Research Articles | Historic Chevy Chase DC

Activists Call Halt to Construction Over Historical Black Burial Grounds at Westwood

HCCDC — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 16:32:00 +0000

A July 6 story by WTOP puts River Road Moses Cemetery back in the news. The old burial grounds — now mostly paved over by a parking lot at Westwood — that had served families who once lived in Reno City among other African Americans communities in the early 20th century, is the subject of a 2018 research report by historian David S. Rotenstein, PhD. Read the WTOP story here. For Rotenstein’s research, click here.

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Ward 3 Heritage Guide Now Available

HCCDC — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 18:05:10 +0000

An exacting accounting of the historical events and places in DC’s Ward 3 is covered in a newly released publication by the D.C. Office of Historic Preservation. The guide, available online and by special request in print, is the second-to-last of the city’s eight wards to be featured in the fully illustrated color booklet. DC Historian Kim Protho Williams said the guide covers the unique character-defining features of Ward 3 that shaped its development, including its elevation, rural nature, isolation from the city, transportation networks, prestige, institutions, zoning, and racially discriminatory practices. Access the guide — along with those from other wards — here.

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River Road Moses Cemetery: Now Buried Under a Parking Lot

HCCDC — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 21:59:44 +0000

By David S. Rotenstein, PhD
September 2018
david.rotenstein@earthlink.net

Published on our website by special permission from the author, Dr. David S. Rotenstein

This report represents research on the River Road Moses Cemetery site in Bethesda, Maryland. It was prepared on behalf of the River Road African American descendant community. The following sections include a historic context divided into periods developed by the Maryland Historical Trust for the evaluation of historic properties. The historic context presents substantive archival and oral history research documenting the cemetery site, the community within which it is located, the fraternal organization that founded it, and its historical connections to Washington, D.C.

The historic context is used as a baseline to evaluate the property against the Montgomery County criteria for designation in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation and the National Register of Historic Places. This report finds that the River Road Moses Cemetery appears to be eligible for designation in the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation under four criteria: for its associations with the development of Montgomery County and the region; because it exemplifies multiple aspects of Montgomery County’s heritage; because it embodies distinctive characteristics typical of its historic property type; and, because it represents a distinguishable entity within a cultural landscape.

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Ward 4 Heritage Guide Covers Chevy Chase DC

HCCDC — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 23:34:00 +0000

The DC Historic Preservation Office came out with its Ward 4 Heritage Guide in 2015, and just released its Ward 3 Guide in 2019. This online report is full of great illustrations and descriptions of the ward’s historical development.

Ward-4-Heritage-Guide-Final Download

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Survey of Remnants of Rural DC

HCCDC — Sat, 28 Dec 2013 18:37:00 +0000

Rural Remnants of Washington County: An Architectural Survey of Washington’s Historical Farms and Estates is a 46-page illustrated history and guide of the District’s rural development. It was produced by the Historic Preservation Office in 2013. Kim Protho Williams is the author.

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