The Lake Anne Village Center Historic District encompasses the central plaza and surrounding buildings of Lake Anne Center in
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia and a principal city of the Washington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Reston's population was 63,226.
Founded in 1964, Reston was influenced by the Garden City movem ...
.
Description
Lake Anne Center was the first village center created in the planned community, and features a mix of commercial and residential buildings around a plaza and inlet of
Lake Anne
Lake Anne is a reservoir in the unincorporated suburban community of Reston in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The lake is part of the Difficult Run drainage area of the county.
Description
Lake Anne is one of Reston's four manmade ...
, a man-made reservoir. The village center was designed by Reston's master planner and architect
James Rossant
James Stephan Rossant (August 17, 1928 – December 15, 2009) was an American architect, artist, and professor of architecture.
A long-time Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he is best known for his master plan of ...
of New York City for
Robert E. Simon
Robert Edmund Simon, Jr. (April 10, 1914 – September 21, 2015) was an American real estate entrepreneur, most known for founding the community of Reston, Virginia.
Original work: He was the maternal uncle of feminist historian and writer El ...
and built 1963–67. At the time it was considered a showcase of modern community planning; architecturally, it is composed mainly of modestly scaled
Brutalist
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...
structures, including residential townhouses, mixed commercial-residential buildings, and a church.
The district was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2017.
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Events
The Lake Anne Village Center has been the location for a number of events in the Reston area.
One of the popular events is the Lake Anne Cardboard Regatta, hosted by the Reston Museum. During this event, teams create life sized cardboard boats and compete in various races.
Another popular event is the Reston Multicultural Festival, which has been hosted at Lake Anne in the past. This event includes live musical performances from a variety of different cultural backgrounds.
On Saturdays there is a farmer's market located in the parking lot of the Village Center. This event runs from April until December each year, where residents can buy fresh produce, flowers, along with fresh food.
Additionally, there is a craft market in the Village Center hosted by the United Christian Parish.
See also
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References
Historic districts in Fairfax County, Virginia
National Register of Historic Places in Fairfax County, Virginia
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
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