Yay!  Yes, there are a few original homeowners of Holly Knoll still around since 1976 when the neighborhood began.  How lucky and blessed can you be to reside for 43 years right across the street from Bob and Donna when your own names happen to be Bob and Donna?  We have both sides of the street covered, I guess you could say.  We became fast friends and have been ever since.  They moved in at Christmas 1976 and we welcome in the New Year of 1977.  The huge number of children drew many of us to this private enclave of 75 homes around a circle in this quiet neighborhood in the Great Falls community, easily accessible to many main throughfares, despite the fact there was very little here in the Northwestern corner of Fairfax  County at that time.

 

It has always been a special place for those of us who raised families here.  We knew our neighbors and were always eager to plan activities and welcome children's and adult events:  socials, picnics, barbecues, parades, cul-de-sac parties and gatherings to help us get to know one another and socialize and share with one another.  We even had a "Welcome Committee" on whom many in the neighborhood served to welcome new people or to check up if there was an illness, death or family crisis.  Many knew one another and each other's children ran in and out of neighbors houses and were welcomed.  We felt safe and secure and looked out for one another and all the kids.  The neighborhood was hopping most of the seasons.  Winter brought snow sledding down the street when there was no Algonkian Parkway, but just a dead end to Holly Knoll Drive.  It ended at Cup Leaf Holly Court and intersected with Route 7.  Winter brought cold and dreary days, cozy fires, snowsuits and Christmas caroling and hot chocolate, coffees shared at various houses, snow shoveling (ugh!) and plowing.  The adults and kids had a ball.  Locally, there was no Lowe's Island or Food Lion, or, for that matter, many other developments.  Dranesville Tavern was there, an historical landmark, which helped in finding Holly Knoll for visitors and guests.  We had to shop elsewhere, and there was definitely no Dulles Town Center or malls or outlets.  Spring arrival meant the whole world around us was in bloom, and our spirits came out of hibernation.  We had flowers and perennials swaying in the gentle breeze, and grass so green you just wanted to lay down on it.  Summer fun in the sun was always welcomed, even though most of us sweated bullets in the heat of the summer sun, working our gardens, landscaping and mowing.  Most of us did it ourselves in those days.  Then came our crisp and invigorating Fall, and the splendid foliage brought people back outside for raking, fall cleanup, tree trimming and pruning and even driveway sealing.  We, in our cul-de-sac, did lots of entertaining at each other's houses, and many of us became family to each other, when some of our families did not live close by.

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We all knew the builder, Warren Hall and Al Litton, the sales manager.  Our builder was mostly on site, and was always willing or offering to provide a few perks as he went about his day.  One of them was he planted a few trees in our cul-de-sac, going into the woods, selecting a tree, and personally planting them.  He always tried to keep us "happy homeowners."  We all celebrated with a block party and grilled, played games and brought out our lawn chairs to sit under the new trees, and genuinely enjoyed ourselves.  We were a small but tight knit community!

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I served on the Board back in the day with Dick DeConti, as our President (he lived where the stop sign is in the corner house).  Bob Gramling served on the Board then, and I don't think he never stopped serving our community until recent years.  Thank you, Bob Gramling, for caring that much.  We may not all have agreed with everyone, but the respect for one another was without question.  Back in the day, many of the neighbors came from Pennsylvania and other parts of Maryland and Virginia.  A great portion of the jobs were governmental, defense related or the military.  People's jobs were relatively secure back then.  So many professions were represented as is now by welcoming an extraordinary international and high-tech global community.  We also, once again, have little people livening up the yards and streets as they are riding in strollers, scooters, fancy bikes, mini-cars and all kinds of new fangled high tech toys.  All of a sudden, our kids grew up, went off into the  military or college, or sought after jobs and we all settled into more of a bedroom community.  Now we see our local dedicated walkers, talkers, yard workers and families out and about once again.  A fantastic Neighborhood Watch program was founded by Ben Cheshire. It was definitely a plus for Holly Knoll.  We have seen so many friends and neighbors who have passed on, moved on or retired to assisted living, retirement communities or even nursing facilities.

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We used to be Holly Knoll I, then came Holly Knoll II, so we became the Old Section (I) and the New Section (II).  There was no road dividing us as there is now.  Now we have a big, tall fence separating us from some of our friends.  There was no COVID-19 isolating us from each other and no real economic calamity as we have now because of COVID.  Now as then, the family is a sacred and prized possession to be treasured.

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Holly Knoll has a "Lunch Bunch" which under normal pre-Covid times meets monthly in a local restaurant just to gather, chat and catch up on the news of the neighborhood for anybody in the community to participate.  It combines Section I and Section II.  All are welcome!  For more info, give me a call!  In early December, we usually end the year with a neighborhood Holiday luncheon at Chez Francois, our beautifully appointed and famous French Country Restaurant in Great Falls.  This year who knows what it will be!

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We are a thriving, striving and surviving community as we navigate through COVID.  We deeply desire to revive and revitalize our Holly Knoll spirit.  May we all serve and support one another to accomplish that goal.  Let's especially look out after those living alone, those whom are disabled or ill, if they will accept it, and those suffering in any way that we hear about.  Bob and I surely appreciate all who have worked so hard and devoted much of their precious time to keep our neighborhood, maintaining its character and our surrounding common areas.  To keep it beautiful and cared for, we all must contribute, if possible, our time in whatever way works.  It is a sought after community, no question about that!

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Bob joins me in looking forward to meeting new, recently new and for those whose claim to fame is that they are original homeowners, we love talking to you too.  We want to welcome our new Board members and certainly thank those who just resigned or retired from the Board.  You really worked hard, and we appreciate all the effort that you put in.  Stay safe!  If you see us out and about, please  socially distance chat with us in our driveway.  We enjoy talking to neighbors and would love to get to know more of you!  Stay safe and BE WELL.