Historical Markers and War Memorials in Bethesda, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat for Montgomery County
Bethesda is in Montgomery County
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On Whittier Boulevard north of Braeburn Parkway, on the right when traveling south.
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 . . . — — Map (db m206963) HM
The history of the National Institutes of Health and the mission of the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications inspired artist Kenneth Snelson to create this elegantly angular metal sculpture. The artwork's modular . . . — — Map (db m234876) HM
Near Center Drive just west of Wisconsin Avenue (Maryland Route 355), on the left when traveling west.
The National Library of Medicine's healing totem was created to promote good health, in keeping with the mission of the doctors and scientists who work here at NIH to advance our knowledge of health and medicine. Master carver Jewell James of . . . — — Map (db m77836) HM
On Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, on the right when traveling south.
If you walk down the short path to the water's edge and look upriver to your right, you can see Snake Island in the middle of Little Falls Dam. Just behind the island, hidden underwater, is a fishway—a passage that enables fish to swim beyond . . . — — Map (db m136927) HM
On Center Drive at North Drive, on the right when traveling west on Center Drive.
The 192 year old, 84 foot tall white oak that grew here was felled on February 14, 1998 to make way for the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center. The U.S. Navy used the 14 ton, 35 foot trunk segment for repairs to the USS Constitution, . . . — — Map (db m73322) HM
On Elliott Road, 0.4 miles west of Ashfield Road, on the right when traveling west.
During the Civil War, fortifications were constructed around the perimeter of Washington to defend the city from attack by the Confederate Army. Paramount to survival under siege was protection of the city's water supply. Forts Sumner and Mansfield . . . — — Map (db m17647) HM
Near Center Drive close to Wisconsin Avenue (Maryland Route 355), on the left when traveling west.
The carvings on this bench depict a story from the Salish people of the northwestern United States and British Columbia, Canada. The story teaches respect for natural cycles, represented by the salmon’s annual migration upriver from the sea to . . . — — Map (db m77878) HM
On Rockville Pike (Maryland Route 355) 0.6 miles south of Elsmere Avenue.
The Bethesda Meeting House was erected on this site in 1820. The original sanctuary was destroyed by fire. A second edifice was built in 1850 about 100 yards south of the cemetery. In 1926 the church was moved to its present location at Wilson Lane . . . — — Map (db m78047) HM
By Act of Congress, November 21, 1988,
this building is designated the
Claude Denson Pepper Building
in honor of Senator Pepper's many contributions to
furthering the cause of biomedical research at the
National Institutes of . . . — — Map (db m234865) HM
On Elliott Road, 0.4 miles west of Ashfield Road, on the right when traveling west.
Born June 4, 1834, in Martinsburg, New York, this 1856 West Point graduate returned to his alma mater as an instructor following a tour of duty in the west and midwest. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Bailey organized the First New York Light . . . — — Map (db m17695) HM
Near Elliott Road, 0.4 miles west of Ashfield Road, on the right when traveling west.
During the Civil War between 1861 and 1865, the Army of the Potomac had a two-fold mission: to defeat the Confederate Army and to defend the City of Washington against enemy attack. To prepare for the possibility of enemy attack, military . . . — — Map (db m174638) HM
On Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route 187) at Wisconsin Avenue (Maryland Route 355), on the right when traveling north on Old Georgetown Road.
This commemorative site known as "Five Points," has been used as a commercial crossroads for almost 300 years. Its name was derived from the old Indian trails which are now merged and identified as Edgemoor Lane, Wisconsin Avenue, East West Highway . . . — — Map (db m84) HM
On Sangamore Road at Westpath Way, on the left when traveling north on Sangamore Road.
Forts Alexander, Ripley and Franklin, built to protect the Washington water system in 1861, were connected by earthworks in 1863 and renamed Ft. Sumner to honor Maj. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner, A hero of Antietam. The fort’s 28 cannon providea a . . . — — Map (db m3448) HM
After the Civil War, America's cities created new transportation systems that enabled them to prosper and grow. During this time, major rail lines were built to connect Washington, D.C. with other cities. Smaller electric streetcar or 'trolley' . . . — — Map (db m116775) HM
Near Westlake Terrace, 0.1 miles west of Westlake Drive, on the left when traveling west.
Lieutenant of Volunteers
French and Indian War,
Magistrate of the 1st. court,
Montg. Co. MD. 1777
Major of Maryland Battalion
Member of Committee to
effect resolutions of
first Continental Congress. — — Map (db m72752) HM
On Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route 187) at Wisconsin Avenue (Maryland Route 355), on the left when traveling north on Old Georgetown Road.
Robert W. Lebling gave to the community with passion, just as he loved his family and friends. Highly respected for his civic and business leadership, Mr. Lebling served on numerous boards and committees for the economic betterment of Bethesda. . . . — — Map (db m85) HM
On Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, on the right when traveling south.
Seven dams and one steam pump were built along the river to funnel water into the canal. In times of drought or low water, usually during the height of summer, river levels dropped dramatically. The canal could not get enough water from the river . . . — — Map (db m136925) HM
From its inception the vision of the C&O Canal has evolved, constantly finding ways to be relevant. Built in 1829, Lockhouse 6 stands a mile upstream from Little Falls, site of the canal's July 4th groundbreaking the previous year. Lockhouse 6 . . . — — Map (db m112119) HM
On Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route 187) just east of Fairmont Avenue, on the right when traveling east.
Locust Grove, the home of Lucy Beall, daughter of George, and of her husband Samuel Wade Magruder, a local leader in the Revolutionary War, was built around 1770. Located near Montgomery Mall Shopping Plaza (at the intersection of Westlake . . . — — Map (db m72958) HM
Near Arlington Road north of Edgemoor Lane, on the right when traveling north.
Looking north up Wisconsin Avenue at Old Georgetown Road in 1940. The Bank of Bethesda building, now Crestar Bank, is to the left. The sign to the right announces that the Hot Shoppe was coming soon — it opened in January, 1941. Behind the . . . — — Map (db m129431) HM
On Capital Crescent Trail, 0.4 miles south of River Road (Maryland Route 190), on the left when traveling south.
Nathan Loughborough came to Washington around 1800 from Philadelphia seeking a federal position when the seat of government moved from that city. Loughborough,
active businessman, civic and military leader, served as Comptroller of the Treasury . . . — — Map (db m185528) HM
On Capital Crescent Trail, 0.4 miles south of River Road (Maryland Route 190), on the left when traveling south.
In the early 1800s, Nathan Loughborough moved from Philadelphia to Washington and purchased the 250 acre estate, Milton c.1820. Believed to be the oldest standing house in the area, the original wing was built in the eighteenth century of granite, a . . . — — Map (db m185529) HM
On Wisconsin Avenue (Maryland Route 355) at Montgomery Lane, on the right when traveling south on Wisconsin Avenue.
(East Face)
N.S.D.A.R. Memorial to the Pioneer Mothers of the Covered Wagon Days.
(North Face)
This the first military road in America beginning at Rock Creek and Potomac River, Georgetown, Maryland, leading our pioneers . . . — — Map (db m231340) HM
On Wood Road, 0.6 miles north of Rockville Pike (Maryland Route 355), on the right when traveling east.
Panel at main entrance:
National Naval Medical Center Tower and View has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior
Cornerstone inscription at main entrance, north . . . — — Map (db m70906) HM
On Wood Road (Maryland Route 355) 0.6 miles north of Rockville Pike (Maryland Route 355).
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt selected this site on July 5, 1938. At the time, the site was a cabbage patch on a run down farm. This property was originally part of the “Clagetts’ Purchase” recorded in 1715. The original 772 acre tract has . . . — — Map (db m61969) HM WM
On Capital Crescent Trail, 0.1 miles north of River Road (Maryland Route 190), on the left when traveling north.
Neal Potter was a model public citizen, economist, and lifetime advocate for world peace, human rights, and responsible government. As a Montgomery County citizen, County Councilmember (1970-1990 and 1994-1998), and County Executive . . . — — Map (db m182161) HM
On Capital Crescent Trail, 0.1 miles north of River Road (Maryland Route 190), on the left.
Neal Potter
Neal Potter was a model public citizen, an economist, and a lifelong advocate for world peace, human rights, and responsible government. As a Montgomery County citizen and Councilmember and Montgomery County Executive, he . . . — — Map (db m182165) HM
Near Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route 187) just east of Arlington Road, on the right when traveling east.
Part of Old Georgetown Road Was once an Indian trail going from what is now Wisconsin Avenue to the Potomac River. In 1806, The Maryland Assembly created the Washington Turnpike Company to improve the Georgetown-Frederick Road. — — Map (db m73385) HM
On Moorland Lane east of Arlington Road, on the left when traveling west.
Old Georgetown Road looking west, in the years just before World War II. Edgemoor Lane intersects — at the left. The Acme Market, a grocery store, is in the center of the picture. — — Map (db m129432) HM
Near Westwood Drive west of Wetherill Road, on the left when traveling west.
Original Federal Boundary Stone
District of Columbia
Placed 1791 - 1792
Protected by John Hall Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
1916 — — Map (db m154768) HM
On Center Drive, 0.1 miles south of South Drive, on the right when traveling south.
"The National Institute of Health speaks the universal language of humanitarianism. It has been devoted throughout its long and distinguished history to furthering the health of all mankind....In dedicating this Institute, I dedicate it to the . . . — — Map (db m244736) HM
Near Wisconsin Avenue (Route 355) 0.1 miles south of Center Drive, on the right when traveling south.
The carvings on this bench depict a story from the Salish people of the northwestern United States and British Columbia, Canada. The story explains how Raven delivered the sun, moon, stars, and fire to humanity. These treasures are necessary for . . . — — Map (db m77864) HM
On Wisconsin Avenue (Maryland Route 355) near East West Highway, on the right when traveling south.
Robert W. Lebling gave to the community with passion, just as he loved his family and friends. Highly respected for his civic and business leadership, Mr. Lebling served on numerous boards and committees for the economic betterment of Bethesda. . . . — — Map (db m232535) HM
A gift to NIH by
John, Peter and Susan Whitehead
The Family of Edwin C. "Jack" Whitehead
Displayed at NIH since 1987 to
commemorate the NIH Centennial
James B. Wyngaarden, M.D.
Director, NIH
Dedicated October 27, 2006
Elias A. . . . — — Map (db m234872) HM
Near Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route 187) just east of Arlington Road, on the right when traveling east.
In 1890, the Tennallytown and Rockville Railroad ran along Old Georgetown Road to Bethesda Park, a favorite amusement spot in the area. The park entrance was located on the corner of what is now Old Georgetown Road and Sonoma Road. — — Map (db m73284) HM
On Moorland Lane west of Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route 187), on the right when traveling east. Reported missing.
The Bank of Bethesda building, now Crestar Bank, as it looked in the 1940's. The bank was established in 1919. This structure was built in 1926, with an addition in 1940, and is constructed of locally-quarried stone. — — Map (db m223489) HM
On South Drive at Center Drive, on the right when traveling west on South Drive.
This centennial anchor, originally from a Coast Guard cutter, rested for many years in front of the Staten Island Marine Hospital where the National Institutes of Health began in 1887 with the founding of the Hygienic Laboratory. It was presented to . . . — — Map (db m69105) HM
On Rockville Pike (Maryland Route 355) 0.6 miles south of Elsmere Avenue.
The Church that Named a Community
was built on this site in 1820 and called
Bethesda House of Mercy
The entire district came to be called by that name.
The community of Bethesda is known the world over as a center of . . . — — Map (db m77895) HM
Near Whittier Boulevard at Braeburn Parkway, on the right when traveling south.
Genesis:
In 1960, a tidal wave of Baby Boomers approached high school age—creating a classroom shortage in Bethesda. The western suburbs along River Road needed a high school of their own. With 'design innovation the goal,' the . . . — — Map (db m206965) HM
On Capital Crescent Trail, 1.7 miles south of River Road (Maryland Route 190), on the right when traveling south.
In the nineteenth century, boats along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal transported coal from Cumberland, Maryland to Georgetown in the District of Columbia. By the early twentieth century, trains had replaced boats as a means of transportation and . . . — — Map (db m185532) HM
On Western Avenue east of Park Avenue, on the right when traveling west.
In 1790, Congress authorized the establishment of a territory 10 miles square on the Potomac River to be the Capital of the United States. It was President Washington's recommendation to use land on both sides of the river. Surveyor Andrew Ellicott, . . . — — Map (db m154770) HM
On Arlington Road north of Edgemoor Lane, on the right when traveling north. Reported missing.
The first building for the Bethesda Fire Department, which is shown here, was located at 7620 Old Georgetown Road. It was built in 1926 and an addition was completed in 1931. The photograph was taken in the 1940's. — — Map (db m242274) HM
Near Bethesda Avenue at Woodmont Avenue, on the right when traveling east.
The Capital Crescent Trail follows the route of an old railroad line called the Georgetown Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O). It's all that remains of an unrealized attempt by the B&O to construct a major rail link between the . . . — — Map (db m83) HM
Near Capital Crescent Trail, 1.9 miles south of River Road (Maryland Route 190), on the left when traveling south.
The Capital Crescent Trail follows the route of an old railroad line called the Georgetown Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O). It's all that remains of an unrealized attempt by the B&O to construct a major rail link between the . . . — — Map (db m185530) HM
Near Center Drive just south of South Drive, on the right when traveling south.
By Act of Congress This building is designated as the (sic)
The Louis Stokes Laboratories
Congressman Louis Stokes served as a distinguished member of the United States Congress for 30 years, representing his native state of Ohio. He was . . . — — Map (db m68454) HM
On Cloister Drive just south of Center Drive, on the right when traveling south.
Mary Woodward Lasker (1900-1994), with her husband Albert, founded the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation in 1942 to deepen the national commitment to medical science, and to raise awareness of extraordinary basic and clinical research discoveries . . . — — Map (db m73073) HM
On Center Drive, on the right when traveling south.
During his twenty-four years as a member of the United States House of Representatives, The Honorable Paul G. Rogers authored numerous laws to support and develop the mission of the National Institutes of Health. His lifetime of public service . . . — — Map (db m234868) HM
The 1903 Walter Reed Memorial Association's vision for a memorial in honor of Major Walter Reed was finally realized on 21 November 1966 on the ground of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC. After the center's closure on 15 September . . . — — Map (db m75846) HM
Near River Road (Maryland Route 190) west of Willard Avenue, on the right when traveling west.
From 1891 to 1900, the Glen Echo Railroad Company, later known as the Washington and Glen Echo Railroad, operated a trolley line through what is now Willard Avenue Park. This line comprised part of a series of interconnecting systems that provided . . . — — Map (db m126644) HM
Near Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route 187) just west of Moorland Lane, on the left when traveling west.
This complex of buildings and gardens stands on part of the land associated with Descendants of Ninian Beall, who came to Maryland in 1650. His son George reputedly gave his name to Georgetown which in 1752 was carved out of property he owned. — — Map (db m73142) HM
On Center Drive at NIH Gateway Drive, on the right when traveling west on Center Drive. Reported missing.
From the Greek Island of Cos, Hippocrates is said to have held classes under the parent tree. The cutting for this tree is a gift the town of Cos presented to the National Library of Medicine at the dedication of its new building. — — Map (db m62940) HM
Near Rockville Pike (Maryland Route 355) 0.1 miles south of Center Drive, on the right when traveling south.
From the Greek Island of Cos, Hippocrates is said to have held classes under the parent tree. The gift Tree was presented by the town of Cos to the National Library of Medicine at the dedication
of its new building on December 14, 1961.
This . . . — — Map (db m73312) HM
Near Center Drive, 0.3 miles east of Convent Drive, on the right when traveling east.
From the Greek Island of Cos, Hippocrates is said to have held classes under the parent tree. The gift Tree was presented by the town of Cos to the National Library of Medicine at the dedication
of its new building on December 14, 1961.
This . . . — — Map (db m74964) HM
Near Whittier Boulevard north of Braeburn Parkway, on the right when traveling south.
This Korean cherry tree was planted to celebrate the sister school relationship between Walt Whitman High School (WWHS) and Seoul High School (SHS), Seoul Korea with the SHS visitors at WWHS on February 9, 2009.
The Sister School . . . — — Map (db m206961) HM
On Woodmont Avenue at Norfolk Avenue, on the left when traveling north on Woodmont Avenue.
★ ★ ★ ★
This memorial is dedicated to those men and women of Bethesda-Chevy Chase area who gave their lives in the defense of our country.
World War I •
World War II •
Korean War •
Vietnam War •
The Gulf . . . — — Map (db m145229) WM
On Palmer Road North, 0.2 miles east of Wood Road, on the right when traveling east.
Text inscribed on north face of monument: Walter Reed 1851 - 1902
Bacteriologist Research Scientist In honor of his great work in the fight for the eradication of yellow fever
Text inscribed on south face of monument: . . . — — Map (db m68989) HM
On Bethesda Avenue just west of Woodmont Avenue, on the left when traveling west.
By the mid-20th century, Bethesda offered "101 services which a thriving suburban community needs." In the downtown commercial district, savvy shoppers found specialized shops, department stores, movie theaters, florists, medical offices, . . . — — Map (db m174034) HM
Near Elliott Road, 0.4 miles west of Ashfield Road, on the right when traveling west.
Battery - a fortification formed by moving earth or other materials into hill-like formations to protect artillery, having the following components:
Parapet - an elevation of earth that protects soldiers from attack.
Terreplain . . . — — Map (db m174636) HM
Near Palmer Road North, 0.2 miles east of Wood Road (Maryland Route 355), on the right when traveling east.
This plaza is a tribute to the history and legacy of two great military medical institutions and their contributions to military medicine. Through this garden’s peaceful landscape, sculpture, and memorials, visitors are reminded of our commitment to . . . — — Map (db m70946) HM
On Grosvenor Lane at Rockville Pike (Maryland Road 355), on the right when traveling north on Grosvenor Lane.
Known locally as "The Linden Oak," this white oak tree (Quercus alba) is the fourth largest of its species in the state of Maryland and the largest in Montgomery County. How it came to be called "The Linden Oak" is unknown.
Recognized in the . . . — — Map (db m22317) HM
Near Clara Barton Parkway south of the Glen Echo Exit. Reported permanently removed.
“When I was 7, we moved [to the] lock, and we were very happy. My mother was so happy to have a home; she was just about wild. And we did love it here, as a locktender, you know?” —Lavenia Cross Waskey
On Capital Cresent Trail, on the right when traveling north.
Original Federal Boundary Stone
District of Columbia
Placed • 1791 • 1792
Protected by Columbia Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
July 12, 1915 — — Map (db m154767) HM
On River Road (Maryland Route 190) at Old Seven Locks Road, on the right when traveling west on River Road.
Originally a blacksmith shop, this home was built in the middle of the eighteenth century. It stands on a tract once known as “Magruder’s Honesty.” Believed to have been built by Ninian Magruder, Senior (d. 1751), it is one of the oldest standing . . . — — Map (db m916) HM
