Janelia facts for kids
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Janelia
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Janelia Manor, September 2012
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Ashburn, Virginia |
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| Area | 16.7 acres (6.8 ha) |
| Built | 1936 |
| Architect | Philip L. Smith, Vinton L. Pickens |
| Architectural style | Normandy Manor Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003596 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 20, 1987 |
Janelia, also called Janelia Farm, is a large, historic house near Ashburn, Virginia. It was built in 1936 for Vinton L. Pickens and her husband, Robert. The land around the house used to be a farm. Now, it is part of the Janelia Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This campus is a special place where scientists do important research.
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The Janelia Property
The land for Janelia was bought in 1934 by Vinton and Robert Pickens. The property was about 289 acres, which is a lot of space! At the time, the Pickens family was living in Switzerland.
Robert Pickens was a writer for the Associated Press. This is a big news organization. Vinton Pickens was an artist. She also helped start the first planning commission for Loudoun County, Virginia. This group helps plan how land in the county should be used. The property was named "Janelia" after their two daughters, Jane and Cornelia.
Designing the House
The Janelia house was designed by an architect named Philip Smith. He worked for a company called Smith and Walker in Boston. Vinton Pickens had a special request for the house's style. She wanted it to look like a "Normandy Manor." This is a type of French country-style house. She did not want it to look like the common Georgian or Federal style houses in the area.
Building a new house like this was unusual back then. Many wealthy people in Northern Virginia would buy and fix up older Georgian or Federal style homes. Janelia was different because it was built from scratch in a unique style.
House Features
The house has a modern French country look. It is built with strong concrete and covered with bricks. The house has an interesting shape with different parts sticking out. It has slate roofs that slope downwards. There are six tall chimneys and many windows that stick out from the roof. The outside bricks were once painted white, but they have changed color over time.
You enter the house through a big, heavy wooden door. Inside, the entrance hall has rubber tiles that look like marble. A curved staircase leads up to the second floor.
The house has many rooms. There is a parlor, which is like a living room. It has a large fireplace made of marble. French doors lead from the parlor to a screened porch. From the porch, you can see the swimming pool. There is also a dining room with big windows. From here, you can see the Potomac River. The dining room also has a large fireplace.
The kitchen has a modern design and rubber tiles. There are also service areas like a laundry room and pantries.
Upstairs and Downstairs
On the second floor, a long hallway leads to five bedrooms. Each bedroom has its own fireplace! Three of the bedrooms also have their own bathrooms. The main bedroom has great views to the north and west.
The third floor used to be for the house staff. It has four bedrooms, a large bathroom, and storage rooms. The basement of the house has a recreation room, more storage rooms, and a large library.
Janelia and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Janelia was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 20, 1987. This means it is an important historical site.
Today, the house is surrounded by the Janelia Research Campus. This campus is part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). HHMI is a large, non-profit organization that supports scientific research. The Janelia Research Campus is a place where scientists work on big, challenging questions in biology. They study things like how the brain works.
