How often does a place become synonymous with an entire organization? Langley, Virginia has. Langley is often used as a stand-in name for the Central Intelligence Agency because the CIA headquarters, the George Bush Center for Intelligence, is located here.
Langley’s story goes back further than the CIA though. Once, this land belonged to Thomas Lee. He was a former Crown Governor of the Colony of Virginia from 1749 to 1750. Lee named his land Langley in honor of Langley Hall. That hall was part of the Lee family estate in Shropshire, England.
In 1839, Benjamin Mackall bought 700 acres of land from the Lee family. He kept the name Langley. By the time the Civil War rolled around, Langley was a small village.
During the winter of 1861 to 1862, Union Major General George A. McCall made Langley his headquarters. His Pennsylvania Reserves set up Camp Pierpont on the land around Langley. That was only a few miles from the Potomac River crossing at Chain Bridge.
A correspondent for the New York Times described Langley in October 1861. He said it must have been a pleasant resort in other times. He noted General McCall’s headquarters and the legions of the Pennsylvania Reserve. The correspondent observed their drill precision and camp discipline. He also lamented the destruction caused by the army such as fences disappearing and shrubbery destroyed.
Despite the war, Langley recovered. Thanks to citizens who valued preservation, several 19th-century structures still stand today. One example is the Langley Toll House. It was built around 1820. A Confederate veteran named Braden Hummer bought the Toll House after the Civil War. He ran a grocery store there until 1924. The current structure dates from 1889.
Nearby stands Gunnell’s Chapel. It was erected around 1879. This small wooden structure was a place of worship for an African-American Methodist congregation. The chapel was built on land belonging to Robert Gunnell. Gunnell was a black farmer in Langley. Before the war, Robert was a free man.
Langley Ordinary once served travelers and locals as a tavern. During the Civil War, one tavern owner was a Secessionist who had to flee. The other was a Union man who continued his business unmolested.
Today, Langley is more than just a historical footnote. It serves as a bedroom community for Washington, D.C. It is also home to the Federal Highway Administration’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Though the Claude Moore Colonial Farm of the National Park Service is now permanently closed, it was once here.
So, while Langley may be known for its association with the CIA, remember its rich history. From its colonial roots to its role in the Civil War, Langley has a story to tell. A story much deeper than just spies and secrets.