Historical Markers and War Memorials in Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland and Vicinity
▶ Montgomery County(529) ▶ Frederick County(458) ▶ Howard County(116) ▶ Prince George's County(523) ▶ Washington, D.C.(1957) ▶ Arlington County, D.C.(368) ▶ Fairfax County, Virginia(474) ▶ Loudoun County, Virginia(252)
Touch name on list to highlight map location. Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
On Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29) at Silver Spring Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Georgia Avenue.
In 1912 John H. and Thomas Hunter opened Hunter Bros., a hardware and implements business, on what John described as "the most lonesome spot between Glenmont and the city of Washington." Housed in a two-story wood frame structure, the hardware . . . — — Map (db m67613) HM
On Georgia Avenue (U.S. 97) at Cameron Street, on the right when traveling south on Georgia Avenue.
From 1946 to 2000, Tastee Diner's 24-hour service could be enjoyed three blocks south at 8516 Georgia Avenue. Designated a Montgomery County Master Plan Historic Preservation site in 1994, this classic Streamline Moderne-style diner was . . . — — Map (db m157692) HM
On Georgia Avenue (Maryland Route 97) at Wayne Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Georgia Avenue.
With a burst of new development in 1927, downtown Silver Spring's commercial center -- originally located around the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station (8100 Georgia Avenue at Sligo Avenue) -- firmly re-established itself three blocks to the north. . . . — — Map (db m62161) HM
On Georgia Avenue (Maryland Route 97) at Sligo Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Georgia Avenue.
The Establishment of Silver Spring's first bank and Newspaper, traditional institutions required for a community to grow and prosper, occurred on this corner with the opening of the Silver Spring National Bank in 1910 and publication of The Maryland . . . — — Map (db m62165) HM
On Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29) at Bonifant Street, on the right when traveling south on Georgia Avenue.
Silver Spring During the Civil War
If you has used our post office between 1937 and 1981 you would have seen a mural depicting a possible Civil War scenario.
Opened on March 1, 1937, the Georgian Revival style Silver Spring post office at . . . — — Map (db m76411) HM
In 1842, Francis Preston Blair built a country house very near this park and divided his time between his 300 acre farm and his city residence "Blair House", which is now the President's official guest house in Washington, D.C. Blair was a powerful . . . — — Map (db m75736) HM
On Newell Street at Kennett Street, on the right when traveling north on Newell Street.
[Panel 1:] Blair Mansion: Silver Spring
Prior to the development of modern Silver Spring, this immediate area was a bucolic, rural landscape in a portion of Montgomery County then known as Sligo. The property was owned by Francis . . . — — Map (db m23488) HM
On Colesville Road (U.S. 29) at Fentron Street, on the right when traveling south on Colesville Road.
"Shop Along the Silver Strip, Suburban Washington's Newest and Finest Shopping Community," proclaimed the January 8, 1942 Silver Spring Standard newspaper upon its opening. Businesses residing in these storefronts offered a variety of . . . — — Map (db m68578) HM
Designed in 1946 by New York City architect Walter Monroe Cory, the Canada Dry Bottling Plant is the most architecturally significant Streamline Moderne industrial structure in Montgomery County and a landmark in downtown Silver Spring. The . . . — — Map (db m75058) HM
On Newell Street at Kennett Street, on the right when traveling north on Newell Street.
Washington, D.C. was raided in 1864 by 14,000 Confederate troops led by General Jubal Early. Skirmishes took place in Silver Spring and Washington, with the attack finally being stopped at Fort Stevens - just a few miles south of this site. . . . — — Map (db m76026) HM
On Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29) at Silver Spring Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Georgia Avenue.
In 1945, John H. Hunter sold his hardware business to Lawrence B. Maloney, Sr. a former International Harvester Co. branch manager from Richmond, Va. Maloney was assisted in his new position by sons Lawrence (Larry), Jr. and Leonard. Renamed . . . — — Map (db m67665) HM
On East West Highway, on the right when traveling north.
(Center Plaque):
Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler October 7, 1770 - November 20, 1843The first superintendent of the United States' survey of the coast, founded in 1807, led America's efforts in establishing the geodetic framework for all land . . . — — Map (db m54502) HM
“ A Full Line of Dry Goods and Clothing” was available at Moses Sclar's Grand Leader Store (8221 Georgia Avenue), which opened in 1926 and adjoined John and Joseph Dolan's project (see opposite side) to the south. In operation for . . . — — Map (db m79236) HM
On Georgia Avenue near Bonifant Street when traveling south.
Silver Spring's First Bank Robbery occurred in 1928, here on the southwest corner of Georgia Avenue and Oak Street (today's Bonifant Street).
Commerce in this block began on September 1, 1925, when the Colonial Revival-style Silver Spring . . . — — Map (db m125280) HM
Near Georgia Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
This geodetic mark was established to commemorate 200 years of science, service, stewardship to the nation by NOAA and its predecessor agencies and to mark the location of NOAA's 200th Celebration Time Capsule. The materials reflect the essence of . . . — — Map (db m66195) HM
On Georgia Avenue (Maryland Route 97) at Sligo Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Georgia Avenue.
From Coal and Horse Feed to Ice Cream, a variety of businesses fronting Georgia Avenue have occupied the corner across Sligo Avenue from where you stand. The earliest documented business was Wilkins & Jordan dealers in flour, feed , hay, grain, . . . — — Map (db m62168) HM
On Georgia Avenue (Maryland Route 97) at Jesup Blair Drive, on the right when traveling north on Georgia Avenue.
Francis Preston Blair brought his family to Washington from Kentucky at the invitation of President Andrew Jackson to publish a newspaper supporting his administration. Between 1842 and 1854, the Blair family built three summer homes in Silver . . . — — Map (db m61875) HM
On Georgia Avenue (Route 29) at Ripley Street when traveling south on Georgia Avenue.
"Three ace promoters of Silver Spring in those days [1920s & 30s], they had a finger in almost every pie." So wrote editor Blair Lee III in August 29, 1947 Maryland News describing his father E. Brooke Lee, James H. Cissel and Frank L. . . . — — Map (db m75761) HM
On Georgia Avenue (Maryland Route 97) at Camron Street when traveling south on Georgia Avenue.
The 1958 Perpetual Building Association office at 8700 Georgia Avenue is the finest example of Mid-Century Modern architecture in Silver Spring. The University of Maryland study Modern Movement in Maryland extols Perpetual as a "pristine . . . — — Map (db m66947) HM
On Eastern Avenue 0 miles north of Georgia Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
This plaque marks the site
of the
District of Columbia
North-East
Boundary Stone No. 1
originally placed here
1791 - 1792
Presented by
The Mary Washington Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
and
United States . . . — — Map (db m154777) HM
On Colesville Road (U.S. 29) at Fenton Street, on the right when traveling south on Colesville Road.
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 . . . — — Map (db m69171) HM
The Silver Spring Armory, completed in 1927, was significant for its association with the Maryland National Guard 29th Division's service during World Wars I and II. It was one of the major civic buildings constructed in Silver Spring during the . . . — — Map (db m75275) HM
The first decades of this century saw Silver Spring transformed from a 19th century rural village into an early 20th century residential community and center of commerce. Major E. Brooke Lee and Captain Frank L. Hewitt, returning World War I . . . — — Map (db m76024) HM
One of the most significant reasons for Silver Spring's growth was its location along the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad. The railroad line stimulated the development of outlying commuter suburbs. It also allowed the County's agriculture . . . — — Map (db m75802) HM
Near Jesup Blair Drive east of Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29), on the right when traveling east.
6 August 1863: “Our weather continues intensely hot, so far Blair endures it well — cheerful as a bird — out under the trees all day about the Spring where it is cool from the dense shade & the cool waters, he makes mill dams, . . . — — Map (db m82236) HM
The 1938 Silver Spring Shopping Center is a superb example of moderne architecture with art deco elements. Designed by noted architect John Eberson, it is a rare example of an early planned shopping center with parking forming Montgomery County's . . . — — Map (db m75065) HM
Silver Spring's heyday as a commercial center began in 1938 with the opening of the Silver Theatre and Shopping complex, designed by John Eberson. These streamlined buildings housed a wide variety of shops, as well as a 1,100 seat movie theatre, and . . . — — Map (db m76002) HM
On Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29) south of Bonifant Street when traveling south.
Silver Spring's First Movie Theater, the 500-seat SECO (Suburban Electric Company), which opened on November 7, 1927 with the silent film "Fireman Save My Child," was located at 8242-8244 Georgia Avenue. The theater, renamed Roth's Silver . . . — — Map (db m125279) HM
On Georgia Avenue (Maryland Route 97) at Wayne Avenue on Georgia Avenue.
At three stories, this was Silver Springs tallest building. Occupying the prime corner lot at 8435 Georgia Avenue was the Masonic Temple, home of the Silver Spring Lodge No. 215 A.F. & A.M. of Maryland. (Ancient and Free Accepted Mason). About three . . . — — Map (db m62102) HM
On Georgia Avenue (Maryland Route 97) north of Silver Spring Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
“Dont Worry About It”
The Mayor of Silver Spring.
Norman Lane 1911-1987.
Remembering the Loving Kindhearted Forbearance of the People of Silver Spring
The “Mayor of Silver Spring” was our official . . . — — Map (db m79247) HM
Near Jesup Blair Drive east of Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29), on the right when traveling east.
In his declaration of war on April 15, 1861, President Lincoln made an urgent request:
“I appeal to all loyal citizens to favor, facilitate and aid said effort to maintain the honor, the integrity, and the existence of our National . . . — — Map (db m82166) HM
Near Jesup Blair Drive east of Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29), on the right when traveling east.
“ [They] have to an unusual degree the spirit of [a] clan. Their family is a closed corporation.”
Secretary John Hay recorded a White House conversation in which the President Abraham Lincoln, spoke of the Blair . . . — — Map (db m82293) HM
On Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29) at Ripley Street when traveling south on Georgia Avenue.
"Buy 'em by the Bag," the motto urged. For more than half a century, hamburger-hungry customers came to Maryland's first Little Tavern to do just that.
Harry F. Duncan founded Little Tavern Shops, Inc., which specialized in 5’ little . . . — — Map (db m75468) HM
On Georgia Avenue (Maryland Route 97) at Blair Road, on the right when traveling north on Georgia Avenue.
Just west of the Jesup Blair House was "Falklands," home of President Lincoln's Postmaster General, Montgomery C. Blair, and "Silver Spring," home of his father, Francis Preston Blair. During the attack on Ft. Stevens, July 11 and 12, 1864, . . . — — Map (db m3972) HM
The Community of Silver Spring, Maryland, derives its name from this spring, discovered in 1840 by Francis Preston Blair and his daughter, Elizabeth. While riding on horseback in the woods beyond Washington, rays of sun on mica sand particles in the . . . — — Map (db m74684) HM
On Pershing Drive at Bonifant Street, on the left when traveling west on Pershing Drive.
This mural tells the stories of 3 refugees who live here in Maryland, who were interviewed for this project. Georges, a former mayor of his city in eastern Congo (DRC), fled with his family when the war came to his region. Mai, from Myanmar (aka . . . — — Map (db m114527) HM
On Newell Street near East West Highway (Maryland Route 410).
The community of Silver Spring derives its name from a mica flecked sparkling spring which existed in the immediate area and is now commemorated in this park. Francis Preston Blair, who came to Maryland from Kentucky to publish a newspaper in . . . — — Map (db m101) HM
Near Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29) south of Colesville Road (U.S. 29), on the right when traveling north.
The 1938 Silver Theatre and Silver Spring Shopping Center complex is a landmark of early 20th-century commercial architecture. It profoundly affected the development of suburban Silver Spring as well as helped shape the growth of the region. It . . . — — Map (db m113018) HM
Near Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29) south of Colesville Road (U.S. 29), on the right when traveling north.
Just around the corner, on Colesville Road, is the American Film Institute (AFI) Silver Theatre and Cultural Center — an architectural treasure and state-of-the-art movie theater saved from the wrecker's ball by the citizens of Silver Spring . . . — — Map (db m113010) HM
On Ripley Street south of Bonifant Street, on the right when traveling north.
This sculpture, titled Two Roads, is a kind of open book that stands where two paths diverge, reflecting visitors and their world. The pages, with passages of caution, insight, beauty and hope, are quietly disintegrating dissolving into the . . . — — Map (db m114002) HM
On Ellsworth Drive at Fenton Street, on the right when traveling north on Ellsworth Drive.
(left panel)
"... We take increased devotion to that cause
for which they gave the last full measure of devotion ...
that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom ..."
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg . . . — — Map (db m113541) WM
On Georgia Avenue (U.S. 29), on the right when traveling north.
Silver Spring in the early 1900s saw the construction of several private dwellings fronting the east side of Georgia Avenue, originally named the Washington and Brookeville Turnpike. One of these was an American four-square house built in 1909 . . . — — Map (db m79226) HM
On Georgia Avenue (at milepost 97) at Blair Road, on the right when traveling north on Georgia Avenue.
On August 8, 1850 a hired carriage was forcibly stopped in the middle of Brookeville Pike (Georgia Avenue) near this spot by a Sheriff's posse from Washington, D.C. and a shoot-out ensued. The carriage was driven by William Chaplin, who was unarmed, . . . — — Map (db m109230) HM
Brick Is Enduring. In 1931, the Lansdale, PA engineer Frank HM Klinge published the Atlas of Montgomery County; Volume One. Real estate atlases were created to assist fire insurance companies in assessing the risk associated with insuring a . . . — — Map (db m75302) HM
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