Welcome
In 1890, a new kind of neighborhood began to take shape on former farmland at the edge of Washington, D.C. The modern planned community of Chevy Chase, Maryland was designed to take advantage of a revolutionary mode of rapid transit: the streetcar. This electric-powered conveyance made commuting from a home in the country to work in the nation’s capital fast, easy and convenient. Residents of Chevy Chase enjoyed the best of both worlds – and they made the most of each!
Today’s residents and members of the Chevy Chase Historical Society protect and treasure the character of their community while they welcome the best aspects of the future. We welcome you to join us – and to explore our history.
Visit the CCHS Archive & Research Centerin our New Location!After calling the Chevy Chase Library home for more than 15 years, the CCHS Archive and Research Center has moved to a larger space at 8401 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 1010 in historic Chevy Chase Lake. Drop by without an appointment on Tuesdays, between 10am and noon or 1pm and 3pm. Or call to make an appointment. |
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Spring Lecture 2019"The Lost Farms and Estates of Washington, D.C."Architectural historian Kim Prothro Williams will tell the fascinating tale of life in the region before it became the seat of national government when she presents CCHS' Spring Lecture, "The Lost Farms and Estates of Washington, D.C." at the Chevy Chase Village Hall, 5906 Connecticut Avenue at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 10. |
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 "East Branch of Potomac R. Washington," Augustus Kollner, 1839
Library of Congress
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The discovery of a springhouse from a mid-1800s farm two blocks off Wisconsin Avenue launched Williams on a search for other remnants of Washington’s rural past. After much effort and research, she and her team from the D.C. Historic Preservation Office identified some 84 structures that survived to tell the tale of rural Washington. Williams new book, Lost Farms and Estates of Washington, D.C., details the history of the owners of these remaining buildings, sheds light on now-demolished buildings, relates how the new capital area grew, including the role of slavery and the devastation of the Civil War. A reception will follow the lecture, and light refreshments will be served. Copies of Williams' book will be available for sale and signing by the author. Prior to the lecture, CCHS will host a brief annual meeting at which the membership will elect directors-at-large. Questions concerning the program may be directed to CCHS at info@chevychasehistory.org or 301-656-6141.
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Kit Houses in Chevy Chase, MarylandNationally recognized kit house scholar Kathryn Holt Springston presented Certificates of Authentication to owners of 11 kit houses she authenticated for the Chevy Chase Historical Society’s first kit house survey in 2017. Click here to see the authenticated houses! If your house was built between 1900 and 1940 and looks like any of these houses, it might be a kit house delivered to the freight rail siding near Chevy Chase Lake by Sears Roebuck or another manufacturer. If you’d like Kathryn Springston to measure your house for possible kit house authentication, please contact kithouses@chevychasehistory.org to learn what’s involved. |
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CCHS Spring Lecture 2018 now available Author and architectural historian, Clare Lise Kelly, gave our Spring Lecture “Montgomery Modern: The Spirit of Post-War Architecture” and discussed how modern design in our county’s built environment is a testimony of the optimistic spirit of the mid-20th century. |
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We are deeply grateful to the Sponsors of the
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