Forest Edge Cluster Turns 50

Forest Edge Cluster, one of the oldest clusters in Reston will celebrate its 50th anniversary tomorrow (September 22), bringing together anyone who has ever lived in the cluster.

The anniversary event will be held at Findley Hall in St. Thomas à Becket Church, the church next to the cluster. Previous celebrations have been held at Reston Community Center.

Over the last 50 years, the cluster has evolved from eleven houses known as flat tops due to their flat roofs, according to Belly Sullivan, who lives in the cluster. That style transitioned into a composite design for the 96 remaining homes on Forest Edge Drive and Greenmont Court. The cluster gets its name from the buffer of trees and creeks surrounding the neighborhood.

Two families live in the cluster from the first day: Jean Rich on Forest Ridge Drive and Bob and Lila Ensign on Greenmont Court. Other residents have stayed for more than 40 years, Sullivan said. Former residents include Emory Rucker, after whom Reston’s homeless shelter is named, and U.S. Sen. Angus King.

In past years, Robert Simon cut the cluster’s celebratory cake. After his passing, a cake donated by Edibles Incredible Desserts will be cut, ushering in another era that Sullivan hopes will “enhance the cluster’s community spirit”

Photos via Jill Silton