In the 1950's the farming community of Burke, VA was the proposed site for Dulles Airport.  Due to the efforts of the few families that lived in the area at the time, the airport plan was derailed and moved to Chantilly where Dulles Airport is today. It is hard to imagine how different the area would be if the government had succeed in their plans.   Even though they fought and won the battle not to build the airport most of the farm homes and land had been purchased and condemned by the government leaving the area virtually deserted.

After the Dulles Airport proposal was killed dvelopers realized the potential of a signficant parcel of land only 20 miles outside of Washington DC and the area of Burke began to grow.  Part of the land was turned over to the Fairfax Park Authority to make up Burke Lake Park and the majority of the rest of the land became the area known as Burke Centre.

The homes that make up the area known as Burke Centre were built on a 1700 acre parcel of land and with the strong Burke Centre Conservancy retain a great connection with nature. Thirty miles of bike paths, six ponds, a lake and five community centers where owners can find nature and activities right outside their doors. Terra Centre Elementary School was one of the first earth sheltered schools built in the area and the roof is still used today by students as their athletic field.

With over 5800 homes divided into five distinct neighborhoods: Landing, Woods, Oaks, Commons and Ponds; Burke Centre is one of the largest planned communities in Fairfax County. With the Burke Station VRE, Metro Bus transportation and major highways close by, Burke Centre is a popular location for Northern Virginia homeowners who work in DC. 

Since the first homes were built in Burke in 1976 the area has also been popular with military families stationed at Ft.Belvoir, the Pentagon and Military District of Washington installations.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Burke Centre give Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213. My team also serves other areas of Northern Virginia including Alexandria, Clifton, Lorton, Fairfax Station, Manassas, Woodbridge and surrounding neighborhoods. . Stop by VaRealEstateTalk, Cindy Jones Homes or Military Relocation News for more information. Search all homes available in the Northern Virginia area.

It is happening every day in dark alleys throughout Northern Virginia.   Fun is happening away from the glare of the hot summer sun.  How can it be?  It is easy when you let your eyes adjust to the darkness and spy a group of adults tossing a grapefruit size ball at miniature pins in a game of duck pin bowling or a party full of little bowlers keeping the ball in the lane with the rubber bumpers covering the gutters.

 Back in the day bowling alleys had the reputation of being smoke filled buildings with greasy fries and hot dogs as the main attraction.  My dad wouldn't let me go the bowling alley a few blocks from our house because that was where the "Fonz" characters hung out.  Ironically that same Springfield bowling alley eventually became the Long & Foster Real Estate office where I worked in for 3 years. 

Fast forward to today and you will find a new breed of bowling alley with plenty of fun for everyone.  When the weather in Northern Virginia gets muggy everyone starts to look for ways to find entertainment inside and bowling is a great alternative to the wave pools and better for you than a bucket of buttered popcorn. 

When my kids were growing up we used to hit the Bowl America Lanes in Burke on oppressive days and discovered it was a great way to pass away an afternoon.  We even hit a bowling alley in the UK on a rainy day and discovered cosmic bowling.  Nothing like a lime green bowling ball glowing under black light to pick up your spirits!

In Northern Virginia you can find bowling alleys scattered throughout the area and most of them offer a wide variety of activities for all age groups.  Kids are never disappointed by a gutter ball with the blow up bumpers and with the automatic scoreboards no one can be accused of miscounting the remaining pins.  So try something different and head to your local bowling alley.  

Ask the residents of Northern Virginia who drive through the Springfield "mixing bowl" (video link) everyday and they may tell you that an airport would be preferable to the 50 ramps and 20 lanes they deal with everyday.  Ask a tourist driving through and you can bet they would rather be flying over than trying to navigate their way through the maze.  In 1945 this same area was the location of a 3,000 foot long unpaved runway as part of the Springfield Airport. 

The tiny airport offered fuel and maintenance facilities for small aircraft.  One of the mechanics at the airport in the late 1940's was Charlie Kulp who is best known in our area for his acrobatic flying in the Bealton Flying Circus which still operates today and is a great place to go and watch the amazing flying acrobatics.

Our family moved to Springfield in 1955 and by then there were no traces of the airport visible in the area.  By looking at the map that was included in the book "Virginia Airports" it was easy to see that the location of the airport is where the neighborhood of Springfield Estates was built. 

Unlike the nearby community of Burke which was the proposed original site for Dulles International Airport, Springfield Airport was never designed to be more than a small airfield and only was in existence for seven years.

Learn more about all of the Abandoned and Little Known Airfields in Northern Virginia

Today pilots who fly small aircraft have a choice of airfields scattered throughout Northern Virginia including four local public airports and another 64 throughout the state.   

Manassas Airfield
Whitman Strip in Manassas
Stafford Regional Airport
Leesburg Executive Airport

Photo credit:  Abandoned and Little Known Airfields website

If you are interested in learning more about getting around our area or need help finding your next home in  Northern Virginia give me a call.  As a native of the area I can show you not only your transportation options but great neighborhoods, shopping options and historical sites in our great area. 

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As an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Allegiance in Northern Virginia and native of the area I can assist you whether you are buying, selling or renting a home anywhere in Northern Virginia. For more information about the area or my services you can check VaRealEstateTalk or my Northern Virginia website.

Search all homes available in the Northern Virginia area.