Silver Opportunity

Silver Opportunity. Live, Work , Play, Dine and Shop. , The commercial Vitality of this block sprang to life in the late 1930s. Across the street, where homes with front porches once stood, the 1938 construction of the Silver Spring Shopping Center served as the "Magnet" attracting future development. The theatre, designed by John Eberson (1875-1954) closed in 1984. The Art Deco Society of Washington waged a 20-year battle to preserve it and the shopping center. Success was realized with the Silver's 2003 reopening as the American Film Institute., Many other unique buildings sit with the Silver Spring Central Business Historic District, so designated in 1976 (see map). In 1941, the Maryland Real Estate Co. constructed a series of one- and two-story buildings n this side of the block, providing ground-level storefronts and second-floor offices (see other side {Marker # 68578}.) Recognizing an opportunity to provide convenient housing to potential shoppers, MRE commissioned Washington D.C. architect George T. Santmyers (1889-1960) to design the Art Deco Montgomery Arms Apartments at 8700-8722 Colesville Road., More residents attracted more retail. In 1947, the Hecht Co. opened its first suburban department store at Fenton Street and Ellsworth Drive. The Colesville Road entrance was added in 1955. Combined with the Penny's 1950 store opening (see other side), the confluence of shopping, entertainment, offices, and residents marked the arrival of downtown Silver Spring as a major suburban center.