Penguin Feather: A Real Vienna History Covered Up By "Historic Vienna, Inc."

Does anyone have a picture of Penguin Feather before it was demolished?

From The Washington Post September 15, 1989:

U.S. Customs Service agents raided three Northern Virginia suppliers and retailers of drug paraphernalia yesterday, seizing thousands of products such as bongs (pipes that can be used to smoke marijuana) and cocaine freebase kits, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Alexandria. Dragon Song, at 7604 Centerville Rd., Manassas, and Octopus Gardens, at 13626 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Woodbridge, were subjects of a federal investigation that began months ago when records seized from a drug paraphernalia supplier named the two Virginia retailers. The supplier, Choice Supply Inc. at 6592 Fleet Dr., Fairfax County, was again searched yesterday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The stores also illegally imported drug paraphernalia from the Far East, the affidavits said. Many of the glass pipes on sale at the retail outlets were illegally manufactured by Odyssey Glass Corp. in Upper Marlboro, according to the affidavits. Customs officials raided eight Penguin Feather Records and Tapes outlets in Virginia and the District and seized drug paraphernalia this year.

So for how many years did Vienna notice nothing? 15? 20? This is the record of Mother Pot Maud.

I would say that your barking up the wrong tree with this one, but after I thought about their Small Town mantra I thought differently. This Mayor and TC has micromanaged Vienna to the point of oblivion. I would think someone may have said something about bongs being displayed out in the open. They certainly have a lot to say about a lot less such as colors of signs etc..

Well it looks like with everything they just kept their head in the sand.

I would say that your barking up the wrong tree with this one, but after I thought about their Small Town mantra I thought differently. This Mayor and TC has micromanaged Vienna to the point of oblivion. I would think someone may have said something about bongs being displayed out in the open. They certainly have a lot to say about a lot less such as colors of signs etc.

Exactly. That's the point. Thanks for making it more clear.

I remember the establishment but did not remember the name. I believe it was located near where Wendy's is today. The first time I went into the "record shop" with my young son I voiced my objection to the paraphanalia and left the establishment immediately. I am sure I complained to the authorities and was surprised that it was allowed to flourish so long afterwards. As I recall they said the bongs were not necessarily used for drugs and were therefore ok to sell. I guess they thought the kids were blowing bubbles with them. A little yellow house in Pimmitt Hills would be representative of the building it was housed in.

Mr. Chesterfield:

You are talking about Penguin Feather. It used to be a little clap board house where the new Anita's now stands.

I would be curious to know if there are any statements in old town meeting minutes of any council members or Mayor objecting to the sale of the drug paraphernalia (i.e. BONGS!!!!).

Do you think we have Charlie Robinson on record saying bong?!

PF was where Anita's currently resides.
There was also one in Herndon and a few others.
It was a great record store that carried many obscure titles and hard-to-find artists' recordings but fell victim to "volume competition" when Tower Records came to Tyson's and the area.

Agree, PF was a nice record store, and pipes have been around for a long time...the point here is the hypocrisy from multiple angles concerning Vienna government. PF from an architecture standpoint was as historic as anything else in this town. From the drug devices standpoint, the hypocrisy of Maud turning a blind eye is no small matter...since she spends a great deal of time spinning yarns about small town Vienna. Reality? 30 years ago Vienna was as backwater as some areas of Manassas today... and her and her husband were the leaders of it all. So is she responsible for Vienna today? The architecture of our commercial areas are indeed her responsibility after all she led the Commercial Review Board for years after her and her husband dreamed up the laws that gave us a Town painted puke brown. Everything else in Vienna for the last 30 years has everything to do with being 12 miles from DC in the middle of Fairfax County's explosion. Meaning any improvements and advances in Vienna are in spite of the moronic political leadership we have seen over the last 3 decades.

I used to buy screens for my pipe there (PF) after the head shop in McLean (LAGNAF) closed. Trivia question for $1.00 can anyone remember what that acronym stood for? Also I would add "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones."

'head', you owe me a dollar. It stood for Let's All Get Naked And *&@k. At least that's what the owner told me. But I don't get the use of that way-over-used sentiment about glass houses. What's that got to do with anything?

But who remembers what was in the building before LAGNAF?