Appendix 6

Historic Preservation
For more information, call the Historic Preservation Division at 301-563-3400

Wheaton CBD and Vicinity Sector Plan

montgomery county planning board maryland-national capital park and planning commission
Wheaton Historic Resources

Objective
The intent of the County’s preservation program is to provide a rational system for evaluating, protecting, and enhancing the
County’s historic and architectural heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. It serves to highlight the values that
are important in maintaining the individual character of the County and its communities.

Wheaton Area Historic Context

Wheaton’s history can be traced to the beginning of the Civil War when the area was known as Mitchell’s Crossroads. The name was
derived from Mitchell’s Tavern, which was located at the intersection of Old Bladensburg Road and what is now Georgia Avenue. Old
Bladensburg Road is now University Boulevard and the Wheaton Pharmacy now occupies the site of the old tavern.

Georgia Avenue has had several names since the Civil War period; it began as Westminster Road, and then was called the Union
Turnpike during the Civil War. It later became Brookeville Road and then the 7th Street Pike (as an extension of 7th Street out of
Washington). It was dedicated as Georgia Avenue by Governor Theodore McKeldin in 1956.

Leesboro was just south of Mitchell’s Crossroads at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Veirs Mill Toad. The collective area
became what we now know as Wheaton. It was located in the Berry District at that time—what is now Election District 13 of
Montgomery County.

Wheaton was a well-traveled path for both Confederate and Union troops during the
Civil War. Montgomery County, because of its position near the nation’s capitol, was
the location of fighting between the Union and the Confederacy. Citizens of
Montgomery County were divided in their allegiance to the north or south. In 1861, at
the beginning of the war, Union troops stationed in Washington marched into
southeastern Montgomery County to stop Confederate troops who had been
successful in defeating the Union Army in Poolesville and Darnestown.

The Wheaton area saw Union Army troops march through Leesboro and Mitchell’s
Crossroads out Union Turnpike on their way to Poolesville. In 1864, Confederate
USGS Rockville Quad, 1908 General Jubal Early’s troops crossed the Potomac River into Frederick County and

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marched through Montgomery County on their way to attack Washington. The main force came down what is now Veirs Mill Road
to Union Turnpike on their way to Fort Stevens, north of Washington, D.C. Union Brigadier General Frank Wheaton was sent by
Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant to lead the defense of Fort Stevens. General Early’s forces encountered two regiments of Union
troops, one at Monocacy and one at Silver Spring, which delayed their arrival at Fort Stevens sufficiently to allow time for Wheaton’s
regiment to get there. Under General Wheaton’s command, the Army of the Potomac defeated General Early’s troops and pushed
them back in retreat along the path they had taken through Montgomery County. Early’s troops both advanced and then retreated
though Wheaton.

The second family to occupy Mitchell’s Tavern was the Cissels, of Howard County. George O.B. Cissel raised his family in the tavern
and built a store on Old Bladensburg Road across from the tavern. In 1890, he built two houses north of the tavern and sold them to
two African American men, Richard and Jerry Gaither. In 1970, Gaither descendants were still occupying the houses.

The down-County area experienced a population boom after World War I as the economy grew and federal workforce expanded.
This building and population boom generated a need for sewer and other public services. In 1916, the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission (WSSC) was created by the Maryland General Assembly as a response to growth and as a means for County
government to share local responsibility. The WSSC was the first regional public service agency in the metropolitan area. It was later
joined by the State Road Commission and, in 1927, the Maryland General Assembly authorized legislation creating The Maryland-
National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). The M-NCPPC was responsible for planning and park facilities in an area
similar to WSSC—the District of Columbia was the southern boundary, with
an outer line around Glen Echo, Alta Vista, Garrett Park, Wheaton, Burnt
Mills, Beltsville, Lanham, and Capitol Heights. The special tax area excluded
incorporated towns as well as the lower half of the Wheaton District.

Plans for the proposed Capital Beltway were unveiled in 1952. Commercial
and residential development moved north of Silver Spring to allow access to
this high speed route. Construction on Wheaton Plaza began in 1954, and
developers planned and marketed residential subdivisions nearby.

Washington was the third fastest growing area in the country after World
War II. Montgomery County became a bedroom community for nearby
Wheaton Forest Washington and consequently experienced a severe housing shortage. Veirs

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Mill Road, between Rockville and Wheaton, became a major corridor of suburban growth. In the late 1940s, E. Brooke Lee proposed,
along with the County Commissioners, the approval of 200 temporary housing units. One hundred and twenty-five of those were
proposed for location on Sligo Creek Parkway as a temporary housing solution for low-income veterans and their families. By 1951,
all temporary housing had been removed; the housing units were sold to the occupants and the land was sold to a real estate firm.
Montgomery County saw its second post-war housing boom in the 1950s and the Wheaton District continued to experience more
housing construction than any other part of the County. Neighborhoods of Monterey Village, Wheaton Hills, Wheaton Crest, and
Wheaton Forest date from this era and feature modest scale houses on curving tree-lined streets with apartments located on major
roads.

Most buildings in the Wheaton CBD date from the late 1950s and
early 1960s. By 1963, Wheaton Plaza ranked fourth in size in the
nation and further enhanced Wheaton’s influence as a regional
center of major importance in Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Historic Preservation Program

The Master Plan for Historic Preservation and the Historic

Preservation Ordinance, Chapter 24A of the Montgomery County
Code, are designed to protect and preserve Montgomery County’s
historic and architectural heritage. Placement on the Master Plan for
Historic Preservation officially designates the property as a historic
site or historic district and subjects it to further procedural
requirements of the ordinance.

Designation of historic sites and districts serves to highlight the values

that are important in maintaining the individual character of the
M-NCPPC GIS, real property data County and its communities. It is the intent of the County's
preservation program to provide a rational system for evaluating,
protecting, and enhancing the County's historic and architectural heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. The
accompanying challenge is to weave protection of this heritage into the County's planning program to maximize community support
for preservation and minimize infringement on private property rights.

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The following criteria, as stated in Section 24A-3 of the Historic Preservation Ordinance, shall apply when historic resources are
evaluated for designation in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation.

(1) Historical and cultural significance:

The historic resource:
a. has character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the County, State, or
Nation;
b. is the site of a significant historic event;
c. is identified with a person or a group of persons who influenced society; or
d. exemplifies the cultural, economic, social, political or historic heritage of the County and its communities; or

(2) Architectural and design significance:

The historic resource:
a. embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;
b. represents the work of a master;
c. possesses high artistic values;
d. represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
e. represents an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood,
community, or County due to its singular physical characteristic or landscape.

Implementing the Master Plan for Historic Preservation

Once designated on the Master Plan for Historic Preservation, historic resources are subject to the protection of the County’s
Historic Preservation Ordinance, Chapter 24A. Any substantial changes to the exterior of a resource or its environmental setting
must be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and a historic area work permit issued under the provisions of the
Ordinance, Section 24A-6. In accordance with the Master Plan for Historic Preservation and unless otherwise specified in the
amendment, the environmental setting for each site, as defined in Section 24A-2 of the Ordinance, is the entire parcel on which the
resource is located as of the date it is designated on the master plan.

Designating the entire parcel provides the County adequate review authority to preserve historic sites in the event of development.
It also ensures that, from the beginning of the development process, important features of these sites are re-cognized and

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incorporated in the future development of designated properties. In the case of large acreage parcels, the amendment will provide
general guidance for the refinement of the setting by indicating when the setting is subject to reduction in the event of develop-
ment; by describing an appropriate area to preserve the integrity of the resource; and by identifying buildings and features asso-
ciated with the site that should be protected as part of the setting. It is anticipated that for a majority of the sites designated, the
appropriate point at which to refine the environmental setting will be when the property is subdivided.

Public improvements can profoundly affect the integrity of a historic area. Section 24A-6 of the Ordinance states that a Historic Area
Work Permit for public or private property must be issued prior to altering a historic resource or its environmental setting. The
design of public facilities in the vicinity of historic resources should be sensitive to and maintain the character of the area. Specific
design considerations should be reflected as part of the Mandatory Referral review processes.

In the majority of cases, decisions regarding preservation alternatives are made at the time of public facility implementation within
the process established in Section 24A of the Ordinance. This method provides for adequate review by the public and governing
agencies. To provide guidance in the event of future public facility implementation, the amendment addresses potential conflicts
existing at each site and suggests alternatives and recommendations to assist in balancing preservation with community needs.

In addition to protecting designated resources from unsympathetic alteration and insensitive redevelopment, the County's
Preservation Ordinance also empowers the County's Department of Environmental Protection and the HPC to prevent the
demolition of historic buildings through neglect.

The Montgomery County Council passed legislation in September 1984 to provide for a tax credit against County real property taxes
in order to encourage the restoration and preservation of privately owned structures located in the County. The credit applies to all
properties designated on the Master Plan for Historic Preservation (Chapter 52, Art. VI). Furthermore, the HPC maintains up-to-date
information on the status of preservation incentives including tax credits, tax benefits possible through the granting of easements on
historic properties, outright grants, and low interest loan programs.

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Historic Preservation Recommendations

Survey of 20th Century Resources

 There is a need for a comprehensive survey of mid 20th century resources. As resources come to maturity in the Wheaton area, it
will be appropriate to evaluate individual sites and districts to determine their architectural character.

Community Character
 Distinctive architectural features, including rounded or canted building
corners, streamline features, and metallic detailing contribute to
Wheaton’s singular character. Retaining extant architectural features will
protect this community identity.

 Urban design guidelines need to recognize the mid-century character of

Wheaton.

Historic Resources

31/12 WTOP Transmitter Building, 2115 University Blvd

Designated on the Master Plan for Historic Preservation in the Approved and Adopted Wheaton CBD
Sector Plan of 1990.
Criteria: 1a, 1d, 2a, 2e
Environmental Setting: 1.4 acres

Marking a new era of communication technology in Montgomery County, the WTOP Transmitter
Building is a rare and bold example of International Style. Washington architect E. Burton Corning
designed the facility in 1939 and it was completed early in 1940. The transmitter, historically known as WJSV, had a cutting-edge
design with a distinctive sculptural quality, lack of ornamentation, and stark simplicity that are hallmarks of the International Style
that was virtually unknown in Montgomery County. Influence of the Art Moderne, popular in this era, is evident in curving,

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streamline surfaces and the use of glass block. Architectural Record featured a two-page spread on the WJSV/WTOP Transmitter, in
1941; one year after the radio station began operation.

Technological advances in radio broadcasting demanded an appropriately futuristic architectural expression. When the WJSV began
operating in 1927, the radio station had a 50-watt transmitter, and there were six million families in the nation with radios. In 1939,
WJSV announced plans for a new transmitter to broadcast at 50,000 watts, the maximum power the FCC allowed. The nation’s radio
families had grown to 27½ million. WJSV was the principal station for the Columbia Broadcasting System and the Washington area’s
most powerful broadcasting station. The station’s call letters were changed in 1943 to WTOP, representing the slogan “The Station
at the Top of the Dial.” WTOP is one of the oldest radio stations in the country. The station continues to be broadcast from this
facility, operated remotely from offices in Northwest Washington.

31/10 Jenkins Broadcasting Station, 10717 Georgia Avenue

Designated on the Master Plan for Historic Preservation of 1979
Environmental Setting: 8757 square feet (Lot P9, Block 6)

This cottage was the center of operations for television pioneer

Charles Francis Jenkins. From his television studio in this house,
Jenkins directed teleplays enacted by his own staff and neighborhood
children. Home viewers watched his soundless radiomovies with radio
conversion kits invented by Jenkins and sold for $7.50. In 1928, Jenkins
received one of the first licenses in the country for simultaneous
broadcasting. He set up a studio at 10717 Georgia Avenue and erected
two 100-foot steel transmitting towers. A Quaker from Dayton, Ohio,
Jenkins became a prolific and successful inventor. He held over 300
patents, including an 1893 patent for a movie projector prototype. The
Jenkins Station broadcasted radiomovies from 1929 until 1932, two
years before Jenkins’ death. His Radio Movie Broadcast Station provided one of the earliest regularly scheduled television services in
the country.

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