Vienna

History

European settlement in the region dates to the mid-18th century. In 1754, soldier and landowner Colonel Charles Broadwater settled within the town boundaries. Broadwater's son-in-law, John Hunter, built the first recorded house there in 1767, naming it Ayr Hill to recall his birthplace, Ayr, Scotland. That name was then applied to the community. The town's name was changed in the 1850s, when a doctor, William Hendrick, settled there and the town renamed itself after his hometown, Phelps, New York, which at the time was known as Vienna. On June 17, 1861, the Battle of Vienna, one of the earliest armed clashes of the American Civil War, was fought in Vienna. A Union army unit under Brigadier General Robert C. Schenck approached Vienna from the east by train but was ambushed and forced to retreat by a Confederate force led by Colonel Maxcy Gregg. Several historical markers in Vienna detail its Civil War history. In addition, in the town center lies the well preserved Freeman House; which, in 1861, was the polling place for the secession vote and was used during the war by both sides as a hospital. The house has been turned into a museum and gift shop. The First Baptist Church of Vienna was founded in 1867, and the original church structure was built using Union Army barracks lumber obtained through the Freedmen's Bureau. This church building was also the town's first black public school. The first white public school was built in 1872. A permanent black elementary school was built, and was later named for its long-time principal, Louise Archer. In fall 1965, Fairfax County Public Schools were completely desegregated.

Geography

Vienna lies in the Piedmont approximately southwest of the Potomac River. Wolftrap Creek, a tributary of nearby Difficult Run, flows north from its source in the eastern part of town. The Bear Branch of Accotink Creek, a Potomac tributary, flows south from its source in the southern part of town. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land. As a suburb of Washington, D.C., Vienna is a part of both the Washington metropolitan area and the larger Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. It is bordered on all sides by other Washington suburbs, including Wolf Trap to the north, Tysons Corner to the northeast, Dunn Loring to the east, Merrifield to the south, and Oakton to the west. These communities are unincorporated, and portions of them lie in ZIP codes with Vienna postal addresses despite lying outside the town's borders.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  175,084
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  138,988
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  138,684
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  121,308
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  120,883
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  120,695
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  112,294
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  110,046

Largest nearby schools

• LAKE BRADDOCK SECONDARY
  High · Burke · 4,377 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• ROBINSON SECONDARY
  High · Fairfax · 3,607 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• CHANTILLY HIGH
  High · Chantilly · 2,937 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• OAKTON HIGH
  High · Vienna · 2,701 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• WEST SPRINGFIELD HIGH
  High · Springfield · 2,663 students · 17.6:1 ratio
• CENTREVILLE HIGH
  High · Clifton · 2,623 students · 17.6:1 ratio
• SOUTH LAKES HIGH
  High · Reston · 2,530 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• WOODSON HIGH
  High · Fairfax · 2,478 students · 15.3:1 ratio