Evening star., 1941-03-10
Fountain That Gave
Silver Spring lis Name
Faces 0bIiteration
Street Cutting Through
Site Due to Be Started
Soon on Lee Estate

The fountain for which Silver
Spring, Md. was named about 100
years ago is about to be disturbed by
progress.
At the same time one of the oldest
landmarks in the area, the Acorn,
must be demolished or at least
transferred to another site.
The town of Silver Spring prob
ably would have never received its
name had it not been for high
spirited riding horse that bolted one
day and ran into a thicket of pines.
That was in 1912.
The horses owner, Francis Pres
ton Blair, went searching for the
animal and came upon the sheltered
spring, according to records in the
Columbia Historical Society.
Mr.. Blair was carried away with
the beauty of the fountain, and be-
cause of clouds of white sand and
fine particles of mica that billowed
upwards in the water, he gave it
the name. of Silver. Spring.
Mr.. Blair immediately purchased
the property and built his home
there and today his descendants,
former United States Senator Blair
Lee and his son, Maj. E. Brooke Lee.
occupy the estate.
Visited by Many Notables.
Almost as soon as the house was
built, Mr.. Blair erected the Acorn-a
minaret-shaped wood structure that
resembles a giant acorn.
Presidents Polk, Buchanan and
Van Buren, Secretary of State Sew
ard. Senators Benton and Sumner
and Gov. Ritchie are among the
notables who have sat in the rustic
seats beneath the Acorn and drunk
from the waters of Silver Spring.
according to newspaper accounts of
its history.
The Acorn is about 8 feet high.
supported by huge columns of
gnarled oak resting on rock founda-
tions.
Marble retaining walls were built
around the spring. The cool brook
that carries the water away from the
spring runs beneath an old-type
spring house
A few years ago a freshet caused
by heavy storm washed surface
earth into the spring Since then
much of the original beauty has
been destroyed, but water continues
to flow, although at a much slower
rate.
Many Silver Spring residents have
lived in the area all their lives
and have on occasion passed within
$50 feet of the spring on the East
West highway just off Georgia ave-
nue., but have never seen the foun-
tain for which the community was
named
Road to Cut Through.
There are doubtless very few,
however, who have passed that way
and have failed to notice the Acorn
standing back in the thick foliage
of the Lee estate.
Last week it was revealed that
Morris Miller has purchased a por-
tl0n OF tne Lee estate 10 Dulld
nearly 500 apartment units. The
transaction was handled by the
North Washington Housing Corp,
acting as agent for several real es-
tate corporations that have interests
in the property.
Weather permitting, a steam shov-
el will begin work this week on
grading a street to connect Eastern
avenue and the East-West highway
through the Lee estate to carry out
contractural agreements, Howard D.
Sullivan, director of sales of the
corporation, said.
The new street, to be named
Newell road, runs through the area
now occupied by the Acorn and the
spring,
Mai. Lee declared yesterday that
the spring would be preserved in
some way. Mr.. Sullivan said in
.erested partise have developed plans
for the springs preservation and
that the Acorn may be reassembled
elceuhare