It only took 28 months to build the Forest Glen railway line, starting on July 26, 1895, when the railway company incorporated and ending November 25, 1897, when the entire line opened for traffic. Oh, there were a few “bumps” along the way during planning, like when rights of way had to be negotiated. It certainly helped when the state of Maryland authorized the company to institute condemnation procedures, if necessary!
By year’s end, passengers on the Forest Glen line were enjoying a 2.9-mile ride that cost five cents. What attraction awaited riders at the Forest Glen terminus? Located there was the National Park Seminary, a fashionable school for girls that had opened in 1894 in the former Ye Forrest Inne, a resort hotel that itself opened in 1887 but closed seven years later due to lack of business. Running time on the line from end to end was usually 15 minutes (try doing that today in a car) but service was notoriously irregular, with delays of up to half an hour common (shades of Metro’s Red line).
Who knows how long the two women seen in the “Silver Spring: Then” photo were waiting for the trolley that Thursday, June 21, 1917, when photographer Willard R. Ross came upon them and took this photo that he published as a postcard?
Until now only identified as Mrs. Rudolph Bender and Mrs. Charles Warren (which is who is unknown), new research has unearthed additional information. Mrs. Ida Bender lived at 908 Silver Spring Avenue with her husband Rudolph, listed in the 1917 Nelson’s Washington Suburban Directory as being employed in “steel plate transfer.” They had four children; Victor H., Rudolph Jr., Elsie and Leo. Mrs. Bender died in 1950, her husband pre-deceased her four years earlier, and the last of their children lived until 1989. If anyone knows of any descendants of the Bender family, please let me know.
Nothing could be found out about Mrs. Warren other than she lived on Sligo Avenue at Fenton Street with her husband Charles, a bricklayer, at the time this photo was taken.
The foremost building appearing to the left of Mrs. Bender and Mrs. Warren is James H. Cissel’s coal and feed store. Mr. Cissel was the first president of the Silver Spring National Bank (the community’s first), which opened in 1910. Conveniently—at least for Mr. Cissel—the bank stood across the street from his coal and feed store. Less than half a block east of the bank, on the opposite side of Sligo Avenue, stood Mr. Cissel’s home.
John and Thomas Hunter’s Hunter Bros. hardware store was located next to Cissel’s store. The Hunters moved to Silver Spring in 1913 to make their fortune. At first they occupied a wood frame structure, but in 1925, they constructed a two-story brick store. They embedded in its facade a cornerstone dated 1896, believed to have been removed from an earlier store they owned prior to moving to Silver Spring. The 1925 structure, with a late 1940s facade addition, still survives at 8126 Georgia Avenue. It has been recently learned that this building is in danger of being lost to a planned widening of the side street on which it sits. This structure, as well as another endangered building in the next block north on Georgia Avenue, will be profiled in my December column.
Amazingly, three structures appear in the “Silver Spring: Again” photo that can be seen in the 1917 photo. On the east (right) side at 8131 Georgia Avenue stands the 1915 Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Dept. #1. The station’s original castellated facade was replaced by the current facade in 1932. Across Georgia Avenue can be seen the scaffolding of the new SSVFD #1, which will replace the original station (and thus create concern as to what will happen to the old one).
Across Silver Spring Avenue from the fire station still stands 8201 Georgia Avenue, today’s Bell Flowers. The second floor of Bell’s has remained unchanged for 87 years! A couple doors up from Bell’s is Plaza Artist Materials at 8207 Georgia Avenue. Sticking out from the top of Plaza is a lone dormer window—all that remains of the early 20th century American four-square house with front porch that Plaza originally was.
In 1917, Hugh F. O’Donnell owned the house. Mr. O’Donnell was a contractor. He probably enjoyed sitting out on his porch in the evening, talking to passing neighbors and watching the occasional “gasoline buggy” putter by.
As Georgia Avenue continues to evolve in the 21st century, it is hoped that some of the pieces from our community’s “Main Street” quilt will be retained. Doing so will allow future generations to gain a better understanding of our past. |
