Bethesda and Chevy Chase
From Uncle Tom's Cabin to modern suburbia, journalist and writer Steve Roberts details the story of two vibrant communities.

When Washington became the nation's capital in 1790, the surrounding area to the northwest - the communities known today as Bethesda and Chevy Chase - was devoted almost entirely to agriculture. Many farms were worked by slaves, and one of them, Josiah Henson, escaped to Canada and wrote his life story in 1849. Harriet Beecher Stowe based her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin on Henson's life, and the model for that famous dwelling still stands in Bethesda today. The transition of the region to modern suburbia started with a simple innovation: the trolley. Once lines were built in the 1890s, government employees could live outside the city and commute to work. But the neighboring towns developed along different lines. Bethesda became a bustling commercial center, while Chevy Chase was created as a planned community featuring elegant homes and country clubs. Even though both border the capital, this book demonstrates how each community has a vibrant heritage and distinct identity of its own.

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Bethesda and Chevy Chase
From Uncle Tom's Cabin to modern suburbia, journalist and writer Steve Roberts details the story of two vibrant communities.

When Washington became the nation's capital in 1790, the surrounding area to the northwest - the communities known today as Bethesda and Chevy Chase - was devoted almost entirely to agriculture. Many farms were worked by slaves, and one of them, Josiah Henson, escaped to Canada and wrote his life story in 1849. Harriet Beecher Stowe based her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin on Henson's life, and the model for that famous dwelling still stands in Bethesda today. The transition of the region to modern suburbia started with a simple innovation: the trolley. Once lines were built in the 1890s, government employees could live outside the city and commute to work. But the neighboring towns developed along different lines. Bethesda became a bustling commercial center, while Chevy Chase was created as a planned community featuring elegant homes and country clubs. Even though both border the capital, this book demonstrates how each community has a vibrant heritage and distinct identity of its own.

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Bethesda and Chevy Chase

Bethesda and Chevy Chase

by Steve V. Roberts
Bethesda and Chevy Chase

Bethesda and Chevy Chase

by Steve V. Roberts

Overview

From Uncle Tom's Cabin to modern suburbia, journalist and writer Steve Roberts details the story of two vibrant communities.

When Washington became the nation's capital in 1790, the surrounding area to the northwest - the communities known today as Bethesda and Chevy Chase - was devoted almost entirely to agriculture. Many farms were worked by slaves, and one of them, Josiah Henson, escaped to Canada and wrote his life story in 1849. Harriet Beecher Stowe based her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin on Henson's life, and the model for that famous dwelling still stands in Bethesda today. The transition of the region to modern suburbia started with a simple innovation: the trolley. Once lines were built in the 1890s, government employees could live outside the city and commute to work. But the neighboring towns developed along different lines. Bethesda became a bustling commercial center, while Chevy Chase was created as a planned community featuring elegant homes and country clubs. Even though both border the capital, this book demonstrates how each community has a vibrant heritage and distinct identity of its own.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781467117272
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date: 11/07/2016
Series: Images of America Series
Pages: 128
Product dimensions: 6.70(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Steve Roberts writes a column for Bethesda Magazine that regularly focuses on the history of the area. A journalist for more than 50 years, and a resident of Bethesda for almost 40, he has written five books and teaches at George Washington University.

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