Historic House Plaques: Back in Business Again!

New Foundry, Same Look, New Price!

When our longtime foundry closed at the beginning of 2025, we had a challenge — where to find a supplier that can pour a high-quality bronze plaque for a similar price? Our new volunteer plaque manager Carolyn Nazdin and her husband Joel set up a detailed spreadsheet and started calling across the U.S. and abroad. A company was selected and our first orders came back in pristine shape, so we are back in business! The new plaques are $500, including shipping, which is an increase over the previous foundry but is still far more reasonable than every other company contacted.

How It All Started
Back in 1995, Mary Rowse, a resident on Morrison Street NW and a then-member of Historic Chevy Chase DC, got the idea to purchase a bronze historic house plaque from Erie Landmark Company. It was widely admired, and other individual homeowners followed suit over the next few years. Then, in 2007, to mark the centennial of the community’s 1907 founding, the Chevy Chase Citizens’ Association and Historic Chevy Chase DC organized a group order. Since then, more than 300 homeowners have purchased these beautiful commemorative plaques that display community pride as well as some historically significant architecture. Thanks are due to the dedicated coordination of two Chevy Chase DC residents who managed it all — the late Evelyn Wrin and former HCCDC Board Member Jordan Benderly.

About the Plaque Design
Plaques are oval in shape and are bronze with a black finish. They measure 8 inches by 12 inches. Each has “Chevy Chase, DC, Est. 1907” along the bottom panel and the construction year in the center. Other information is tailored to an individual home, such as the builder’s or the architect’s name, or if the house was originally a catalog home. We can help you locate this basic information for use on your plaque.

Most homes in Chevy Chase DC were built between 1907 and 1940, there is no specific age of home or particular background required to order a house plaque. While they follow a similar design, there is some flexibility in what you wish to celebrate about your home.