06/08/2026
In the late 1970s, the land along the west side of Ferndale Avenue was being cleared in preparation for the construction of the Herndon Centennial Golf Course. Herndon Police Officer, Sgt. Duanne Atkisson, recalled in July of 1978: “I didn’t have anything to do, so I just started nosing around the bulldozers building the golf course. All of the sudden, there was the horn.” He discovered a powder horn that was dated to the French and Indian War, which was from 1756 to 1763. The horn had scrimshaw on it which showed an elaborate engraving that included houses and church steeples, parts of the seal of Great Britain, war ships, the City of Philadelphia and Fort Island on the Delaware River. The partial word “PHIL” could be seen on the horn, which experts say indicated it was made in Philadelphia. How it ended up in Herndon is unknown. (However, we are aware of at least one local resident who served in that war). For a while the horn was displayed in the Herndon Depot Museum, but was ultimately returned to Officer Atkisson.
