1950s Housing Subdivisions

The following sample of residential subdivisions illustrates the diversity of homes built in the County during the 1950s and highlights developers, builders, and architects active during that period.

GLENMONT VILLAGE - 1950

650 Cape Cod Homes - $ 9,875
Investors Diversified Services, Inc., Developer
Wheaton Election District

Investors Diversified Services, Inc. developed the Glenmont Village housing subdivision on former farmland located north and south of Randolph Road where it meets Georgia Avenue. They built 650 homes in the Cape Cod style and advertised them as "Modern Bungalows." The floor plans of Glenmont Village houses followed the FHA minimal house design. The houses were built with unfinished basements. The first floor provided space for a living room, two bedrooms, one full bathroom, and a kitchen with an eating area. A stairway led to an unfinished second floor space with room for two additional bedrooms and a full bath to accommodate a growing family. Investors Diversified Services, Inc. provided mortgage financing. The buyers put down $350 to cover closing costs and they assumed mortgages with monthly payments averaging $65.00 a month. (Liebertz, John, Georgia Avenue Commercial Corridor Survey, Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties Form, Maryland Historical Trust, 1998)

Glenmont Village Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Promotional Sketch of Glenmont Village "modern bungalow"

Source: Maryland Historic Trust

A Glenmont Village "modern bungalow" Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

NORTHMONT – 1950

59 Rambler Style Homes - $12,500
Sam Eig, Developer & Builder
Wheaton Election District

Northmont Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Northmont was built close to a future Beltway exit

Source: 1959 Annual Report,Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Sam Eig

Source: Montgomery Journal, (Montgomery County, MD), June 5, 1981

Well-known Montgomery County developer and philanthropist Sam Eig built the 59-home Northmont subdivision on a parcel of land southeast of the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Forest Glen Road strategically located near the future Georgia Avenue interchange of the Washington Beltway. His brick Rambler style homes were one-level and had a living room with large picture window, dining room, kitchen, full bath and three bedrooms.

Northmont Rambler Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

ALTA VISTA TERRACE – 1950

61 "California Style" Rambler Homes - $14,950
Carl Freeman, Developer/Builder; Sweeley, Heap & Gauger, Architects
Bethesda Election District

Carl Freeman

Source: DC Public Library, Wasningtoniana Collection

Alta Vista Terrace Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Carl Freeman, a well-known home and apartment builder/developer in the county, built 61 unique "California-style" ramblers on land east of Old Georgetown Road and just south of the future Old Georgetown Road interchange of the Washington Beltway. Freeman's Alta Vista subdivision received national, regional, and local awards for the modern design of its moderately priced, rambler style homes that featured an open plan, a "ribbon band of windows on front, a window wall overlooking the back terrace," and radiant heat flooring. Built on a concrete slab, each one-level home had a living room, dining room, kitchen with breakfast nook, three bedrooms, a full bath, and a concrete back terrace. (Kelly, Clare. Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, MD, 1930-1979, 2015)

Alta Vista Terrace Floor Plan

Source: Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, MD, 1930-1979, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Alta Vista Terrace Rambler Home Today

Source: Courtesy of Carol Highsmith

ROSEMARY HILLS - 1952

20 Contemporary/Modern Style Homes - $24,600
Joseph Miller, Architect; Bert Tracy, Developer
Wheaton Election District

Rosemary Hills Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland,Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Joseph Miller, AIA

Source: Catholic University School of Architecture

Architect Joseph Miller and builder Bert Tracy constructed twenty contemporary style homes in the Rosemary Hills section of Silver Spring just off East-West Highway. Each home was integrated into the sloping terrain of the site and had a long, low horizontal design with numerous large windows that created a naturally lit interior. The first-floor had three bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen and full bath. The lower-level had a utility area, laundry room, play area, and the signature sheltered patio. (Kelly, Clare. Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, MD, 1930-1979, 2015)

Rosemary Hills Contemporary Home Today - side

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Rosemary Hills Contemporary Home Today - side

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Rosemary Hills Contemporary Home Today - front

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Rosemary Hills Contemporary Home Today - back view, with signature covered patio

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

TWINBROOK and TWINBROOK FOREST - 1950-58

1,500 Cape Cod - ($9,250), Ranch ($11,500), Split Level and Contemporary Homes ($12-15,000)
Joseph Geeraert, Developer; Donald Gingery, Roland Simmons, & Wesley Sauter, Builders
Rockville Election District

Twinbrook Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland,Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Twinbrook Forest Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Builder Joseph Geeraert built 1,500 homes in his Twinbrook and Twinbrook Forest subdivisions located on both sides of Viers Mill Road near the City of Rockville. He intentionally designed Twin-Brook to be a complete community to appeal to returning war veterans and young families.

Section One of the Twinbrook subdivision offered Cape Cod style homes with two bedrooms, living room, full bathroom and kitchen located on streets named for WWII battles such as Okinawa, Coral Sea, St. Lo., and Ardennes. Each home had an unfinished second floor that provided room to add bedrooms as the families grew.

Section Two of Twinbrook continued the WWII theme with streets named Midway and Aleutian. It offered five home models, each with an asymmetrical, one-and-a-half story design that became known locally as the Twin-Brook style. Section Two homes featured large picture windows, low overhanging roof lines, two bedrooms, and room to expand as the family grew.

In his last subdivision called Twinbrook Forest, Geeraert introduced three-bedroom homes in the new Split-Level, Ranch and, Contemporary/Modern home styles. Many came with the iconic carports associated with late 1950s suburban homes. ((Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation, Ltd. Peerless Places: Tour of Early Twin-Brook, Rockville, MD, 2013)

Developer Joseph Geeraert

Courtesy of Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation, Ltd.

Twinbrook Cape Cod Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Twinbrook Contemporary Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Geeraert designed Twinbrook and Twinbrook Forest to be a complete community by setting aside land for schools, parks and a neighborhood shopping center. The Montgomery County Board of Education built the Twinbrook Elementary School; the City of Rockville built the Twinbrook Recreation Area; and Twinbrook residents organized a successful swimming pool membership fundraising campaign to build the Olympic-size Twin-Brook pool that opened in September 1955. His Twinbrook shopping center opened two months later in November 1955. It featured an A&P grocery store, Peoples Drug Store, G. C, Murphy., Highs Milk Store, and the locally famous and still operating Twinbrook Deli. Soon after the shopping center opened, the Twinbrook Post Office and Twinbrook library moved into the shopping center. This mix of grocery store, retail businesses, bowling alley, community library, and post office met the daily needs of residents and assured the shopping center's success. (Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation, Ltd. Peerless Places: Tour of Early Twin-Brook, Rockville, MD, 2013)

Twinbrook Shopping Center - circa 1950s

Source: Montgomery History Jane C. Sween Research Library

HAMMOND HILL, HAMMOND WOOD and ROCK CREEK GARDENS

Charles M. Goodman

Charles M. Goodman archive, Library of Congress

Renowned Washington DC architect Charles M. Goodman partnered with builders Paul Hammond and Paul I. Burman to construct more than 200 homes in Montgomery County during the 1950s. Goodman was the first Washington-area architect to apply the modern style to affordable homes. He sited each home differently so residents were not looking directly into neighboring homes. He kept as many trees as possible to create a naturalistic setting for modern/contemporary houses priced for middle-income residents. His homes incorporated a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows to create well-lit interiors that felt close to nature. Examples of homes Goodman designed for three Montgomery County subdivisions are shown below. (Kelly, Clare. Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, MD: 1930-1979, 2015)

Hammond Hill – 1950

20 Contemporary/Modern homes - $10,750
Charles M. Goodman, Architect; Paul Hammond & Paul I. Burman, Developers
Wheaton Election District

Hammond Hill Modern/Contemporary Homes Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Hammond Wood – 1951

56 Contemporary/Modern homes - $12,400
Charles M. Goodman, Architect; Paul Hammond & Paul I. Burman, Developers; Hammond Homes, Inc., Builder
Wheaton Election District

Hammond Wood Modern/Contemporary Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Hammond Wood Modern/Contempory Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Interior space and floor plan of Hammond Wood homes

Source: Progressive Architecture, May 1952

Rock Creek Woods – 1958

74 Contemporary/Modern homes - $21,900 - $25,000 (price included Hotpoint range, wall oven, dishwasher, disposal, refrigerator, washing machine & dryer)
Charles M. Goodman, Architect; Blumbert, Herschel & Marvin, Developers; Hammond Homes, Inc,. Builders
Silver Spring Election District

Source: Maryland Historical Trust

Rock Creek Woods Modern/Contemporary Home Today

Source: Maryland Historical Trust

SPRINGBROOK FOREST – 1952

119 Custom Built Contemporary Homes
George J. Moss, Developer
Colesville Election District

George J. Moss began developing Springbrook Forest in 1952. He subdivided the land, built streets, and platted 119 spacious lots . Buyers were expected to hire architects and builders to build custom split-level and contemporary homes. The result was a suburban development with large homes on multi-acre wooded lots that preceded later custom home developments in the 1960s such in those in Potomac. Springbrook Forest today reflects the realization of Moss's goal of a suburban community of custom homes situated in a spacious, natural setting.

Springbrook Forest Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Street map showing location of Springbrook Forest community

Source: Montgomery History Jane C. Sween Research Library

Springbrook Modern/Contemporary Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Springbrook Split-Level Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

HUNGERFORD TOWNE – 1955

1400 Cape Cod, Split-Level and Split-Foyer homes - $12,950 and up
Donald Gingery and W. Evans Buchanan, Developers; Donley Construction, Builder
Rockville Election District

Hungerford Towne Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Donald Gingery

Courtesy of J. Montgomery Gingery

Montgomery County developers and builders Donald Gingery and W. Evans Buchanan purchased 400 acres in Rockville, MD from the Dawson family. They built 1,200 homes in the Cape Cod, Split-Level and Split-Foyer styles that dominated County house construction in the 1950s. The subdivision was laid out in a curvilinear street pattern that followed the natural topography and incorporated cul-de-sacs. Homes were promoted as Colonial Cape Cods and Colonial Split-Levels with two-to-four bedrooms, picture windows, long living rooms with raised hearth fireplaces, kitchens with built-in ovens, and driveways or carports. (Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation, Ltd. Peerless Places: Tour of Hungerford Towne, 2013)

Hungerford Towne Split-Level Homes Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

HIGH POINT -1955

70 Traditional Rambler Homes - $20,000
Clarence Kettler, Builder; Patterson and Worland, Architects
Bethesda Election District

High Point Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland,Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Clarence Kettler

Source: Montgomery Village Foundation

One of Clarence Kettler’s first projects as a builder/developer was High Point, a 70-home subdivision of traditional rambler-style homes near Massachusetts Avenue & Onandaga Road just over the District line in Montgomery County. The architectural firm Patterson & Worland designed the long, three-bedroom, one-and-half bath brick ramblers with large living room and bedroom windows that created naturally lit interiors. Mr. Kettler went on to build many homes throughout the County, but he may be best known for his important role in developing Montgomery Village in Gaithersburg in the 1960s. This innovative, planned community was designed and built by Kettler Brothers Builders, a new company that three Kettler brothers created specifically to manage this ambitious and long-term project.

High Point Rambler Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

High Point Rambler Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

KEMP MILL ESTATES -1959

600 Split-Level and Contemporary Homes
Jack Kay and Harold Greenberg, Developers; Kay Construction Company, Builder
Wheaton Election District

Jack Kay and Harold Greenberg

Source: Washington Post (Washington, DC), April 25, 2013

Kemp Mill Estates Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland,Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

The Kay Construction Company, founded by Abraham Kay in 1936, was an active home builder in Wheaton, Silver Spring and Bethesda. In 1947, his son Jack and son-in-law Harold Greenberg assumed management of the company. They began building the 600-home Kemp Mill Estates subdivision in 1959. Kemp Mill Estates is located off University Boulevard near Northwood High School in Wheaton and features attractive split-level and contemporary homes.

Kemp Mill Estates Split-Level House Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Kemp Mill Modern/Contemporary House Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

WILDWOOD MANOR - 1959

300 Brick Rambler and Split-Level Homes - $18,500 and up
Alvin Aubinoe, Developer
Bethesda Election District

Wildwood Manor Subdivision Map

Source: Tax Map Index and Street Map of Montgomery County, Maryland,Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Alvin Aubinoe

Source: Tribune (Bethesda,MD), June 28, 1944.

In 1959, Montgomery County developer Alvin Aubinoe subdivided land between I-270, Grosvenor Lane, and Old Georgetown Road and built 300 brick ramblers and split-levels. Wildwood Manor's popularity was enhanced when the Wildwood Shopping Center opened within walking distance on Old Georgetown Road near Democracy Boulevard. Other housing developments began to appear in the Bethesda Election District at the end of the 1950s and throughout the 1960s as more affluent buyers sought larger homes in the more prestigious western areas of the County. (Kelly, Clare. Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, MD: 1930-1979, 2015)

Wildwood Manor Rambler Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

Wildwood Manor Split-Level Home Today

Courtesy of Bob Bachman

The 1950s housing boom in Montgomery County stimulated a parallel boom in the construction of department stores, neighborhood shopping centers, schools, neighborhood recreation centers, and libraries to meet the needs of the rapidly growing down-county population. This parallel boom is discussed in two other online exhibits offered by the Montgomery History Mary Kay Harper Center for Suburban Studies. Links to these exhibits are in the References section.

Next: References

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