When Washington became the nation s capital in 1790, the surrounding area to the northwest the communities known today as Bethesda and Chevy Chase was devoted almost entirely to agriculture. Many farms were worked by slaves, and one of them, Josiah Henson, escaped to Canada and wrote his life story in 1849. Harriet Beecher Stowe based her novel Uncle Tom s Cabin on Henson s life, and the model for that famous dwelling still stands in Bethesda today. The transition of the region to modern suburbia started with a simple ...
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When Washington became the nation s capital in 1790, the surrounding area to the northwest the communities known today as Bethesda and Chevy Chase was devoted almost entirely to agriculture. Many farms were worked by slaves, and one of them, Josiah Henson, escaped to Canada and wrote his life story in 1849. Harriet Beecher Stowe based her novel Uncle Tom s Cabin on Henson s life, and the model for that famous dwelling still stands in Bethesda today. The transition of the region to modern suburbia started with a simple innovation: the trolley. Once lines were built in the 1890s, government employees could live outside the city and commute to work. But, the neighboring towns developed along different lines. Bethesda became a bustling commercial center, while Chevy Chase was created as a planned community featuring elegant homes and country clubs. Even though both border the capital, this book demonstrates how each community has a vibrant heritage and distinct identity of its own."
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If you drive North on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C., you will soon arrive at the Chevy Chase Circle and the suburb of Chevy Chase, Maryland. If you go slightly West to Wisconsin Avenue and drive North, you will arrive at the suburb of Bethesda, Maryland. These two Maryland suburbs are adjacent, and the residents of each are largely educated and well to do. But there are interesting differences in how each community developed over the years. Steve Roberts, a long-time resident of Bethesda, columnist, and college professor, tells the story of both communities with their similarities and differences in his short photographic history, "Bethesda and Chevy Chase" (2016). The book is part of the Images of America series of local histories by Arcadia Publishing. I have learned a great deal about American communities, both those which I know and those which I don't know, from the Images of America series. I go to Bethesda and to Chevy Chase often and learned from and enjoyed this book.
During much of the 19th century, both Bethesda and Chevy Chase consisted of undeveloped farm land. Even then, Bethesda had a more commercial focus and was dotted with small stores. With the growth in Washington D.C. and the advent of the street car, both communities began to develop. It was good to be reminded of the importance of street cars which are having a small come back in some American cities. Chevy Chase became an exclusively residential community designed for the wealthy and for many years was notorious for its restrictive racial and ethnic covenants. The old hunting grounds in Chevy Chase became country and golf clubs for the elite. Bethesda was always a more lively place and feature a growing commerce and even an industrial park.
In his opening chapters, Roberts alternates between the two suburbs and shows the muddy roads, horse-drawn wagons, and farms of the early years. Then he shows how each community developed with Chevy Chase's residential exclusivity and Bethesda's growing cosmopolitanism. He stresses the importance of population growth, the street car and automobile, and the two World Wars. It took longer than I thought for both suburbs to reach their current character.
Roberts gives chapters in his book to community landmarks that are long gone. Thus he discusses Chevy Chase Lake, an exclusive amusement part at the end of the street car line near the current Jones Bridge Road. The lake and the park are long gone. I was interested in learning about the Chevy Chase Seminary, an exclusive women's college that served in Chevy Chase from the early 20th Century to 1950. Bethesda has unusual landmarks, including a statue that marks the areas old role as a rest point as pioneers headed West. Bethesda became a center for commerce, the home of many government facilities including the National Institute of Health, and a recreational center of home with Glen Echo Park located to the West. An institution uniting both Bethesda and Chevy Chase is BCC High School located on East-West Highway East of Wisconsin Avenue that for years has educated young people from both communities.
Roberts draws heavily on images provided by the Chevy Chase Historical Society and the Bethesda Chamber of Commerce as well as on unusual and rare photographs provided by long term residents. The author knows both Bethesda and Chevy Chase well and states simply, "This is home". I enjoyed learning more about Bethesda and Chevy Chase and thinking about the experiences I have had over the years in both places. As do most of the books in the Images of America series, this book captures something of the diversity of local American life.
