Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in our region, the Chevy Chase Historical Society has closed the Archive and Research Center to the public until further notice. Staff is working remotely, and we will continue non-public operations in ways that keep our team safe. You are welcome to contact us at 301-656-6141 or info@chevychasehistory.org.
Thank you for your interest in the Chevy Chase Historical Society. We wish you good health in these challenging times.
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.
Register for the CCHS Spring Lecture, "A Closer Look at Francis Newlands"
Wendesday, April 28, 7:30 PM
Join historian and author William Rowley, Emeritus Professor of history at the University of Nevada-Reno, for a review of the life of Francis G. Newlands, a US Congressman and Senator from Nevada and a visionary real estate developer in the late 19th century. Newlands had the foresight to see how farmland on the outskirts of the nation’s capital could become a bucolic residential community thanks to the newly-invented electric streetcar. Named Chevy Chase, his “street car suburb” was among the first in the nation and embodied the new suburban ideal that changed American life forever.
Though progressive on most issues, Newlands also held and espoused racist views and beliefs that we find abhorrent today. As the nation and our community examine historic and systemic racism, Rowley will describe both the accomplishments and the disturbing racism reflected in Newlands’ complex life.
The lecture is free and open to the public. It will be held via Zoom and registration is required. On the day of the lecture, those registered will receive the link to view the program, which will begin at 7:30 PM. For questions, contact CCHS at info@chevychasehistory.org.
Corona Chronicles
The Chevy Chase Historical Society is documenting the history Chevy Chase residents are all making as we manage life during COVID-19. Add your story to the CCHS Corona Chronicles!
We are collecting photos, videos, journal and diary entries, voice and audio recordings and other digital evidence of life in our community during this unprecedented time. Tell us about how you are coping, what you are thankful for, and the “silver linings” you’ve discovered. Write to us about your experiences working from home, social distancing, attending school remotely, and more.
Share your story using this form.
To use our form, you will need a Google account. If you do not have one, email your materials to CoronaChronicles@chevychasehistory.org.
Your stories will become part of the broader history of Chevy Chase during this challenging time, and a resource for future historians. CCHS will feature select submissions in occasional emails and on social media. Sign up for our email list and follow us on Facebook to see these submissions.
CCHS is deeply thankful to the Sponsors of the 2020 Spring Gala who maintained their donations despite the cancellation of the Gala due to COVID.
These generous supporters have made it possible for CCHS to continue its work during these challenging times.
Pinnacle Sponsors
Chevy Chase Land Company – TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
Keystone Sponsors
Susan Bollendorf and Robert Broeksmit - Katharine Kearns Farr - Angela Lancaster and Cantwell F. Muckenfuss III - Kathie Legg and Rajib Chanda -
Mary Sheehan and Anthony Marra - Margaret Clover Stillman
Cornerstone Sponsors
Margaret Adelfio - Mary and Ed Bartlett - Marion Blakey and Bill Dooley - The Bozzuto Group - Catherine and Fred Cecere - Martha Dippell and Daniel Korengold - Elizabeth and Tom Dupree - Everett Garden Designs - Evers & Co., A Long & Foster Company - Lisa and David Higgins - Jones & Boer Architects Inc. - Jessica Killin and Raj Date - Elissa Leonard - Kathleen Matthews - T.W. Perry, Silver Spring Location - Rosemary Pye and John Higgins - Helene and Stephen Sacks - Kelly Virbickas and Kate Sheckells, Compass Real Estate - Betsey Williams and Tom Moore - Zantzinger, Inc.
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CCHS Fall Lecture 2020 now available Historian, journalist and author Rebecca Boggs Roberts describes the 1913 suffrage parade that turned the tide in women’s long fight for the right to vote in the CCHS Fall 2020 Lecture, “Marching for the Vote: The 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession.” |
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CCHS Fall Lecture 2019 now available One hundred years after the 1919 passage of the Constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote, Dr. Elisabeth Griffith presents the CCHS Fall 2019 Lecture, “Votes for Women: How the Battle Was Waged and Won.” |
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A Message from CCHS, June 15, 2020