Willard, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willard, Virginia
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Willard c. 1958 atop footprint of current runways and taxiways
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 Willard, Virginia
Location in Northern Virginia
Willard, Virginia
Location in Virginia
Willard, Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  Virginia |
| County |  Loudoun |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Willard (also known as Willard Crossroads) was a small community in Virginia. It was not officially a town or city. Today, this area is part of the huge Washington Dulles International Airport.
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Willard: A Lost Virginia Community
Willard was a small community located in Virginia. It was also known as Willard Crossroads. This area is now part of the large Washington Dulles International Airport. Willard was a place where people lived and worked. It had farms, homes, schools, and a store.
Who Was Joseph Edward Willard?
The community of Willard was named after Joseph Edward Willard. He was an important person in Virginia's government. From 1893 to 1901, he was a delegate. A delegate is someone chosen to represent a group of people. He also served as the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. This is a high-ranking official in the state government.
Even though Willard lived in Loudoun County, he represented Fairfax County. This was because the community of Willard was very close to the border of Fairfax County. Joseph Edward Willard owned a large estate in Fairfax. His father, Joseph Clapp Willard, owned the famous Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Life in Willard Crossroads
Willard was located where Willard Road (now Stonecroft Boulevard) and the old Sterling Road met. It was a busy crossroads. The area around Willard had many farms. There were also homes, schools, and places of worship. The Willard store was open until 1907. A small airport called Blue Ridge Airfield was also nearby from 1938 to 1951.
Willard was west of Floris, north of Pleasant Valley, and south of Farmwell (now Ashburn). People thought of Willard as a distinct community. This changed when construction for Washington Dulles International Airport began in 1958.
Why Did Willard Disappear?
Willard disappeared because a new airport was built. About 26 square miles (67 square kilometers) of land was bought for the airport. This land included parts of Willard, Chantilly, Pleasant Valley, Sterling, and Ashburn.
Building a Big Airport
When the airport was finished, almost everything from before 1958 was gone. Only a small part of Willard Road remained. It is now used as a service road for the airport. Three old storage buildings also remained between the airport's runways.
