Lyon's Den
Lyonhurst, or Missionhurst as it is now known, is a Spanish Mission-style stucco house originally built in 1907 as a residence for Frank Lyon.
Lyonhurst, or Missionhurst as it is now known, is a Spanish Mission-style stucco house originally built in 1907 as a residence for Frank Lyon, an early developer in the County.
Lyon had traveled a great deal and was influenced by the Spanish missions he had seen in the American West. The house was built with large porches to catch the breeze in the hot summer weather, and he built a water tower on the property in the same Spanish style. The Lyon family was also one of the first to have electricity in the County. The house currently serves as the headquarters for the Immaculate Heart Mission Fathers.
Frank Lyon was a lawyer and social reformer who was the editor and later publisher of the Alexandria County Monitor. Through this newspaper, he waged a campaign against the rampant lawlessness in the Rosslyn and Jackson City areas of the County in the early part of the 20th century. Lyon was also a prominent developer intent on establishing the area as a residential community and who promoted increasing the powers of local government to broaden and strengthen the ability of the County to protect its citizens. He developed additions to Clarendon and later developed both Lyon Park and Lyon Village.
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