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Annual Report

            This year has been a busy and productive one for the Chevy Chase Historical Society.  Even as we relished the afterglow of the festive celebrations of our 25^th Anniversary in 2006, CCHS got down to the business of moving forward into its second quarter century.   The following report summarizes the events and projects CCHS sponsored during 2007, as well as the ongoing programs and operations that have been the core business of the Society for more than 25 years.     

            Strategic Planning Retreat.  The Board once again began the year with a Strategic Planning Retreat on the morning of Saturday, January 27, at the Chevy Chase Village Hall.  We again retained professional facilitator Tom Leonhardt to assist in planning the retreat as well as leading the discussions during the retreat.  The primary focus of the day was to discuss the progress of the several Task Forces that had been formed at our 2006 retreat and to establish priorities for 2007.  Having accomplished its goals as a Task Force, the Finance Task Force was disbanded in late 2006 and a permanent Finance Committee of the Board was established.  Similarly, the Technology Task Force was disbanded and a permanent Technology Committee was established.  The Membership, Governance and Branding Task Forces continue their work.  All of the participants found the day to be productive, rewarding and enjoyable.  In addition to helping us plan for the future, we came away with a renewed commitment to CCHS and its mission of preserving the history of our community.

            A highlight of the day was the presentation of gifts to Fran Schorr and Marilyn Montgomery to thank them, albeit inadequately, for their extraordinary contributions to the Society and the community as co-chairs of our 25^th Anniversary Committee in 2006.  The many educational and social events that marked our Silver Anniversary expanded the community’s understanding and appreciation of Chevy Chase history and enhanced the visibility and credibility of CCHS.  Mrs. Schorr’s and Mrs. Montgomery’s efforts resulted in a year-long celebration of Chevy Chase history that will be long remembered by a grateful community.

            Documentary on the History of Chevy Chase.  One of the highlights of CCHS’ 25^th Anniversary in 2006 was the production of “Chevy Chase, Maryland: A Streetcar to Home”, an educational and entertaining 32 minute documentary telling the story of the unique history of our community.  Produced in DVD format, the film features numerous photos from the CCHS archive, images from other, world class photo archives, contemporary video footage, readings from CCHS oral histories by professional actors, and original music based on Eubie Blake’s “Chevy Chase Fox Trot”.

            The public response to the documentary has been most gratifying.  To date, more than 1,300 copies of the DVD have been sold.  The film has aired on WETA public television four times and is expected to be aired by Maryland Public Television as well.

            CCHS recently learned that the documentary was awarded a 2007 Telly award as an outstanding historical documentary.  Since 1978, the Telly awards have honored the year’s best non-broadcast video and film productions, as well as other cable television and web productions.  This year, the Tellys received over 14,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents.  Fewer than 35 percent of the entries won recognition.  Our documentary was awarded a Bronze Telly as an outstanding historical documentary.  We congratulate, and thank, Executive Producer Mary Anne Hoffman and the members of the CCHS committee that produced the DVD, as well as Martin Huberman of VideoArt Productions, Inc., with whom CCHS collaborated in producing our documentary.

            CCHS’ Fall Program on November 15, 2006, featured a screening of the documentary and a presentation by Mrs. Hoffman and Mr. Huberman.  They explained the many diverse elements that went in to the production of the documentary, and prepared the audience to fully appreciate how the film brings the Chevy Chase story to life.  After the screening, they answered a variety of questions from the audience.

            In addition, a community outreach program based on the documentary was organized by Shelly Brunner and Mary Anne Hoffman.  Information was sent to numerous community organizations announcing that CCHS was available to provide a screening of the DVD and a related program on either “The Making of a Documentary” or “Sharing Community Memories”.  Six such programs were presented this year at locations ranging from retirement homes to the National Capital Trolley Museum.

            The documentary, “Chevy Chase, Maryland: A Streetcar to Home” is available for purchase at the Society’s web site, chevychasehistory.org, or by calling the Society at 301-656-6141.

Chevy Chase: A Home Suburb for the Nation's Capital, published by the Maryland Historical Trust Press.  Both experts were featured in the CCHS documentary

“Chevy Chase, Maryland: A Streetcar to Home.”  Ms. Williams’ lively presentation

            2007 Spring Gala.  On Sunday, April 29, the 2007 Spring Gala was held at Boxwood, the beautiful home of Ambassador and Mrs. Peter Terpeluk, Jr.  No detail was overlooked by Gala Chair Helene Sacks in orchestrating this elegant event.  The theme for the Gala was a salute to Section 3 during its centennial year.  Boxwood is a landmark residence in Section 3, and is historically significant for both its architecture and the distinguished owners who have sustained and enhanced the property for more than 100 years.  Invitations to the Gala were sent to all residents of Section 3.  Guests spread throughout the house and its spacious grounds to enjoy cocktails, a delicious buffet supper and a glorious spring evening. 

            Guests were greeted by the sound of harp music, played by Chevy Chase resident Kathleen Meredith.  Susan Elwell and Evelyn Gerson prepared extensive exhibits on the history of Boxwood and of Section 3.  Before dinner, CCHS President, Mary Sheehan, spoke briefly about the Section 3 centennial and the “House Stories” project, an effort by Section 3 to collect as much information as possible about the history of each home in that Section.  She also introduced the members of the Section 3 Village Council and the Village Manager.  Ms. Sheehan expressed the Society’s thanks for Ambassador and Mrs. Terpeluk’s gracious hospitality and presented them with a portfolio containing the complete deed history of Boxwood as well as a plaque commemorating the event.  Mrs. Sacks’ careful planning insured a wonderful evening for all.  The Board greatly enjoyed working with her and is grateful for her leadership, organization and good humor.

           Archives and Research Center.  Evelyn Gerson continues to go above and beyond the call of duty in her role as Director of the Archives and Research Center.  Her regular presence at the Center during our open hours has been invaluable in carrying out the mission of the Society and assisting the many visitors to the Center in search of information about our history.  We are pleased to be able to introduce the community to old maps, oral histories, photographs, books, house histories and other facets of our collection that preserve the history of Chevy Chase.

            The Center is open to serve the public weekly, on Tuesdays from 1 pm to 5 pm, and also by appointment.  Our email address is  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   and, as mentioned above, our web site is www.chevychasehistory.org.

            During 2007, CCHS applied to the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County for two grants, one to fund a position for an intern to compile a data base of our collections, and a second to finance the purchase of the upgraded equipment necessary to create and access that data base.  We were delighted to receive AHCMC grants in response to both applications.         

            The first grant, in the amount of $8,000, has enabled CCHS to hire an intern who began working on a part time basis in June.  Andria Kolesnikoff, an anthropology graduate of Skidmore College, has worked tirelessly to accession into the data base a backlog of photos, documents, artifacts, maps and other donations to our collections.  Using state-of-the art PastPerfect software, this database creates a reliable inventory of our collection, enhances our ability to manage the collection, improves our research capabilities, shortens the time required to respond to requests and inquiries from our patrons, and enhances our compliance with archival standards. 

            Perhaps most exciting, the database has enabled us to make our collection available to the public through our web site.  Photos, maps, oral histories and documents from our archive are now accessible to the public twenty-four hours a day at a click of a mouse.  Only a portion of our collection is on line at this time, but work continues and more items are being added regularly.

            The second AHCMC grant, in the amount of $2,000, will facilitate CCHS’s acquisition of improved technology equipment.  Items such as a new scanner, color printer and a laptop computer will enable CCHS to continue building its data base more rapidly and efficiently, to respond to patron requests more quickly, and to save money and time by bringing in-house certain printing and photo reproduction projects that we currently must outsource.

            We are exceedingly grateful to Ms. Gerson and Ms. Kolesnikoff for the major commitment of time and energy they have made to bring about our data base, and to make our collection available to patrons online. 

            Semi-annual Meetings.  The Fall and Spring Programs, held at the semi-annual public meetings, are the flagships of our public outreach.  We are grateful to our Vice President and Program Chair, Marilyn Montgomery, for orchestrating these educational, enjoyable and well-attended events.  

            As mentioned above, the 2006 Fall Meeting at the Town of Chevy Chase Town Hall featured a screening of our documentary on the history of Chevy Chase and a presentation by Mary Anne Hoffman and Marty Huberman.  The program was very well received and elicited a range of questions from the audience.

            The 2007 Spring Meeting was held on May 16 at the Chevy Chase Village Hall. 

Matthew Evans, Landscape Architect of the U.S. Capital, spoke on “Where We Live, Where We Work: The Olmsted Influence in America.”  Mr. Evans discussed the influence of Frederick Law Olmsted and his sons on the development of suburbs like Chevy Chase.  Considered the father of American landscape architecture, Olmsted advocated separation between place of work and residence, a revolutionary idea at the turn of the 20^th century.  He envisioned suburbs as relaxed country settings with winding streets and abundant tree canopies, in contrast to the noise and fast pace of densely populated cities, yet connected to cities by commuter transportation.  Mr. Evans explained how these Olmsted design principles influenced early suburbs like Chevy Chase.

            The 2007 Fall Meeting was held on November 7 at the Town of Chevy Chase Town Hall.  Noted architectural historian and photographer, and Martin’s Additions resident, William Lebovich presented a lecture on “How to Look at Chevy Chase Architecture.”  He focused on how architecture reflects the society that built it and how a building’s design and detail tell that society’s story.  Mr. Lebovich explained why typical style labels rarely convey the complexity and subtlety of most houses, and provided more information than is reflected in typical descriptions such as ‘Tutor Revival’ or ‘Bungalow.’  His remarks were illustrated with his own prize-winning photography.

            Newsletter.  Our principal link to the community is through our Newsletter, expertly edited by Wendy Adams.  The Newsletter features articles on historic events, announcements of the fall and spring programs and other CCHS activities and events, news about the annual Gala and other CCHS projects, as well as photographs from our collection.  We thank John Tuohey for generously contributing his time and expertise in layout and printing to give the Newsletter its professional appearance. We mail over 1,300 Newsletters three times a year, a process valiantly managed by our Corresponding Secretary, Helen Secrest. 

            For the first time, our Fall 2007 Newsletter was mailed to all residents of the five historic Chevy Chase municipalities.  This one-time, community-wide dissemination of our Newsletter is a component of the Membership Task Force’s larger plan to increase membership and will be followed up on with further membership recruitment activities in the new year.   

             Membership.  As of this date, almost 300 households (approximately 600 individuals) are members of CCHS.  Mary Anne and John Tuohey tirelessly maintain our computerized membership records and mailing list.  Efforts continue to transfer our mailing list and membership records to the PastPerfect data base at the Center.

            Under Mrs. Tuohey’s leadership, the Membership Task Force has spent a great deal of time during 2007 studying our membership structure and proposing ideas for increasing our membership.  Watch for more information on this in 2008.

            Archives.  Archivist Joan Marsh, manager of our Collection, reports a wide range of fascinating acquisitions during the year.  Too numerous to itemize in this report, our recent acquisitions are listed in each issue of the Newsletter.  This practice not only informs our reader about the newest additions to our Collection, but has also inspired readers to make additional donations.  We are delighted at both the quality and quantity of the donations received this year and very grateful to the generous donors who have helped us build our collection.

            In addition to maintaining and managing our Collection, Mrs. Marsh regularly works with the staff to acquaint everyone with the contents of the collection.  She is also chairing a major and important project for CCHS, the writing of a new book on the history of Chevy Chase.  We are grateful for the energy and enthusiasm she brings to these projects.

            Photograph Collection.  The Photograph Collection continues to grow and, thanks to many years of careful and thoughtful management by chair Eleanor Ford, is beautifully organized and cared for.  As Mrs. Ford retires from this post, we are without words to adequately express our thanks to her.  The photo collection she has built is the very heart of the Society’s collections and is of great and continual interest to historians and residents alike.  Mrs. Ford leaves very big shoes to fill, and we continue to search for her successor.  Again, we thank Mrs. Ford for the magnificent legacy she leaves to the Society and the community.  We look forward to her continued support of CCHS.

            Oral Histories.  This year has been an extraordinary one for the CCHS Oral History project.  Early in the year, Julie Thomas became chair of the Oral History Committee.  She has gone on to manage the program with enthusiasm and creativity, with the result that we are capturing oral histories of local residents at a remarkable pace.  Some 10 oral histories have been completed this year, with another 6 in progress.  In addition to supervising the work of History Associates, Inc., with whom we contracted for the taking of several oral histories this year, Mrs. Thomas has taken oral histories herself and has recruited other volunteers to help with the program.  These oral histories have captured unique information, memories and perspectives from a variety of Chevy Chase residents. 

            For the period 2006-2007, our Oral History project received a grant for $3,500 from the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission.  Under Mrs. Thomas’ leadership, we have completed the work provided for by that grant.  CCHS was delighted to learn recently that it has been awarded another HPC grant in the amount of $2,000 to help underwrite the Oral History project during 2008.   Although great progress has been made, we have a significant list of oral history candidates and we continue efforts to build a stronger volunteer base to take these oral histories.  Friends and neighbors who might be interested in volunteering to take oral histories are encouraged to contact CCHS. 

            Transcripts of almost 90 oral histories are currently on the shelves at the Center.  They make for fascinating reading and we encourage the public to explore them.  They were also an invaluable resource for historical information included in our documentary on the history of Chevy Chase.  We continue to investigate methods to digitize and index our older oral histories, a major project that will make research and retrieval of information faster and more efficient.

            House Histories.  The House Research program has produced over 50 deed searches under the direction of Alice Kinter.  Her leadership was invaluable in the documentation of the century old houses of Chevy Chase.  Helen Secret has assisted this program for many years. We are exploring ways to further enhance the presentation of our house history information and to market this as a service to residents of the community.  Mrs. Kinter also serves as Recording Secretary, and faithfully records and maintains the minutes of our Board meetings.

            Map Collection.  Carol Coffin continues to head the Map Committee, and oversees the more than 200 maps in our collection, many antique and rare.  She helpfully responded to a range of requests from residents this year for map-related information.  We are grateful for her ongoing dedication to the preservation and growth of this important part of our collection.

            Treasurer.  Margaret Adelfio continues her generous service as Treasurer of CCHS.  As CCHS has grown and its activities have increased, Mrs. Adelfio’s duties have expanded commensurately.  The production and sales of the DVD documentary have generated an unprecedented amount of financial activity for the Society.  And Mrs. Adelfio has devoted significant time and energy to our improved budgeting process and financial reporting.  In recognition of her tireless service to the Society, Mrs. Adelfio was awarded the CCHS “Volunteer of the Year Award” at the 2007 Spring Meeting.

            Inasmuch as the Society’s fiscal year now ends on December 31, the Treasurer’s annual report for 2007 will be available at the Annual Meeting next spring.  In the meantime, I can confidently report that CCHS is financially sound.

            Communications Committee.  We are delighted the Mary Anne Hoffman has become chair of the CCHS Communications Committee, successor to the former Public Relations Committee.  Mrs. Hoffman brings years of experience and expertise at corporate communications to her new position.  We are grateful for the sharpness and polish she is bringing to our communications with third parties and the media.

            Mrs. Hoffman is also chair of the Branding Task Force that was formed at our 2006 Board retreat.  This group has been working tirelessly to recommend measures to enhance the CCHS “brand”.  Watch for the results of their work in the coming months.

            Volunteer Coordination.  Mary Anne Tuohey has served as Volunteer Coordinator for the CCHS again this year and has recruited volunteers to staff the Center as aids to our paid, part-time staff, and to work on other committees and projects.  We are so appreciative of the remarkable job she has done this year recruiting very able and creative new volunteers to our ranks.

            At-Large Board Members and Advisors to the Board.  We are delighted to have our At-Large Board Members, Julie Thomas and Sarah Fry, as part of our governing body. The four Advisors to the Board are Carol Coffin, Fran Schorr, Mary Anne Tuohey and Judy Robinson, each of whom adds substance to the deliberations of the Board. 

            Friends of Chevy Chase Circle.  Friends of Chevy Chase Circle, the committee responsible for the beautification and maintenance of Chevy Chase Circle, is ably led by Barbara Price, Carol Coffin and Alicia Ravenel.  They continue to work with the National Park Service to assure a beautiful circle.

            Conclusion.  CCHS is both proud of its many accomplishments this year, and very grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have made those achievements possible.  Many more projects and initiatives are in the works as we head into 2008. 

            We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who, in so many different ways, support, encourage and join us in our mission.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary A. Sheehan

President

Chevy Chase Historical Society

November 7, 2007