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 manage it all — the late Evelyn Wrin and former HCCDC Board Member Jordan Benderly.
About the Plaque Design
While 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.
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.
The Cost of a Plaque
We have continued to order from the Erie Landmark Company as these plaques are beautifully custom made. They are oval in shape and are bronze with a black finish. Plaques measure 8 inches by 12 inches. The basic cost is $363, less a 15% group discount of $54.45, bringing the cost to $308.55. Shipping costs depend on the number of plaques shipped together from the foundry. Shipping for a single plaque is currently $28.
How to Order a House Plaque for Your Chevy Chase DC Home
To order a plaque for your home, or for more information, contact Cate Atkinson at (301) 675-4383 or by email at cate.atkinson@gmail.com. HCCDC is hoping to soon find a replacement manager for the program after Evelyn Wrin’s death on July 17, 2024.
Here are the addresses of most of the houses in Chevy Chase DC with plaques, followed by images of dozens of them, giving you an idea of what other homeowners have featured on theirs.
| 5464 30th Pl. | 3805 Ingomar | 3506 McKinley | 3220 Morrison | 3765 Northampton |
| 5432 32nd St. | 3922 Ingomar | 3705 McKinley | 3661 Morrison | 3103 Oliver |
| 5600 32nd St. | 3717 Jenifer | 3722 McKinley | 3700 Morrison | 3111 Oliver |
| 5801 33rd St. | 3718 Jenifer | 3730 McKinley | 3702 Morrison | 3428 Oliver |
| 6411 33rd St. | 3723 Jenifer | 3741 McKinley | 3703 Morrison | 3726 Oliver |
| 5001 38th | 3729 Jenifer | 3743 McKinley | 3704 Morrison | 3730 Oliver |
| 5207 38th St. | 3731 Jenifer | 3745 McKinley | 3705 Morrison | 3735 Oliver |
| 5501 39th St. | 3902 Jocelyn | 3770 McKinley | 3706 Morrison | 3750 Oliver |
| 5313 38th St. | 3903 Jocelyn | 3913 McKinley | 3707 Morrison | 3515 Patterson |
| 6411 Barnaby | 3904 Jocelyn | 3700 Military | 3708 Morrison | 3630 Patterson |
| 5326 Broad Branch | 3620 Kanawha | 3702 Military | 3715 Morrison | 5302 Reno |
| 5507 Chevy Chase | 3645 Kanawha | 3705 Military | 3723 Morrison | 3521 Rittenhouse |
| 5509 Chevy Chase | 3736 Kanawha | 3740 Military | 5327 Nebraska | 3616 Rittenhouse |
| 5511 Chevy Chase | 3753 Kanawha | 3814 Military | 5461 Nebraska | 3369 Runnymede |
| 5700 Chevy Chase | 4115 Legation | 3816 Military | 5359 Nevada | 3393 Stephenson |
| 5810 Chevy Chase | 3513 Livingston | 3915 Military | 5415 Nevada | 3364 Tennyson |
| 5812 Chevy Chase | 3713 Livingston | 3928 Military | 5534 Nevada | 3300 Upland |
| 5824 Chevy Chase | 3719 Livingston | 3939 Military | 3125 Northampton | 6001 Utah |
| 3807 Gramercy | 3830 Livingston | 4110 Military | 3210 Northampton | 6240 Utah |
| 3808 Huntington | 3916 Livingston | 3206 Morrison | 3214 Northampton | 5601 Western |
| 3907 Huntington | 3935 Livingston | 3212 Morrison | 3759 Northampton | 7071 Western |