Reston began in 1961, when Robert E. Simon used the proceeds from his family’s sale of Carnegie Hall to buy about 6,750 acres of Fairfax County farmland. He opened the town in 1964 with a plan to let people live, work and play in one place, according to Encyclopedia Virginia.
Quick Summary
- In 1961, Simon bought about 6,750 acres of what was then called Sunset Hills Farm with money from the sale of Carnegie Hall, per Encyclopedia Virginia and Reston Now.
- Reston officially opened on April 10, 1964, Simon’s 50th birthday, per Wikipedia and The Washington Post’s 2014 profile of Simon.
- His plan clustered development in village centers so fields and trees could stay as shared open space, per the state planning marker at Lake Anne.
- Gulf Oil stepped in to save the project from bankruptcy in 1967, per the same marker’s chamber of commerce history. Simon died in September 2015 at age 101.
- The Reston Museum on Lake Anne Plaza is the best place to see the story in person.
In This Post
- The land and the money
- What Simon planned
- A lake, a plaza and a money crunch
- What still shows up in Reston today
- What this means for Reston homeowners
- FAQ
- Sources and reporting limits
The Land and the Money
It is a good story, and it checks out. Encyclopedia Virginia says Simon, through a company that included his three sisters, bought the 6,750 acres with proceeds from the sale of Carnegie Hall in New York City. The Fairfax Times obituary adds that he heard about the Bowman family property in what was then Sunset Hills in 1961.
1961: land purchased. April 10, 1964: Reston officially opens. 6,750 acres. Sources: Encyclopedia Virginia, Wikipedia, Reston Now.
Sixty-five years later, that farmland is a town. The 2020 Census counted 63,226 people in Reston, according to Wikipedia.
What Simon Planned
Reston was not designed to be just another subdivision. The American Institute of Certified Planners marker at Lake Anne, transcribed on the Historical Marker Database, credits Simon with the nation’s first Planned Community Zone. It describes concentrating development in village centers and higher-density zones so fields and trees could serve as large areas of commonly held ground. The same marker lists social openness, citizen participation and the dignity of the individual among his goals.
That mix of ideas is a big reason Reston looks the way it does now. Villages, paths and shared open space were not accidents. For how the neighborhoods compare today, see our Reston neighborhood guide and our breakdown of Reston Association neighborhoods.
A Lake, a Plaza and a Money Crunch
Lake Anne came first. The marker says Simon introduced urban living to the American suburban countryside at Lake Anne Village Center, and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce history quoted on the marker page describes townhouses surrounding the lake like a European coastal village. Our earlier post on the vote on reshaping Lake Anne covers where that village stands now.
Money was tight. The chamber history quoted on the marker page says providing roads, sewers, shopping centers, parks and recreation facilities became too great a burden for one man’s bank account, and that one of his principal investors, Gulf Oil, stepped in to save the project from bankruptcy in 1967.
What Still Shows Up in Reston Today
Walk around Lake Anne Plaza and a few of those early ideas are easy to spot. The plaza sits on the water, the housing is close in, and the place is built for walking. A few minutes away, Reston Town Center shows the same instinct at a much bigger scale.
The Reston Museum is on Lake Anne Plaza. Its website lists hours of Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Monday. The site lists two street addresses, 1639 Washington Plaza for the museum and 1609-A Washington Plaza N as the best address for GPS, so check the museum’s hours and directions page before you go.
What This Means for Reston Homeowners
The founding plan still shapes what owning a home here is like. Because Simon concentrated housing in clusters and villages, many Reston homes sit beside shared open space, paths and lakes that belong to the community, and that shared ground is maintained through Reston Association. If you own here or are weighing a purchase, it helps to know what comes with that, including the yearly assessment. We cover the current figure in our post on the 2027 Reston Association assessment, and our Reston lakes guide explains lake rules and access.
The older village areas near Lake Anne and the newer buildings near the Metro stations have different building styles and different costs. If you would like a number for your own place, try our Reston home value tool.
FAQ
When was Reston founded?
Simon bought the land in 1961, and Reston officially opened on April 10, 1964, according to Encyclopedia Virginia and Wikipedia.
Who founded Reston, Virginia?
Robert E. Simon Jr. founded Reston. Reston Now reported that he died in September 2015 at age 101.
How did the sale of Carnegie Hall help create Reston?
Simon used proceeds from his family’s sale of Carnegie Hall to buy about 6,750 acres of Fairfax County farmland, according to Encyclopedia Virginia and the Fairfax Times.
Is the Reston Museum open to the public?
According to its website, yes, Tuesday through Sunday with hours listed above, and closed Mondays. Confirm hours before visiting.
Curious what your Reston home is worth today? Start with our home value page.
Sources and Reporting Limits
- Encyclopedia Virginia, Reston, Virginia. Source for the Carnegie Hall proceeds, 1961 purchase and 6,750 acres.
- Historical Marker Database, Robert E. Simon, Jr. / Reston, Virginia marker. Source for Simon’s planning goals and the 1967 Gulf Oil rescue.
- Reston Now, Reston Founder Robert E. Simon Dies at 101, September 21, 2015.
- Fairfax Times, Obituary: Robert E. Simon Jr.
- Wikipedia, Robert E. Simon and Reston, Virginia. Source for the April 10, 1964 opening date and 2020 Census population.
- Reston Museum, Hours and Directions, read November 7, 2026.
Limits: Several of these are encyclopedic or news sources rather than primary records. Dollar figures for the sale and purchase vary by source, so this post does not state one. Museum hours can change. Photo: Lake Anne aerial from the site’s photo library.