Many thanks to each of YOU for continued updates on this interesting property.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Weather dud ()
Date: February 20, 2011 07:52PM

This is another amazingly cool thread and makes FFXU so cool. Thanks all!

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Explorer ()
Date: February 22, 2011 08:05AM

Larry & Walker, I don't really get on-line that much on the weekends, so I didn't get your requests for pictures. Sorry about that, but I did make it out to Janelia on Sunday.

If you do a Google image search of the house, what you'll find just what it looks like today. I parked in the closest parking lot and walked right over to it. There were what looked like some pretty old and small "no tresspassing" signs at eithor side of the gravel driveway that's attached to the parking lot, but I made sure to not go near them so if asked I could claim that I didn't see them. Like I said, the outside of the house is in good shape, as it's made completely out of brick and has stood the test of time. I did notice that there was one motion detector light on a corner of the house, but when I walked by it nothing happened. On the side of the house facing Rte.7, there are some French doors with windows at the top, but as I got closer I saw that they were simply painted planks of wood fitted in the doorways, which was kind of sad. I assumed that all the other windows would be painted up as well, but as I walked around the house I was delighted to find that I could look in the rest of them. From what I could see through the windows, the interior looks like what you'd expect from a house that old. The paint was peeling off the walls in the room that looked like it was once the kitchen, and there were wires hanging out of the wall. There was a pile of boards on the floor where it looked like someone was doing some work. Through another small window next to the main front door, I could see that there was a newer looking toilet in the half-bathroom that obviously wasn't from the 30's. I'm guessing this is from the "polish up" that Larry was talking about, or from the people living in there that Walker came across. Through another window I saw some large pieces of plywood on the walls right around where the large staircase would be, which was a shame because I was really curious about the staircase. I'm sure it's still there, but I just couldn't see it from where I was. I did get a look at the staircase going into the basement from one of the bottom windows, but I couldn't see much of the finished basement.

Above all, the house is in pretty good shape. It looks like someone was doing work on it, but not recently. It was shut up pretty tight, just like the girl on the phone said. I didn't see any of the nice chandilears that were in the historical registry description, which was another disappointment. There's a grove of trees to the East of the house that looked original to the property, and I'm guessing that's where the pool was, but it's long gone.

Sorry again about not having any pictures. I don't know when I'll get out there again, but if any of you plan on going I would suggest a Sunday. There was no one in the parking lot that I parked in, just some trailers that had been there for quite a while. There were cars driving around the circle of the campus, but none of them slowed down to really pay any attention to me. If someone else wants to post pictures that would be really cool. I reccomend going out there, it's a very cool old house that's in good shape. Although HHMI is a fairly new campus, when you look North torwards the Potomac, you can still appreciate the rural view that the owners might have had back in the day, and I'm sure it was pretty spectacular from the huge windows on the second floor. From the images I've seen on historicaerials.com, there were more trees on the property back in the 60's, but above all it looks as it would have originally, I'm guessing.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: kayaker ()
Date: February 22, 2011 09:36AM

Google "Selden Island" and "Malaria" and you'll find some very interesting reads.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Larry ()
Date: February 22, 2011 05:51PM

Hey Explorer- glad you got to finally check out the Janelia Manor house and thanks for sharing your observations. Kayaker's comment about Malaria issues a while back on Selden Island are true. There's a couple of shallow ponds on the island that came up 'positive' for Malaria breeding-mosquitos... who'd have thought?

Anyway, shared many observations for this property in previous posts. It's worth walking the land while you still can. There are no security patrols from HHMI, yet. If you like the woods and seeing some 'old' Loudoun remnants, it's worth the hike!

Decades ago, used to ride in family VW Bug from childhood house near old Reston, up Rt. 7 to a department store in downtown Leesburg. Cannot recall the store's name and it was located at a main intersection in Leesburg at King Street. Does anyone know the name of this former two-story dept. store???

Anyway, on that drive along Rt. 7, used to marvel at childhood glimpses of a rooftop and chimneys that were Janelia. Big thrill around mid-80's when I took a first walk at Janelia and witnessed the grandeur of the manor structures. Knew it was something cool and was blown away by the site while still being lived in. Had no idea how nice a place this was from riding up Rt. 7. This was way before the internet, Google maps etc.

Happy to share what I know and thanks to ALL for their sharing, too!

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: newgatedenizen ()
Date: February 03, 2012 03:48PM

Stopped by to check out the house. Took a bunch of photos..
Attachments:
5487.JPG
5491.JPG
5493.JPG

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: 6X ()
Date: February 03, 2012 03:58PM

cool pictures. Any from inside?

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: newgatedenizen ()
Date: February 03, 2012 04:36PM

No interior photos. I just noticed I caught Sugarloaf Mountain through the covered walkway in the middle photo.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Stinkfist ()
Date: February 03, 2012 05:15PM

Place is kinda creepy

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Another place nearby ()
Date: February 03, 2012 06:51PM

Good stuff. Prior to HHMI moving in, the place was American HQ for Baan Software...they were a Swedish co with offices in Reston Town Center, and in the late 90's their business had ramped up so much that they needed a campus...about 2 years into it, their business went away, and they sold to HHMI.

If you are into neat old houses, their is an old house off of Smith Switch Road near the W&OD trail that has those old stone things at the front of the driveway that say "1930" on them...the house is partially standing, not as grand as Janelia, but some pretty neat ruins.

At least it was there 2 years ago...

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: 6X ()
Date: February 03, 2012 07:41PM

Sugarloaf Mountain. Cool
Attachments:
sugarloaf-crop.bmp

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Harry ()
Date: February 03, 2012 10:42PM

Super pic's with Sugar Loaf Mtn. Nothern vistas from W. FFX and Loudoun are becoming all-too prevalent with continued construction and depletion of trees.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: JP ()
Date: April 17, 2012 02:27PM

I pass this building almost every week and have often wondered about all that you guys discussed here. Thanks so much for posting this information. Personally, I think the mansion would make a fabulous Performing/Fine Arts Center if renovated properly...much like Strathmore Mansion. Great location for it as well. Seems sad to see it just sit there.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Janelia ()
Date: April 17, 2012 11:25PM

There's a fairly substantial Wikipedia entry on Janelia,
And another similar article on Ashburn Web

A bit more on the owners, Ms. Pickens is credited with spearheading and writing Loudoun's zoning ordinance - the first in any rural county. She died in 1993 and was honored by a resolution in the Virginia senate which catalogs her many civic accomplishments.

When she sold Janelia to Baan, my understanding is that the deal stipulated a couple unusual conditions... one was that the spectacular view towards Sugarloaf Mountain be preservered, and also that the properties' caretaker be kept on as long as he wanted. He had spent his whole life on the farm, was raised in one of the tenant houses that has now been torn down. He has since moved on to another job, but HHMI hires him to mow some of the meadows.

The house is in excellent structural condition because it has thick reinforced concrete walls and floors. When HHMI took over, there was talk that it would be the renovated and used as the director's residence, then that it would be used as a conference center. I have no idea what the current plans if any are. They have replaced the many broken windows, and done some repairs to the roof and gutters.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Loudoun County Kevin ()
Date: November 25, 2012 04:36PM

I just went by this place today. Wow. I would love to own this place and get it back to its original condition. Unfortunately, its views to the west are now a corporate research facility and the house itself is sitting directly on land owned by the HHMI. To purchase the property would require some seriously complicated legal paperwork and a large, large easement.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Melanie A. ()
Date: December 20, 2012 05:01PM

I know work off of riverside parkway, and see this house every day now and have been so curious as to it's history and current status. Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful information. I will have to take some time this weekend to drive over and walk around the property. I drove up to it the other day, but was worried about trespassing. Glad to see they don't really care. It's too bad that it's sitting empty right now. It would make a beautiful home again, obviously, but even better historical/public building for events and such. Thank you again for the wealth of information!

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Lansdowne ()
Date: December 20, 2012 05:38PM

The Manor house can't be torn down, as stipulated with the purchase of the property to HHMI that the view from the Manor House to Sugar loaf mountain must remain unobstructed. This was a driving factor for the design of the Bio-engineering lab ($600 Million) into the hill side instead of on top of the hill. Originally the Manor House was to be restored and used by the staff, but other more modern structures were built on the campus instead.

The manor house should be restored and used for tours or rented out for functions, it really is a beautiful structure and could probably be a profitable venture for the HHMI medical foundation. At least it would be a good information center or PR outreach to the community.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Melanie A. ()
Date: June 27, 2013 11:49AM

Loudoun Hospital considered putting the new hospital on Janelia Farm, so they had this birds eye view of the Manor that was taken sometime in the 90's. You can see some of the gardens, and the white building to the left is no longer there; not sure what that was. It's neat to see how the driveway came up to it and everything. Such a cool place!
Attachments:
janelia manor20130627134432 (2).jpg

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: asdfasdfa ()
Date: June 27, 2013 11:54AM

Interesting. Is this the same place where that murder took place? Or is this another property?

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Rhonda Smith ()
Date: June 17, 2015 03:07PM

When I was a child, I used to go home from church on Sundays with the family that ran and lived on the farm of the Janelia Farm Mansion. The farm hand was Gene and Helen Hose. Helen would also clean the mansion of the then owner, Ms. Pickens. While she cleaned the home, we used to swim in the inground pool that was located on the property frequently. I can remember that there was a huge spiral staircase inside of the mansion. I believe I overheard that they used to hold weddings in there. It was a very interesting experience to have as a child.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: suspicious observer ()
Date: June 17, 2015 04:04PM

Janelia seems like some kind of Greenbriar facility. I went by on a nice sunny day and there was not one person outside, with all that housing..

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: yJYG3 ()
Date: June 18, 2015 07:52PM


so if i look at fairfax zoning maps ...

1) will i see no parkland missing (which would be illegal)

2) will i see none of Lord Fairfax's donated lands were sold for gov employee luxury - as the Lord's will prescribed ?


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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Mkne9 ()
Date: June 18, 2015 07:53PM


3) will i see no "unclaimed land" was used by gov employees for private luxury?


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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: YT6mw ()
Date: June 18, 2015 07:54PM

yes i'm very interested in fx co gov "mapping"

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: anoonymous ()
Date: October 13, 2015 03:31PM

As a scientist who works at janelia, I found this thread awfully amusing.

I'm not too sure about official policies, but I think you are unlikely to be harassed if you are interested in taking a stroll around the manor house. Our beakers and microscopes do indeed keep us quite busy! I agree that the house is very cool. I wish they'd let me move in there.

Also, if you are interested in what's going on at Janelia, there are free public lectures a few times a year where we welcome you to check out the place and what we do:

https://www.janelia.org/you-janelia/dialogues-discovery

And regarding the comment: "Many of the people who work there are very weird. They give nerds a bad name."

Come on man! We're friendly folks! We're doing research to try to help people!

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Boss Man ()
Date: October 14, 2015 11:13AM

Get back to work!

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Tmdxk ()
Date: October 21, 2015 10:10PM

I just don't understand why they went through the trouble of burying it. It seems like a perfect shit-hit-the-fan place for somebody important.

underground
near hospital
near water supply
access controlled
enough room to land a plane on Seldon Island
backup generators
etc..
Attachments:
bored3.jpg

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: FlyBoy ()
Date: November 20, 2015 02:59PM

They had to minimize the visual intrusion of the new facility to the historic preservation easements (including viewshed) that was placed on the Manor prior to the original building owner selling the property. Its with the VA Department of Historic Resources if interested.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: Michelle Curry ()
Date: July 01, 2020 09:06PM

I used to visit this home as a child. It belonged to my great aunt. I have many fond memories of it from the early 90’s. The last time I stepped foot inside was when we attended her funeral service. She was an amazing woman with wonderful stories. My grandmother was helping provide information for a book that was being written about her and our family before she passed last year.

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: David Son ()
Date: November 04, 2022 10:41AM

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Re: Janelia Farm Mansion
Posted by: DIE SPAMMER!!!!! ()
Date: November 04, 2022 07:53PM

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