Bethesda in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
“Home of the Dome”
(1962 - 1992)
On this site the first geodesic dome gymnasium in America stood for three decades. The brainchild of futuristic architect & innovative icon Buckminster Fuller in 1954, Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland was chosen for this unique honor after the dome design was bid competitively versus a conventional rectangular gym.
With a record capacity of 3,500 as an auditorium, the 'radical' Whitman Field House caused modern steel construction magazine to predict: 'whatever the nature of physical education in this century and the next, this distinctive dome should be able to accommodate it.'
Given with pride and gratitude by the Whitman Class of 1970 on the occasion of its 50th reunion.
Erected 2022 by The Whitman Class of 1970.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.
Location. 38° 58.835′ N, 77° 7.699′ W. Marker is in Bethesda, Maryland, in Montgomery County. Marker is on Whittier Boulevard north of Braeburn Parkway, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7100 Whittier Blvd, Bethesda MD 20817, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Class of 1970 Honors Its Distinctive ‘Dome•icile’ (here, next to this marker); Tree Planting Ceremony
this page online
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. A new sign at Whitman High will celebrate its demolished dome. 2022 article by John Kelly in The Washington Post from September 26, 2022. Exccerpt:
In the spring of 1962, a strange and wondrous structure began rising on Whittier Boulevard in Bethesda. It was a geodesic dome, the futuristic building popularized by R. Buckminster Fuller. Soon the building would echo with the sounds of Keds and Chucks squeaking on a varnished wooden floor. The massive dome enclosed the gymnasium of the brand-new Walt Whitman High School.(Submitted on September 30, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
For 30 years, the dome was the symbol of the school, as recognizable in its way as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was adark day for Barry Kemelhor, Whitman Class of 1970, when the dome was demolished in 1992.
2. Presentation of "The Home of the Dome" as qualifying for the Historical Marker Database. (Submitted on September 30, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
3. Class of 1970 unveils plaque commemorating Whitman’s Dome. 2022 article by Sonya Rashkovan in The Black & White, Walt Whitman’s student news site.
To find the perfect place for the plaque, Kemelhor and his classmates asked Whitman engineers to locate the exact center of the once-35,800 sq. feet Dome, which turned out to be on the 18-yard line of the football field. Since the location wasn’t suitable for a commemorative marker, the initiators agreed to place it near the stadium, overlooking the original location of the Dome, according to Kemelhor.(Submitted on December 6, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.)
Photo in the collection of Barry Kemelhor, used with permission, circa 1965
3. Street View of the Original Walt Whitman High School Campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
This view shows the two distinctive architectural features that were depicted on the school’s line-drawing logo preprinted on countless mimeographed memos-to-parents that students took home: The dome (left) and the arched canopies at its main entrance (center right).
Photo in the collection of Barry Kemelhor, used with permission
4. View of the Dome and High School from the Football Field Stands in the Late 1960s
The cheer “Go Vikings!” in the distance is white paper woven into the chain-link fence between the football field and the Dome.
Photo in the collection of Barry Kemelhor, used with permission, 1967/68
5. A Basketball Game in the Dome
Photo in the collection of Barry Kemelhor, used with permission, 1971
6. Class of 1971 at their Commencement in the Dome
Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 634 times since then and 101 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 30, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 2, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
