Alton Farm Becomes Woodside Park (Woodside Park Before 1937)

Preface and Acknowledgments

The Development of Silver Spring

Woodside Park and Suburban Development

Alton Farm, The Noyes Estate

Woodside Park before 1937 YOU ARE HERE

Woodside Park 1937 and later

Wynnewood Park

Woodside Forest and Other Additions Along Dale Drive, the Southern Edge of Woodside Park, and Other Post-War Development

Preserving the Park

Life In Woodside Park and Woodside Park Residents

The Woodside Park Civic Association

Churches & Synagogues in Woodside Park

Architecture in Woodside Park and About the Authors

The sellers clearly understood that the farm was to be developed into "Woodside Park," a high grade residential neighborhood of detached homes on large (about one acre) lots. The deed of trust made reference to the various blocks and lots into which the farm was to be subdivided and provided that the Development Corporation would receive full title to various lots on payment of specified sums. For example, the mansion and its grounds, which was the entire area surrounded by Woodside Parkway, Colesville Road, Noyes Drive, and Fairview Road would be released after payment of $55,000 (1997 equivalent: $522,000). The lot at the northeast corner of Noyes Drive and Georgia Avenue was valued at $8,000 (1997 equivalent: $76,000), presumably because it contained a house. Other lots were valued from $200 to $2,000 (1997 equivalents: $1,900 to $190,000), with lots nearer existing roads along the side of the farm valued more than interior lots. Within the interior, corner lots were more highly valued than the others. The lots at the corner of Alton and Woodside Parkways were among the highest valued of the interior lots. Lots facing what would become Dale Drive were valued the least, probably because they would have poor access out of the neighborhood since neither what would become the center section of Dale Drive nor what would become Dale Drive's connection to Georgia Avenue were a part of Alton Farm, and there was no indication that streets would actually be constructed in these areas any time soon.⁽²⁾

Only a small portion of Alton Farm had been previously platted as subdivisions in the Montgomery County land records. Accordingly, the legal description of the farm as it was sold is quite complex. The tract was defined in terms of lines drawn by compass degrees, "perches" (lengths of 16½ feet), and feet from stakes, iron pikes, stones placed along the turnpikes, a stone near a spring, a pile of stones by a branch in a deep gully, etc. The total area purchased was measured in acres, roods (40 square rods, or a quarter of an acre) and square perches.

Two small Alton Farm parcels were sold separately by the Noyes family before the bulk of the farm was sold to the Woodside Development Corporation. Approximately one acre facing what is now Georgia Avenue immediately south of Grace Church was sold to Mrs. Archibald (Rosalie Groves) Small. Neighborhood ⁽³⁾legend claimed that this sale was arranged at a bargain price by the Development Company because they believed Mrs. Small, a prominent resident of Linden on the other side of Georgia Avenue, would help attract buyers to their new subdivision, but Mrs. Small actually purchased her acre in June 1920, well before organization of the Woodside Development Corporation. She paid $2,000 (1997 equivalent: $16,000) for her acre, which was over twice as much on a per square foot basis than the Woodside Development Corporation later paid for the bulk of Alton Farm.

A second parcel slightly less than a half acre in size at the southwest corner of Dale Drive and Colesville Road was also sold separately by the Noyes family to Mary Amelia Stewart. In addition, the Noyes family retained a small parcel along what would become Dale Drive just west of Mrs. Stewart's parcel when Alton Farm was sold to the Development Corporation. Most of this land was sold in August 1923 for $1,500 (1997 equivalent: $13,970) to James A. Watson, who owned the land across Dale Drive. The "Woodside Park Lot Sales Map (About 1928)" shows the extent of the area purchased by the Woodside Development Corporation and lots which remained unsold at that time.

The Woodside Park name was derived from the well-established community of "Woodside" across Brookeville Road (Georgia Avenue).

The Woodside Development Corporation

The Woodside Development Corporation was incorporated on August 25, 1922 in Newport News, Virginia, to engage in real estate transactions and build houses and other structures. Charles W. Hopkins was president, Allen D. Jones was Vice-President, and M.K. Armstrong was Secretary and Treasurer. All three were also the Directors of the corporation. All except Mr. Armstrong were listed as living in Newport News. Mr. Armstrong was said to live in Hampton, Virginia. The company was authorized to issue from $500 to $100,000 (1997 equivalents: $4,775 to $950,000) in capital stock, divided into shares with a par value of $100 each. Half of the stock was to be preferred and pay a dividend of up to 8% per year. Only if additional funds were available would dividends be paid on the common stock. The directors could vote to retire preferred stock at par value three years after it had been issued.

Allen Jones, the Vice-President, and several other partial owners did not actively participate in the operations of the Corporation.

Various Armstrong brothers (M.C. [Matthew C.] and Richard, in addition to M.K.) and family members became the biggest investors in the Woodside Development Corporation, if they were not the biggest investors from the beginning.

The Woodside Development Corporation's President, Charles Ward Hopkins, was 43 when he established the company. He had been born in Toronto, Ontario in 1879, but he moved to Newport News as a child and attended school there. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1902 and immediately began a career in real estate development. Before coming to the Washington area he developed real estate in Newport News, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Montgomery, Alabama.⁽⁴⁾ Charles W. Hopkins and his family moved to the Washington area a few months before the incorporation of the Woodside Development Corporation. The fall 1922 Washington D.C. Telephone Directory contains the first listings for Mr. Hopkins or his real estate endeavors. He is listed as residing in Woodside, Maryland, presumably in the old Thompson house, which came to be designated 1319 Noyes Drive, on the corner of Georgia Avenue (now the Woodside Synagogue); in any event this is where he and his family lived after the Woodside Development Corporation purchased Alton Farm. The telephone directory also shows the Hopkins Land Company and his Blair Development Corporation as being in the International Building at 1319 F Street, NW.

The capstones with ALTON FARM chiseled on them were moved from the gate at what became Mansion Drive at Colesville Road and were erected on pillars at the Hopkins Home, which became the headquarters of the new development. "ALTON" in three inch high letters is on one capstone of each pair and "FARM" is on the other. One pair flanks the walkway leading up to the front porch, the other pair flanks the entrance to what was probably the stable and what is now the synagogue's parking lot. The stones are now placed so that the inscriptions face away from the street, but it is unknown whether they were installed this way when the pillars were built or if they were later moved.

Mr. Hopkins began advertising his first real estate project in the Silver Spring area, "Blair," in April 1922. Blair was built on a fifty acre portion of the original Francis Preston Blair estate formally platted in June 1922. Initially Hopkins developed the more or less triangular area bounded by Georgia Avenue and the B&O tracks on the west, Sligo Avenue (then called "Blair Road") on the north, and Chicago Avenue on the southeast. In early 1923 the area between Georgia Avenue and the B&O tracks south to King Street (just above what is now Jesup-Blair Park) was added. Lots averaged about 4,000 square feet (less than a tenth of the size of the original Woodside Park lots) and were sold for as little as $600 (1997 equivalent: $5,690); a completed "California bungalow" could be purchased for $6,400 (1997 equivalent: $60,750). Some property was also available for business use.

If newspaper accounts can be believed, Blair was an immediate success. Streets, sidewalks, and other improvements were quickly made. Sales of $40,000 (1997 equivalent: $380,000) were reported by mid-May by the Washington Post, which noted that Blair "in its final state will be one of the most attractive and desirable places for a home anywhere around Washington." A week later the Washington Post reported that sales had reached $50,000 (1997 equivalent: $475,000) and that "historic scenes surround Blair." Mr. Hopkins clearly knew how to get favorable publicity for his real estate developments.

Mr. Hopkins died on August 7, 1944, about 22 years after Woodside Park was established. His wife, Mary Page Hopkins, continued to live at 1319 Noyes Drive until her death on June 18, 1970. They had five children, two daughters (Eloise and Georgia) and three sons (Charles, Joseph, and Page). On his death Mr. Hopkins left real estate valued at $39,250 (1997 equivalent: $356,000). The real estate was in the Blair subdivision except for the home on Noyes Drive. He also left a 1938 Packard 6 cylinder sedan, and a gold watch and fob. Besides establishing Blair and Woodside Park, Mr. Hopkins was active in civic affairs. At one time or another he was chairman of the disaster committee of the Silver Spring Chapter of the American Red Cross, chairman of the Silver Spring [World] War [II] Fund drive and President of the Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce. He also was active in the Woodside Park Civic Association and the Montgomery County Civic Federation. The Woodside Synagogue now occupies the former Hopkins home, which was rebuilt and substantially modified and enlarged following a serious fire in 1986.

M.K. [Morgan K.] Armstrong, Secretary of the Woodside Development Corporation, was born in 1877 into a prominent family in Saybrook, Connecticut. His father at one time was Secretary of State for the last King of Hawaii. An uncle was the founder of the Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia. He graduated from Yale University in 1901. According to one newspaper story on the establishment of Woodside Park, Mr. Armstrong was the originator and manufacturer of gypsum wall board. Even though he was the Secretary of the Woodside Development Corporation, he apparently continued to lived in Hampton, Virginia for some time. He moved to Washington in the middle of 1926 and took up residence at 2815 Q Street, NW. The 1930 Washington City Directory lists him as living in Cabin John Park, but the Summer 1930 Washington Telephone Directory listed him as living at what is now 1518 Grace Church Road in Woodside Park. At the time of his death on January 16, 1938, M.K. Armstrong held 210 1/3 shares of the Development Corporation's 500 shares of common stock, which was valued at a total of only $10.00 (1997 equivalent: $112). He died without a will, but inventoried property included his home, a lot valued at $600 (1997 equivalent: $6,700) in the Indian Springs subdivision, household goods, a 1936 Chevrolet Coach, and promissory notes and real estate sales commissions due. Excluding real estate, his estate was valued at $2,335.62 (1997 equivalent: $26,350). The home was valued at $8,000 (1997 equivalent: $90,300) but was encumbered by a $6,000 (1997 equivalent: $67,700) loan. ⁽⁵⁾

In December 1922, three months after Charles W. Hopkins and M.K. Armstrong had established the Woodside Development Corporation, they along with Mr. Hopkins' wife, Mary Page Hopkins, formed Hopkins-Armstrong, Inc. to engage in general real estate business. This company marketed Woodside Park while Mr. Hopkins' other company, Hopkins Land Company, Inc., continued to market the Blair subdivision. The two companies shared offices at 1319 F Street, NW, on the sixth floor of the International Building. They also established an office in a one room wooden building (demolished in the 1950s) on the southeast corner of Noyes Drive and Brookeville Road (now Georgia Avenue), across the street from the Hopkins house.⁽⁶⁾

In May 1925, Charles W. Hopkins, Mary Page Hopkins, and M. K. Armstrong established still another corporation to assist in their development of Woodside Park. The Woodside Homes Corporation was incorporated in Maryland to engage in real estate transactions, build houses and other structures, and act as a real estate agent. The new corporation had 1,000 shares with no par value and authorized capital of $100,000 (1997 equivalent: $915,500). All of the stock in this corporation except for one share owned personally by Charles W. Hopkins was owned by the Woodside Development Corporation.⁽⁷⁾

The Subdivision of the Alton Farm and Advertising the "Acre Plots"

In January 1923 the Woodside Development Corporation filed its proposed subdivision plan, including dedication of land for streets. This filing was made to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), which at its founding in 1916 was granted approval power over all suburban development. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission took over this function when it was established in 1927⁽⁸⁾, although the WSSC retained power to approve lots as being suitable for provision of water and sewer service. The WSSC approved the Woodside Park subdivision plan in April 1924.

The Corporation had not waited for WSSC approval or even settlement on their purchase of Alton Farm to start advertising the new development. The first public mention of Woodside Park came in the Washington Herald of November 11, 1922. The Herald printed a picture of the Noyes Mansion with the caption "This beautiful estate, known to all Washington as one of the most elaborate homes in the city, is located in the new subdivision called Woodside Park, which is rapidly being turned into an exclusive home colony by the Hopkins Land Company." That same issue carried the first advertisement for Woodside Park. Under the headline "FOREWORD" the ad said: "We desire to announce that we have purchased and will at once begin the development and sale of the beautiful NOYES FARM in Acre Plots under the name of WOODSIDE PARK featuring winding drives and beautiful landscape effects." The next day the Washington Post reported the establishment of Woodside Park, which it said would be developed "along lines new to Washington." The Washington Post also had a large illustrated ad for the development. The Star ran the same ad a week later. These ads stated: "We Desire to Announce that We Have Purchased the Beautiful Noyes Farm and Under the Name of WOODSIDE PARK Will Begin the Immediate Development of this Magnificent Estate, Famous for Its Trees and Shrubbery, Parks and Grounds, Walks and Drives, Into a High-Class Residence Park, Offering ACRE PLOTS." Prices were stated to be from 4¢ to 10¢ per square foot. The ad included a picture of the Noyes mansion and grounds and considerable text in smaller print describing the grounds and the plans for their development as well as directions on how to get to the new Woodside Park. A large ad in the Washington Post of November 19th emphasized that the Noyes Estate was "recognized as one of the Capital's showplaces and selected as the playgrounds [sic] of Washington business men." It went on to say that "In the development of Woodside Park, the engineers in charge of the work have aimed to utilize the natural beauty and wonderful planting, that have made this property the talk of Washington, to the fullest extent." The ad also mentioned that the streets would follow the contours of the land and that there would be a parkway almost a mile long that would feature a community swimming pool, rippling cascades, trees, and shrubbery.⁽⁹⁾

There was more press coverage of the new development the next weekend. On November 25th the Washington Times headlined "Noyes Farm Made into Colony" and described social events on the Noyes estate and how the Woodside Development Corporation and its engineer, James H. Starkey, were planning streets to follow the contours of the land and "conserve the natural beauty spots and landscape features of the estate." The Times also ran a large picture of the landscaped grounds of the Alton Farm, as did the Washington Herald on the same date.⁽¹⁰⁾

That same day a large ad in the Evening Star again emphasized the natural beauty and wonderful planting of the property and stated "You have looked forward to a home in the suburbs on a WHOLE ACRE with plenty of ground for the children to romp and play, for a garden and chickens, for fruits and flowers--WOODSIDE PARK acre plots is your opportunity." Prices were from 3½¢ to 10¢ per square foot. The ad also promised hot coffee for all visitors to the mansion house on Sunday afternoon between 3 and 5. Similar large ads also ran that weekend in the Washington Herald and the Washington Times. The large ad in the Washington Post that weekend had almost no text, but it did contain a large picture of the treed and landscaped grounds of Alton Farm. Large ads in all four papers a week later promised afternoon tea for Sunday visitors to the mansion, which "no matter how cold outside, inside will be warm and cozy." Ads in the Washington Post and the Evening Star noted that the "Woodside Park Acre Plot Colony is only 20 minutes to the White House via 16th Street, Washington's finest boulevard" and that the neighborhood "is an extension of the well-established suburb of Woodside. The public school and churches are in the immediate neighborhood. Street cars, electric light, and water are available. But while Woodside Park possesses the many city conveniences, it is just far enough away from the rush of the city to enjoy the hush of the country." Ads in the Times and the Herald called Woodside Park "The Best Suburban Buy on the Market!"⁽¹¹⁾

Charles Hopkins also continued to get publicity for the neighborhood without paying for it. A brief article about the new development appeared in the Washington Times of December 2nd. The article noted that "the large sites at Woodside Park are offered for sale on monthly terms making it possible for persons of moderate means who desire houses in the suburbs to have a garden, raise chickens, and cultivate fruit." The Washington Herald that weekend did not have an article about Woodside Park, but did print a map showing "Auto Routes to Noyes Farm (Woodside Park)." The suggested route, starting at the White House, was to go 5.7 miles north on Sixteenth Street (past the 16th Street Reservoir) to the "End of Road" and then right on Alaska Avenue and left at the Maryland State Line on Brookeville Pike past Silver Spring ("Caution: Rail Road") to a right turn at Sligo onto the road to Burnt Mills [now Colesville Road]. The Noyes Farm was a half mile from the turn, on the left.

Ads continued weekly through December 1922. Just before Christmas the ads promised a "Community Christmas Tree for the Kiddies of the Neighborhood and an 'Open House' for the Grown-Ups" at 7 p.m. on the 26th.⁽¹²⁾

The advertising campaign continued on a lesser scale in early 1923. Three small ads appeared in the Washington Post and Times during January advising people to "Come Out Today to the Home Place, Noyes Farm, Woodside Park, and sip a cup of tea with us before a cozy fire of chestnut logs, while we help you plan a country home with city convenience on one of the roomy Acre Plots cut from the beautiful Noyes Estate, 20 minutes from downtown."⁽¹³⁾

In late February Hopkins-Armstrong announced the "Woodside Park (Noyes Estate) Educational Course" in a news story in the Washington Times and in a large ad in the Washington Post. The Times story noted that the lecture series was what the Hopkins Land Company termed "the first move toward co-operative home-planning." The ad in the Washington Post expanded on this theme:

As a stimulus to the highest possible development of the acre plots of Woodside Park, and in order that home builders may have the benefit of the best thought on the various branches of home building, we have arranged for a series of illustrated lectures by men of national reputation in their particular lines of study, to take place in the living room of the Noyes Mansion at Woodside Park.⁽¹⁴⁾

The lecture series was a stroke of marketing genius; Washington had never seen anything like it. Woodside Park received considerable free publicity from the lectures. Besides the article announcing the series in the Times of February 24, 1923, the Times and the Herald ran identical articles on March 3, 1923 on the lecture series and the first lecture by Mr. Child scheduled for the next day. On March 10, 1923, the Evening Star reported on the lecture on landscape architecture which had been held the week before and stated that 200 people were expected to attend the lecture on Colonial architecture scheduled for the next afternoon. That same day the Times and the Herald ran identical stories about the Beresford lecture the next day, the lecture the week before, and the rest of the lecture series. The Times even ran Mr. Beresford's picture with a caption about the lecture separately from its article. The next day the Washington Post featured the lectures on the front page of its real estate section, said that several hundred home builders had attended the lecture the previous Sunday, and noted that:

Hopkins-Armstrong, Inc. considers these lectures to constitute the most effective method of producing a harmonious and beautiful subdivision. Of the many Washington residents who have purchased acre plots at Woodside Park, the majority plan to erect homes early this spring. In order to form a well proportioned home colony, bearing the refined atmosphere of the modern suburb, Woodside purchasers will build their homes along the most uniform architectural lines.

Hopkins-Armstrong also stepped up their paid advertising campaign in March to take advantage of the free publicity from the lectures. A large ad in early March described improvements to be built in the spring, including a "swimming pool [that] will be one of the features of a highly embellished parkway." The ad stated prices to be from 5¢ to 10¢ per square foot. ⁽¹⁶⁾The advertising campaign continued in April, May, and June with emphasis on the fact that Woodside Park was "in the right direction," directly in the path of the most active building activity in Washington and just above prestigious Sixteenth Street. The ads also emphasized the extensive improvements that were under way. Two crews were said to be at work building five miles of paved streets; the swimming pool to be built on Alton Parkway was touted; and three "beautiful entrances" were to be erected on Brookeville Pike. Noyes Drive and Highland Drive were to have entrance gates designed with stone pillars connected by Grecian [flat] arches. On one side of the street the Grecian arches were connected to a Colonial style small stone shelter for people waiting for the trolley. Woodside Parkway was to receive a terraced entrance.

The entrance columns and shelters were designed in Colonial style by architect Robert F. Beresford, who delivered one of the lectures in the "Woodside Park Educational Course."⁽¹⁷⁾ County records regarding repair of a column at Noyes Drive and Georgia Avenue knocked over in an automobile accident in March 1941 indicate that the columns on either side of the street were only 23 feet apart, making a narrow entrance, and that a wall adjoined the columns. After involvement of the County Engineer, the Police Chief, and the Counsel for the Board of County Commissioners, the knocked over column was finally repaired by the county at a cost of $35.00 (1997 equivalent: $345) in the spring of 1942. The shelters were used by bus passengers after the trolley stopped running. Students, including Woodside Park's Walter Petzold, acting as crossing safety patrols for Woodside School also used the Noyes Drive shelter as their patrol post in the 1940s. The columns and the shelters were taken down when Georgia Avenue was widened in 1950.

Periodic news stories about Woodside Park continued to appear even after the lecture series was over. For example in April the Washington Post reported progress in building streets although no homes had yet been built. The Washington Post also noted:

The splendid woods resound to the buzz of the saw which has been at work during the winter clearing roadways and thinning out the woods to give them a parklike effect.

Next week an additional force will be added on the work of erecting two beautiful entrances on Brookville pike, one at Highland drive and one at Noyes drive. These entrances were designed by Robert F. Beresford, Washington architect, and will be colonial in style and, as far as practical, will be built of native materials. Both will include shelters for those waiting for the cars [trolleys].

Estate Noted as Show Place

This property, from the standpoint of planning and landscaping effects, has been considered one of the show places around Washington and it is particularly inviting at this season with a rare variety of early-flowering plants.

As the cherry trees of Potomac park are considered one of the sights of Washington in spring, so the grounds of the beautiful Noyes estate are still worth a visit to those interested in beautiful shrubs and plants bursting into bloom.⁽¹⁸⁾

The publicity campaign continued into the summer. A story in the Washington Post was headlined "Woodside Park is a Healthful Place" and stressed the neighborhood's location "away from the noise and crowded atmosphere of the city" but with a convenient approach via Sixteenth Street "with its broad wide driveway, free from car [trolley] tracks." This made the development appeal, the Washington Post said, to "those who travel to and from their home to their office in automobiles." The Washington Post also said that "the improvements that are being made are in keeping with the high type of this development and practically all of the city conveniences are to be found here where one may enjoy all the advantages of the country."⁽²⁰⁾

Hopkins-Armstrong continued to advertise Woodside Park occasionally throughout the summer of 1923 but only in very general terms. In late September they began a series of advertisements labeled "Woodside Park Bulletins" which usually detailed progress in developing the subdivision. The first "bulletin" noted that over 1,000 tons of rock had been used in street construction in the last three weeks and that Highland Drive would soon be opened. The next "bulletin" said that water was now available to all lots fronting Colesville Pike from a new large Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission main, that pipe was being delivered to make water available to all lots facing Highland Drive, and that electricity had been provided to all homes as fast as they were completed. The next "bulletin" a week later reported that "two stream crossings had been built, making it easy to inspect most of this Park from your machine," and that "the promised water connection at Highland, Noyes, and Colesville Pikes--6-inch mains--are installed." "Grading, concrete work, paving and home building go steadily and rapidly forward." The next "bulletin," dated October 20, 1923, said that the Almas Temple and the Contractors' Association had [again] held their barbecues at Woodside Park and that several thousand had attended. Improvements were said be under way "at the rate of over $1,500 (1997 equivalent: $14,000) per week on drives alone." A week later the "bulletin" reported property in Woodside Park was gaining value. Lots which had been sold for 8.5¢ (1997 equivalent: 79¢) per square foot had been resold for 13¢ (1997 equivalent: $1.21) per square foot. "If you want to make a safe profitable investment--and none is so safe as well chosen real estate--buy into Woodside Park at present fall prices." Publication of the "bulletin" ads continued into November.⁽²¹⁾

The first ads for Woodside Park had been placed by the Hopkins Land Company, Inc., but after the incorporation of Hopkins-Armstrong, Inc., the ads listed the new company instead. The early ads also listed (usually in much smaller type) the real estate company of Thomas E. Jarrell and later Thomas E. Jarrell and J. Walter O'Boyle. The listing of Jarrell and O'Boyle in addition to Hopkins-Armstrong stopped after Thomas E. Jarrell purchased Woodside Park's Block D for development as a separate competing subdivision in June 1923.

The early advertising for Woodside Park apparently created the high class image Hopkins-Armstrong wanted for their development. Other real estate companies tried to appropriate that image for themselves by mentioning that their developments were close to Woodside Park. An April 1923 ad for the new Seven Oaks development, for example, noted it was between Woodside Park and the Indian Springs Golf Club. Some realtors even advertised individual houses as being in Woodside Park when they were in old Woodside or North Woodside, or beyond Woodside Park on Colesville Road.⁽²²⁾

Early ads for Woodside Park included a coupon to be clipped and mailed to get free information. An "illustrated folder" and price list were offered. The illustrated folder was printed in color on expensive paper. It unfolded to an impressive 18 by 24 inch spread with 12 pictures and a map. The cover, which included a picture of the Noyes mansion, labeled Woodside Park "Washington's Most Beautiful Suburb" and noted "Acre Plots for Homes of Distinction." The back included a map showing the streets and all the lots. The brochure unfolded to an essay on "The Movement to the Suburbs," a drawing of proposed entrance gates, and a photograph of part of the estate. The brochure further unfolded to its full size with more pictures of the Noyes mansion and grounds and a description of the development entitled "Woodside Park--The Beauty Spot of Montgomery County, Maryland." Since the language of the brochure sheds considerable light on the situation at that time (and incidentally shows that real estate promotion has not changed much), substantial portions are quoted below.

Alton Farm, the country estate of the late Crosby Noyes at Woodside, Montgomery County, Maryland, from which we are building "Woodside Park," has to be seen to be appreciated. This splendid property meets all requirements for the development of a Suburban Community of the highest type.

The beautiful grounds surrounding the old home are shaded by giant oaks, elms, maples, walnuts, and a variety of lesser trees, set off by rare shrubs brought from various parts of the world and planted with infinite care and skill. The rolling hills, wooded slopes, sparkling spring-fed brooks winding through shaded dells, present a matchless panorama to delight the senses.

How so great a tract has escaped the ruthless Real Estate Operator is a mystery. It is enough that these fields and woods exist and will be preserved almost intact in large building plots to be enjoyed by those who join us in this project.

A visit to this famous property will convince at once that the improvements being made are in keeping with the high character of the property. This accounts in no little degree for the unusual demand for acre plots in Woodside Park.

With a view to meeting the growing demand of home seekers of today who have their eyes turned towards the suburbs, we purchased what has long been considered one of the show places on the outskirts of Washington, "Alton Farm," the country estate founded by the late Crosby S. Noyes, situated at Woodside, Montgomery County, Maryland, with an elevation of 385 feet above sea level and with extensive frontages on both the Brookeville and Colesville Pikes and in direct line of Sixteenth Street extended. This tract is situated in the midst of an old established community of refined homes. It is convenient to churches and schools and characterized by desirable modern advantages, yet within twenty minutes drive to Pennsylvania Avenue.

To the party wishing to build a permanent home convenient to the business section of Washington, this property offers a rare opportunity. In addition to its ideal location, the improvements are of a substantial nature, while the features that go to make suburban life attractive are being amply provided in the development of this tract which we have named Woodside Park.

In undertaking the development of this splendid property we have secured the services of James H. Starkey, an eminent Engineer of wide experience in town planning and landscape work, to lay out the lot, block, and street system, and the property is now being rapidly developed by an organization with twenty years experience behind it, along park lines, with streets following the contours of the land, winding through the hills and vales in a manner to preserve the fine old trees and wealth of plantings.

Nearly five miles of rock-base Tarvia driveways are being constructed. Over six miles of cement park gutters are being installed. A large force of men and teams are at work grading and shaping the tract to the needs of a well-ordered suburb. [William Griffith, who lived on adjoining property and was Howard Griffith's son, says he watched Webb Cissel use his horse drawn wagons to bring in the base stone for Noyes Drive about 1924.]⁽²³⁾

One of the features of the development will be the construction of Alton and Woodside Parkways. These will be play grounds in themselves with hundreds of old shade trees and with a picturesque stream winding through them, fed by clear spring water and spanned by rustic bridges built of native stone. The terraced approach to Woodside Parkway with its series of winding steps and driveways is certain to be one of the interest points along the Brookeville Road [Georgia Avenue].

The sales brochure continued:

Beautiful entrance columns with shelters while waiting for the [trolley] cars are being erected on the Brookeville Pike at both Highland and Noyes Drives.

One of the roomy acres centrally located has been laid aside for community purposes. On this plot will be built tennis courts for the use of all the residents of the park.

The sales brochure also discussed restrictions:

Wise restrictions have been adopted by the developers with a view to preserving Woodside Park as a neighborhood characterized by charming lines and refined surroundings. These restrictions provide that detached single family homes alone shall be erected; that the park is preserved exclusively for residential purposes; that no houses shall be erected at a cost less than $6,000, and must be placed back at least forty feet from the property line.

Although not noted in the sales brochure, the restrictions also included then-common, but now discredited and illegal, provisions that "for purposes of sanitation and health" no owner "will sell or lease the said land to anyone of a race whose death rate is a higher percentage than the white race."

The covenant restricting use of lots exclusively to residential purposes was only placed in deeds issued by the Development Corporation before January 16, 1924.

Another point not mentioned in the brochure was that the restrictions terminated on January 1, 1950, according to language included in the deeds when lots were sold. Only the building restriction line (usually 40 feet), which was also noted on the recorded plats and which is buttressed by county regulations, which require conformity with existing building restriction lines even if they exceed zoning requirements, is still enforceable.

Another unmentioned point was that the deeds prohibited buyers and subsequent buyers from erecting more than one house on each parcel of land 50 feet wide by the depth of the lot. Thus lots could be subdivided, but not excessively.

The brochure also noted that:

In our plan for the promotion of Woodside Park we have provided a means looking toward the future maintenance of the park. This includes the organization of the Property Owners Improvement Association, which will have entire charge of maintaining the improvements, enforcing the restrictions and promoting the general welfare of the community.

Your home location, while it should possess all the advantages to make home life attractive, should at the same time be a good investment.

Consider that these acre plots can now be purchased for such reasonable prices as six to ten cents per square foot on such easy terms as ten percent cash.

In this connection it is interesting to note that no city in the United States is growing as rapidly as Washington today. Building here astounds the visitor. It is agreed that Sixteenth Street is Washington's finest boulevard. It leads northward from the White House to the District Line straight as an arrow. Probably the greatest growth in Washington has been along Sixteenth Street and the section adjacent thereto, bringing the building line closer and closer to Woodside Park. If Sixteenth Street were extended on an air line, it would strike Woodside Park midway between Highland and Noyes Drives. If Fourteenth Street were projected on an air line, it would lead to the very heart of Woodside Park. As Washington extends it building line year by year in the direction of Woodside Park, acre plots there will grow steadily in value.

The surest way to profit by the rise in Real Estate value is to foretell in which direction a city will grow and buy before people reach there. The Country's greatest men advise the buying of acreage on the outskirts of a growing city. Grover Cleveland said, "No investment on earth is so safe, so sure, so certain as undeveloped realty. I will advise my friends to place their savings in realty in some growing city. There is no such savings bank."

Inquire the value of lots in the vicinity of Fourteenth and Sixteenth Streets. Study the growth of Washington and then hasten to Woodside Park and select one of the beautiful, roomy home locations there without delay. Remember, we extend the privilege of paying for it in monthly payments extending over a period of four years. Woodside Park is surely your opportunity.

Quite a few lots were sold for less than 10¢ per square foot. The Woodside Development Corporation's newspaper ads from 1922 through 1924 are not consistent in the prices listed. The Corporation's first ad, which was published on November 18, 1922, lists prices from 4¢ to 10¢, at 10% cash and 2% of the balance paid per month at 6% per month interest. A week later they advertised prices from 3½¢ to 10¢. Beginning in March 1923 they advertised a price of from 5¢ to 10¢ per square foot. Ads in April 1924 said the price was from 8¢ to 12¢ per square foot. One tract on Highland Drive from which three lots were developed sold in 1923 for 8¢ per square foot, and another plot fronting on Georgia Avenue and containing over an acre was purchased for $4,000 (1997 equivalent: $37,300).

The Woodside Park advertising campaign resumed in the spring of 1924. One ad stressed that lots in Woodside Park were a good investment. Buyers could have confidence; "more than one hundred sites [had been purchased by] keen, wide-awake Washington business men, by professional builders, as well as by many careful home seekers and investors." "Opportunity to select a site in Woodside Park at present prices cannot long remain open. Discerning buyers, having noted the erection of an increasing number of new houses, the introduction of water, electricity and telephone (as needed), have been buying steadily." Another ad noted that "water, paved streets and electricity to your plot are included in our unusually low prices--and already installed to over one hundred homesites. A large water main, insuring recognized fire protection as well as ample high-pressure pure water, is promised within 60 days to serve the greater part of the whole 182 acres."

Construction of Highland Drive was completed in April 1924. The Washington Post reported the street's opening on the front page of its real estate section as follows:

Highland Drive, main thoroughfare through Woodside Park, was completed and formally opened by Hopkins-Armstrong, inc. [sic], who are developing the property, during the past week.

This street, nearly a mile long, opens up the sixty odd acres of forest in the heart of the famous Noyes Estate comprising in itself over 182 acres, long a show place around Washington and now known as Woodside Park.

The sprinkling of dogwood now at its best, the great variety of planted shrubbery, the spring-fed brooks and moss grown boulders in the wide parkways, offer a most pleasing contrast to the usual earth-scarred appearance of a new sub-division.

Mr. Armstrong states that an inspection of this property proves that improvements can be made and dwellings built without destroying the natural beauties of land, woods, and brook. An interesting feature is the "silver lining" of these brooks in sunny places, where an abundance of free mica reflects the sun light through the rippling water. It is not surprising that the dedication of these natural beauties in the form of parkways for the benefit of residents of Woodside Park and their children plus the large plots into which the estate has been divided, have proved most attractive to those to whom a home means more than four walls.

The park idea is followed consistently through with rustic bridges of native stone over the brooks, entrance columns of native stone and the preservation of every possible natural feature.

The completion of Highland drive is the most important step in the construction of three approximately parallel throughfares [sic], connecting Colesville and Brookeville pikes, bordering the property on the east and west and making the interior of the property accessible to either pike.⁽²⁴⁾

Although some houses already may have been completed by lot purchasers, in June 1924 the first completed house ever offered for sale in Woodside Park was advertised. Hopkins-Armstrong offered the house at 9111 Woodland Drive for $10,500 (1997 equivalent: $97,800) if the buyer would accept it on only a quarter acre plot rather than its full acre lot. The ads also mentioned that half acre plots were available for from 8¢ to 12¢ per square foot and that homesites in Woodside Park were a good investment. The increase in property values along Sixteenth Street, Alaska Avenue, and Brookeville Road on the way to Woodside Park was graphically illustrated. Part of a subdivision along Brookeville Road that had been purchased for 5¢ (1997 equivalent: 44¢) per square foot in 1921 was said to have been sold at $1.00 (1997 equivalent: $9.32) per square foot in 1924, for example. The advertising campaign continued sporadically in the summer and fall of 1924 in the Washington Post. Some ads emphasized the neighborhood's location "in the right direction" above fashionable Sixteenth Street; its picturesque drives and high elevation; its paved streets, city water, electricity, and fire protection; its convenience to schools, churches, and stores; and its park-like plan. Others emphasized price ("8¢ [1997 equivalent: 74¢] per square foot and up").⁽²⁶⁾

Lot Sales: Acre Plots and Smaller Lots

Lot sales in Woodside Park itself began shortly after the first ads appeared. The first sale was to Alfred L. Donaldson "of Woodside, Maryland." Presumably Mr. Donaldson lived on the other side of what is now Georgia Avenue from Woodside Park. On November 25, 1922 he signed a contract to purchase the lot on the southwest corner of Woodland Drive and what is now Grace Church Road. The lot was adjacent to the lot at the corner of what is now Georgia Avenue and Grace Church Road (across from the Grace Episcopal Church) which had been sold separately by the Noyes family to Mrs. Archibald Small. The Donaldson lot was later subdivided into 9104, 9106, and 9108 Woodland Drive and 1600 and 1608 Grace Church Road. The purchase price of the 48,003 square foot lot was $3,400 (1997 equivalent: $32,300). Mr. Donaldson made a 10% down payment and then was to pay $35.00 a month for the first six months and $70.00 per month thereafter until the lot was paid for. The interest rate was 6%.⁽²⁷⁾

The second sale came just a little more than one week later. J. Reginald Boyd signed a contract to purchase the lot that is now 1211 Woodside Parkway, the west part of 1212 Pinecrest Circle, and 1214 and 1216 Pinecrest Circle on December 6, 1922. He paid $2,221.56 (1997 equivalent: $21,100) for his lot, paying 10% down and the remainder at $44.00 per month at 6% interest. ⁽²⁸⁾The only other sale before 1923 came on December 27, 1922, when Bertha E. Battley purchased the lot at 9008 Alton Parkway for $1,822.52 (1997 equivalent: $17,300), again with 10% down. The balance was to be paid at $36.00 per month with 6% interest.⁽²⁹⁾

Deeds were often not recorded promptly after lots were sold. The first deed was officially recorded on February 3, 1923. It was for the lot that is now both 1427 and 1431 Highland Drive. James E. Benedict bought the property and built the home at 1427 Highland Drive about 1927. He paid $3,000 (1997 equivalent: $27,900) for his lot, or 6.5¢ per square foot. His sale was one of four which went to settlement on February 1, 1923. The three other sales in this group of four were recorded six days later. The second sale in this group was for the lot at the southeast corner of Woodland Drive and Noyes Drive, which eventually was subdivided to become 8915 and 8917 Woodland Drive and 1230, 1232, and 1234 Noyes Drive. This lot went for $2,500 (1997 equivalent: $23,300), or 6.6¢ per square foot. The next sale in this group was for the lot at the southeast corner of Alton Parkway and Woodside Parkway and two adjoining lots along Alton Parkway. These lots eventually became 1112, 1114, and 1118 Woodside Parkway and 9011, 9015, 9017, and 9021 Alton Parkway. The price for all three lots was $9,000 (1997 equivalent: $83,900), which again works out to 6.5¢ per square foot. The last of the group was the lot at the southwest corner of North Noyes Drive and Colesville Road. This lot eventually became 1000 North Noyes Drive, 8910 Colesville Road, and parts of 1006 North Noyes Drive, 8908 Colesville Road, and 4 Noyes Court. The price for this lot was $4,000 (1997 equivalent: $37,300), which was 10.8¢ per square foot.⁽³⁰⁾

Hopkins-Armstrong wanted to project an image of bustling sales for their new development, and Charles Hopkins apparently knew how to get the favorable newspaper publicity he wanted. On January 6, 1923, the Washington Times and the Washington Herald ran identical stories under the headlines "Records Smashed at Woodside Park" and "Woodside Park Closes Big Year."

All records for the sales of home sites were broken when the announcement of the Woodside Park development was brought before the public several months ago. Discriminative buyers virtually flocked to the park with the hope of purchasing home sites. Now comes the statement that approximately $20,000 [1997 equivalent: $186,500] worth of sites have been passed into the hands of home buyers.

It is recalled that the old Noyes mansion is situated in the heart of Woodside. Perhaps there is no other local homestead that is better known than the Noyes estate. Gracefully stretching out from the farm, hundreds of plots have been made, a goodly number of which are now owned by Washingtonians desiring to erect their homes on plots of beautiful ground.

That the development has proven a noteworthy success is evidenced by the sentiment expressed by the residents now residing at Woodside. A community of spirited citizens has sprung up in that section. All questions pertaining to the welfare of the park are freely discussed by residents at meetings. It is expected that this section will be completely sold during the next few months.⁽³¹⁾

The $250,000 figure was a wild exaggeration, as was the comment about a community of spirited citizens having sprung up. The previous week's $20,000 sales figure, was closer to the truth. Only three lots representing total sales of $7,444.08 (1997 equivalent: $60,400), including interest charges listed in "bond for deed" sales, had gone to settlement by this time. Perhaps contracts for some of the four lots that went to settlement on February 1, 1923 had been signed; if all were included, the Woodside Development Corporation could legitimately claim sales of $25,944.08 (1997 equivalent: $242,000). In any event, no new homes had been constructed, and no "community of spirited citizens" had yet sprung up unless Mr. Hopkins was referring to his own family, which was living in a Woodside Park home that predated the establishment of the subdivision.⁽³²⁾

Hopkins-Armstrong continued to project the image of brisk sales during the spring of 1923. An ad in the Washington Post of March 4, 1923 said that $216,000 (1997 equivalent: $2,014,000) worth of lots had already been sold. The Washington Post reported in a news story in mid-April that $225,000 (1997 equivalent: $2,097,000) worth of lots had been sold and that Hopkins-Armstrong expected to sell all the remaining lots within 90 days. Ads in the Evening Star of April 28, 1923 and the Washington Post of April 29, 1923, advised people to "drive out Sunday and secure your acre. Only eighty [of 149 original lots] left."

The truth of all the sales claims is highly suspect, to put it mildly. County land records indicate that only eleven lots (counting as one lot Block D, the Noyes mansion grounds, which was sold to Thomas E. Jarrell, who developed it into his own subdivision) had been recorded by mid-May, leaving 138 lots available. The total amount paid for the sold lots was $75,944.08 (1997 equivalent: $735,900), including $50,000 (1997 equivalent: $466,000) for Block D and interest listed in the "bond for deed" sales.

In mid-September an ad used a large headline to report "More Than 65% Sold in 9 Months," In early November the last of the "Woodside Park Bulletin" ads reported that the subdivision was nearly three-quarters sold out. In reality even by the end of 1923 county land records indicate that only about 35 acres, or about 19% of the total had been sold, including the 10.537 acres of Block D. Excluding the sale of all of Block D, only 24 deeds covering 26 lots were issued in all of 1923. The sales totaled $129,005.48 (1997 equivalent: $1,203,000), but $50,000 (1997 equivalent: $466,000) of this was for Block D alone.

The 1923 sales were concentrated on or near Highland Drive on the west side of the neighborhood. Three of the original four lots facing Highland Drive between Georgia Avenue and Woodland Drive were sold, as were four of the six lots on the north side of Highland between Woodland Drive and Crosby Road. In addition both lots on the south side of Highland at Crosby Road were sold, as was the lot on the north side of Highland where Pinecrest Court is now. Except for the lot on the northeast corner of Woodland Drive and what is now Grace Church Road, all the lots facing Woodland Drive between Highland Drive and Grace Church Road were sold; the unsold corner lot was sold in April 1924. Most of the lots were built upon promptly although some had been bought for investment, as some Woodside Park ads had suggested. ⁽³³⁾

There were 22 more sales in 1924, but some of these were for only parts of the original large lots, and most sales were concentrated in the western part of the neighborhood. In November Hopkins-Armstrong advertised "Cutting Up Two Sections of Acre Plots Into SMALLER BUILDING SITES." This was done, it was said, to meet the rapidly growing demand. Prices for these smaller lots were from 12¢ to 15¢ per square foot. Apparently the smaller lots did not sell rapidly; the formal re-subdivision mentioned in the ad actually did not come until May 24, 1927, when Pinecrest Circle and Midwood Road were established in the original blocks J (bounded by Woodside Parkway, Crosby Road, Highland Drive, and Alton Parkway) and N (bounded by Highland Drive, Crosby Road, the north property line of the Noyes estate, Dale Drive, and the Alton Parkway right-of-way) and most of the unsold lots in these blocks were cut into lots ranging in size from approximately ¼ to ½ acre.

One of the 1924 lot sales was to Robert L. and Flora Petzold, who built their new home at 1226 Noyes Drive in 1925 and lived there until 1958. Their home was the Sears Roebuck "Kilbourne" model bungalow. The price for the home in 1925 is unknown, but in 1926 Sears sold the materials for the "Kilbourne" for $2,700 (1997 equivalent: $24,300). The Petzolds had to have the house constructed themselves. Some equipment was optional and cost extra; bathroom plumbing was $285.25. Various furnace options ranged from $106.04 to $385.93 (1997 equivalents: $955 to $3,475). Electric wiring and fixtures ("knob and tube wiring system") cost $82.32 (1997 equivalent: $740). Window shades for the house were available for $17.00 (1997 equivalent: $152). The Petzolds had grape vines and an apple, cherry, and peach orchard on the original large lot. They also made beer and wine and kept chickens. They subdivided their lot to create the lot at 1222 Noyes Drive in 1941.⁽³⁴⁾

Speculative builders began building homes on lots they had purchased in Woodside Park in 1924. The home at 9111 Woodland Drive, the first completed new home ever advertised in Woodside Park is one example. Raphel L. Dondero purchased the acre plot on which this house stands in April. He built the house and hired Hopkins-Armstrong as his sales agent to sell it on a quarter acre plot while keeping other parts of the lot for future construction. The home's plan had won first prize at "Better Homes Week" expositions in both New York and Chicago. It had a center hall plan, three bedrooms and a bath on the second floor. The first floor included a large living room and screened porch. Hopkins-Armstrong used the ads for this house to also boost Woodside Park in general, particularly noting "the beautiful park plan" and "wide choice of home sites as to size, shape, topography exposure, trees and price." The home was purchased by Ralph Lee, who was an incorporator and first president of the Civic Association.

Another example of early speculative home building involved John M. Faulconer and Frank B. Proctor, who purchased lot 3 in Block A in April 1924. They divided the lot and built two houses, 1300 Noyes Drive and 8916 Woodland Drive. Faulconer not only was a builder but also owned a farm off Georgia Avenue near Thayer Avenue.

The Faulconer and Proctor house at 1300 Noyes Drive was sold to Henry G. and Minnie Klinge in November 1924. Victor E. and Julia (Klinge) Grotlisch bought 8916 Woodland Drive in June 1925 after visiting her brother's new home next door. Mr. Grotlisch, a chemist, was an incorporator of the Civic Association, its Secretary, and later its President. He lived in the house until the mid-1970s.

Robert Murphy was another early speculative builder who constructed several homes in Woodside Park. In 1923 he bought one acre plot and developed three smaller lots, one of which (the wooden bungalow at 1437 Highland Drive) was sold to another builder, John M. and Margaret Faulconer. Mr. Murphy also constructed 1433 Highland Drive for his own family and built a house on 9103 Woodland Drive which he sold to Roger White, who operated a grocery store in Olney.

When the home at 1437 Highland Drive was offered for resale in 1939 it was described as having a "beautiful corner lot, 8 rooms, 2 baths. Bath on each floor. Could be used as 2 apartments. Large lot, plenty of shrubbery." The idea of turning it into two apartments would have undoubtedly upset other Woodside Park residents, and was not done.⁽³⁵⁾

The Dutch Colonial home at 1420 Highland Drive was also built in 1924. The original lot also included 1418 and part of 1414 Highland Drive, the lots for which were platted in 1936.⁽³⁶⁾ Mr. and Mrs. Fred Stello were the original owners and lived there until at least 1968.

Not counting lots sold to the subsidiary Woodside Homes Corporation, there were 19 sales in 1925. One involved two lots, but 8 involved the sale of parts of the original large lots. There were no ads for Woodside Park in the Washington Post or the Evening Star until late spring. Then Hopkins-Armstrong began a series of ads promoting the beauty of the area and the fact that ¼ and ½ acre lots as well as full acre lots were available "in the direct line of growth." Lots were available from $1,000 (1997 equivalent: $9,150) up and potential buyers were advised to "consult our architectural and building department added to our service." There was "a remarkably wide choice of lots of character; treed or sunny open slopes, flat or rolling. All of nature's most attractive charms have been preserved. Boulders, rivulets and towering oaks. Many beautiful homes owned by friendly neighbors. Streets paved, water and electricity installed."⁽³⁷⁾

In July and August ads headlined "Two Bargains that Challenge Comparison" and "For Quick Sale" appeared. These ads showed two "Moderately Priced Homes, Each 6 rooms and Bath--Dutch and English Colonials." One ad noted that the two homes were "Near two pikes, but no through traffic. Free of dust and noise. IDEAL FOR CHILDREN. Plenty of play ground. Trees. . . . On the way to Indian Spring and Argyle Golf Clubs." The other ad noted that the homes had a modern tile bath, hardwood floors and stairways, hot water heat, built-in garages and electric ranges. Both houses were said to have been "built by our own day labor, largely of lumber cut by ourselves [presumably while clearing the rights-of-way for streets] and seasoned since 1922." Although the houses were advertised as being on Spring Street, they were actually on half acre lots on Fairview Road near Spring Street. Only one of them, the "English Colonial," remains at 8908 Fairview Road, and it has been somewhat altered. Its original price was $9,875 (1997 equivalent: $88,800). The other house, the "Dutch Colonial," which originally cost $10,575 (1997 equivalent: $95,100), has been demolished and is now the site of the parking lot just west of 8908 Fairview Road. Despite the claim that these houses were "built by our own day labor," they predated the establishment of Woodside Park and were used by the Noyes family for farm workers. According to Montgomery County real estate tax records, which are sometimes less than accurate, 8908 Fairview Road was built in 1907. Each of the houses originally had four rooms; the Woodside Development Corporation enlarged and improved them prior to advertising them for sale.⁽³⁸⁾ A major addition to 8908 Fairview Road was the living room added at the left. The house originally had narrow wood siding and a stamped metal roof. Foundations for a carriage house and other outbuildings can still be seen in the back yard.

The third of the three farm worker houses on Alton Farm when it was sold to the Woodside Development Corporation, now 8912 Fairview Road, had six rooms and a porch and was located well back on its lot. Apparently the Corporation did not think it needed to be enlarged in order to be salable. It was sold in April 1925 to George Brandt.⁽³⁹⁾

Another ad for Woodside Park appeared on October 24, 1925 next to a larger ad for Hopkins' Blair subdivision. This ad showed the house at 1518 Grace Church Road, which is one of two similar homes on that block, and noted that the "Giant Oaks Fringing This Picturesque Winding Road Make the Setting of the Homes one of Rare Beauty." The other home, at 1524 Grace Church Road, was advertised separately in the spring of 1926 as "Trails End." Both houses were apparently designed by noted architect Jules Henri de Sibour and built in 1925 by the Woodside Homes Corporation, the Woodside Development Corporation subsidiary then headed by De Sibour. The same homes were again advertised in the Evening Star and the Washington Post on the weekends of November 7th and 14th. Prices were from $9,850 to $14,850 (1997 equivalents: $88,600 to $133,500), with "comfortable cash payment and extended terms for balance." The homes had "a comfortable living room with open fireplace, reception hall, dining room, convenient kitchen equipped with electric range and kitchen cabinet, three bedrooms and glassed-in sleeping porch, built-in garage, entrance, side and back porches, hot-water heat, hardwood floors, [and a] rubber tile bath." Presumably the price depended on how much land was to be included with the houses. "Exceptional home sites" "in the rolling hills and wooded slopes of Woodside Park" ranging from ¼ to 1 acre and from $1,300 to $5,300 (1997 equivalents: $11,700 to $47,650), at a rate of 12¢ to 16¢ per square foot were also offered. One of the ads also noted that "We will help finance and build your home when land is paid for. For large turn-over and sound investment this property is unsurpassed in suburban Washington. Small cash payment; balance in forty-five months." ⁽⁴⁰⁾Dentist John Blevins and his wife Charlotte have lived in "Trails End" since 1935.

The home at 1518 Grace Church Road had several owners before M.K. Armstrong of Hopkins-Armstrong acquired it. The home which was then valued at $8,0000 (1997 equivalent: $71,900) was transferred from the Woodside Homes Corporation to De Sibour's De Sibour Construction Company in February 1926. The Woodside Development Corporation then took title to the home in May 1927. In 1930 M.C. Armstrong, an investor in the Woodside Development Corporation, purchased it from the Woodside Development Corporation. M.K Armstrong purchased the home from his brother M.C. in 1931 and lived there until his death in 1938.

Jules Henri de Sibour also designed and probably built the houses at 1505 Grace Church Road (a now-demolished Gothic Revival home later advertised as "Twin Gables Cottage"⁽⁴¹⁾), 1512 Grace Church Road (advertised as "The Dale") and 1310 Noyes Drive (advertised as "The Fireside") about this same time. De Sibour's involvement in design and construction of homes in Woodside Park gave immediate status to the new development. De Sibour was one of Washington's most prominent architects. Among other major projects, he designed the McCormick Apartments, now the home of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, at 1875 Massachusetts Avenue, NW; the Thomas T. Gaff house, now the Embassy of Colombia, at 1520 20th Street, NW; the Clarence Moore House, the former Canadian Embassy, at 1746 Massachusetts Avenue, NW; the William Watson Lawrence house, now the French Embassy, at 2221 Kalorama Road, NW; the Alexander Stewart house, now the Embassy of Luxembourg, at 2200 Massachusetts Avenue, NW; and the Jefferson Hotel at 1200 Sixteenth Street, NW His homes in Woodside Park were of a lesser scale, but they added prestige to the neighborhood and his name was mentioned prominently in ads for the houses. ⁽⁴²⁾

Other builders continued their activity in 1925 as well. John M. Faulconer and Frank B. Proctor not only sold the home at 8916 Woodland Drive mentioned earlier, they also built and sold the home at 9000 Colesville Road. It was purchased by Clara B. King and Wanda K. Denire. Faulconer had purchased this lot from the Woodside Development Corporation in late 1923 for $1,999.40 (1997 equivalent: $18,650), paying $199.40 on signing the contract and 6% interest on the balance. Monthly payments were $36.00.

Stambaugh Construction Company, which was affiliated with Thomas E. Jarrell and Wynnewood Park, built the Dutch Colonial home at 1408 Highland Drive in 1925 for Clifford J. and Louise Tyrrell. The purchase price is unknown, but there was a $4,000 mortgage (1997 equivalent $36,600) issued by Louise R. Stambaugh. Mrs. Tyrrell lived there until 1992. When the Tyrrells moved in (June 1925) seemingly into the middle of an open field, the moving man gave Mrs. Tyrrell his card with the remark "In case you decide to move back to town in the next few months."⁽⁴³⁾

The first new home on Georgia Avenue, although not strictly in the Woodside Park subdivision, was completed in 1925. Mrs. Archibald Small, a widow who had purchased her lot across from Grace Church directly from the Noyes family in 1920, moved into her new home at 9111 Georgia Avenue and lived there until her death in 1935. Her niece, Mrs. John A. Norcross, then occupied the house. The Morales family later bought the house and sold off a large portion of the grounds for the construction of two new houses in 1990.

There were twenty sales by the Woodside Development Corporation in 1926; there were four additional home sales by the subsidiary Woodside Homes Corporation involving lots that had earlier been deeded to it by the Development Corporation.⁽⁴⁴⁾ Many of the early lot sales in Woodside Park involved lots held for investment, as many of the early Woodside Park ads had suggested. The 1931 Klinge Atlas shows only 74 houses in Woodside Park despite there having been about 170 land sales (probably representing about 130 to 140 of the original lots) by that time. Some lots were sold several times and perhaps subdivided by their purchasers before any houses were built on them. The lot on which 9114 Crosby Road now stands, for example, was originally purchased in 1926 and went through three additional owners (including one who took possession in 1936 when a borrower defaulted on a loan) before the lot's fifth owner constructed a house in 1939-40. Nothing was built on a large lot on Highland Drive which had been sold in 1923 until it was subdivided and Pinecrest Court constructed on it in 1946. Even the Corporation's third sale, three lots on the east side of Alton Parkway from Woodside Parkway south, sold as a group in February 1923, had been purchased for speculative holding. Only one house had been built on even a part of these lots by 1948; the remaining area was vacant until after 1953.⁽⁴⁵⁾

The first Woodside Park ads during 1926 appeared in late March. Homes were offered as well as home sites. The ads stressed "INVESTMENT VALUES: Unequaled in Suburban Washington. Great Increase in values. Greater Increases for years to come. Sound investment; Big Return." No prices were mentioned.

In mid-April 1926 Hopkins-Armstrong began a series of advertisements for five houses. Two were the Dutch and English Colonials on Fairview Road near Spring Street that had first been offered in the fall of 1925. The other three were new houses built on lots that the Woodside Development Corporation had transferred to its subsidiary Woodside Homes Corporation. One home was featured in each week's ad. "Trails End," at 1524 Grace Church Road was offered for $14,500 (1997 equivalent: $130,400). "The Dale," at 1512 Grace Church Road (but Dale Drive at that time, hence the name) was offered for $50 less than "Trails End." Also offered was "The Fireside," at 1310 Noyes Drive. Its price was $14,850 (1997 equivalent: $133,500). It was said to have six very large sunny rooms, a massive stone chimney and fireplace, and a cool, protected porch for summer. Its elevation was said to be almost 400 feet. It also was said to be only a two minute walk from the Sixteenth Street bus line [which certainly did not run on Sixteenth Street west of the house since Sixteenth Street would not be extended north of East-West Highway for another thirty years].⁽⁴⁶⁾

None of the five homes sold quickly. In February 1927, after the three new houses had been on the market for about 10 months and the two enlarged homes from the Noyes Farm had been on the market for about a year and a half, all of them were deeded to the Merchants Bank and Trust Company. Merchants sold them as a group to Michael J. Keane, Jr., in September 1928. Mr. Keane sold them the same day he received them to Eugene A. Smith, Inc., which had an immediate buyer only for "The Dale." Except for the "English Colonial," the rest were sold to individual home owners or investors between 1929 and 1931. Ownership of the "English Colonial" was subject to a three year note of the Woodside Development Corporation for $4,750 (1997 equivalent: $43,500) recorded in 1925 but never paid. The property was the subject of a foreclosure action in 1935 and ultimately passed through the hands of the Union Cooperative Insurance Association to a homeowner in 1936. Perhaps the difficulty that the Woodside Development Corporation and Woodside Homes Corporation had in selling these houses convinced them that their future lay in selling lots and not completed homes. In any event, they did not build any more homes for speculative sales.⁽⁴⁷⁾

The advertising campaign for Woodside Park continued from mid-May through June 1926, but specific houses were no longer featured. One ad showed a drawing of the impressive entrance gates and bus waiting stations at Georgia Avenue and Noyes Drive and Georgia Avenue and Highland Drive and stressed the "accessibility, right direction, price and improvements of the beautiful lots of Woodside Park." The neighborhood was said to be "now a well developed home colony of nearly half a hundred fine dwellings, accessible to schools, churches and shops and within 20 minutes' drive of the White House or by frequent busses down SIXTEENTH STREET. Recent improvements make accessible some very desirable locations." [The nearly half a hundred homes claim may have been somewhat of an exaggeration; a real estate atlas published five years later in 1931 shows only 48 homes in Woodside Park.]⁽⁴⁸⁾ Other ads stressed the investment aspects of purchasing a lot as well as the improvements and beautiful topography. Prices were from 18¢ to 25¢ per square foot.⁽⁴⁹⁾

Some of the ads featured endorsements from Woodside Park residents. Philander D. Poston, who was building "Stonecroft" at 1201 Woodside Parkway, emphasized the investment aspects. He noted that he had bought his land for 9¢ per square foot and now it was worth 27¢. He expected it to reach 75¢ to $1.00 within five years. He said his new home and surroundings could not be duplicated in any other first-class community at twice the cost. "Stonecroft" was illustrated in several ads and people were invited to come out, inspect the construction while it was under way and "learn many 'wrinkles' to put in your own home."

Another endorsement came from Philbrick McCoy, an attorney, who lived "in the woods" at 1315 Highland Drive. He praised the neighborhood's quiet atmosphere and road system, which he said had no equal except for the "state pikes." He also said his property had more than doubled in value since he purchased it in June 1924 and that the values were steadily increasing.

The advertising campaign was suspended in July and August, but on September 25th a small ad appeared touting the neighborhood's natural beauty and stating that it was "in the right direction." The same ad appeared again on October 9th.

On October 9th and 30th Hopkins-Armstrong ran ads in the Evening Star illustrating the "rare stone home" at 1311 Noyes Drive and offering it for $15,850 (1997 equivalent: $142,500) on a lot a little larger than a quarter of an acre.⁽⁵⁰⁾ The first ad said, "This plan considered so good used as model by Western Electric Company and Girl Scout Headquarters, Sesqui-Centennial Exposition." The house had six rooms, a gray tiled bath with shower, hot-water heat, a slate roof, and 12 inch thick walls. The lot was 75 feet by 186 feet. The home did not sell immediately and was advertised again In 1927.

One prominent home completed in 1926 was "Woodside" at 9033 Georgia Avenue. This large two-story Colonial style home with four bedrooms, two baths, a "fine library with a fireplace, a large living room, and a glassed-in breakfast porch," and three dormers in its third floor attic was built for Charles and Sadie Williams, who had purchased the acre plot on the southwest corner of Georgia Avenue and Highland Drive in September 1923. They moved into their new home in the spring of 1926. As late as 1968 Mrs. Williams still lived at 1510 Highland Drive, the land for which was subdivided from the original huge lot.

Another home built in 1926 by its owners, John J. and Geneva Dolan, was 1430 Highland Drive. Mr. Dolan, who was a plasterer by training and a builder and a banker, made the home's decorative plaster moldings. Ernest Sayre, a founder of the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department, did the brickwork. The lot originally included the area where the home at 1428 Highland Drive now stands. Helen Sherbert, the Dolan's daughter, still lives at 1428 Highland Drive. Geneva Dolan lived at 1430 Highland Drive until 1977.⁽⁵¹⁾

Another prominent home completed in 1926 was 9027 Georgia Avenue, which was built by F.L. and Alice H. Waters. The Waters had purchased their acre plot in January 1925. Mrs. Waters lived in the home until the 1980s.

Other homes built about this time were 1209 Highland Drive, which was built for Charlton P. Lathrop; Dr. L.F. Bradley's home at 1411 Highland Drive; Robert J. Hunter's home at 1020 Noyes Drive; and the home at 1205 Highland Drive.

There were nineteen sales in 1927.⁽⁵²⁾ Only one ad specifically for the Woodside Park neighborhood appeared during 1927. Perhaps only one ad was needed since Hopkins-Armstrong had again shown itself to be adept at getting free publicity for the neighborhood. A story in the Washington Post in March reported on activities of the Civic Association in a way that could only be seen as making the neighborhood appear more desirable. Association activities included moves to increase minimum house prices allowed by the deed restrictions, review and approve all architectural plans, incorporate the association, take possession of two lots donated by the Woodside Development Corporation [Montgomery County land records reflect no such donation], build a club house, and publish a newsletter.⁽⁵³⁾

On the weekend of March 26-27, 1927, the neighborhood received additional favorable publicity. Both the Evening Star and the Washington Post ran long illustrated articles on the completion of Philander D. Poston's "Stonecroft" at 1201 Woodside Parkway.

Although Poston's "Stonecroft" was not for sale, it was open for public inspection on Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, April 3, 1927. The Star's "Attractive Homes in the Capital" article on page 1 of its real estate section featured a photo as well as the floor plan for the house. The house was designed by Rodier and Kundzen architects and was built by the Stambaugh Construction Company, which was affiliated with Thomas E. Jarrell and Wynnewood Park. The Star's article described the interior of the home in detail and said: "Standing alone on the crest of a long, rounded hill which overlooks three lovely wooded valleys, this home, which is in thorough keeping with its rural setting, presents a picture not soon to be forgotten. Extensive landscaping, with spacious lawns, rose terraces, stone entrances and winding driveway, is planned to enhance the beauty of the place and soften the simple exterior of the house."

The Washington Post also waxed eloquently about the house and the neighborhood:

Hugging the crest of a long, graceful hill, which fades gently into two little winding brooks lined with large boulders and graceful old trees, and overlooking three beautiful valleys, is a home of unusual distinction and simple beauty, quite unlike anything around Washington.

. . . .

The splendid work of the fine arts commission, the Federal planning commission and other bodies looking to the preservation of the few remaining beauty spots of suburban Washington is being exemplified in the development of Woodside Park, a 200-acre tract, upon which large sums were spent for many years by the late Crosby Noyes in enhancing its natural beauty. The demand of these Federal commissions for the building of really artistic homes on large tracts is being happily met here.

. . . .

From a construction standpoint [the house] is built like a battleship and is destined to reach a very ripe old age when compared with houses of current build. Judged by the inner and outer character of the house, one would think it had been created at the hands of some of the highly skilled master workers of an earlier day.

The Postons had purchased the acre plot for "Stonecroft" at a cost of 9¢ per square foot (1997 equivalent: 82¢) in April 1925. Before the home was completed, the Postons built and lived in the small log "lodge" which until the spring of 1993 was at the back of the property near Pinecrest Circle, where the home at 1212 Pinecrest Circle was constructed. The construction date of the lodge is unknown, but arguably it was actually the first home with a Woodside Parkway address. The "lodge" was built before Pinecrest Circle was dedicated and stood with its rear at an odd angle to the street.

The first ads in 1927 related to a Woodside Park home other than Stonecroft appeared in the Evening Star in late April and early May, when the home at 1311 Noyes Drive, now called "One of the Outstanding Stone Homes of Greater Washington" was again offered by Hopkins-Armstrong. The price had been increased by $100 from the price listed in October 1926. In May Hopkins-Armstrong also ran an ad for the house at 1518 Grace Church Road. Although the home's builder, the De Sibour Construction Company, had transferred the home to the Woodside Development Corporation, the house had not been sold to a residential buyer since its initial offering in the fall of 1925. The notable thing about the ad is that it casts doubts about how much values in the neighborhood were really increasing. The largest type in the ad was "Now $12,850 [1997 equivalent: $114,800]. $2,150 LESS THAN BUILDER'S PRICE."

Beginning in September Hopkins-Armstrong joined with the Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce and the developers of Blair-Takoma, East Silver Spring, North Woodside, Wynnewood Park, Seven Oaks, Indian Springs Terrace, Indian Springs Park, and Four Corners to mount the most extensive advertising campaign seen to that time for development in the Washington suburbs. Charles W. Hopkins, then President of the Chamber of Commerce, was the driving force behind the campaign. Under the banner "Maryland--North of Washington" the campaign began with an almost unprecedented seven column wide full page high ad in the Evening Star headlined "The Heart of Washington's Future Development." Slightly smaller type said "Where Converge All Main Arteries of Travel Northward from the Nation's Capital." The same ad appeared a week later in the Washington Post. These ads and all that followed showed a map with the White House at the bottom and Sixteenth Street and other streets leading to a large heart at the top. In the heart were the main streets and neighborhoods of Silver Spring. A week later a similarly huge ad, again under the banner "Maryland--North of Washington," showed the proposed "boulevarding" of Georgia Avenue as seen from the new B&O overpass looking north toward Colesville Road. There were to be separate north and south roadways separated by 8 feet of parking in the center. The ad noted that Montgomery County had already appropriated the funds for the project and acquired the 15 foot right-of-way needed on the eastern side of the existing 75 foot right-of-way. Only 15 feet on the west remained to be acquired.

A month later, in mid-October, the campaign resumed with a five column ad providing "A Word's Eye View of These Charming Communities." Each of the developments in "Maryland--North of Washington" was described in glowing terms.⁽⁵⁴⁾ The next week another "Maryland--North of Washington" ad pictured the Home of Preston Blair Lee, a "play spot" (actually the small rock encircled pool in Woodside Park), and the new Telephone Exchange building. The ad said, among other glowing text, that "Maryland--North of Washington" was "adapted to all tastes" and contained "Washington's delightful suburbs." "Nothing has been omitted to make life comfortable. Paved streets, sidewalks, sewers, water, electricity, country clubs and sport and recreation centers abound." The ad the next week advised people to live in "Maryland--North of Washington" "for your child's sake." The environment as well as the new Takoma-Silver Spring High School and Woodside School were described along with "famous private schools," including "National Park Seminary, the Bliss Electric School in North Takoma Park, the new Lutheran Women's College to be erected on Georgia Avenue, the training school of the National Association of Dyers and Cleaners, and the Open Fields School for Children."⁽⁵⁵⁾

The ads continued in November 1927. The four column ad of November 5th was headlined "A CHURCH Around the Corner When You Live In Maryland--North of Washington." Grace Episcopal Church, St. John's Catholic Church in Forest Glen, and the Methodist Church "at South Woodside" were pictured. The ad emphasized that the area had all the urban conveniences. The last "Maryland--North of Washington" ad appeared on November 19, 1927, and was titled "The HOME Place of your CHOICE." Houses in Blair, Seven Oaks, and Wynnewood Park were shown. The ad again emphasized the area's urban conveniences but also noted the "clean air of the Maryland hills."

By the end of 1927 according to county land records the Corporation and its subsidiary had made 108 sales in Woodside Park. Some lots had been sold in pieces and other sales had been for multiple lots, so that only about 107 of the 149 original lots (excluding Block D, which became Wynnewood Park) had been sold.

Most of the homes built during this period were built by lot buyers for their own use. One example is the stone home at 9105 Alton Parkway which was completed in 1927 according to tax records. It was the first home on Alton Parkway. The home was built for Clarence L. Hubbard, a pioneer dry cleaning expert, who lived there until 1952. The home featured a center hall plan, a large living room with pegged oak floors and a fireplace with oak trim. There was also a step-up dining room and a cozy breakfast room and a kitchen. The first floor also contained two bedrooms and tiled baths. Two additional bedrooms as well as a sewing room were at the top of a winding staircase. The second floor also contained a bath and "huge" closets. The basement, reached by another winding staircase, had a recreation room with a second "huge" stone fireplace, a garage, and a lavatory.

Other homes were also completed about this time. The first home completed on Dale Drive, 1514, was also completed in 1927. The home at 1427 Highland Drive is another example. Dr. Lewis Hurst, a biochemist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, resided here. He was an avid gardener and also purchased the lot across the street, now 1424 Highland Drive, for additional garden space.⁽⁵⁶⁾

Another example is the home at 1423 Highland Drive, which was built in 1928. The home has a huge living room with open fireplace and views not only to the front and side but also to the rear, where a lily pond was built. There was also a large dining room, master bedroom with bath, den or library, kitchen, and open deck living porch off the dining room. The second floor had a large guest room, and two additional rooms and a bath.⁽⁵⁷⁾

Also completed in 1928 was the home at 1211 Woodside Parkway, which was built for J. Reginald Boyd. The stucco Cotswold Cottage style home, which has 9 foot ceilings, Chestnut woodwork, and wrought ironwork on the staircase, was designed by Rodier & Kundzen, AIA. The first floor contains a foyer, living room with fireplace, dining room, kitchen, and bath. The second floor has three bedrooms and two baths. The basement contains a recreation room. French doors open from the living room to the enclosed terrace with formal fish pond between the house and the garage. Mr. Boyd had served in World War I and then worked for the Division of Tests and Research of the Bureau of Public Roads prior to becoming an administrative director of the Crushed Stone Association in 1925, thus demonstrating that the "revolving door" is not a new phenomenon. He became the Association's Executive Director in 1956. Mr. Boyd was president of the Civic Association in 1930; Mrs. Boyd was for many years secretary. The Boyds lived at 1211 Woodside Parkway until 1971.⁽⁵⁸⁾

Another 1928 home was 1015 Noyes Drive. This home was built by Melvin Herriman, a well-known Washington, D.C. builder, and his son Lawton. Among other projects, Mr. Herriman built the Washington Building on the southwest corner of 15th and New York Avenue, N.W. Lawton G. Herriman and his wife Ethel lived ⁽⁵⁹⁾in the home.

There were only thirteen lot sales in 1928. Hopkins-Armstrong ran only one ad for Woodside Park that year. It appeared on May 5th and was headlined "Woodside Park--Coming into Its Own!" The ad noted improved and widened streets to Washington and said Woodside Park was "now being recognized as the outstanding development for the building of homes expressing the individuality and taste of the owner. Large lots, averaging ½ acre, with winding park driveways and many landscape features make ideal sites for real homes." The ad also noted "better protection for your home through increased minimum restrictions of both lots and dwellings on the Parkways."⁽⁶⁰⁾

Restrictions were increased on some lots that were sold beginning in 1927, but only three lots sold before the end of 1928 had a restriction of more than $6,000. Beginning in the spring of 1929 lots with higher restrictions were then sold throughout the neighborhood, not just along Alton and Woodside Parkways. Restrictions requiring that houses cost $7,500 (1997 equivalent: $69,900) or more were placed in almost all deeds for sales through 1932. Restrictions of from $8,000 to $9,000 (1997 equivalent: $74,600 to $83,900) were typical. Only one lot was ever sold with a minimum house price restriction greater than $10,000; the restriction for 1113 Woodside Parkway was placed at $12,500 (1997 equivalent: $116,500) when that lot was sold in August 1929.

By May 1928, Hopkins-Armstrong had moved from their original office space in the International Building at 1319 F Street, NW, to new space in the Colorado Building at 1341 G Street, NW.⁽⁶¹⁾

There were no more Woodside Park ads in 1928. Hopkins-Armstrong turned their attention to "Carderock," which they had purchased in 1927 through the Woodside Homes Corporation, the Woodside Development Corporation subsidiary, and were turning into "two, three, and five acre estates." Although the lots at Carderock were larger than Woodside Park lots, except for a 50 year and even more blatantly racist restriction against "Negroes or colored persons, or person of Negro blood or extraction," Carderock was not designed to be as restricted as Woodside Park.

Carderock was between MacArthur Boulevard and the Potomac River, just north of where the Beltway is now. Most of the area was taken by the United States Government for the David Taylor Model Basin in 1935 and 1937. Later some of it became part of the C&O Canal National Park. Just as they had done in Woodside Park, Hopkins-Armstrong made substantial improvements at Carderock to make lots saleable. For example, they paved a road under the C&O Canal using an existing arched passage and constructed a new automobile bridge over the canal at the foot of Lockhaven Parkway.

There was a series of eight large ads in the Evening Star or the Washington Post for Carderock beginning in June and running into October. Some of these ads mentioned Woodside Park as an example of a Hopkins-Armstrong Development, but the developers' attention was clearly no longer focused on Woodside Park.⁽⁶²⁾

The advertising campaign did not have the desired effect. There was only one Carderock sale in 1928.⁽⁶³⁾

Hopkins-Armstrong again focused on Carderock in 1929. They ran an ad for Carderock every Saturday in the Evening Star during May and once in both the Evening Star and the Washington Post during June. These six ads produced no sales at all; indeed except for the one sale in 1928, there were no sales in Carderock until 1931, when two lots were sold.⁽⁶⁴⁾

Woodside Park received some attention in the spring of 1929, however, when the National Mortgage & Investment Corporation ran four ads for the Dutch Colonial home at 1300 Noyes Drive. The home was advertised as "a charming detached home on a large corner lot, having a frontage of 110 feet and located only a short distance from the District Line. Convenient to school, stores, and bus. Four bright bedrooms--hot-water heating plant--modern in every respect, entirely and tastefully redecorated throughout--spacious open porch overlooking beautifully landscaped grounds." This was a resale of the home that had been built by John M. Faulconer and Frank B. Proctor and sold to Henry G. Klinge in November 1924 and is believed to be the first resale by a resident-owner of any Woodside Park home.⁽⁶⁵⁾

Hopkins-Armstrong advertised Woodside Park once during their second Carderock campaign. On June 1, 1929 they placed an ad in the Evening Star showing the home of J. Reginald Boyd at 1211 Woodside Parkway under a big "FOR SALE" headline. Then under the picture of the Boyd home was a line of small type saying "Facing this Attractive, Stone, Residence in [then a new line in large type] WOODSIDE PARK [and then in a line of somewhat smaller type] An Exceptionally Attractive Home Site." The property was described:

Gently sloping upward from Woodside Parkway. This Unusually Attractive Site is bordered by a number of fine trees, through which flows a spring-fed brooklet. This piece of ground, somewhat over 1 acre, offers unusual opportunities for landscaping, tennis court, garden and pool. Convenient to stores, two golf clubs, churches and excellent schools. Hard-surfaced roads. City Water, Electricity, all in. Careful Restrictions guard against all undesirable encroachment. We will make special inducement to purchasers building promptly a home in keeping with the surroundings."⁽⁶⁶⁾

Perhaps those increasing values were reflected in the price they were asking for the remaining lots. An ad in the Evening Star of October 26, 1929 again showed the home of J. Reginald Boyd at 1211 Woodside Parkway. The ad captioned the photo: "Another Home Representative of the High Type of Architecture and Construction in Woodside Park." The ad went on to say in italics: "We offer a very limited number of select Homesites at only 20 cents per square foot and on terms that will help you to finance your Home. TODAY you can BUILD better yet cheaper than you can buy; do not be mislead by 'bargain' houses--sold perhaps under the hammer. Such houses are generally cheap to buy and costly to keep up. Your home in WOODSIDE PARK, improved, restricted, of established high character and ideally located, offers you just that."⁽⁶⁸⁾ Apparently not too many lots were sold at 20 cents per square foot, especially after the Depression began. Only ten lots were sold during 1929. Many lots remained unsold, and highly desirable lots were being offered at 10 cents per square foot as late as 1940.

A few homes were constructed in Woodside Park in 1929. One example is the 2½ story brick Colonial home at 1500 Highland Drive, which was built for the Grant family. The home had a center hall, 12' by 24' living room with fireplace, dining room, kitchen, breakfast nook, and four bedrooms. There was also a screened porch off the living room, a recreation room with half bath in the basement, and built-in garage.⁽⁶⁹⁾

Another 1929 home was that of Mr. and Mrs. Warren R. Seltzer at 1234 Pinecrest Circle. Mr. Seltzer was another architect who worked in the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury. Mr. Seltzer's Woodside Park home was featured in Building Age magazine in 1929 and fully described right down to the provisions in the basement for "a laundry and servant's toilet." It was also noted that windows in the living room and the master bedroom upstairs faced three sides of the house and made the rooms "delightfully cool even on the hottest summer nights." "The English character of the woodwork is carried out into the house. The hewn ceiling beam, plank oak flooring and built-in fire place with its wood benches and flagstone hearth all add interest and charm to the well-lighted and cross-ventilated combination living-dining room." In 1989 a substantial addition was constructed to the home's left and front in a way that makes the addition virtually impossible to distinguish from the original construction.⁽⁷⁰⁾

The home across the street at 1227 Pinecrest Circle was also completed about this time. The home was built and occupied in 1928 by architect Graham H. Woolfall, who like Warren R. Seltzer worked in the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury. Woolfall bought a lot of about 14,000 square feet and built his home called "Pinecrest" in the English half timbered Tudor style. It contained ten rooms, including five bedrooms, a living room with a beamed ceiling, dining room, study, and recreation room. The house was nestled among large trees which were disturbed as little as possible during the construction. Mr. Woolfall also built what was probably the first swimming pool in Woodside Park in his yard. Initially there was no filtration system for the water which had to be periodically drained and replaced with clean water. A similarly styled addition designed by Woodside Park resident and architect, Frank G. Beatty, was added by a later owner.

The small house at 1315 Highland Drive was also built, or at least moved to its current location, in 1929 on a portion of a lot that had originally been purchased from the Woodside Development Corporation in 1924 with an unusual clause in the deed that permitted the erection of a "garage which may also be used for dwelling purposes" for no more than two years [until June 1926] at least 150 feet back from Highland Drive at the very rear of the lot. This garage/dwelling no longer exists on its original site, but its shape as shown on an early neighborhood map matches perfectly the shape of the current house before additions were added, suggesting that the home was moved and improved to comply with the terms in the 1924 deed rather than being destroyed.⁽⁷¹⁾

Depression Era Development in the Original Alton Farm Woodside Park

Only twelve lots were sold in 1930. One of these sales is of particular interest. The part of the original "acre plot" on the southeast corner of Woodside Parkway and Woodland Drive which contain contains the house at 9009 Woodland Drive was sold by the Woodside Development Corporation to Edwin A. Doig in August. The house, or at least some large structure that was converted into a house, was already there and can be seen in the background in photographs taken in the late 1920s. There is no evidence, however, that the Woodside Development Corporation built the house. Tax records, which are particularly unreliable during this period, say the house was built in 1920. This seems doubtful since the Noyes heirs are unlikely to have built anything on the property while contemplating selling it. The structure may have been built by William S. Thompson before he sold his lots in William L.F. King's subdivision to Crosby S. Noyes in 1901. The structure would have been in the northeast corner of his property, literally as far from his house as possible. This also seems unlikely, particularly since the structure is not specifically listed in the 1914 appraisal of Alton Farm unless it was the Thompson property stable. In a period when horses were required for transportation, no one is likely to have built a stable as far as possible from their home. Neighborhood legend says the current house was rebuilt from an old school house, but there is no record of a school ever being on Alton Farm. The mystery of 9009 Woodland Drive remains unsolved.

Sales dropped off as the Depression continued. There were only six sales in 1931. Hopkins-Armstrong did not advertise Woodside Park, Blair or Carderock in 1930 or 1931. They also gave up their office in the Colorado Building in downtown Washington by the summer of 1931 and used the Hopkins home or the small wooden building across Noyes Drive at Georgia Avenue as their sole office.⁽⁷²⁾

Although lot sales dropped off during this period, some home construction went forward. The "castle" at 9207 Crosby Road, formerly known as 1319 Highland Drive was built in 1931 by Louis and Madeline Baker, who sold it in 1937 to Max Bogen and his wife. Mr. Bogen was reportedly a liquor store owner from the District. Neighborhood legend has it that the home was owned by the Belgian Embassy or by an Attache from the Danish Embassy,⁽⁷³⁾ but County land records show that the Bogen family owned it until July 1946 when it was purchased by Leon Arthur Van der Berghe, who sold it five years later to Lewis and Evelyn Klein. Mr. Van der Berghe was a foreign diplomat. The home was on the market for almost 3½ years before it was purchased by the Kleins, and may have been rented to an embassy during this period. In any event, the Klein family built the tennis court, which used to be at the rear of the corner lot where the new home at 9203 Crosby Road was constructed in 1987 (between the "castle" and Highland Drive). The home had a wide center hall, large living room with a fireplace, a "cocktail room," an enclosed patio, and a sun balcony. There were three bedrooms, baths, and a study on the second floor. Another bedroom and bath was on the first floor. ⁽⁷⁴⁾

One of Woodside Park's Sears homes was also built about this time. The home at 1515 Dale Drive was probably built in 1931. Mr. and Mrs. Allen Gardner had purchased the lot in 1923. Sears had opened "Modern Homes" sales office at 704 F Street, NW, in Washington, D.C. in 1925 and began advertising that $500 to $2,000 (1997 equivalents: $4,575 to $18,300) could be saved by buying one of its homes. Sears not only sold houses, the company also provided financing and a builder, if needed. The Gardners ordered the "Elmhurst" model, which was house number 3300 in the Sears, Roebuck & Co. home catalogs of 1931 through 1933. The catalog described the house as follows: "In presenting the Elmhurst design we do not hesitate in advising our prospective builders that this home contains convenient interior arrangement and exterior attractiveness, both of which can be secured at a minimum cost due to our time- and labor-saving ready-cut method of construction. The main walls of the exterior are planned to be covered with face brick, while the gables are given an added touch of individuality by the use of half timber and stucco." The house has six rooms and one and a half baths, brick exterior, steeply pitched roof with half-timbered and stucco gable, fireplace in the living room, and semi-open stairs. It had a 14' by 21' living room, dining room, kitchen, lavatory, and entrance hall on the first floor and three bedrooms and a bath on the second floor. The catalogs did not specify a price for the "Elmhurst." Sears part numbers were discovered stamped on the original framing when the house was later remodeled. The Sears blueprints along with a lengthy and detailed construction manual also still exist. Presumably Sears shipped the ready-to-assemble materials for the home from its 40-acre lumber mill in Newark, N.J. by rail to the B&O freight yard on Georgia Avenue, and the materials were then trucked to the building site on Dale Drive. Sears usually supplied all needed components for its houses, including millwork, lath, cabinetry, roofing materials, flooring, siding, building paper, downspouts, doors, windows, sashes, shutters, hardware, nails, paint, and varnish. Bricks, masonry, plaster, and similar items were not included and had to be purchased locally. Plumbing, heating, and electrical fixtures could either have been purchased from Sears or obtained locally.⁽⁷⁵⁾

The poor sales in 1932 probably reflect the Depression as much as a lack of effort to sell lots. Hopkins-Armstrong resumed advertising in late February with an offer to build a large "English Home" to order on a site of a little over a third of an acre overlooking Woodside Parkway for $14,950 (1997 equivalent: $174,600). A week later they once again placed an ad showing the home of Mr. Blakeslee at 1108 Highland Drive and offering sites of from 10,000 to 25,000 square feet at prices of "18¢, 20¢, 22½¢--a few higher. The safest place to save for the home you expect to build. Present depressed prices [are] below sound values and will not last." Ads continued in March and April. They pictured and offered to build a "Pennsylvania Colonial Home" made from "Early American used brick" on a $4,500 (1997 equivalent: $52,600) site (containing 18,554 sq. ft.) complete for $16,950 (1997 equivalent: $197,900). Stone construction instead of brick was $2,000 more. The pictured home was never built in Woodside Park. They also wanted to sell lots to persons who did not have the funds available to build immediately. One ad showed a picture of the "Pool" on Alton Parkway and was headed "Ownership of a Homesite in Woodside Park is the first step toward your own home." Despite the advertising campaign, there were only seven lot sales in 1932. This, on top of poor sales in the previous two years, undoubtedly explained the inability of the Woodside Development Corporation to pay the taxes due on many of its unsold lots in 1932, as explained later.

In June 1932 Hopkins-Armstrong ran an ad for "Carderock Gardens," which was part of their Carderock subdivision cut into smaller lots. "As an introduction," ten fractional acre lots were offered for $500 each (1997 equivalent: $5,840). They apparently believed that the property could not be sold as the two, three, and five acre "estates" that had previously been offered. Now buyers were told that these were sites for "a home of pleasing architecture but low cost, providing ample garden space for vegetables, fruit, berries, flowers, etc., and where you may raise chickens." Previously the emphasis had been on the tract's natural beauty as a site for exclusive development. There were no sales of the smaller plots at lower prices either. Accordingly Hopkins-Armstrong did not raise any of the cash they needed to pay the real estate taxes coming due in 1932. Only five more sales in Carderock were ever made (except to the U.S. government). In 1933 there were four sales; and 1935 had one sale. ⁽⁷⁶⁾

A few homes were built in Woodside Park in 1932 despite the Depression. Real estate tax records indicate that the home at 1220 Noyes Drive was completed in 1932. According to an ad in the Washington Post when the home was offered for resale, the first floor had a reception hall, large living room with a fireplace, dining room, modern equipped kitchen, and dinette. There was also an "enclosed sun parlor" off the living room. The second floor had "3 master bedrooms and 2 complete tile baths." The attic was finished and insulated "with adequate space for maid's room and bath." The basement had a recreation room with fireplace, furnace room with "modern heating plant," laundry, work room, and lavatory. Other features included all-brick construction, a slate roof, a two-car detached garage, private macadam driveway, and a laundry chute.

Tax records also indicate that the brick Colonial home at 1010 North Noyes Drive was completed in 1932. The lot had been purchased in 1928. The home had seven rooms, 2½ baths, and a large walk-in cedar closet. It also had a detached two-car garage.⁽⁷⁷⁾

Another 1932 home is the brick and stone Colonial/Cape Cod at 1312 Woodside Parkway. The home included an entrance foyer, a paneled living room with an adjoining covered porch, dining room with built-in corner cupboard, kitchen, powder room, and family room which is one step down from the rest of the first floor. This room reportedly was used by broadcaster Art Brown as a studio during part of his career at WWDC. The second floor contains the master bedroom, two additional bedrooms, and a bathroom. The basement contained a recreation room, a fourth bedroom, and a full bath. As was typical for the period, the roof was slate.

The Depression proved too much for the Hopkins-Armstrong company to survive. The ad for Carderock Gardens in June 1932 was the last Hopkins-Armstrong ad ever placed. Both Hopkins and Armstrong remained active in real estate development and sales. They also continued their roles in the Woodside Development Corporation, which continued to try to sell lots in the neighborhood. In April 1933 M.K. Armstrong joined the Thomas E. Jarrell Company. The Jarrell Company became the exclusive agent for lots in Woodside Park. The Washington Post extensively quoted a press release announcing Armstrong's association with the Jarrell Company:

Woodside Park has experienced a sound, healthy growth for more than ten years -- free from mushroom development of any kind, company officials say. The area of the park is so large and has been so carefully restricted that there has been maintained an attractive atmosphere of genuine home ownership throughout.

⁽⁷⁸⁾

The extension of Sixteenth Street in a direct line to the northern boundary of Woodside Park has been scheduled for location and purchase by the county commissioners at an early date and this will effect an even more direct route to the heart of Washington than at present.

The grading of Dale drive along the northern boundary of the park for more than a mile has been completed and paving will commence this spring. This wooded drive now becomes a route to the new high school [Montgomery Blair] and affords residents of the park and vicinity a short cut to nearby stores as well. The extension of Sligo Park northwest to Colesville pike is planned for the near future. This will afford the residents of Woodside Park quick access to one of the most attractive drives around Washington.

Within the park a firmly established and active civic association has parties which add much to the pleasant social life and to which is intrusted the enforcement of property restrictions.

Many who have visited the park in the last few years, but to whom the large units were too great an investment will be glad to find available less expensive, but ample, home-sites with street all paid for, water, sewer, &c. The greater variety of homes and home sites to select from, now brought under one office, will greatly assist clients in finding what they wish. Confidence in the future of Montgomery (Washington suburban) real estate and recognition of the benefits of consolidated effort have been the prime factors in the move made by those interested [i.e. the disbanding of Hopkins-Armstrong, Armstrong's joining the Jarrell Company, and the Jarrell Company becoming the sole agent for Woodside Park]. ⁽⁷⁹⁾

In October 1933 the Thomas E. Jarrell Company opened its suburban office in the small wooden building on the southeast corner of Noyes Drive and Georgia Avenue, across the street from the Hopkins home. M.K. Armstrong was in charge of the new office, where the public was "invited to call and inspect the sites; also plans and pictures of homes appropriate to these beautiful settings [in Woodside Park and Wynnewood Park]." Home sites were available from $1,250 up (1997 equivalent: $15,240); completed homes were offered for $8,500 up (1997 equivalent: $104,000).

Woodside Park sales were slightly better in 1933 than they had been in 1932; there were nine lot sales. There were other sales as well. In May, June and July, Weaver Brothers advertised the now-demolished⁽⁸¹⁾ "Twin Gables Cottage" at 1505 Grace Church Road for $10,450 (1997 equivalent: $127,900). The home was also pictured and discussed in two articles in the Washington Post. The home, which had been built about 1925 by the Woodside Homes Corporation, which was then headed by architect Jules Henri de Sibour, had been foreclosed on by Weaver Brothers. Weaver Brothers gave it prominent attention as a part of their "renovized" program. The home was said to be beautifully decorated as well as "an all-brick home of Cape Cod design in a charming sylvan setting framed against a background of towering trees on a corner lot containing over 20,000 sq. ft. of ground." It was financed with a 15-year Metropolitan Life Insurance Company first trust "assuring maximum economy and protection to the buyer." Weaver Brothers kept the home open for inspection until 9 p.m. daily.⁽⁸²⁾

In July and August 1933 builders Gottwals & Burgdorf advertised a new eight room home at 1212 Noyes Drive. The ads featured the home's "modern electric kitchen," but also mentioned the all-brick construction, copper downspouts and gutters, slate roof, and two car garage. There was a "spacious living room, paneled den, 4 large bedrooms with adequate cedar closets, and two tiled baths." In addition, there was an "attractive day-light basement and semi-finished attic." All this was "located in restricted community on nearly ½ acre of ground . . . NO STREET ASSESSMENT." The price was $12,500 (1997 equivalent: $153,000). The Washington Post described the home in late August in an article entitled "Throngs Hail Modern Home in Woodside Park." The article described the home fully and noted that "hundreds of persons have visited the beautiful dwelling." The Evening Star pictured the home on October 7, 1933, and reported that it had been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Williams. Mr. Williams was the founder of the Federal Lithograph Company. Mr. Williams and his wife Gertrude were avid gardeners and constructed the greenhouses that still remain on the lot and an additional greenhouse that is now the site of the homes at 1211, 1213, and 1215 Burton Street. In addition to the greenhouses, they also built two fish ponds.⁽⁸³⁾

According to tax records, the brick center hall Colonial home at 1509 Dale Drive was also built in 1933. The home had a large living room with open fireplace, kitchen, dining room, den or breakfast room, and powder room on the first floor. The second floor had three bedrooms, a screened sleeping porch, and two baths. The basement contained a recreation room with a fireplace, a maid's room, a half bath, and a built-in garage. The home also had a brick screened rear porch off the living room.

In 1934 there were only seven lot sales despite reduced lot prices. Thomas E. Jarrell offered Woodside Park sites at "prices far lower per lot than ever offered before" with "special concessions to builders if they will start at once." The ad also noted "all improvements in. Lower taxes. No street assessments." By this time, as mentioned above, the Hopkins-Armstrong agency had been dissolved and M.K. Armstrong and the Woodside Development Corporation were operated from Jarrell Company offices.⁽⁸⁴⁾

Only two Woodside Park homes (as opposed to Wynnewood Park homes or lots) were advertised in 1934. Contrary to the situation with lot prices, the home prices were far from reduced. In January the Thomas E. Jarrell Company advertised the new home at 1208 Noyes Drive for $13,250 (1997 equivalent: $158,400). The home had just been completed by builders Gottwals & Burgdorf. In April Phillips & Canby took over efforts to sell the home. This Colonial center hall type brick home with attached two car garage had "6 rooms, 3 large bedrooms with adequate cedar closets, and two tile baths. Also first floor and basement and semi-finished attic. Electric oil burner, which also furnishes hot water supply." Another ad for this home emphasized the neighborhood, saying "There is joy in living and satisfaction in home ownership in this delightful suburb . . . Large lots, rolling country, artistically planned homes and neighborhood pride . . . ." The "electric health kitchen" was also noted, as was the fact that there was "no street assessment."⁽⁸⁵⁾

In July 1934, Beitzell Realtors advertised an even more expensive home built by Thomas E. Clark and David H. Volland. The home at 9008 Alton Parkway was advertised for $14,750 (1997 equivalent: $176,300) as an "Electric Kitchen Health Home." The Washington Post in a brief article described the home as "a lovely, new brick house" and said it was in a "delightful residential section." The home had 8 "spacious" rooms: 4 private "unusually large" bedrooms, 2 baths on the second floor, a glass shower enclosure, maid's room and bath in basement, wood paneled den or library with private lavatory, recreation room with "real bar, sink and running water." It also had "ideal oil-burning furnace and water heater combined, recessed radiation, [and] two-car brick garage." One ad also noted that the house was set back 150 feet and had a beautiful front lawn. Clark had purchased the lot for this home in 1930. When the home did not immediately sell, he moved in himself. In 1936 he also purchased half of the original acre plot north of his home on Alton Parkway to expand his side yard.⁽⁸⁶⁾

Other homes were built in 1934 according to real estate tax records. One was 1210 Noyes Drive. It was later described as having "4 lovely bedrooms, 2 baths, large living room with fireplace, dining room, kitchen, enclosed breakfast porch, oil heat, [and a] 2-car detached garage." ⁽⁸⁷⁾Another was 1508 Grace Church Road, which was later described as a "distinctive English brick [home] on an extra large lot, 7 nice rooms (4 bedrooms), 2 baths, slate room storm doors and windows, all hot-water heat, 2-car garage."⁽⁸⁸⁾

Another 1934 home, according to tax records, was 1217 Highland Drive. This English style brick and frame home had an 18' by 24' living room with fireplace, dining room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, center entrance hall, large screened porch, recreation room, attic, and garage.⁽⁸⁹⁾

The home at 919 Highland Drive was also built in 1934. Joseph Donald Clagett designed and built the home for his own use. His Woodside Construction Company, co-owned by Julius P. Stadler, also built the home at 915 Highland Drive and the now-demolished home at 905 Highland Drive.

The Montgomery County real estate market began coming out of the depths of the Depression in 1934. According to the Star's year end summary, residential building increased over 55% from 1933 to 1934 in Montgomery County. The largest single home construction project in eastern Montgomery county that year was a $14,000 (1997 equivalent: $167,300) home built in Woodside Park.⁽⁹⁰⁾

The home at 1222 Woodside Parkway was built in 1934. It was the home of Eugene Thoré, the general counsel of the Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Company. Another 1934 home was 1315 Woodside Parkway.

Despite the Depression, building activity on the lots that had been sold picked up as the middle of the 1930s approached. A property atlas published as of November 1935 shows:

• no houses on Noyes Drive from Alton Parkway to Fairview Road
• no houses on Crosby Road (not yet open)
• two houses on Alton Parkway
• one house on Midwood Road (not yet cut through to Dale Drive)
• no houses on the north side of Woodside Parkway from Georgia Avenue almost to Alton Parkway.

Nevertheless, the 1935 atlas shows fifty more houses than were shown in the 1931 edition.

Real estate activity continued to grow in 1935. Almost 2.8 times as much was spent in building new houses in Montgomery County in 1935 as in 1934. Thirty-seven building permits were issued for homes in Woodside Park ⁽⁹¹⁾and twenty deeds were issued to individual lot buyers by the Woodside Development Corporation. Much of this activity was the result of lot owners or buyers having homes constructed, but some of it was speculative building by home construction companies. For example, on April 27, 1935, Steuart Brothers, Inc. advertised the "first showing" of the "New All-Brick Cape Cod Colonial" at 1237 Noyes Drive. The house was priced at $10,750 (1997 equivalent: $125,600). It had a center hall, six large rooms, and two baths. Two "master" bedrooms with bath and connecting shower were on the second floor. An additional bedroom with bath and standing shower were on the first floor. The house also had a built-in garage and came with a Frigidaire, "model" kitchen with a double porcelain sink, console stove, built-in cabinets, and inlaid linoleum. It also had all hardwood floors and trim, two cedar closets, and screens.

An eight room stone house at 905 Highland Drive, near Colesville Road (demolished by St. Luke Lutheran Church in the 1960s), was advertised as "An Outstanding New Home in a Beautiful Community" in June and September 1935 by Joseph Donald Clagett and Julius P. Stadler's Woodside Construction Company. The price was $11,950 (1997 equivalent: $139,600). The Woodside Construction Company built houses in North Woodside and other Silver Spring areas and was not connected with the Woodside Development Company. The Evening Star showed a picture of the house in November 1935 and reported that it had been sold.⁽⁹²⁾

Other builders also began speculative building in Woodside Park in 1935. In October realtor J.E. DuBose advertised: "A Distinguished New Colonial Brick in Woodside Park" at 8915 Woodland Drive. The price was $9,250 (1997 equivalent: $108,000). Ads highlighted Woodside Park and called it a "section of rare charm." The house itself was said to be of the finest construction throughout. It had an attached garage, living room with open fireplace and built-in bookshelves. There also was an "ultramodern" kitchen, dining room, and breakfast nook, as well as a tiled bath with glass shower guard. The bedrooms were said to be unusually large. The home's furred walls, four inch rock wool insulation, metal weatherstripping and screens were also mentioned. The ad also noted the Colonial front porch, large bright basement, and gas heat. The home was open for inspection daily and Sunday until 9:30 p.m. The Evening Star of May 16, 1936 pictured the home and said it had been sold to Douglas M. Davis.⁽⁹³⁾

In October and November 1935 the Thomas E. Jarrell Company offered the new home at 1203 Highland Drive. "In one of Washington's most delightful semi-urban communities we present a home of rare architectural charm and unusually pleasing interior arrangement. Its setting is a lot containing 16,000 sq. ft., with many trees including large dogwoods." "First floor has large living room, dining room, paneled den and today's kitchen with full tile sink. Upstairs are 3 lovely bedrooms and 2 baths. Beautiful paneled recreation room with fireplace. Cold storage room for vegetables. The exterior of stone, brick, and slate harmonize into a most attractive appearance, framed by the many trees." Other features included electric fixtures that were "unusually attractive and better quality than are usually found in a house of this price range," construction of "select seasoned lumber, casing of cypress," and radio outlets. The "today's" kitchen came with an electric refrigerator and a Westinghouse range with "enclosed heating elements." The home also had a screened porch, maid's quarters and an attached garage. The Washington Post published a picture of the house in December 1935 and reported it had been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Wahl. ⁽⁹⁴⁾

Another home built during this period was 1232 Pinecrest Circle, which was built by Norman Burdette for Mr. and Mrs. N. Douglas Parker, Jr. A large picture of the home along with the caption "Attractive Woodside Park Home is Sold" was published in the Washington Post on October 20, 1935. The home had three bedrooms, two baths, a den, a recreation room, and a built-in garage. The master bedroom had a small nursery or study adjoining.⁽⁹⁵⁾

F.P. Williams advertised the home at 1232 Noyes Drive in November 1935. This ad, which also played up Woodside Park, sounds like it could have been written today. The home was said to be "Located in lovely WOODSIDE PARK, MD., Washington's most delightful suburban area--at the head of Sixteenth Street--it offers quiet and contentment in beautiful surroundings, and yet is within easy access to transportation, schools, churches, shops, and parks. A safe area for children." The house was also described in detail: "The house is of brick construction, with brick garage attached. Steel casement windows, Bangor slate roof. The first floor, in addition to living room, dining room and kitchen, has a fine bedroom (or library) with full tiled bath. Kitchen has Oxford cabinets, insulated gas range and electric refrigeration. Two large bedrooms on second floor--full tiled bath with shower--and unusually large closets. Basement contains IDEAL gas furnace, laundry tubs and toilet, properly grouped, leaving ample space for recreation room, servants's quarters, or workshop." The ad also listed 12 ways the home was better built than less expensive homes; the price was $9,850 (1997 equivalent: $115,000). In January 1936 the Washington Post ran a picture of the home and noted that it had been sold to Walter S. Wilson of the Engineering Department of the Potomac Electric Power Company. ⁽⁹⁶⁾

Another home probably built in 1935 was 1207 Noyes Drive. This home was later advertised as "a particularly attractive red brick home, located in one of our most beautiful residential sections -- Woodside Park. The outstanding features are 4 bedrooms, and 3 full baths, large paneled den, automatic heat, [and] a really beautiful lot with 75 foot frontage." The home also had a built-in garage, slate roof, copper gutters and downspouts, rock wool insulation, and an oil furnace with hot water heat.⁽⁹⁷⁾

Not all homes built in Woodside Park during 1935 were constructed for sale. For example, the home at 9205 Midwood Road was custom built for Carlos and Edna Greenleaf. The home was designed by architect Graham H. Woolfall.⁽⁹⁸⁾ Another example is 1315 Woodside Parkway, which was built by Will and Claire Corey. The house was modeled after Mrs. Corey's grandmother's house near Columbia Road in Washington, D.C.

John C. and Blanche Marsh hired builder J. Norman Burdette to build their new home at 1225 Woodside Parkway in 1935. The architect was Russell Clarvoe. The home was modeled after 9012 Fairview Road. Bricks for the home were shipped by barge from Reedsville, Virginia. Mr. Marsh claimed that he used Virginia bricks to "get even with the clay there, which wouldn't grow good corn."

Another 1935 home was 1112 Noyes Drive, which was designed for Dr. Harold P. and Mary Morris to resemble a Maryland Eastern Shore manor house. The house was originally built without a basement to save money, but Dr. Morris and his sons eventually dug a partial basement by hand.

Resales of Woodside Park houses were also becoming more common during this period. One example was "Stonecroft" on the hill at Alton and Woodside Parkways. It was listed by Thomas E. Jarrell who described the home as "An Estate at a Sacrifice Price." Besides fully describing the home itself, Jarrell's ad also mentioned that "in front is a garden with running stream and 5 beautiful rose terraces." No price was given. The house was for sale because Philander D. Poston had been unable to pay the $8,750 (1997 equivalent: $80,000) mortgage he had obtained about the time he built the house. After the foreclosure, Poston moved to 8918 First Avenue in old Woodside. Thomas E. Jarrell, who used one of his employees, Ralph C. Boyd, as a "straw" purchaser, bought the house for $18,000 (1997 equivalent: $210,200) at an auction held on the property by the trustees of the mortgage in March 1935. Jarrell continued to periodically advertise the house for sale, but it was deeded in Ralph C. Boyd's name or that of another Jarrell employee, Emma V. Bayliss, until it was finally sold in August 1945 for $51,500 (1997 equivalent: $455,000). ⁽⁹⁹⁾

Another sale of significance in 1935 involved the lot which became 9012 and 9014 Fairview Road. In October James P. Kirkpatrick acquired clear title to the lot in two transactions involving both the County (which had taken title to part of the lot for unpaid 1932, 1933, and 1934 taxes in September) and the Woodside Development Corporation. In preparation for the sale of the lot to Kirkpatrick, on August 10th the Woodside Development Corporation toppled the Alton water tower before removed it entirely. The "huge" steel water tower had stood about 105 feet from Fairview Road in the side yard of what is now 9012 Fairview Road, next to the property line of 9014 Fairview Road.⁽¹⁰⁰⁾

Sales in 1935 may have been boosted by a rolling back of the higher minimum house price covenant that had been implemented for some lots beginning in 1927. As noted earlier, from 1929 through 1932 almost every lot sold had a minimum house price restriction of $7,500 or more; some restrictions were as high as $10,000 and even $12,500. Besides placing higher restrictions on lots it sold, the Woodside Development Corporation along with the Civic Association encouraged lot owners to increase the minimum house price restriction for any vacant lots they resold. This policy had apparently began in 1928. It was simple for the Corporation to revert to the original $6,000 covenant on lots that had not yet been sold, but it was more complex to reduce the requirement for a lot that had been resold by a private owner with a higher figure written into the deed, as had been done for a lot sold in early 1929. The lot in question, which now contains both 1006 and 1010 Highland Drive, was resold again in 1932 with the covenant intact, but the new owner wanted the restriction relaxed. The Woodside Development Corporation, the Civic Association, and the lot's owner filed an agreement recorded in the County land records office in 1935 stating that "whereas the original plan [for the $12,000 minimum] . . . has subsequently been abandoned due to a change in local conditions," the lot owner was released from the $12,000 minimum home price requirement.⁽¹⁰¹⁾ Shortly thereafter the home at 1010 Highland Drive was custom built for Mabel P. Houston and Mary R. Slayton by Magnuson Architects and Ernest T. Davis.

Another factor in increased sales in 1934 and 1935 may have been that the County reduced the tax rate substantially. At a time when assessments were declining because of lower prices, County officials "made determined efforts . . . to slash general property taxes," as the Evening Star put it. The tax rate was cut from $1.35 per $100 assessed value to 90¢ per $100.

In 1936 Woodside Development Corporation lot sales picked up even more; thirty-one deeds for lots were issued, but four of these were issued by the Montgomery County Treasurer for lots taken for non-payment of taxes. Despite the sales, the Development Corporation was apparently struggling. It ran only one small ad in 1936. The ad was for the resale of two houses under the headline "Suddenly Reduced." No specific addresses were given, but one of the houses was on Pinecrest Circle and was all brick with four bedrooms, two full baths, an attached garage, daylight basement, a "gem of a kitchen" and a wide lot. It was said to be "seasoned by several months of careful use ... better than new" and priced $1,500 below replacement cost. The other home, for which not even a street was specified, was priced under $8,000 [1997 equivalent: $91,300] and had three bed rooms, 1½ baths, a built in garage, and "many flowers, shrubs, and vines."

Several of the houses near the intersection of Noyes Drive and Woodland Drive were built during this period. In March 1936, Steuart Bros. advertised their "Just Completed! Perfect Gem of a Colonial--Ideally Planned--Superbly Built--Surrounded by other fine homes in Sylvan Woodside Park" home at 1239 Noyes Drive. A major point was also made of the home's 80 foot frontage. The house was also said to have "6 large rooms, 2 complete baths, Frigidaire, [and a] built in garage. Two master bedrooms on the second floor with connecting bath and shower. Also first-floor bedroom with bath and standing shower. Unusually large living room with a fireplace." The "reception hall," "large bright dining room" and "model kitchen, double porcelain sink, console stove, built in cabinets [and] inlaid linoleum" were also mentioned. The Steuart Brothers had purchased the land for this house and its neighbors in 1927 with the unusual terms in the deed that they could build houses costing less than $6,000 if either the Woodside Development Corporation or Thomas E. Jarrell, who had no ownership interest in the lot, agreed to waive the $6,000 restriction. It is unknown if the restriction had to be waived given the depressed values during the Depression. The house did not sell immediately and was advertised again in May, this time by the Thomas E. Jarrell Co. The home was reported sold more than a year later in October 1937, when both the Evening Star and the Washington Post printed its picture and noted its sale to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert A. Chamberlain. J. Everett Schrider built the home for the Steuart Brothers.⁽¹⁰²⁾

The Thomas E. Jarrell Company also advertised the home at 9005 Woodland Drive in mid-May 1936. This home had also been built by the Steuart Brothers. It was said to have the same features as 1239 Noyes Drive, which was shown with it in the ad. The ad emphasized the Woodside Park location and the "80 foot lawn!" of both houses. The Steuart Brothers placed their own ad for the house in late May, noting that the home was located in "Sylvan Woodside Park!" Besides the features stated in the earlier ad, they also said the home had all hardwood floors and trim and two cedar closets. The two master bedrooms on the second floor with a connecting bath and shower were also noted. When the home was eventually sold in the fall, the Evening Star published its picture under the caption "Attractive Home in Woodside Park Sold." The home was purchased by George and Helen F. Henlock. The agent was Louise R. Stambaugh of the Thomas R. Jarrell Co.

The home next door at 9007 Woodland Drive was also probably built at this time by the Steuart Brothers. Lois Mitchell moved into the home as a bride and lived there for 20 years.

In April 1936 the new home at 8917 Woodland Drive was advertised by Charles D. Hobbs, "Designer and Builder." The home had a living room, dining room, kitchen, vestibule, lavatory, and a screened porch, as well as three bedrooms and two colored tile baths on the second floor. It also had "gas automatic hot-water heat with Thrush Circulator, Electrolux refrigeration, Art-metal kitchen cabinets, chestnut trim, limestone mantel facing, Bessler stairs to attic, handmade lighting fixtures, extra grade hardware, ample closets (including one cedar), copper gutters and flashing, furred wall and insulation." The home did not sell quickly. Almost a year and a half later in late October 1937 the Evening Star printed its picture and reported that it had been sold to Catherine C. Jones by its builder. The Washington Post published a similar picture and report in early December.⁽¹⁰³⁾

Charles D. Hobbs also constructed the home at 1234 Noyes Drive. This home was first advertised at $11,250 (1997 equivalent: $129,800) in December 1935 as "the home with the silver lining . . . lovely WOODSIDE PARK, MD., a most delightful suburban area where children are safe, yet within easy access to transportation, schools, churches, shops, and parks." The home was also described in the Washington Post of March 29, 1936. A feature article in the Post's real estate section said the new house had been built by Commander F. P. Williams, who also advertised the house in the same issue, but it was actually built by Hobbs for Williams. The house was said to be typical of homes in the area; it was described in detail, right down to the wallpaper in the upstairs bathrooms ("little sailboats and fish floating on a sea of white and the material is washable too"). The house was also advertised by Commander Williams in April and May 1936 in both the Washington Post and the Evening Star, but did not sell immediately. It was again advertised in September, this time by the Moss Realty Company. The headline in the first Evening Star ad was "Any old lot will hold a house, but a HOME requires a neighborhood." Woodside Park was described as "a delightful suburban district where home owners are protected by sensible deed restrictions, where children are safe. In short, a community of HOMES!" The ad invited "your most rigid inspection as to honesty of workmanship and quality of materials, from 5" concrete basement floor to Bangor slate roof." The neighborhood was still emphasized in the September ads. One headline was "Wonderful Home--Wonderful Location--840 [now 1234] Noyes Drive--Woodside Park, Md." The house was said to be "on the most prominent corner in this charming park. 10,455 sq. ft. of beauty." The description went on to say: "Splendidly planned, with 6 large rooms; 2 beautiful tiled baths. Adjoining the kitchen is the breakfast nook paneled in knotty pine. Slate roof and attached garage. It has everything you can possibly want a home to have--air conditioning; American Radiator heating with the 'Care-free Comfort of Modern Gas Appliances.' Bronze screens, windows and doors weather-stripped and caulked; copper gutters and downspouts--and the famous Sanitary Plumbing equipment. Here the Children will be safe--and streets, schools, and churches are handy--with direct to-town bus accommodation." The home was also featured on the Sunday morning WRC radio program "American Homes." When the home was sold, the Evening Star printed its picture and noted that it had been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Perry Bowen.⁽¹⁰⁴⁾

Paul T. Stone, Inc., was another "Builder-Developer" active in the neighborhood at this time. In April 1936 he ran an ad showing 9022 Fairview Road as one of the 27 homes he had build and sold in the first part of 1936. The Evening Star also ran a picture of the house as part of its regular series showing houses that had been sold. The caption noted that the home had been purchased by Dr. Floyd Smith and his wife Dorothy.⁽¹⁰⁵⁾

Other builders were also represented. Joseph D. Clagett and Julius P. Stadler's Woodside Construction Company built homes at 1105, 1107, and 1111 Woodside Parkway. The house at 1105 Woodside Parkway was apparently completed first. It was pictured in the Washington Post of March 29, 1936. It was also advertised in that issue as "one of the truly distinctive homes in Woodside Park" and "one of the greatest home buys ever offered in Woodside Park." Its price was $10,500 (1997 equivalent: $119,900). Features included "an exceptionally large lot, 3 real bedrooms, 2 lovely baths, knotty pine paneled den or extra bedroom, large living room with fireplace, bright dining room, model kitchen, large side porch, attached garage, with overhead doors. Bright, full basement. The structural features are the finest: Furred walls, copper gutters, flashings, and downspouts, slate roof, etc." It was sold to Raymond C. Moffett the first day it was shown.

In June 1936 the Woodside Construction Company advertised the new "Century-Built" home next door at 1107 Woodside Parkway for $10,950 (1997 equivalent: $125,000). The ad noted that the home was "located on a large 70-foot lot in one of Washington's most exclusive suburbs. Convenient to schools, churches, transportation, and public parks." The house had a "center hall plan containing six rooms and two baths with a floored insulated attic. Brick construction, copper guttering, furred walls, weather stripped and caulked. Vermont variegated slate roof, semi-tubular boiler with oil burner and built-in garage." It was also an "Electric Kitchen Health Home." The living room was 14' by 23.' The first floor also featured a dining room and a screened porch. The second floor contained the three bedrooms and the two baths. The home was also described in a story in the Washington Post in June 1936. ⁽¹⁰⁶⁾

The Woodside Construction Company built the home at 1111 Woodside Parkway about this same time.

The home at 1217 Woodside Parkway was also built during this period. This brick and stone home was sold by J. Norman Burdette to Mr. and Mrs. Warren K. Cooley. The architect was Marcus Hallett. M.K. Armstrong, formerly of Hopkins-Armstrong, handled the sale. The home had seven rooms, two baths and a first floor powder room, three fireplaces, a recreation room, a maid's room, and a detached two-car garage. It also had a slate roof and copper plumbing. ⁽¹⁰⁷⁾

Another new home was 1316 Woodside Parkway, which was first advertised in late November 1936. The ad described the home as follows: "Center hall home. First floor contains large living room with fireplace, library, dining room, kitchen, and lavatory. Second floor has 3 bedrooms, sitting room, 2 baths. Maid's room and bath in basement. Oil burner, copper screens, metal weatherstripping throughout. Two-car brick detached garage." The home did not sell immediately. It was advertised again in January, March, and April 1937 by L. J. Duncan.⁽¹⁰⁸⁾

Many Woodside Park homes were built specifically for their owners and were never advertised for sale when new. One example is the home of John W. and Josephine Lyles which was built at 1529 Dale Drive during 1936. In May the Evening Star printed a picture of the house under the headline "Drawing of New Woodside Park Home." The caption noted that the Moss Realty Company was building the home for the Lyles and that Leon Chatelain, Jr., was the architect. ⁽¹⁰⁹⁾ The home at 1526 Dale Drive was also built in 1936. This home, owned by John and Helen Bradley, was built by Mrs. Bradley's father.⁽¹¹⁰⁾

William H. and Virginia Packett purchased their lot at 1226 Pinecrest Circle for $1,400 in April 1936 and promptly built their new home. The builder was William Thompson, Mrs. Packett's father, who also served as the architect. Bricklayers were paid $7.00 a day.

Another custom home probably completed in 1936 is 1111 Highland Drive. This home has a large living room with a brick fireplace, a screened porch, a dining room, kitchen, library, large bedroom and full bath on the first floor and two large bedrooms and a bath with shower on the second floor. The basement had a recreation room with a fireplace, and a two-car garage.

Tax records indicate that the brick Colonial home at 1108 Woodside Parkway was also built in 1936. The home had a 27' living room and a half bath on the first floor in addition to the kitchen and dining room, three bedrooms and a bath on the second floor, and two bedrooms and a bath on the third floor. The home also had a recreation room with a fireplace. The basement contained a maid's room and a half bath. There was also a two-car detached garage.⁽¹¹¹⁾

Charles F. and Georgia T. Crane purchased two "acre plots" on Woodland Drive in October 1936 and promptly subdivided them into 5 smaller lots (9214, 9216, 9218, 9220, and 9222 Woodland Drive). They built 9214 Woodland Drive for their own use as well as its twin at 9216. Glass block windows in the front hall are among the art deco elements in these homes.

1. Montgomery County Land Records, Liber 342, folio 240, filed Dec. 22, 1922 (deed) and Liber 329, folio 74, filed Dec. 22, 1922 (deed of trust).

2. Deed of Trust, Montgomery County Land Records, liber 329, folio 74.

3. Photo of Mrs. Archibald Small from Mildred Newbold Getty, To Light the Way: A History of Grace Episcopal Church, 1965.

4. Obituary in Washington Post, August 9, 1944 (p. 7B).

5. Hopkins-Armstrong incorporation: Montgomery County incorporation records at land records office, JLB 1 folio 264.

Purchase of land from MC Armstrong: land records liber 520, folio 80 (April 11, 1931)

Gypsum Wall Board: The Washington Times, Nov. 25, 1922 (p. 2-7).

Telephone Directory listings: Armstrong is first listed in the Winter 1926-27 (corrected through Oct. 26, 1926) Washington Telephone Directory.

Directory listings: Boyd's Directory of the District of Columbia (R.L. Polk), 1920 through 1931 editions.

purchase of land by MC Armstrong from WDC: liber 498 folio 234 (Jan 17, 1930).

MK Armstrong obituary, Evening Star, January 17, 1938, page A-12.

estate: Montgomery County Register of Wills, see index. Case 3258, see

HGC-3, folio 39 and HGC 26, folio 43+.

Woodside Development Corporation liquidation suit, Judgement Record CKW 80, folio 485.

6. This office is first listed in an ad in the Evening Star of August 8, 1925, p. 16. Description in from Walter Petzold interview by Marilyn Slatick, January 1993. The office is shown on the Klinge Atlas for 1931/35.

7. corporation records at Montgomery County Land Records office: Corp. Records Book JLB 1, page 333 (May 29, 1925). see also suit to appoint a receiver for WDC, Judgment Record CKW 80, page 486 .The articles of incorporation list M.K. Armstrong's address as 1319 F Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. This was the address of Hopkins-Armstrong, Inc., and not a home address (so it appears not to indicate that Armstrong had moved to the Washington area by this date). The addresses of Charles W and Mary Page Hopkins were given as Silver Spring.

8. You and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission 1927 - 1952; May 1, 1952 (booklet).

9. Washington Post ad, November 19, 1922 (p. R-2).

10. Washington Times, Nov. 25, 1922 (p. 2-7 and photo p. 2-6); Washington Herald, Nov. 25, 1922 (p. 10).

11. ads in Washington Star, Dec. 2, 1922 (p. 17); Washington Times, Dec. 2, 1922 (p. 2-2); Washington Herald, Dec. 2, 1922 (p. 9); and Washington Post, Dec. 3, 1922 (p. R-2).

12. Ads in Washington Star, Dec. 9, 1922 (p. 17), Dec. 23, 1922 (p. 14), Dec. 30, 1922 (p. 14); Washington Post, Dec. 10, 1922 (p. R-3), Dec. 17, 1922 (p. R-2), Dec. 24, 1922 (p. R-2) and Dec. 31, 1922 (p. R-13); Washington Times, Dec. 16, 1922 (p. 2-2), Dec. 23, 1922 (p. 2-2); and Washington Herald, Dec. 16, 1922 (p. 14), Dec. 23, 1922 (p. 8).

13. Ads in Washington Post, January 7, 1923 (p. R-4) and January 14, 1923 (p. R-4); Washington Times, Jan 13, 1923 (p. 14).

14. Washington Times, February 24, 1923 (p. 15); Washington Post, February 25, 1923 (p. R-4).

15. Ad in Washington Post, February 25, 1923 (p. R-4). See also ad in Evening Star, March 3, 1923. Title for Ms. Corwin's lecture from ad in Washington Post, March 25, 1923 (p. R-4). Also ads in Washington Herald, March 3, 1923 (p. 3) and March 10, 1923 (p. 8). Also ad in Washington Times, March 10, 1923 (p. 15).

The Hotel Walker was built at the S.E. corner of Connecticut Avenue and DeSales Street; this is the location of the Mayflower Hotel in 1993. See

Pamela Scott & Antoinette J. Lee, Buildings of the District of Columbia, New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

16. ad in Washington Post, March 4, 1923 (p. R-4). Montgomery County land records, sales by Woodside Development Corporation for 1923. All listed sales were checked to determine which and how many lots were included.

17. Washington Post, "Work Being Pushed at Woodside Park," April 15, 1924 (p. R-3).

18. Washington Post, "Work Being Pushed at Woodside Park," April 15, 1923 (p. R-3).

19. Washington Times, May 5, 1923 (p. 15).

20. Washington Post, "Woodside Park is a Healthful Place," June 17, 1923 (p. R-2).

21. ads in Washington Post, Sept. 23, 1923 (p. R-7); Sept. 30, 1923 (p. R-6); Oct. 7, 1923 (p. R-2); Oct. 28, 1923 (p. R-6); and Nov. 4, 1923 (p. R-2).

ad in Evening Star, October 20, 1923 (p. 16).

22. Ad for Seven Oaks, The Evening Star, April 21, 1923;

Ad for sale of the "Glenn Ross" estate "G Street above 2nd Ave., Woodside Park, Md.," The Evening Star, March 28, 1925, page 29.

Ad for home at Colesville Road and Greyrock Drive, The Evening Star, September 9, 1929, pg. 22.

23. William Griffith's recollection is noted on a map of Griffith's addition and the adjoining area marked by him for Marilyn Slatick in January 1993.

24. Washington Post, "Natural Settings Kept in Improving Woodside Addition," April 27, 1924 (p. R-1).

25. ads in Evening Star, April 26, 1924 (p. 19);and in Washington Post, April 27, 1924 (p. R-6) and May 4, 1924 (p. R-2).

26. Washington Post ads, July 20, 1924 (p. R-2), October 19, 1924 (p. R-5), October 26, 1924 (p. R-3), and Nov. 23, 1924 (p. R-3).

27. Montgomery County Land Records, liber 331, folio 53, recorded April 14, 1923.

28. Montgomery County Land Records, liber 328, folio 88, recorded February 9, 1923.

29. Montgomery County Land Records, liber 328, folio 102, recorded February 13, 1923.

30. Montgomery County Land Records, grantors index under Woodside Development Corporation. Benedict sale, liber 328, folio 48, recorded Feb. 3, 1923. Real estate tax records show 1427 Highland as built in 1922. See also liber 328, folios 81, 84, 86, and 88, all recorded Feb 9, 1923.

31. Washington Times, "Woodside Park Closes Big Year," Jan. 6, 1923 (p. 15) and Washington Herald, "Records Smashed at Woodside Park," Jan. 6, 1923 (p. 7). [Text of both articles is the same.]

32. Sales figures based on Internal Revenue tax ($0.50 per $500 value) as listed on deeds recorded in the Montgomery County Land Records Office.

33. Montgomery County land records; see grantors index under Woodside Development Corporation, all WDC sales were reviewed to determine block, lot, and deed restrictions.

34. Marilyn Slatick interview with Walter Petzold, 8/31/92. Walter is a son of the original owners of 1226 Noyes. Date of subdivision of lot from Montgomery County Land Records, plat 1418, 1941.

Information on house from Katherine Cole Stevenson and H. Ward Jandl, Houses by Mail: A Guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company, Preservation Press, 1986, page 211, and from Sears, Roebuck Catalog of Homes, 1926, An Unabridged Reprint, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia & Dover Publications, 1991, pages 79 and 130-31. The Washington Herald published a photo of the "Kilbourne" at 3215 Oliver Street, Chevy Chase, on March 13, 1927 (p. 17).

35. Real estate tax records say 1437 Highland Drive was built in 1922; this is obviously an error, but the home was probably built about the time Highland Drive was opened.

Evening Star ads, May 6, 1939 (p. B-5) and May 13, 1939 (p. B-6).

36. Plat 735, filed October 7, 1936

37. Washington Post ads, March 22, 1925 (p. R-4), April 5, 1925 (p. R-2), May 10, 1925 (p. R-4).

38. See B.F. Leighton's December 11, 1922, inventory and valuation of the farm which lists these houses.

Washington Post ad, July 26, 1925 (p. R-2) and Evening Star ad, August 8, 1925 (p. 16).

Montgomery County land records, liber 422 folio 137 (March 14, 1926): sale of these lots to Merchants Bank and Trust.Montgomery County real estate tax assessment records.

39. See B.F. Leighton's inventory, cited just above. For sale, see Montgomery County Land Records liber 398, folio 398, recorded May 3, 1925.

40. Montgomery County land records; grantors index under Woodside Development Corporation; all listed deeds were examined to determine block, lot and restrictions.

Ads in Evening Star, November 7, 1925 (p. 21), and November 14, 1925 (p. 19) and Washington Post, November 8, 1925 (p. R-5) and Nov. 15, 1925 (p. R-4).

Ad for similar "Trails End" listing J. H. de Sibour as the architect is in Evening Star, April 11, 1926 (p. R-7).

41. "Twin Gables Cottage" was demolished on November 1, 1995.

42. Scott, Pamela, and Lee, Antoinette J., Buildings of the District of Columbia, New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

For an example of the use of his name in Woodside Park ads, see Evening Star, April 11, 1926 (p. R-7).

43. Faulconer & Proctor sale to King and Denire, Montgomery County land records liber 374, folio 443, recorded June 19, 1925. Faulconer purchase of the lot from WDC, liber 340 folio 419, recorded November 16, 1923.

44. Montgomery County land records, as above; also grantors index under Woodside Homes Corporation; there were no Woodside Homes Corporation deeds issued before 1926; all WHC deeds from 1927 through 1937 involved property at Carderock, not Woodside Park.

45. County land records; Klinge Atlas, 1931, 1948 and 1953 for lots on Alton Parkway.

46. ads in Washington Post, April 11, 1926 (p. R-7); April 18, 1926 (p. R-6), and April 25, 1926 (p. R-5).

re de Sibour & embassies: Pamela Scott & Antoinette J. Lee, Buildings of the District of Columbia, New York, Oxford University Press, 1993.

47. See Montgomery County land records. The ownership of all these homes was traced back from the ownership shown on the 1938 Reference Plats (plats 946 and 947) to the Woodside Development Corporation. The author has liber and folio references for all sales. For borrowing on the "English Colonial," see liber 380 folio 209; for foreclosure see Equity # 7669, Oct. 2, 1935.

48. 1931 Klinge Atlas

49. ads in Washington Post, May 23, 1926 (p. R-1) and May 30, 1926 (p. R-2).

50. ads in Evening Star, September 25, 1926 (p. 30), October 9, 1926 (p. ? and p. 19), and October 30, 1926 (pg. 29).

51. Interviews with Helen Dolan Sherbert.

52. Montgomery County land records, as above. Deeds issued to correct earlier errors were excluded from the count.

Ads in Evening Star, April 30, 1927 (p. 18) and May 7, 1927 (p. 24)..

53. Washington Post, "Building Restrictions Topic at Woodside Park," March 20, 1927 (p. R-2).

54. ad in Evening Star, October 15, 1927, pg. 9.

55. ad in Evening Star, October 29, 1927, pg. 8.

56. Interviews with Helen Dolan Sherbert.

57. Washington Post resale ad, April 28, 1940 (p. R-5); house for sale photo (rear yard and lily pool), April 28, 1940 (p. R-13).

58. Boyd information from original Wagg history; J.R. Boyd obituary, Washington Post, May 8, 1977 (p. B-6), and WPCA records.

59. Interview with Thelma Herriman Nordeen.

60. Montgomery County land records, as above. Total sales listed exclude deeds issued to correct errors in earlier deeds and a deed to Montgomery County for a "drain" right of way.

Ad in Evening Star, May 5, 1928, pg. 19.

61. The Colorado Building office is first listed in the Summer 1928 Washington Telephone Directory, corrected through May 11, 1928.

62. purchase of Carderock: Montgomery County Land Records, liber 422, folio 134, March 14, 1927.

ads for Carderock in the Evening Star: June 23, 1928 (pg. 21); June 30, 1928 (pg. 19); July 7, 1928 (pg. 7); July 14, 1928 (pg. 7); July 21, 1928 (pg 7); August 4, 1928 (pg. 8); August 11, 1928 (pg. 16).

ad for Carderock in the Washington Post: October 14, 1928 (p. R.5).

taking of Carderock by US Government, Montgomery County land records, liber 594 folio 476, July 3, 1935 and liber 673 folio 370, July 15, 1937.

63. county land records index for Woodside Homes Corp. sales.

64. county land records index for Woodside Homes Corp. sales.

65. ads in Evening Star, April 20, 1929 (p. 21), May 4, 1929 (p. 20), and May 11, 1929 (pg. 13); in Washington Post, April 21, 1929 (p. R-4). Faulconer and Proctor sale to Klinge: Montgomery County land records liber 364 folio 13, recorded Nov. 14, 1924.

66. ad in Evening Star, June 1, 1929 (p. 17).

67. ad in Evening Star, October 19, 1929 (pg. 8); resale ad describing 1108 Highland Drive, Evening Star, May 9, 1942 (p. B-4).

68. Ad in Evening Star, October 26, 1929, pg. 8.

69. 1500 Highland Drive: Evening Star house sold photo, October 2, 1937 (p. C-5); construction date, Montgomery County real estate tax records. House prices: Evening Star article, October 9, 1937 (p. C-1). Description from Evening Star resale ad, February 2, 1947 (p. B-4), June 7, 1947 (p. B-5), and Washington Post resale ads, may 25, 1947 (p. R-2), June 15, 1947 (p. R-9) and August 3, 1947 (p. C-9).

70. "A Tale of Two Tudors," Washington Post, November 23, 1989 (Washington Home, p. 1). Plans for 1519 Dale in WPCA archives (Marilyn Slatick); picture of details of St. Luke Church by Seltzer owned by St. Luke Church.

71. See Montgomery County land records, liber 354 folio 232, June 27, 1924; and liber 354 folio 227, July 5, 1924. The 1929 construction date is from an interview with Susan Fisher, current owner, August 5, 1993; Montgomery county real estate tax records confirm this date.

72. Sales numbers from Grantees index to Montgomery County land records (counting transactions listed under Woodside Development Corporation in which deeds were issued, by year).

Office change from address listed in ad in Evening Star, Feb. 27, 1932 (p. B-5) and subsequent ads and from Washington D.C. Telephone Directory listings. The Summer 1930 directory lists Hopkins-Armstrong both in the Colorado Building and in Silver Spring (with a phone number = to Hopkins' home number. The Summer-Fall 1931 Directory lists only Silver Spring and the phone number listed for the Hopkins' home in the 1930 Directory.

The Washington D.C. City Directory (R.L. Polk) lists Woodside Development Corporation in its 1930 edition, but does not list it in later editions.

Hopkins-Armstrong is not listed in 1930 or later editions. Directories are in the library of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (formerly Columbia Historical Society).

73. April 30, 1937 aerial photograph of the neighborhood taken by the Department of Agriculture, in M-NCPPC archives; the author has a copy.

Memorandum on Montgomery County Engineer's Office form (with "To" line not completed), subject "Estimate for Paving Crosby Road, Woodside Park, between Highland Drive and Woodside Parkway," August 30, 1938. In Montgomery County archives, DOT files. The author has a copy.

WPCA Voice, January 1975 (apparently based on conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Klein. References to Embassy use (including the Italian Embassy) also were contained in Marilyn Slatick's interviews with Mary Dickson (who lives across the street from the house) and Dorothy Schmidt, who lives at 1324 Dale Drive (corner with Crosby Road). Richard Tuve, who lived next door to the house, says it was Danish.

74. Montgomery county land records. See liber 368, folio 432 (March 6, 1925); liber 514, folio 333 (Jan 13, 1931); folio 668 libers, 332 and 333 (May 20, 1937); liber 1032, folio 248 (July 29, 1946); liber 1529, folio 542 (May 16, 1951); and liber 8929, folio 801 (July 27, 1989) for ownership of the "castle."

For date built, see real estate assessment worksheet, available at Assessments and Taxation office, 51 Monroe Street, Rockville, Md.

For house descriptions and on market for 3½ years, see ads in Washington Star, June 8, 1946 (p. B-4), June 15, 1946 (p. B-2),October 11, 1947 (p. B-11); October 25, 1947 (p. B-7); January 13, 1951 (p. B-7); January 27, 1951 (p. B-6); March 24, 1951 (p. B-5); April 7, 1951 (p. B-2); May 5, 1951 (p. B-3) and ad in Washington Post, May 4, 1951 (p. R-5). The Star ad of April 7, 1951 notes "Diplomat Leaving City."

75. dates from Wagg's history of Woodside Park;

information on Sears from Sears ads in the Evening Star, March 21 (page 23) and May 2 (page 4), 1925;

Katherine Cole Stevenson & H. Ward Jandal, Houses by Mail: A Guide to the Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company (the Preservation Press, 1986), pages 19-37 and 217;

also HonorBilt Modern Homes catalog, Sears Roebuck and Company, 1931 edition (pp. 14-15) [Marilyn Slatick has the catalog; I have copies of the referenced pages];

also interview with Steve Raab of 1514 Dale Drive, May 1992. Mr. Raab has the original plans and construction instruction book.

76. ad in Evening Star, June 25, 1932 (p. B-2).

lack of sales: see Woodside Homes Corporation sales in county land records index.

77. Montgomery County tax records. Evening Star resale ad, October 18, 1952 (p. B-5).

78. note: leave the quote marks in when editing; they are in the original clipping in the Post.

79. Washington Post, April 9, 1933, p. R-1.

Last Hopkins-Armstrong ad: Evening Star, June 25, 1932, p. B-2.

Woodside Development Corp. ad: Evening Star, June 27, 1936.

Charles W. Hopkins ad: Evening Star, May 21, 1938, p. B-6.

M.K. Armstrong ads for Woodside Park (office on s.e. corner of Georgia and Noyes = 8955 Georgia Avenue): Evening Star, September 18, 1937, p. C-6; September 25, 1937, p. C-9; October 2, 1937, p. C-3.

80. Jarrell ad in Washington Post, July 17, 1932 (p. R-3).

Washington Post, house sold photo, July 24, 1932 (p. R-2). Evening Star resale ads, April 19, 1952 (p. B-1) and April 26, 1952 (p. B-8).

81. "Twin Gables Cottage" 1505 Grace Church Road was demolished on November 1, 1995.

82. Washington Post ads, May 18, 1933 (p. R-3), June 11, 1933 (p. R-3), June 18, 1933 (p. R-3), June 25, 1933 (p. R-1), July 2, 1933 (p. R-3), and July 9, 1933 (p. R-3).

Washington Star ad, July 15, 1933 (p. B-1).

Washington Post articles, July 2, 1933 (p. R-1) and July 9, 1933 (p. R-1).

Montgomery county tax records show the construction data as 1905, but this seems doubtful.

83. Gottwals & Burgdorf ad, Evening Star, July 29, 1933 (p. B-2) and in Washington Post, August 6, 1933 (p. R-4) and August 20, 1933 (p. R-3).

Washington Post article, August 20, 1933 (p. R-3).

House sold photo, Evening Star, October 7, 1933 (p. B-1).

84. Sales numbers from Grantees index to Montgomery County land records (counting transactions listed under Woodside Development Corporation in which deeds were issued, by year), checked by liber and folio to determine the location of the property sold.

Thomas E. Jarrell company ad, Evening Star, June 23, 1934 (p. B-1).

85. Jarrell ad, Washington Post, January 28, 1934 (p. R-4).

Phillips & Canby, Inc. ads, Evening Star, April 14, 1934 (p. B-5) and April 21, 1935 (p. B-4).

86. Beitzell ads, Washington Post, July 1, 1934 (p. R-1) and Evening Star, July 14, 1934 (p. B-2). Thos. E. Clark ad, Washington Post, July 29, 1934 (p. R-4). Washington Post article, July 1, 1934 (p. R-1). Lot purchases, Montgomery County land records, liber 510, folio 41 (1930) and liber 648, folio 406 (1936).

87. Washington Post ad, March 24, 1940 (p. R-6).

88. Evening Star ads, September 16, 1944 (p. B-2), September 30, 1944 (p. B-2), November 4, 1944 (p. B-2), and December 9, 1944 (p. B-1).

89. Washington Post resale ads, May 4, 1947 (p. R-6), September 25, 1949 (p. R-6), October 23, 1949 (p. R-9), October 30, 1949 (p. R-9); Evening Star resale ad, October 15, 1949 (p. B-11).

90. "$2,000,000 Spent in Montgomery," Evening Star, December 29, 1934 (p. B-1).

91. "1250 New Homes in Montgomery," Evening Star, Dec. 28, 1935, (pp. B-1 and B-3).

92. Woodside Construction Company ads, June 22, 1935 (p. B-4), June 29, 1935 (p. B-4), September 14, 1935 (p. B-6); house sold photo, Evening Star, November 16, 1935 (p. B-5).

93. DuBose ads, Washington Post, October 13, 1935 (p. R-10) and October 27, 1934 (p. R-8); Evening Star, October 19, 1935 (p. B-10); house sold photo, Evening Star, May 16, 1936 (p. C-8).

94. Jarrell ads, Washington Post, October 20, 1935 (p. R-5) and November 10, 1935 (p. R-9). House sold photo, Washington Post, December 8, 1935 (p. R-6). Evening Star resale ads, May 12, 1951 (p. B-2), May 19, 1952 (p. B-13), and September 15, 1951 (p. B-2).

95. Home sold photo, Washington Post, October 20, 1935 (p. R-8). Description from resale ad, Evening Star, January 23, 1943 (p. B-1).

96. F.P. Williams ad, Evening Star, November 23, 1935 (p. B-6).

Home sold photo, Washington Post, January 19, 1936 (p. R-8).

97. Evening Star resale ad, November 11, 1944 (p. B-3). Construction date based on lot creation in Plat 583 in 1935. Tax records say 1932. Additional description from Evening Star resale ad, May 7, 1949 (p. B-14).

98. Woodside Park 1996 Home and Garden Tour; Home Number 7. Woodside Park Civic Association, 1996.

99. Jarrell ads, Evening Star, Sept. 14, 1935 (p. B-6), Sept. 12, 1936 (p. C-6), and June 3, 1939 (p. B-5).

Montgomery County land records: Poston deed of trust, liber 425 folio 230, Jan. 7, 1927; foreclosure and deeding to Ralph C. Boyd, liber 594 folio 439, March 18, 1935; deeding to Emma V. Bayliss, liber 946 folio 394; sale in 1945 [to William F. Thies] liver 978 folio 316, August 17, 1945.

Relationship of Boyd and Bayliss (and no relationship of Thies) to Jarrell: Mary Jarrell interview with REO, March 15, 1993.

100. Water Tower demolition: Washington Herald, August 11, 1935 (p. 15-A).

101. The lot in question was lot 2, block K, sold on Jan. 2, 1929 by Edgar Downie to William Rufus Scott with the $12,000 covenant as recommended by the property owners association (liber 474, folio 161). The property was then sold to Mary Bringhurst on Oct. 17, 1932. The agreement releasing Bringhurst from the $12,000 requirement was filed June 30, 1935. Liber 602, folio 91.

102. Washington Post ads, March 22, 1936 (p. R-4); house sold photo, October 3, 1937 (p. R-13).

Evening Star ads, March 28, 1936 (p. C-9), May 9, 1936 (p. C-2), and May 16, 1936 (p. C-8); house sold photo, October 2, 1937 (p. C-1).

Sale to Steuart Bros. and provision concerning $6,000 restriction: Montgomery County land records, liber 418 folio 368, February 11, 1927.

Evening Star ads, May 9, 1936 (p. C-2) and May 16, 1936 (p. C-8).

Mary Jarrell interview concerning Steuart brother's daughter.

103. Ads in Evening Star, April 4, 1936 (p. C-8) and April 11, 1936 (p. C-8) and Washington Post, April 5, 1936 (p. R-6). House sold photos, Evening Star, October 30, 1937 (p. C-2) and Washington Post, December 5, 1937 (p. R-6).

104. F.P. Williams ads, Washington Post, December 1, 1935 (p. R-4) and December 8, 1935 (p. R-8); Washington Post ad and article, March 29, 1936 (both p. R-10); Washington Post ad May 17, 1936 (p. R-5); Evening Star ads, April 18, 1936 (p. C-10); Sept. 12, 1936 (p. C-3) and Sept. 19, 1936 (p. C-11).

105. Evening Star ad, April 4, 1936 (p. C-8) and Evening Star home sold photo, April 25, 1936 (p. C-1).

106. Evening Star ad, June 6, 1936 (p. C-10) and June 20, 1936 (p. C-6); Washington Post, "Woodside Park Home is Near Schools, Parks," June 14, 1936, (p. R-11). Evening Star resale ad, May 17, 1947 (p. B-8).

107. Evening Star house sold photo, October 24, 1936 (p. C-10). Evening Star resale ads, July 21, 1945 (p. B-2) and July 28, 1945, p. (B-3).

108. Evening Star ads, November 28, 1936 (p. C-4), January 9, 1937 (p. C-7), March 6, 1937 (p. C-8) and April 10, 1937 (p. C-8).

109.

Evening Star, May 23, 1936 (p. C-2).

110. Interview with Nate Fuller.

111. Evening Star resale ads, June 2, 1951 (p. B-10), and September 22, 1951 (p. B-8).

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Preface and Acknowledgments

The Development of Silver Spring

Woodside Park and Suburban Development

Alton Farm, The Noyes Estate

Woodside Park before 1937 YOU ARE HERE

Woodside Park 1937 and later

Wynnewood Park

Woodside Forest and Other Additions Along Dale Drive, the Southern Edge of Woodside Park, and Other Post-War Development

Preserving the Park

Life In Woodside Park and Woodside Park Residents

The Woodside Park Civic Association

Churches & Synagogues in Woodside Park

Architecture in Woodside Park and About the Authors