There is a three-story stone house on Old Reston Avenue that most people have driven past without ever noticing. It was built in 1899, hidden behind a low wall and a few mature trees, and it has been quietly used as office space for decades. This week, it became the most interesting development story in Reston.

A proposal from EYA Townhomes and the Armed Forces Mutual Association would remove two existing office buildings on the property and build 57 new townhomes around the historic Bowman Manor. Fairfax County has made one thing clear: the manor stays. It has legal protection and sits on Fairfax County's historic register. The entire development plan is designed around it.

We are local real estate agents, and stories like this one matter to us not just as news but because they shape how people think about neighborhoods, convenience, and where they want to put down roots. The Bowman Manor property sits in a corridor that is quietly becoming one of the more active stretches in Reston, between the W&OD Trail, Reston Town Center, and the Silver Line.

We covered all of it on this week's episode. You can watch the full episode or jump to any section using the links below.

We did this hike last weekend and came back with a specific, practical guide. Two and a half miles out and back, mostly flat, alongside a creek, with a destination that has bathrooms, a general store, a picnic area, and more history than you might expect. One note: crossing Route 7 at that point is a little dicey. The underpass adds about two-tenths of a mile but is worth it. A full video on Colvin Run Mill itself is coming soon.

Watch the Rails to River Trail segment

Rumors had been circulating that Davio's might be closing. Graham confirmed directly with the restaurant: not the case. Davio's is taking over the outdoor Plaza Bar space where Matchbox used to operate, making it an even better spot to catch the Friday night Reston Station summer concerts. The Matchbox interior is likely to be converted to office space. Other restaurants, including Ebbitt Grill, are still expected to open in other parts of Reston Station later this year.

Watch the Davio's segment

May 16th and 17th. This one draws people from well outside Reston, and for good reason. Live glass blowing, dance theater, basket making, multi-color relief printing, and the full outdoor art show. If you have not been, this is the year to go.

Watch the Tephra ICA segment

The Bowman Manor is a three-story stone house built in 1899 by A. Smith Bowman. If that name sounds familiar, it should. The same family later founded Bowman Distillery, which sits just across the street and is currently on the market at $2.5 million after 82 days.

The property is owned by the Armed Forces Mutual Association, which has used it as office space. They entered a joint development agreement with EYA Townhomes to demolish the two modern office buildings on the site and replace them with 57 townhomes. The manor itself cannot be touched. It is listed on Fairfax County's historic register and is legally protected.

What makes this proposal different from most new construction around here is the design intent. The townhomes are four stories, roughly 55 feet tall, with a minimum of three bedrooms, but the architecture takes an English cottage direction, brick, stone trim, cottage-style landscaping, meant to echo the manor rather than contrast it. A central promenade with a formal staircase connects the new community to the historic house. Trees are woven throughout the site rather than cleared.

From the W&OD Trail at the bottom of the property, the grade climbs up to where the manor sits at the highest point, visible from Old Reston Avenue. There is also a pond near the trail with a gazebo.

One thing to watch: traffic on Old Reston Avenue near the W&OD crossing is already tight. Adding residents to the Bowman neighborhood on top of the existing Sunset Station development on American Dreamway will put more pressure on that intersection. Graham flagged it as a concern worth tracking.

The next planning board hearing is July 14th, where the site plan goes up for review. If it passes, expect to see land clearing activity within a year, with finished townhomes probably two or more years out.

Watch the Bowman Manor segment

Reston was designed around a set of ideas that were unusual for their time. Mixed housing types, green space woven throughout, communities built at a human scale. A lot of what gets built around here now does not reflect those values. This proposal, small at 57 units, is one of the few recent development stories where the conversation feels like it is actually engaging those original commitments. Whether the planning board agrees in July will tell us something about how seriously Fairfax County takes historic context in development approvals.

Follow along each week to keep up with the stories, debates, and local changes shaping Reston and Herndon. New episodes drop weekly.

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If you are watching what is happening on Old Reston Avenue and wondering how it affects your neighborhood, your home value, or whether this part of Reston still fits what you are looking for, we are happy to talk through it. No agenda, just context. Reply to this email and we will get back to you.