Welcome to
Historic Chevy Chase DC
HCCDC is celebrating more than 32 years as a nonprofit historical society conducting research and documenting the history, design architecture, landscape, streetscape and development of Chevy Chase DC, a lovely circa-1907 community in Northwest Washington DC.
We have captured more than 32 oral histories of our residents, conducted a rigorous research study of the community’s desire for a Historic District, organize history-related talks and events and conduct a popular Historic Walking Tour every September, among many other activities. We welcome your involvement and interest!
Latest News
New Oral Histories Program Announced
Eighty, Meet 18: Seniors Talk, Youth Listen, and a Valuable Collection is Born HCCDC is starting a new inter-generational oral history collection in Chevy Chase DC this fall involving residents of the community’s five retirement residences. Its intent is to capture the stories and memories of the eldest among us — whose lives are rich …
Evelyn Wrin Left Her Mark on Our Houses, Community
You see them everywhere in Chevy Chase DC — oval brass historic markers that identify a house for the date it was built and the craftsmen who built it. But invisible to the eye is the woman has kept the plaque program alive for the past couple of decades. For that, we have the late …
HCCDC Board of Directors Elects Not to Support Historic District Proposal
Historic Chevy Chase DC, an all-volunteer community organization, voted on March 27 against supporting a controversial Historic District application raised by a newly formed neighborhood group called the Chevy Chase Conservancy. This decision, by a 9-3 vote of the full board of directors, might — on its face — appear to be a contradiction of …
Feb. 7 Webinar Recording Now Available
Tracing the Burial Sites of Early Blacks in Chevy Chase DC to Georgetown We invite you to take a deep dive into local history by watching a recording of a Feb. 7, 2024, webinar hosted by HCCDC featuring two guest historians, Mark Auslander of Mount Holyoke College and Lisa Fager of Black Georgetown Foundation. The …
Events
No Events
NEW! Read about the latest intrigues of Chevy Chase DC’s past in Cate Toups Atkinson’s most recent blog post. Reach her at cate.atkinson@gmail.com
The Northampton White Oak: Old Enough
RIP circa 1814 – 2024 The fabled old Northampton Oak gave up its secrets on a sweltering Monday morning in July. Waiting until no one was watching, it pierced the air with a deafening crack and fell across two yards to settle on the opposite side of the street. The first person to look out …
Our Projects
HCCDC’s initiative to recognize the history of Black landowners forced out in 1928 to create Lafayette Park includes a plan to rename the park to Lafayette-Pointer Park. The letter above was written in 1829 by George Pointer, a slave who bought his own freedom at age 17 and whose descendants settled on Broad Branch.
House Histories
HCCDC’s online archives hold a growing collection of social and architectural histories of Chevy Chase DC houses, including Pam and Carl Lankowski’s 1919 kit house on McKinley Street.
Historic House Plaques
Join Us!
An annual contribution of just $25 a year supports our valuable work.
