Herndon church plots relocation to Ashburn as development picks up

A longtime Herndon church is planning a move deep into Ashburn.

Template Baptist Church, located at 1545 Dranesville Church, plans to open a new church campus. The church currently has 19 acres of land at Marley Corner.

“Although we enjoy our beautiful facilities, we’ve pretty much outgrown them at our current location in Herndon,” the church said in a statement.

Miller Brothers, Inc. and Building God’s Way have partnered on the project. Currently, the main frame of the building is taking shape.

The move — the date of which has not been determined yet — comes as a housing development takes shape on the former McMillen Farm lot adjacent to the church.

A development of 13 single-family units is planned on nearly six acres of land. Tradition Homes, an Arlington-based company, successfully sought the county’s approval to rezone the property to allow additional density on the site. The site was previously approved for one unit per acre.

Church representatives did not provide comment on whether its move is related to the development. Currently, the site has been razed and leveled.

Tradition acquired the property in 2019.

The developer is working with Fairfax County on plans to establish a memorial to commemorate the historical significance of McMillen Farm, which was home to a house, a garage, shed, conservatory, and barn. The elements of the property were constructed in the early 1900s.