it is felt that the purchase of this property will
materialize into an attractive country club under the direction of one of the Washington town
clubs."
Thomas E. Jarrell had been involved in the development of Woodside Park from the beginning. He had become familiar with Alton Farm by attending Masonic picnics there and became even more interested in the property when the Noyes heirs decided to sell the property. The Evening Star reported in July 1922 that he had bought the Noyes estate; actually he may have had an agreement to buy the estate. If so, he transferred it to the Woodside Development Corporation. He briefly acted as a sales agent for the Corporation after it acquired the property. Jarrell's name appears (although usually in smaller type) along with the Hopkins Land Company as a sales agent in newspaper ads for Woodside Park from the first ad on November 11, 1922 until early December 1922.
Less than a month after the Woodside Development Corporation purchased Alton Farm, the
Washington Times and Washington Herald both reported on December 9, 1922 that Thomas E.
Jarrell had purchased the Noyes Mansion in Woodside Park. The Times reported:
Ever since the Woodside Park Corporation announced its plans for the
development of the property, Mr. Jarrell has felt that the ten-acre tract
[around the Noyes mansion] should be preserved intact and used as a
country club. He feels that there is not a place surrounding Washington
that possesses the rare beauty that is found on the grounds of the Noyes
Home. With this idea in mind, he has had conferences with some of
Washington's leading business and club men, and
The newspaper reports were premature. The deed was actually dated May 15, 1923, a month and a half after the last of Woodside Development Corporation's Sunday afternoon lectures in the mansion. The property Thomas E. Jarrell purchased, Woodside Park's Block D, was bounded by Colesville Road, Woodside Parkway, Fairview Road and North Noyes Drive and contained the Noyes Mansion. The mansion was included in the sale but the "greenhouse and building appurtenant thereto" were excluded, just as they had been when the Woodside Development Corporation purchased the farm from the Noyes heirs. The latter may have been a reference to the bowling alley, which was behind the greenhouse. The same deed restrictions included in all Woodside Development Corporation lot sales at the time were incorporated into the deed for Block D.
The sale of Block D to Thomas E. Jarrell appears to have been an advantageous deal for all concerned. The purchase price was $50,000 (1997 equivalent: $466,000), or a little over 9¢ per square foot. Mr. Jarrell thought he could sell the plot for country club use. Indeed the deed explicitly noted that a club or hotel were permitted as business uses of the property. The Woodside Development Corporation needed cash for promotion and to pay the mortgage to the Noyes heirs. They received $10,000 (1997 equivalent: $93,200) in cash plus a $40,000 (1997 equivalent: $382,900) mortgage. The mortgage was immediately assigned to Theodore W. Noyes and Frank B. Noyes. The mortgage was to be paid off within three years and was actually paid off in June 1925.
Mr. Jarrell was unsuccessful in attracting a Washington club to purchase the land. He ultimately decided to subdivide it and sell lots, often with houses already speculatively constructed.
The first reports of the new subdivision that was to become Wynnewood
Park came on November 1, 1924 when the Washington Herald quoted
Louise R. Stambaugh to say that Thomas E. Jarrell had sold the Noyes
mansion and the land around it to "a company formed for the purpose of
subdividing it and building 
In February 1925 Mr. Jarrell filed a formal subdivision plan for "Wynnewood Park," (see map)and started building houses there for sale. Wynnewood Park had three interior streets, Mansion Parkway (now Mansion Drive), North Mansion Drive, and South Mansion Drive. These streets had 25 foot building restriction lines, 15 feet closer to the street than the 40 foot building restriction lines in Woodside Park. Wynnewood Park's lots were smaller than Woodside Park's one acre lots as well; they averaged about 7,000 square feet.
Ads for Wynnewood Park lots and homes began appearing in the late summer of 1925. One had a
large "WYNNEWOOD PARK" headline and a subhead line of "No two Homes Alike." The ad
went on to say:
You are most cordially invited to inspect this ultra-exclusive development in which we are
creating fifty-four homes, each of distinctive architecture, to sell at tariffs that will pleasantly
surprise you. The extension of Sixteenth Street and continuation of Rock Creek Park will multiply
values in this suburban parkway [sic].
Beautiful wooded lots. Charming open fireplaces. Two country clubs. All urban conveniences.
Neighbors you will be happy to have. The kind of children you will want your youngsters to grow
up with.
Perhaps Mr. Jarrell thought he could promise nice neighbors and wonderful children because many of the lots were purchased by his relatives, including his son, brothers, and cousins. Mr. Jarrell had encouraged them to move to his new development. In any event, Wynnewood Park was immediately successful and many lots were quickly sold and built upon. Wynnewood Park filled up much faster than Woodside Park.
Wynnewood Park ads appeared regularly in September and October 1925 and featured the Dutch Colonial home at 1014 Woodside Parkway, but noted that others were also available. Ads noted that the homes had "age old trees, fine shrubbery, open fireplaces, built-in garages, large porches, access to schools and churches, hot-water heat, breakfast nooks, [were] adjacent to country clubs, [had] restricted villa sites, [and were] reasonably priced with terms." The homes were open for inspection on Sundays. Ads later in October also noted the new bus service on Sixteenth Street.
The ad on October 31, 1925 again pictured the home at 1014 Woodside Parkway. The ad was
pitched for families with children and the copy writer played the contrast between the city and the
suburbs for all it was worth. The ad was headlined "What Sort of Place Will Your Children Call
Home." It went on to say:
Some Day, not so many years from now, your little boys or girls will be telling their little folks about "our old home." What sort of place will they describe--an apartment house like an office building with a cold marble lobby, where children were "tolerated," or a row house on a noisy, crowded city street?
Or will they have tales to tell of a home out where the blue begins --and the green of Springtime and the gold and red of Autumn? A home, centering around a real hearth-stone where marshmallows were toasted on long Winter evenings and stockings were hung at the Yuletide?
Will you buy or build your suburban home now or after it is too late for your children to get the
full benefit of its health and joy-giving advantages?"
A Wynnewood Park ad in the Evening Star of December 12, 1925 pictured the home at 1008 Woodside Parkway and called it "the Prince of Christmas Gifts!" The home was listed as being ready for immediate occupancy and as having "living room with open fireplace, dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen, three bedrooms, tiled bath, screened porch, built-in garage, [and] a spacious lawn." The price was $14,250 (1997 equivalent: $130,500). The ad also noted that other homes and lots were available. Prices were the same as listed in the October 31st ad. The house, which may have been used as a model, was not sold until March 1928.
Wynnewood Park received considerable favorable and free publicity
almost every week during the spring and summer of 1926, when the
Evening Star featured 
In the fall of 1925 the newspaper had decided to sponsor model homes in 1926. A committee of architects was assembled to assess designs submitted to them by developers and builders. The selected projects were featured in the Evening Star's real estate section week after week in the spring of 1926 as progress in their construction was followed. Directions were provided so people could visit the construction sites. The Wynnewood Park home's plans and the architect's drawing of the home were featured in the Star on April 10, 1926 along with a lengthy article describing the home. Another story on May 8th pictured the actual house and discussed progress in its construction. Another progress report appeared on May 22nd. A week later the Star reported that the home was ready for final painting. Ivory enamel was to be used throughout. On June 19th, the home was said to be almost completed, with only finish work and landscaping not yet done.
On June 26, 1926, the Evening Star devoted a special section to its model homes project. The Wynnewood Park house was pictured prominently and was discussed in an extensive article which mentioned Wynnewood Park in its headline. Mr. Jarrell and Mrs. Louise R. Stambaugh of the Stambaugh Construction Company, which built the house, were pictured. Thomas E. Jarrell was the President of the Stambaugh Construction Company; George B. Stambaugh was Vice President and Louise R. Stambaugh was Secretary-Treasurer. The Superintendent was William T. Beall. Louise Stambaugh ran the day-to-day operations of the company.
In one June 26th story, the chairman of the Architects' Committee on Model Homes, Horace W.
Peaslee, AIA, noted about the Wynnewood Park house:
Here an effort has been made by the architect, Percy Adams, to obtain a frame structure of type befitting the traditions of Maryland, yet with every recognition of modern requirements. It is interesting to note how such modern items as a breakfast nook, dressing room, double bath and a sleeping porch are inconspicuously absorbed in this old type.
The house impresses one as both refined and comfortable. It is not large, but it is not crowded.
There is no pretense, but there is attention to refinement of detail. Two features especially
commend themselves: First, the distinct separation of the entrance and the living porch, the one
giving limited but ample shelter for arriving guests in time of storm, yet affording no view of the
intimate family life, provision being made for the family, out of doors, at the most desirable corner
of the property, yet free from inspection by casual arrivals. Second, the clever, economic way in
which the garage is incorporated under the porch.
On July 10, 1926, the Evening Star again featured the house, reporting that it had been completely furnished and would be open the next day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and would remain open "until the end of the demonstration." A separate picture feature showed the entrance to the home. A quite unusual for the period full page ad by Stambaugh Construction and many of the suppliers and subcontractors who had worked on the house also appeared in that issue of the Star. The ad again noted that the home would be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and said "attendants will be at the home to render you every service." The Star's free publicity for the home continued on July 17th. The front page of the real estate section featured large pictures of the home's living room, bedroom, breakfast alcove, and dining room. A Stambaugh Construction Company ad invited people to inspect the home and emphasized that it was "completely furnished." Hours were again listed from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The home was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Davis in August 1926. Mr. Davis was a Jarrell family cousin.
Thomas E. Jarrell also managed to get free publicity for Wynnewood Park in the Washington Post. On April 25, the Post ran a picture of the Dutch Colonial home at 1014 Woodside Parkway with a caption saying the Wynnewood Park home had been built by Stambaugh Construction Company and purchased by Aubrey James Voorhees through the Jarrell Company. Two weeks later the Post printed the picture of another Stambaugh-built Wynnewood Park home. This one, at 1019 North Noyes Drive, had been purchased by Benjamin A. Harlan, II, through the Jarrell Company. Mr. Harlan was employed by the Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Jarrell supplemented the free publicity with paid advertisements. In early May the Jarrell Company advertised Wynnewood Park in an ad that featured the new "English home ready for immediate occupancy" at 1008 Woodside Parkway. The home was said to have a "living room with open fireplace, dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen, three bedrooms, tiled bath, sleeping porch, built-in garage [and] spacious lawn." The real emphasis, however, was on the neighborhood. Taking a cue from Woodside Park, Wynnewood Park was called "Washington's Most Beautiful Suburb ... a garden spot of restfulness and harmony, where homes are all that the name implies. Here you will fine houses distinctive in architecture and design, surrounded by find shrubbery and rare trees."
A similar ad in September showed the home at 1015 North Noyes Drive, which was ready for occupancy. Again the emphasis was on the neighborhood, "located 25 minutes from downtown and near to schools, churches, country clubs, stores, and bus lines." "Here we have homes distinctive in design and constructed with a view toward comfort and convenience. We have residents you will be proud to know as friends and neighbors. Suitable restrictions have been provided for your protection. . . . YOUR CHILDREN deserve a real home and sunshine and pure fresh air. A home away from the dangers of city streets, yet near enough for a mother to do her shopping there and for you to get to your business easily." The home itself was described as having a large living room and open fireplace on one side of the center hall and dining room, kitchen, pantry, and breakfast nook on the other. Four bedrooms and a tiled bath were on the second floor. There was also a large side porch and a built-in garage. Wynnewood Park ads later in the year did not show houses and simply praised the neighborhood's convenience, beauty, and increasing values.
Thomas E. Jarrell's Stambaugh Construction Company was not the only builder active in Wynnewood Park. Robert Murphy built homes both in Woodside Park and in Wynnewood Park. An ad in the Evening Star of September 25, 1926 offered Murphy's "just completed "Seven Gables," at 1004 South Mansion Drive. According to the ad, "This charming new English Home is ready for immediate occupancy. Living room with open fireplace, dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen. All arranged in the popular center hall plan. 4 bedrooms, one with open fireplace." The home was described as being "surrounded by rare shrubs and trees." The ad also noted that the home was "within a short distance of the Star's model house for Maryland." The home was purchased by Capt. and Mrs. Joseph C. Cissell. One feature of the home not mentioned in the ads was that the lot contained a large southern magnolia tree planted by the Noyes family. This tree was placed on the Montgomery County, Maryland, Register of Champion Trees in 1995 and is estimated to be over 100 years old.
Another home completed about this time was 1011 North Noyes Drive. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Kacy purchased the lot for this home in July 1926.
By the end of 1926, 18 of Wynnewood Park's 52 lots had been sold; in addition, half of two other lots had been sold to the buyers of adjacent lots.
The Noyes mansion had been razed in 1926 so the new home at 1000 Mansion Drive, could be built on the same foundation. A hitching post for horses from the "Mansion" remains in the yard between the current house and North Mansion Drive, although in 1997 it was leaning a bit. Oak paneling and "great fire-side seats" from the mansion were used in building "Stonecroft," the house at 1201 Woodside Parkway; stone from the mansion was reportedly used to build the homes at 9017 and 9021 Fairview Road, which were constructed in 1928. Mrs. Thomas lived in the home until at least 1968.
Other Wynnewood Park homes also received publicity during this period. In April, the Jarrell Company again advertised the home at 1008 Woodside Parkway, which it had first offered in late 1925 and which it finally sold in March 1928. It was described as a fine home for raising children, "out where the blue begins and the green of springtime and gold and red of autumn [are found]. . . . It will give them protection from dangerous city streets, health, the right environment, and best of all they will learn the joy of living in a beautiful park surrounded by nature's loveliness."
In June and July Thomas E. Jarrell ran large advertisements for the home at 906 Mansion Drive. The home was pictured surrounded by mature trees from the Noyes Estate. The tree to the right of the house is still there in 1997, although somewhat larger. The home was described as "designed to please the person of rare discrimination and artistic taste." The home's rooms were outlined; "other attractive and unusual features that are sure to please you are the open fireplaces in the living room and dining room, the quaint corner cupboards, the sunken arched bookcases, and the lavatory on the first floor. Metal screens and hardwood floors throughout, slate roof, weather stripping, two-car garage, and an abundance of floor plugs will add to your comfort." Among the home's features were a center hall, the "extraordinary natural marble fireplace" in the 15' by 25' step-down living room. The second floor included a large master bedroom with a dressing room and bath, two other bedrooms and another bath. There was also a two-car garage. The price was not specified. In October 1927 the Washington Post ran a picture of the house and reported it had been sold by the Stambaugh Construction Company to Charles A.M. and Jennie Loffler through the Thomas E. Jarrell agency. Mr. Loffler was Mr. Jarrell's brother-in-law.
Despite all the publicity and advertising, there was only one Wynnewood Park sale in the first half of 1927. The home at 1015 North Noyes Drive was sold to Robert E. Harrell in January. In June and August ownership of all the remaining lots was transferred to Ralph C. Boyd, a "straw" purchaser who was an employee in Thomas E. Jarrell's real estate office. This transfer was apparently designed to obscure the true ownership of the lots as they were sold through the Jarrell real estate agency. Ralph C. Boyd also served as a "straw" purchaser for Thomas E. Jarrell when he bought lots or houses in Woodside Park.
The Wynnewood Park real estate market was quiet in 1928. There were only three house sales; the first was for a house built in 1925 (1008 Woodside Parkway). The second was 9021 Fairview Road. The third was 1001 North Mansion Drive, which was formally transferred to Karl E. and Mary Jarrell (Thomas E. Jarrell's son and daughter-in-law), who had been living in the home since 1926.
The lone 1928 ad for a Wynnewood Park home was for the Spanish style home at 1003 North Mansion Drive, which had been built to sell for $32,000 (1997 equivalent: $298,300). Perhaps because the price was so high, the home remained unsold for seventeen years until F. Austin Swarthwout, Jr. purchased it in April 1945.
The ad in the Washington Post described the home as follows:
The Home You Have Dreamed About ... Designed to please the person of rare discrimination and artistic taste. This Spanish type of dwelling was planned with equal attention to both beauty and comfort. Situated on a large lot surrounded by splendid old trees and beautiful shrubs, the tan-colored stucco lends an air of charm and distinction.
There are six large and well-planned rooms, two baths, and a breakfast room. The living room is 18 x 21 feet and the three bedrooms average over 12 x 12 feet. A flagstone porch 13 x 14 opens off the living room.
Other attractive and unusual features that are certain to please you are the open fireplace and
built-in bookcases in the living room, the flagstone vestibule and cloak closet and the built-in
shower bath. Hardwood floors throughout, a tile roof, built-in garage and an abundance of floor
plugs will add to your comfort.
The two stone homes at 9017 and 9021 Fairview Road were built in 1928. Stone used in these houses reportedly came from the original Crosby Noyes mansion, which had been torn down in 1926. Stone masons were hired from the National Cathedral. The builder of these houses intended to build additional homes, but was apparently stopped by the Depression.
In the spring of 1929 a new advertising campaign was begun. Thomas Jarrell advertised the "Beautiful New Brick and Stone ENGLISH House" at 1000 Woodside Parkway once in both March and April. A.H. Sonnemann was again the architect and Stambaugh Construction was again the builder. The home was described as having a surprising low price, "attractive terms, six rooms, two colored tiled baths, open fireplace, breakfast nook, garage to match, spacious dining room, ample closets, pantry, wide lot, properly landscaped, [and a] large porch." The Washington Concrete Products Company also featured the home in one of its ads, showing a large picture of the home and noting that the walls of this "distinctive residence in Wynnewood Park, Md." were "Stone, Brick and Stucco, Backed by Cinder Blocks." The ad stressed the "real weather protection built in the walls by using Straub Cinder Units," which were said to mean "greater home comfort in Winter and Summer, with fuel economy in Winter." The first floor had a center hall, 15' by 30' living room, den, kitchen, dining room, and a large flagstone porch. The second floor had a master bedroom with a private bath, two other bedrooms, a bath, and a sundeck.
Another ad in April 1929 offering home sites in Wynnewood Park pictured the home at 1000 Mansion Drive, which had been built in 1927 on the site of the old Noyes mansion, as "One of the Many Residences Completed and Occupied."
In 1934 the home at 9021 Fairview Road gained local notoriety when Miller rented it to Julie Means and her children while her husband, Gaston Bullock Means, was in prison. Gaston Means at various times had been a secret operative for the Justice Department during the Harding Administration, the author of a book claiming Harding had been poisoned by his wife, a $1,000 per week private investigator for the German ambassador in 1914 (1997 equivalent: $15,850), an investment advisor to the elite, a suspected murderer, and a convicted swindler. In 1932 he was sentenced to fifteen years in jail for fleecing Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean, the estranged wife of the publisher of the Washington Post and owner of the Hope Diamond, of $104,000 in a phony scheme to ransom the kidnaped Charles Lindbergh baby. Means had nothing to do with the kidnaping itself, but thought he could profit from it. J. Edgar Hoover, who had fired Means shortly after becoming FBI director in 1924 and who personally interrogated him in the Lindbergh ransom case, called Means "the greatest faker of all times." Despite their father's infamy, the Means children were accepted by other neighborhood children and included in activities. In 1935 Willard Miller lost ownership of the home when its mortgage was foreclosed; Julie Means apparently had to move out at this time. The home was put back on the market as a "Wynnewood Park Gem at a Sacrifice Price."
The Washington Post also featured Wynnewood Park in a front page article in its real estate
section on April 21, 1929. The article is reproduced in its entirely below:
NATURE IS RETAINED IN WYNNEWOOD PARK
Homes Built Beneath Trees in Jarrell Development Beyond Sligo
No Fences Anywhere
A suburban development, in which man and nature worked together in the production of a residential park, is to be found in Wynnewood Park, the Thomas E. Jarrell Co. project on the Colesville Pike, a short distance beyond Sligo.
It might be termed "the park built upon a lawn," and the houses described as "the homes built beneath the trees," as these not only describe Wynnewood Park but are literally true, for the entire project is located upon the home site of the Crosby S. Noyes estate which was held in the Noyes family until a few years ago.
No steam shovel was employed in the construction work to level off the natural beauties of knoll and dale. No straight lines were used to lay off streets and sidewalks reducing everything to squares. Instead every curve that nature placed in the contour of the land to lend softness and beauty to the surroundings was preserved.
Drives in Graceful Curves
The drives swing in graceful curves, leading up slight inclines and falling away again as they pass on down the sides of knolls. To preserve their beauty and maintain the characteristics of a park, no sidewalks have been built, the greenness of the lawns developed through many years spreading from the houses to the edge of the roadways.
A new development, Wynnewood Park, nevertheless has that atmosphere of hominess that is associated only with places which have been lived in for years. This is due largely to the vision which has been behind the entire project. As nearly as possible, nothing that was on the old estate, with the exception of the buildings, has been disturbed. Even the foundation of the residence of the former owners was utilized in the construction of one home [1000 Mansion Drive] which is situated upon four large lots bounded by a winding road on either side leading away from the center road which provides entrance to the park.
The trees of Wynnewood Park, gathered with painstaking care from many parts of the world by the former owners, have all been preserved. On the 10 acres of this heart of the old Noyes estate are to be found cherry blossom trees from the Orient, walnuts from England, locusts from Jerusalem, dogwoods, magnolias of many types, firs, cedars, pine, red and branch maples, elms, apples, cherries, poplars and many others. Scattered throughout the park are scores of varieties of shrubbery, such as althea, syringa, Spanish bayonet, lilac, wigelia, forsythia, spirea, hydrangea, and many other kinds.
Into this setting, developed to beautify the surroundings of the mansion of the estate, the new homes have been insinuated. They have not been thrust into the picture, for the lots have been so divided and the homes so constructed that each one has fitted harmoniously into the location without the loss of a tree and with only slight disturbance of shrubbery.
No Barriers Between Lots
The general effect of spaciousness and the atmosphere of a park is further preserved by the entire lack of barriers between the various lots. No hedges rise to stand as a bar, however beautiful, between neighbors. No fences are to be found. Here and there a border of roses or of flowers mark out the limits of a home, but they stand not as border lines.
Incidentally, the soil of Wynnewood Park, developed through the years, presents to the flower lover a medium for the production of the blooms in which he takes delight. A foot or more of friable loam composes the surface soil, which lies on top of many feet of closely packed sand.
The atmosphere of a park of homes rather than a real estate development is preserved by the entire absence of duplication in the designs of houses constructed. Dutch colonial, English colonial, Spanish and other types are represented. The materials are varied as the designs, including stone, stucco, tinted stucco, brick, clapboard, and shingle. The winding nature of the drives make it easy to avoid any straight line facing of the homes. This, coupled with the generous width of the lots, assures from every window of every house a beautiful picture.
Playground for Children
Wynnewood Park offers a playground for children. The open air, sunshine, the freedom from dangers of traffic, the velvety lawns, all combine to make conditions ideal for the youngsters. Near the park is the Woodside School, one of the largest in Montgomery County, and the children of Wynnewood Park find access easy through a short, shady lane where the trees meet overhead to provide shelter from both rain and sunshine.
Just a few steps from Wynnewood will be one of the entrances to the new park which
Montgomery County is developing along the Sligo Branch, a park which will contain bridle paths,
automobile roads, tennis courts, playgrounds of all sorts and a swimming pool. Surrounding
Wynnewood Park on three sides is the rest of the Noyes Estate, which like Wynnewood, is
carefully restricted and in which the minimum home site is half an acre. From Wynnewood, one
sees the same care being take to maintain all the knolls and ravines, all of the rolling meadows and
the clumps of trees which nature has placed upon this picturesque spot.
Paid advertising also boosted the development. The "Beautiful NEW Spanish Bungalow" at 1003 North Mansion Drive was advertised from April through June of 1929. Having first been offered in May 1928, the home was actually not so new. In any event, most of the ads simply showed the home but did not describe it, but it was said to have "reasonable terms and price." One ad, which was more for Wynnewood Park than a specific home, was entitled "Looking Out the Window" and showed the then-open porch on the south side of the home and the neighborhood beyond, including the new home at 1000 Mansion Drive and homes on South Mansion. The natural beauty of the Wynnewood Park landscape was described. "You are buying a home, not a house. No matter what a house may offer you in the way of exterior or interior, you have missed the greatest thing of all if around you cannot have such scene as this [the picture], long stretches of velvety lawns, trees that were old when you were young, winding driveways, and homes that fit into the landscape almost as though Nature herself had provided them."
The coming of the Depression did not seem to affect Thomas E. Jarrell's operations as much as it did those of Hopkins-Armstrong in Woodside Park; indeed sales actually increased. Five lots were sold in 1930.
The initial long story described the home in almost poetic terms. For example:
One glance into the living room from the hall is sufficient to stamp this house as the creation of an artist and the work of a master builder. Along the front wall is placed a fireplace that seems to cry for crackling logs, toasted marshmallows, soft lights and romance. Its depth brings vision of quiet cozy nights when the howling winds outside will only intensify the pleasant warmth which the cheerfully snapping logs will bring within.
On either side of the fireplace, windows have been placed, which, like every window in the
house--in fact, in every house in the park--frame a landscape of surpassing beauty which only the
hand of nature herself can paint.
And the kitchen:
A door leads from the right of the dining room into the kitchen. Any woman who enjoys preparing meals will have to go no farther than this room to decide that this model house is a model house indeed. Those who do not care to prepare meals would fight for the chance in such a workshop. Finished throughout in three beautiful shades of green with green linoleum cemented to the floor, the kitchen is a marvel of convenience and beauty. A porcelain sink with double drain boards on either side gives that "elbow room" which is so essential to the orderly preparation of meals and cleaning afterward. The drains are made of wood in order that the rattle and clatter may be eliminated.
An electric stove is installed for cooking. Its clean white enameled surface is easily maintained in
its spotless condition with a simple wipe or two with a dishcloth while the comfort of cooking
without excessive heat makes the stove ideal, particularly in the summer, and leaves the housewife
always with that fresh cool look which is the marvel of all husbands returning warm and
uncomfortable from their work. An electric dish-washing machine, cupboard shelves filled with
harmoniously colored china, flowers blooming in the deep recessed windows over the sink
complete the furnishings of the kitchen. [sic] electric refrigeration, latest pieces of cast aluminum,
and every conceivable electrical device. To the left of the pantry is the service door which leads to
the rear yard and below which the outside stairs descend to the cellar.
Even the basement and detached garage, where "the family car will settle itself in comfort," were described in such gushing terms.
A later article on the front page of the Washington Post's real estate section described the home's furniture and carpets in similar detail. It was accompanied by a picture of the living room taken through its wide arched door. Ads that week noted that House and Herman had furnished the home and that The Hecht Co. had provided the draperies. The dining room and one bedroom were pictured. The following week's front page stories featured the home's wallpaper ("Home Shows Art in Wall Papering") and drapery. These stories were accompanied by the same photos of the dining room and bedroom used earlier in ads. Another article repeated portions of the story on Wynnewood Park that the Post had printed on April 21, the week before the model home series began running. In late May the Post reported that 10,000 people had now visited the model home. On July 13 in an article that repeated some of the detailed descriptions of the house that had been printed earlier, the Post reported that the home had been sold to Mrs. Margaret A. Blades.
The Spanish "bungalow" at 1003 North Mansion Drive, which had first been offered in May 1928, was advertised again in September and October of 1930 as "Villa Carmen," the Wynnewood Park furnished exhibit home. The house and grounds were described in detail. Its gas service and sewers were also noted. Even the electric refrigerator, copper screens and cherry trees were mentioned. It was open for inspection daily from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Five properties were sold in 1931. There were small advertisements for Wynnewood Park home sites and new homes periodically from the winter to early summer of 1931. They were "priced moderately and on convenient terms." Completed homes were available for from $13,500 to $22,500 (1997 equivalents: $141,400 to $235,700). The home at 1000 Woodside Parkway was pictured in one of the ads. This home, which had first been offered in 1929, was finally sold in August to Raymond R. Wilmarth, Assistant Superintendent of the D.C. Public Schools; the sale was ultimately closed in July 1933.
In May the Washington Post reported "Wynnewood Park Building is Active." In addition to describing Wynnewood Park in the usual glowing terms, the Post said that two houses "in the moderate price range" were nearing completion and that a third was being started. The story also noted that "gas, electricity and water are available and the completion of the recently authorized sewer line will bring this service to the few remaining lots not now having this service."
The home available for $13,500 (1997 equivalent: $141,400) had been built by and was owned by Edward A. Gaylor. It was located at 1017 North Noyes Drive. Jarrell's company was merely acting as the real estate agent. The house itself contained "6 large rooms, breakfast room, pantry, 6 closets on the second floor, 2 baths, and a large attic." The attic included a cedar closet. There also was a detached two-car garage. The house was promptly sold. The Washington Post reported in July and the Evening Star reported in August that the home had been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. John P. Brennan. Both papers had pictures of the house.
The home at 1006 South Mansion Drive was offered by the Jarrell Company for $13,750 (1997 equivalent: $144,100) from July to October 1931. It had six "bright and well ventilated rooms, two baths, full attic, two car garage, and all improvements." Land records show that the property was purchased by Horace E. Troth in March 1931, so Mr. Troth may have been the builder with the Jarrell Company merely acting as the agent.
According to tax records, the home at 1012 Woodside Parkway was also completed in 1931. This red brick center-hall Colonial had six rooms, two baths, a side porch and a detached two-car garage. The first floor included a 24' living room with fireplace, dining room, kitchen with table space and a pantry. The second floor had a master bedroom with a private bath and two other bedrooms and a bath. The basement included a maid's room and a half-bath. The house also had a slate roof.
The home at 1007 North Noyes Drive was completed by Edward A. Gaylor in August 1931 and soon thereafter advertised for sale by the Jarrell Company. The Colonial home was described as "center hall plan, 6 rooms, breakfast nook, pantry, 2 baths, lavatory on first floor, extra lavatory on second floor, built-in ironing board, gas stove, 4 closets on second floor, finished attic, cedar closet, built-in garage, completely screened." The bathrooms and lavatories had medicine cabinets with a 'Perfectlite' mirror; the kitchen had a deep sink and tiled drain boards. Other features were radio plug, complete with aerials, fireplace, and two "valuable and beautiful magnolia trees." The home was open daily until 9 p.m. The price for this house was $13,500 (1997 equivalent: $141,400). The Washington Post ran a photo of the house and reported its sale to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Spanagel in June 1932. Gaylor started construction on another Wynnewood Park home, 1011 South Mansion Drive, as soon as the home at 1007 North Noyes Drive was completed. That house was sold to Mrs. Adeline F. Hass in January 1932.
Other new houses were for sale in Wynnewood Park during this time as well. In February 1932 the Evening Star showed a picture of the house at 1007 North Mansion Drive and reported that it had recently been sold by the Stambaugh Construction Company to Mr. and Mrs. Bernard T. Hammett. The Washington Post had reported in August 1931 that the house had been sold to the Hammetts and "would be completed to suit their tastes." This house, too, had six rooms, a finished attic, and a garage. In May 1932, three months after the Star's report of the sale, the Post again ran a picture of the house and again reported its sale to the Hammetts. The Post also noted that the home was next to "the Spanish bungalow [1003 North Mansion Drive] in this development."
In late April and early May 1932 Jarrell ran three ads for the home at 1014 Woodside Parkway, which was being offered as a resale since its owner had been transferred to Albany, New York. For $10,950 (1997 equivalent: $127,900) potential buyers were offered "7 rooms, center hall, screens, awnings, [in] excellent condition."
Thomas Jarrell also offered the house at 9009 Fairview Road at about this time for $13,950 (1997 equivalent: $162,900). The home, which had been built by Edward A. Gaylor, was described as brick and just completed. It had "6 rooms, 2 baths, breakfast room, pantry, finished attic, General Electric Refrigerator, screens, latest type gas stove. Two-car garage. Lot 60 x 129. Fine shade trees and shrubbery." The Washington Post printed a picture of the house in early October and reported that it had been sold to Anders C. and Nellie M. Stein.
In September, Jarrell advertised an unidentified house with the same features for $13,500 (1997 equivalent: $157,700). This may have been 9007 Fairview Road, which was advertised in early October. "There are 3 well proportioned bedrooms, 2 baths, recreation room with fireplace, separate laundry and storage rooms, shower with glass door, cedar closets in every room, extra lavatory in basement, finished attic with heat. The ultra modern kitchen is a model of modern labor-saving equipment. Chestnut trim throughout. Aluminum screens." "Situated on a fully landscaped lot, 60 x 125, shaded by tall trees whose foliage already is changing to the colorful tints of autumn, this delightful home anticipates the good taste and requirements of those seeking a home both artistic and livable." The home did not sell. In May 1934 it was again advertised. It was still described as "brand new." The price was $12,500 (1997 equivalent: $146,000). The home was finally reported by the Evening Star on December 1, 1934, as having been sold by its builder, Edward A. Gaylor, to Mr. and Mrs. L.D. Burns. The home's picture appeared on the front page of the Evening Star's real estate section.
Jarrell advertised other homes in November 1932. The new home at 1021 North Noyes Drive was offered for $12,500 (1997 equivalent: $146,000). It had been built by the Fox Brothers. It was described as "one of the most appealing homes in this distinguished community of better class homes." The description continued: "all brick construction, three large bedrooms, two baths, gas heat, gas refrigeration, weatherstripped and screened, paneled recreation room with fireplace, slate roof, 2-car built-in garage." The home did not sell immediately; in fact, it was finally sold almost a year later in September 1933 by the Goss Realty Company to Mr. and Mrs. J. Paul Hanson.
According to tax records, the home at 1010 North Mansion Drive was also competed in 1932. The first floor had a reception hall, living room with fireplace and large studio window, dining room, kitchen, and a large bedroom with bath, shower and linen closet. The second floor had two "large" bedrooms plus master bedroom with dressing room. There were four baths and "numerous closets, storeroom [and] sundeck." The basement contained a wood paneled recreation room with bar and four large restaurant style booths (which the first owner may have added). There was also a built-in garage.
Another 1932 home, according to tax records, was the two-story brick Colonial with prominent dormer window in the attic level at 1008 South Mansion Drive. The home had a living room with a fireplace, dining room with bay window and built-in china closet, kitchen with breakfast alcove, and a lavatory and large side porch on the first floor. The second floor had three large bedrooms and two tile baths. The attic level had a large heated and insulated dormitory room. The home had chestnut doors and trim, oak floors, cedar closets, and a slate roof. It also featured a brick two-car garage.
Wynnewood Park houses continued to sell despite the Depression. Both the Washington Post and the Evening Star showed a picture of 1018 Woodside Parkway on the weekend of January 21, 1933 and reported that it had been sold by its builder, W. Edgar Howser, to Mr. and Mrs. Alfred L. Taylor. The Thomas E. Jarrell Company had been the real estate agency for the transaction and had first offered the home for sale in November 1932 for $13,500 (1997 equivalent: $157,700). This brick house had the usual six rooms, two baths, and two-car garage. The bay window in the living room was a special feature.
The banking crisis of early 1933 had a major impact on Thomas E. Jarrell's business. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered all banks closed on March 6, 1933. Banks judged to be healthy were to reopen on March 9 or shortly thereafter. Although he primarily dealt in real estate and insurance, Thomas E. Jarrell was also President of the Washington Savings Bank, a relatively small but highly capitalized one-office bank that had been established in 1917. The bank had only about 1,750 depositors in 1933 and had suffered from a decline in deposited funds after 1929. Despite its high capitalization ratio, the bank increasingly had liquidity problems as the percent of its assets represented by real estate more than tripled from 1928 to 1932. At the end of the Roosevelt bank holiday, the Washington Savings Bank did not reopen, and a conservator was appointed. In most cases, a bank's president was appointed the conservator for a bank which did not immediately reopen. In the case of the Washington Savings Bank, however, the Vice President was appointed. After a period of great uncertainly, in mid-May Washington Savings Bank and several other local troubled banks were merged into a new bank. According to the Evening Star, depositors in these banks initially received 50% of their deposits, but only 40% was in cash or an account in the new bank; the other 10% was in stock in the new bank. In July 1934 Washington Savings Bank depositors received another 20% of their deposits, making them the first depositors in any failed Washington Bank to receive a second payment on their deposits. By December 1937, they had been paid the entire amount of their deposits. The bank was finally closed in July 1940. By this time depositors had received 110.24% of their deposits, compensating them not only for their principal but also for the full amount of the interest they were due. Although the bank's depositors eventually received all their money, Thomas E. Jarrell took a substantial loss on his investment in the bank.
Jarrell continued to advertise during the time his bank was in conservatorship. On April 1, 1933, he offered to sell several income producing rental properties "to those who have money to invest." It is unclear whether these were his own properties; they are unlikely to involve any property in Wynnewood Park. That same day he also offered the home at 1012 South Mansion Drive, which had been built by W. Edgar Howser. In addition to the features usually advertised, this home was listed as having a fireplace in the living room, a beautiful paneled den and breakfast room, and an oil burner. The same house was advertised four weeks later with the price specified as $14,500 (1997 equivalent: $177,500). The ad also noted that "other homes in this desirable locality [are available] from $9,250 up [1997 equivalent: $113,300]." The home at 1012 South Mansion Drive was also offered occasionally in other ads in the Evening Star and the Washington Post for the next year. It was finally reported as sold in September 1934 to John W. Kern.
In July 1933 efforts began to sell the home at 9005 Fairview Road, which
had just been completed. The Washington Post ran a large picture of the
home, which 
The slow home sales did not have much real impact on the prices of Wynnewood Park homes. Builders were reluctant to lower their prices, and home purchasers who later needed to sell their homes apparently were able to recoup what they had paid or even make a profit, at least in real terms if not in terms of the number of deflated Depression dollars they received. One example is the home at 1023 Noyes Drive. This home had originally been purchased in July 1928 by Dorothy Buckingham. The purchase price had been $12,500 (1997 equivalent: $116,500) according to a Jarrell ad for its resale in May 1934. The resale asking price was $9,750 (1997 equivalent: again $116,500).
The home at 1014 Woodside Parkway is another example. The sellers made a profit in real terms even though they received fewer dollars for the home than they had paid for it. The home had originally been offered by its builder in 1925 for at least $12,750 (1997 equivalent: $116,700). It was offered as a resale in May 1932 for $10,950 (1997 equivalent: $127,900), and finally sold in May of 1934 to Mr. and Mrs. Curtis L. Sowers.
Another resale during this period was the home at 9017 Fairview Road. The Evening Star ran a picture of this home on the front page of its real estate section on August 11, 1934, and reported that it had been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Louis R. Moulton. The lots on which this home was built had been sold by Thomas E. Jarrell in October 1926 to Ray F. Moore, who presumably built the house.
Sometimes builders did reduce the prices of their houses. One example is the home at 9029 Fairview Road. It was first offered in August 1934 for $11,250 (1997 equivalent: $134,500). By February 1935, when the home still had not been sold, the price was reduced by its builder, W. Edgar Howser, to $10,950 (1997 equivalent: $127,900). The home finally was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Leon G. Morris in October 1935 according to the caption of a photo of the home published in the Washington Post. The home had been described in ads as a center hall, all brick, Colonial. The living room had a "real" fireplace, recessed radiators, and windows on three sides. There were three bedrooms and two complete baths on the second floor. It also had a "large bone-dry basement" and a brick garage.
It took about the same length of time to sell the house next door at 9025 Fairview Road. W. Edgar Howser also built this home. It was first offered in October 1934 and described as a "a lovely new home of brick and stone in this delightful suburban development containing modern electric health kitchen with double drain board sink, built in cabinets . . . step-down living room with fireplace . . . large living porch overlooking garden . . . three bedrooms, each with large cedar-lined closets . . . full bath, and private lavatory off Master Bedroom . . . full-size basement . . . floored attic . . . large lot . . . detached brick garage. Moderately priced." "Only 7½ miles from the White House." The Evening Star ran its picture and reported its sale to John S. and Marguerite Brookbank in late November 1935.
The new home at 1011 North Mansion Drive was first offered in November 1934. It sold in less than eight months. Ads for the home merely showed its picture and said it was "a delightful Cape Cod Colonial Home containing many new and unusual features." In July 1935, the Evening Star ran a picture of the house, which by then had a large striped awning extending the full width of the house installed in front of its porch, and said it had been sold to Gladys L. Thomas.
Apparently the slow sales discouraged builders in Wynnewood Park in 1935. No new homes were first offered that year. In the spring of 1936, however, Edward A. Gaylor completed the home at 1022 Woodside Parkway. The Washington Post published its picture on April 19, 1936, and said its initial showing was that day. An ad a week later described the home as having "six well-proportioned rooms and two tiled baths, beautiful paneled breakfast room, hardwood floors throughout, electric refrigeration, oil heat, copper downspouts, rock wool insulation, slate roof, detached garage to match the house." It was situated in an "exclusive residential section." The builder's optimism was not rewarded. It took over a year to sell the home. The Evening Star reported its sale with a real estate section front page photo in May 1937. The home was sold to Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Ammerman.
Edward H. Gaylor also built the home next door at 1020 Woodside Parkway. This home was first advertised in September 1936 in terms virtually identical to those used to describe the Gaylor house next door. The Evening Star ran a large picture of this home on the front page of its real estate section on June 19, 1937 and reported that it had been sold to Burton M. Langhenry.
At least one home was sold in 1936. The new home at 1001 North Noyes Drive was sold in September. Its sale was reported in the Evening Star with a large picture of the home under the headline "Attractive Home in Woodside Park," even though it is on the Wynnewood Park side of North Noyes Drive. The caption said the home contained eight rooms and two baths and that it had been sold to Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Harder.
In February 1937, the Jarrell Company advertised the new home at 8918 Colesville Road. The home was described: "Six lovely rooms, 2 big tiled baths, oak paneled recreation room with fireplace, attic, fireplace in living room, oil burner with Summer hook-up. Rock wool insulation, electric refrigeration, slate roof, copper downspouts, steel casement windows, garage and other features too numerous to mention." It was open all day on Sunday and on weekdays from 2 to 9 p.m. It was built by Edward A. Gaylor. The Evening Star printed its picture on the first page of the real estate section and reported it had been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Landers in mid-May.
The next new home advertised in Wynnewood Park was the brick Colonial home at 9023 Fairview Road. It was advertised in May and June 1937. It had all the usual features of Wynnewood Park homes but also had some unusual items, including a sun deck over the master bedroom, a glass-enclosed shower, and a table-top range in the "ultra-modern" kitchen. There were also four bedrooms, two baths, and an attached garage.
The Washington Post briefly mentioned 9023 Fairview Road in a September 1937 article concerning the completion of the "last four" homes in Wynnewood Park. The other homes mentioned were 1017 North Mansion Drive, 1026 Woodside Parkway, and, lastly, 9001 Fairview Road, which was still under construction. In fact, these were not the last of the original Wynnewood Park homes; another house was completed in 1938. The article described the neighborhood as a "park built about a lawn" and noted that sidewalks had not been built "to preserve the rustic characteristics of the park. . . . The scene is one of blooming trees brought from all parts of the world and planted there by Mr. Noyes." The Evening Star printed a picture of the home at 9023 Fairview Road in September 1938 and noted that it had been sold by its builder, Edward A. Gaylor, to Mr. and Mrs. George R. Clayton.
The home at 1017 North Mansion Drive was never advertised in the Washington Post or the Evening Star; the next of the last four new Wynnewood Park homes offered was the tapestry brick Colonial at 1026 Woodside Parkway, the southeast corner of Fairview Road and Woodside Parkway. It was built by Edward A. Gaylor and had a large living room with a fireplace, dining room, pine paneled den, three or four bedrooms, and two and a half baths. It also had a side porch and an attached garage, as well as a paneled recreation room in the basement and a floored attic. It was advertised periodically from July 1937 through April 1938. The price was $13,500 (1997 equivalent: $150,800). The Evening Star printed its picture on October 1, 1938 and reported that it had been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Todd D. Cochran.
The new home at 9001 Fairview Road was first offered at the end of October 1937. It was described as having 6 big rooms and 2 baths, an "unusually large de luxe kitchen," a living room with fireplace, an attached one-car garage, and a circular driveway connecting Fairview Road and Woodland Drive. The home did not sell quickly; it was advertised periodically throughout the remainder of 1937, 1938, and as late as July 1939. One ad in January 1939 noted that it was the last available new house in Wynnewood Park.
Although in early 1939 the home at 9001 Fairview Road may have been the last available new home in Wynnewood Park, it was not the last of the original Wynnewood Park homes built. That distinction goes to the home at 1014 South Mansion Drive, on the southeast corner of South Mansion Drive and Fairview Road. In June 1938 the Washington Post noted (this time correctly) that construction of the home marked "completion of one of the most beautiful developments in suburban Washington." The Post also said, referring to the then-new Silver Spring Shopping Center at Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue and the new Silver Theater: "Close to all urban conveniences, the area has recently become even more desirable through the erection of a large parking and shopping center and a motion picture theater." The home itself was described as having three bedrooms, living room with fireplace, dining room, two baths, recreation room with fireplace, kitchen with electric refrigeration, floored attic, and an oil burner with summer and winter hook-up for hot water. It also had an attached two-car garage, porch, large ceder closet, and dressing room. The Evening Star printed the home's picture on the front page of its real estate section of December 31, 1938 and said it had been sold to Mr. and Mrs. John G. Stecher and Miss Edith E. Wilson.
Although the development of Wynnewood Park was virtually complete [two additional homes -- 1008 North Mansion Drive and 1009 South Mansion Drive -- were built in 1986], there were resales of Wynnewood Park homes during the end of the development period as there had been earlier. The late resales, too, illustrate the difficult market at the time. One example is the home at 906 Mansion Drive which was advertised as a resale in June 1937 completely furnished for "½ of original cost." The home had originally been offered ten years earlier for $15,000 (1997 equivalent: $137,300), but its price was reduced to $12,850 (1997 equivalent: $117,700) before it was sold in October 1927. If "½ the original cost" meant $7,500, the equivalent price in 1997 dollars would have been $82,800, which is a substantial reduction from the 1927 value.
The designation "Wynnewood Park" gradually died out. Wynnewood Park residents have always been considered to be a part of Woodside Park. Once Wynnewood Park was fully developed, there was no practical reason for it to be considered as separate from Woodside Park, although a subdivision map sold by the Evening Star in 1938 did show Wynnewood Park, but had it on the wrong side of Colesville Road. Another reason the distinction faded was that Thomas E. Jarrell and his affiliated Stambaugh Construction Company had dealings with the Woodside Development Corporation, purchasing lots and building houses throughout Woodside Park. These homes can often be identified by brass "Stambaugh Built" plaques set into their front walks. Thomas E. Jarrell even jointly sponsored some newspaper ads for Woodside Park with the Hopkins Land Company and then Hopkins-Armstrong before he started promoting Wynnewood Park. In any event, the name Wynnewood Park survives today only in the legal descriptions of property in what had been Woodside Park's Block D.
