Evening star., 1951-01-01
By George Kennedy

By George Kennedy
j Chevy Chase is the northern
reaches of Connecticut avenue
within and beyond the District
line. 1t is the name OF a large
postal area on the other side oi
the line and a country club which
is often the scene of glittering
social events. But it is primarily
a little Maryland village of 1875
population just Beyond Chevy
Chase circle.
! Chevy Chase is probably the
most famous suburban name in
America. 1t is better known than
any of the Westchester County
suburbs or those strung along Phil
adelphia'S Main Line.
Administration after admins
tration, its fame grows something
like the legendary battle from
which it gets its name. Chevy
Chase was the hunting place dis
puted by Percy of Northumberland
and Douglas of the Scottish
marches. The battle that ensued
was made famous by a ballad in
which the casualties mounted in
the version sung by each sue
ceeding generation until it seemed
that almost all the Scots and
Englishmen had killed each other
on that terrible day.
The boundaries of the original
village, now known as Section
of Chevy Chase, are the District
line on the south, Wisconsin ave-
nue. on the west; Bradley lane on
the north and Broad Branch and
Brookville roads to the east.
Many more people beyond these
limits N Maryland are in the
Chevy Chase Post Office area, a
large one served by 40 carriers
and these residents quite properly
designate their addresses as Chevy
Chase, Md.
Development Was Slow.
While it was started at the turn
of the century. its development
was so slow that most of the
houses were built in that famous
period of prosperity and prohibi-
tion that followed World War I.
Most of them are not large
houses out an architect took pride
in every one of them as it was
designed on the drafting board.
Each was to be an ideal suburban
home and many of them in their
day were pictured in the architec-
tural magazines.
It is village of winding streets
and sloping lawns broken by
hedges and other planting. The
trees have prospered in its half
century of existence. The houses
are especially attractive today with
the holiday decorations on each
door. The residents are a homo
geneous social group and there is
much informal visiting among
neighbors.
These Is to so year old houses
have seen enough living to make
them homes, as Eddie Guest would
say. Back in the days when they
were new, it was 15-year-old jun
ior who used to amaze the guests
by getting them to don earphones
and listen to Radio Station KDKA
Pittsburgh, on the crystal set he
had built for S..
The problem of the baby sitter
was unknown in those houses
early days, for each had a woman
in the kitchen who lived in for
less than $40 week. Father used
to come home cheerful because
General Motors seemed to go up
four points almost every day and
he had even bought mother some
shares so she could partake of
the fun.
Montgomery Ward and Sears
Roebuck seemd to be competing
at advancing on the big board
and on the local exchange the
question was whether to specu-
late in Mergenthaler Linotype
common or to invest in the bonds
of Washington Properties, Inc.
(Wardman Park and Carlton
Hotels.
Brag About BoOtleggers.
The only catch to this happy
existence was in the matter of
offering guests a drink on the
occasion of their first entertain
ment. If they refused the host
felt like criminal. "Scoff1aw'
was the word. If they accepted
the conversation between guests
and hosts was likely to degen-
/, crate into Dragging about their
respective bootleggers and bar
gain buys.
Just as Washington led among
American cities in weathering the
depression. Chevy Chase did all
right about surviving the shock
Practically all of the people man.
aged to keep their homes which
had been financed with sub
, stantial down payments. And
when World War II came, many
of the boys born in those houses
were ready to go. Some have mar
ried and continued residence in
the little village by building post
war houses for themselves.
The residents of Chevy Chase,
Md, sometimes wonder at the
glitter associated with their COM
Portable little village. Sometimes
they are downright embarrassed
by their reputation of opulence.
An economic analyst making a
market survey probably would re-
port that almost all of the $40
families of the village have IN
comes from $4,000 to $4,000 a
year and that those who have
more are very unostentatious
about it.
! Today in Chevy Chase homes