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2006 SESSION

068382726
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 191
Offered February 2, 2006
Commending Dunn Loring, Virginia, on the occasion of its 120th anniversary.
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Patrons-- Devolites Davis; Delegates: Scott, J.M. and Shannon
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WHEREAS, Dunn Loring, Virginia, the earliest platted subdivision in Fairfax County and possibly the Commonwealth, was founded in 1886, the same year that the Statute of Liberty was dedicated; and

WHEREAS, General William McKee Dunn and his wife Elizabeth Lanier Dunn purchased about 600 acres located on the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad, now identified as the Washington and Old Dominion Regional Trail, from L. B. Clarke and his wife on June 8, 1886; and

WHEREAS, on September 22, 1886, the land was transferred to the Loring Land and Improvement Company, composed of General Dunn, then a retired Army Officer; George B. Loring, a Washington oculist; and George H. LeFetra, a Washington temperance hotel proprietor; the Town of Dunn Loring was advertised for residential sales in 1887, and the Gravel Springs was an inviting feature; and

WHEREAS, during the Spanish-American War, the founding of Camp Russell A. Alger brought growth and prosperity to Dunn Loring, and among the troops trained at Camp Alger was the celebrated author-poet Carl Sandburg, after whom the present Sandburg Street was named; and

WHEREAS, the Loring Land and Improvement Company built a railroad station and a post office, but shortly thereafter General Dunn died, and the development faltered because the other partners were unable to maintain it; in 1912, F. Shields McCandlish bought out the interests of the developers, consolidated parcels, and subdivided the land into its current platting; and

WHEREAS, following World War II, the area began to develop as part of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., and in 1986, Dunn Loring celebrated its 100th birthday; a record of the event reveals that area roads were blocked to traffic and about 6,000 people came to join the festivities, which included a performance by the Vienna Community Symphony; and

WHEREAS, in 2006, Dunn Loring will commemorate another milestone in its rich and diverse history on the community's illustrious 120th birthday, and the celebration will include music, tributes, honored guests, as well as a delightful day on “The Greens,” the parks along the Washington and Old Dominion Regional Trail; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate Dunn Loring, Virginia, on the occasion of its 120th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to G. Ray Worley, President of Dunn Loring Improvement Association, Inc., on behalf of the residents of Dunn Loring as an expression of the General Assembly’s best wishes and hope for continued success and longevity.