Main Street of History: Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road

Since last December I have been making appearances around downtown Silver Spring promoting publication of Historic Silver Spring, the first book to pictorially document the history of our fascinating community. The next scheduled book discussion (in the form of an illustrated slide talk) and signing will be on Saturday, February 25, at the Silver Spring Borders, 8518 Fenton Street, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Displayed here are photographs of Colesville Road that are contained in chapter two of the book, “Main Street of History: Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road.” Downtown Silver Spring is unique in that it possesses two “Main Streets,” Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road. A walk along either of these busy thoroughfares allows the urban explorer to experience a virtual time capsule of Silver Spring’s history. Buildings fronting these two roadways were constructed during each of the last nine decades of the 20th century and into the 21st, collectively symbolizing our community’s past and serving as our visual identity.

The Washington, Colesville and Ashton Turnpike Company was established in 1864 to operate the Ashton, Colesville and Sligo Turnpike (Colesville Road), which ended at the Washington and Brookeville Turnpike (Georgia Avenue). “Toll Gate #1” was located just as travelers approached the end of the turnpike at Sligo, the original name of Silver Spring. The small wooden toll gate, located at the intersection of today’s Georgia Avenue and Dale Drive, closed in 1910 with the death of its last toll keeper, Henry Charles Ulrich (born 1849). By the mid 1910s, privately run turnpikes had ceased operations with the establishment of Maryland’s State Roads Commission. Today, this toll house lives on as the greatly expanded Mrs. K’s Toll House Restaurant.

Future redevelopment pressures will potentially erode the rich tapestry of buildings located along both of these routes, buildings that present a veritable timeline of Silver Spring’s history. Continued education emphasizing the importance of these historic structures, and their potential for adaptive reuse, will enable future residents and visitors to experience our community’s unique heritage.

Photo: Courtesy E. Brooke Lee, III

Colesville Road Looking East Towards Georgia Avenue, Circa 1950s. Reindeer Frozen Custard (in photo above, at far right) relocated next to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad tracks from its original location at 8651 Colesville Road when Sam Eig purchased the property in 1949. Reindeer permanently closed in 1972 when the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority purchased the property for construction of the Silver Spring Metro Station, which opened in 1978.

Photo: Courtesy SSHS.

White Tower, 8600 Colesville Road, Circa 1941. Thomas E. Saxe of Milwaukee, WI, founded the White Tower hamburger chain in 1926. Silver Spring #1 was constructed in 1938 and featured a streamlined, cantilevered, neon-illuminated "Restaurant" sign that announced its prominent location on the northeast corner of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue. The restaurant featured sodas, full-course meals and sundaes.

Photo: Courtesy SSHS.

Hahn Shoes, 8601 Georgia Avenue. In the fall of 1949, Hahn Shoes opened a store on the former site of White Tower, which had been jacked up and moved to the east end of the White Tower parking lot facing Colesville Road. By the early 1980s this structure was razed to make way for Lee Plaza, which opened in 1986 with the same address.

Photo: Courtesy Robert Burdette.

(Left) Silver Barber Shop, 1944. The Silver Barber Shop opened adjacent to the Silver Theatre in 1938. Brothers Preston and Bennett Riley, Jr. began working there the following year and became well known for their haircutting expertise. In the mid 1950s, Bennett relocated the Silver Barber Shop to 951 Ellsworth Drive. This latter shop’s curving rear wall has been preserved as an interior wall of present 933 Ellsworth Drive, today’s Lebanese Taverna Cafe. Playing at the Silver Theatre the day this photograph was taken was Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in Girl Crazy.

Photo by Dave Stovall

(Above) North Side of Colesville Road Looking East From Georgia Avenue, 1971. Starting from the left, the Colesville Road businesses (with addresses) are Osterman Optometrists (8614), Fredland Jewelers (8616), Simco Shoes (8618), Baker’s Shoes (8622), Dinette Center (8624), Palacio Women’s Clothes (8626) and Shirley’s Women’s Clothes (8630).

J. C. Penney Co., 8664 Colesville Road. Silver Spring store #1334 opened on August 17, 1950, under the management of Lincoln E. Martin. In 1956 the store was remodeled, and the selling area increased from 20,014 to 38,097 sq. ft. The address was also changed to 8656 Colesville Road. Photo taken 1950. Courtesy J. C. Penney Museum and Archives.

If you can share with the Silver Spring Historical Society any memories, information, photographs, or memorabilia related to any of the businesses or individuals mentioned in this article, please contact SSHS at P.O. Box 1160, Silver Spring, MD 20910-1160, or email sshistory@yahoo.com. The society’s web site is www.sshistory.org. If SSHS can acquire enough new photographs, we might be able to publish More Historic Silver Spring