Mr. Bready Goes to Washington: How a 19th Century Bucks County Resident Is Remembered by a D.C. Suburb

Twenty-five miles west of downtown Washington D.C. sits small-town Herndon, Virginia. Within it is Bready Park, a recreational area with a surprising Bucks County tie. Barbara Glakas reported the connection for MSN.

The park is named for Isaiah Bready (1830-1913), Herndon’s first politician.

Bready was born in Bucks County, the grandson of a Revolutionary War private.

In 1855, his parents relocated to Virginia. They ran an expansive farm that Isaiah eventually owned after his marriage and his parents’ passing.

Bready declined to join the southern troops in the Civil War, a decision that made him unpopular among his southern neighbors. Some say he was a loyal Union scout during the conflict, maintaining ties to his northern, antebellum roots.

In postwar Virginia, the Bready family added nine children. The patriarch built a new stone home in 1867, and that structure remains to this day.

Bready’s stature in the village grew. His talent at resolving conflicts led to his appointment as a judge, although he had no training in the law.

By the 1870s, the town incorporated, with Bready as its first mayor. He served until 1883 and died in 1913 at age 82.

Generations of Breadys continued to live in the stone house until 2018, when Isaiah’s ancestors sold it to the Archdiocese of Arlington.

Herndon’s Parks and Recreation Department, which continues to oversee Bready Park, was established in 1976.

More on this long-distance connection is at MSN.