The Chevy Chase Land Company

The Chevy Chase Land Company
Company typeHolding company and developer
IndustryReal estate
Founded1890
FounderFrancis G. Newlands, Major George Ames
FateExtant
Headquarters
Chevy Chase, Maryland
,
United States
Area served
Washington metropolitan area
OwnerPrivately held
Websitehttps://www.chevychaseland.com/
An 1897 map showing property owned by the Chevy Chase Land Company along with Connecticut Avenue and the Rock Creek Railway streetcar line, both created by the Land Company and its owners. Many of the streets depicted in northwest D.C. did not yet exist.

The Chevy Chase Land Company is a commercial real estate asset management firm based in suburban Washington, D.C. As of 2025, it manages more than 1.6 million square feet of office, mixed-use, residential, and retail space, mostly in Montgomery County, Maryland.

The company was founded in 1890 by Francis G. Newlands and William M. Stewart,[1] who sought to develop streetcar suburbs for well-off white people in what is today the Chevy Chase area of Maryland and Washington, D.C.[2] The company, which disavowed racist practices in the 2020s, continues to operate today as a privately held firm.[3]

History

19th century

Around 1886 or 1887, Newlands launched an all-but-unprecedented effort to create a major streetcar suburb of Washington, D.C. His funding came from the inheritance of his deceased wife, a daughter of wealthy banker William Sharon; he also attracted other investors, including Nevada politicians known as the "California Syndicate"[4]. Newlands directed the quiet purchase of land along a straight line from just north of Dupont Circle, which was at the time the northwestern edge of urban development, into an unincorporated area of Maryland's Montgomery County and up to today's Jones Bridge Road. Newlands initially intended this line to run to the established town of Rockville, Maryland, but found it easier and cheaper to buy Montgomery County land about a half-mile to the east.[5]

Among the parcels was "Oak View" in present-day Cleveland Park, the 26.5-acre country estate of Grover Cleveland, who had recently completed his first term as U.S. president. Newlands paid $140,000 for the land in February 1890, just four years after Cleveland had purchased it for $21,500.[6]

On June 6, 1890,[7] when his group of straw purchasers had accumulated 1,712 acres (6.93 km2), Newlands incorporated The Chevy Chase Land Company to bring the parcels together for development.[5] That year, the Washington Star newspaper called it the "most notable transaction that has ever been known in the history of suburban property."[5]

In the meantime, Newlands and his partners were building a streetcar line to connect their remote landholdings to the city center. In 1888, they had acquired majority control of the Rock Creek Railway, which had obtained a charter to build one of D.C.'s first electric streetcar lines but lacked the funds for construction.[5] Newlands and his partners funded the grading and construction of the road and streetcar right-of-way that would become Connecticut Avenue north of Rock Creek; the thoroughfare north of the District line was built by their Chevy Chase Land Company.

Streetcar operations began in 1890 on two blocks of Florida Avenue NW east of Connecticut. The company ultimately spent about $1.5 million[8]($52,494,444 today[9]) to build a five-mile line from 18th and U Streets NW to Coquelin Run in Maryland.[10] A key link was the first bridge across the deep valley of Rock Creek at Calvert Street. Erected by the Edgemore Bridge Company in 1891 at a cost of $70,000 ($2,449,741 today[9]), it stretched 755 feet across six wrought-iron trusses on iron trestles that were 125 feet high. The company then conveyed the bridge to the municipal government of Washington, D.C., which took up half the cost of maintaining the structure.[8] When the bridge began to fail in 1911,[11] its deck—a 40-foot-wide roadway flanked by five-foot walkways—was narrowed.[12] (The bridge would be replaced in 1933-35 by the current Duke Ellington Bridge.)

In shaping the Chevy Chase neighborhoods, The Land Company pioneered efforts to provide various services to the growing areas. The Society for Architectural Historians writes, "A major reason for the success of this pioneering suburban community was the fact that The Chevy Chase Land Company included civil, sanitary, and structural engineers as well as architects, landscape architects, and real estate agents to incorporate zoning, architectural design guidelines, landscaping, and infrastructure...The company also constructed water and sewer systems and an electrical power house."[13] That "power house" held the hydroelectric generator that drove the Connecticut Avenue streetcars; The Land Company had also built the manmade lake—Chevy Chase Lake—that drove the generator, and later became the centerpiece of an eponymous amusement park with boating, swimming, and other activities.[10]

These services did not include shops, stores, or commerce in general, which were banned from the area; company leaders instead provided "freight service" on the Connecticut Avenue streetcar line by which groceries and other household goods might be delivered.[14]

An avowed white supremacist, Newlands took steps to keep African Americans out of the new neighborhoods. Though the Chevy Chase Land Company only began attaching racial covenants to its houses several decades later, it initially set its prices for houses at points that effectively limited sales to well-off whites: $5,000 ($154,800 today) and up on Connecticut Avenue and $3,000 and up on side streets.[2]

"Newlands and his partners further maintained control through a system of interlocking corporations run by the same people. If someone wanted to buy a lot in a Chevy Chase subdivision, they’d have to go through the Thomas Fisher brokerage, controlled by Newlands’ deputy, Edward Stellwagen. The brokerage would screen buyers, sell property, insurance, and provide mortgage financing. Later, the partners would add Union Trust Bank to manage outside investments."[15]

In 1894, the company built the Chevy Chase Inn on Connecticut Avenue; the property would become Chevy Chase Junior College from 1903 until 1950,[10] then the national youth center for the National 4-H Foundation through 2021; as of July 2025, it is to be redeveloped as senior living.[16]

20th century

In November 1901, the company sold $25,000 ($731,300 today) worth of land on the west side of Connecticut at today's Van Ness Street. The buyer was the National Bureau of Standards—specifically, Dr. Samuel W. Stratton, the federal agency's first director—which was moving from its first home on Capitol Hill. The Bureau would turn the old Vineyard and Springland Farm into one of the country's most sophisticated scientific laboratory complexes: a 70-acre, 90-building campus.[17]

A historical marker, erected in 2024, commemorates the 1906 attempt to establish Belmont and its thwarting by the Chevy Chase Land Company. The sign stands in Friendship Heights Village, across the street from the former Belmont parcel. Visible at right is the 2 Wisconsin Place office building, built on the parcel and still owned by the company.

In 1906, Newlands' Land Company helped block the creation of Belmont, a subdivision intended to be a neighborhood created by African American developers and populated by African American homebuyers.[18] In 1927, the company would successfully petition to have the subdivision erased from the Montgomery County property books.[15]

In 1913, The Land Company provided the land for Montgomery County's first public school. The parcel sat northeast of Rosemary Circle in what is today the Town of Chevy Chase. Residents raised $5,000 to buy and erect four portable frame buildings as temporary classrooms for first- through 10th-grade students. In 1917, this Chevy Chase School opened its first permanent building, a two-story Art Deco-inspired brick structure; it would eventually become Chevy Chase Elementary School.[19]

Newlands ran the company until his death in 1917.[20] One year previously, a sales brochure alluded to steps taken to keep Chevy Chase white: "The only restrictions imposed are those which experience has proven are necessary in any residential section to maintain or increase values and protect property holders against the encroachment of undesirable elements."[21]

Newlands was succeeded by Edward J. Stellwagen.[20] In 1925, the company built the Chevy Chase Arcade in northwest D.C.; it was planned as "one of four business centers alternating with apartments along Connecticut Avenue."[22]

In 1932, Edward Hillyer became company president.[20] Under Hillyer, The Chevy Chase Land Company inserted covenants into land purchases barring their sale to Black[23] or Jewish people.[24] The racial "restrictions waned during World War II and were barred entirely by the Supreme Court in 1948, but the legacy of discrimination lingers," a historian wrote in 2016;[24] Chevy Chase Village, for example, was 95.9% White at the 2015 census.[25]

Under Stellwagen and Hillyer, the company mostly just sold off pieces of land. That would change after World War II, when it began to more actively develop buildings.[26]

In 1946, William S. Farr became company president. Born in 1903, Farr was both a grand-nephew and grandson-in-law of Newlands.[20]

Farr was followed in 1972 by Hunter Davidson.[20] In 1979, the Chevy Chase Land Company announced plans to build a 12-story office building immediately north of the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Western Avenue, on the southern tip of the former Belmont parcel. The wedge-shaped plot, still owned by the company, had been occupied by a Howard Johnson's motel since at least 1942.[27] The building was constructed along with and above the Friendship Heights station of the Washington Metro's Red Line, under a deal that allowed the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to add its station without the expense of purchasing land.[28] Originally called the Chevy Chase Metro Building, it is today known as 2 Wisconsin Avenue.[29]

In 1981, Davidson handed the reins to Farr's son, Gavin M. Farr (b. 1942).[20]

In 1988, The Land Company sold a 22.5-acre tract at Connecticut Avenue and Jones Bridge Road to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. As part of the sales agreement, the company "retained the rights for architectural approvals in order to be sure that Chevy Chase's architectural integrity is maintained," a company official said.[26]

21st century

Ed Asher was CEO in 2006, when the company's holdings totaled 2 million square feet.[30]

In 2008, David Smith, a great-great-grandson of Newlands, became the company's president and CEO. He was abruptly ousted in August 2014; company officials declined to say why.[31] At the time, the company owned some 1.5 million square feet of commercial real estate, mostly office space and retail properties in or around Bethesda and Chevy Chase.[32]

Smith was replaced as interim CEO by board leader Kate Carr, and then by Tom Regnell, who had been an executive at Washington Real Estate Investment Trust.[33] In July 2020, Regnell was replaced as president and CEO by John L. Ziegenhein III,[34] a Baltimore native who previously worked in commercial real estate banking and for developer McCaffery Interests.[35]

In June 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, company officials released a statement that said, "The Chevy Chase Land Company of today stands for the ideals of diversity and inclusion", that "to truly move forward, we must acknowledge our past and come together to build an inclusive community", and that "Our Board of Directors recognizes that despite Senator Newlands’ accomplishments, his views on race contradict the ideals of our company fabric." In the statement, officials said they would support the renaming of the Newlands fountain at Chevy Chase Circle.[36]

After a historic marker commemorating the Belmont affair was installed in 2024,[37] Ziegenhein said that the company believes "in the importance of transparency regarding the actions taken at Belmont. More importantly, we must ensure those actions are never repeated."[38]

The company website says that as of 2025, the company has over the years donated to and otherwise supported more than 500 local schools, small businesses, environmental conservation programs, and initiatives promoting social equity[39]; the site also says the company organizes four days of service each year, during which employees collectively volunteer over 200 hours to community organizations.[40]

Properties

Name Type Size (ft²) Location Notes
2 Bethesda Metro Office (Class A)[41] 315,527 Bethesda, Maryland Redevelopment of the Year (2025), CoStar Group Impact Awards[42]

Award of Excellence in Construction (2024), ABC of Metro Washington & Virginia[43]

2 Wisconsin Circle Office (Class A), medical[44] 235,000 Chevy Chase, Maryland Outstanding Achievement in Recycling – Business (2015) Montgomery County, Maryland Recycling Achievement Recognition[45]
5425 Wisconsin Avenue Office 210,000 Chevy Chase, Maryland Class A office[46]
8401 Connecticut Avenue Office 173,107 Chevy Chase, Maryland Medical[47]
The Collection Mixed-use[48] 144,044 Chevy Chase, Maryland Restaurants, shops, offices[49]. Includes CCLC's main office, which received a Merit award in Interior Architecture (2005), American Institute of Architects DC Chapter Design Awards[50]
South Lakes Village Retail 109,527 Reston, Virginia Supermarket, restaurants, shops[54]
Chevy Chase Lake Mixed-use 93,453 (retail) Chevy Chase, Maryland Residential & retail; joint venture with Bozzuto Group.[55] Includes:
  • The Barrett at Chevy Chase Lake: 6-story, 280-unit building with street retail[34]
  • The Claude at Chevy Chase Lake: 13-story, 186-unit building with street retail[10]

Awards:

  • Silver Award Honors for Mixed-Use Community, Multifamily (2024), National Association of Home Builders Best in American Living[56]
  • Award of Excellence for Best Multifamily Property (2024), NAIOP DC | MD Awards of Excellence[57]
  • Excellence in Construction, Diamond Winner (2024), Associated Builders and Contractors Greater Baltimore[58]
  • Awards of Excellence The Best of Architecture 2022 – Vertical Mixed Use (Retail and Residential) (2022) Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal[59]
  • Lennard Award for Excellence in Architectural Design (2022), 58th International Making Cities Livable Conference, Paris, France[60]
  • Best Washington/Baltimore Mid-Rise Apartment Community (2022), Delta Associates 26th Annual Multifamily Awards[60]
Lake West Shopping Center Retail 28,497 Chevy Chase, Maryland Part of a 16-acre mixed-use plan along Connecticut Avenue[61]
5301 Marinelli Road Office 14,000 Rockville, Maryland Long-term lease to St. Coletta of Greater Washington[62]
Northampton Retail 9,993 Washington, D.C. [63]
672 Flats Residential Ballston, Virginia 6-story, 173-unit building[64]; acquired for $90 million in 2018

References

  1. ^ "Town of Chevy Chase official history webpage". Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Ohmann, Richard Malin (1996). Selling Culture: Magazines, Markets, and Class at the Turn of the Century. Verso.
  3. ^ "History - Mixed-Use Real Estate Developers | Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  4. ^ "Chevy Chase Village History". www.chevychasevillagemd.gov. 2021. Archived from the original on 2025-03-08. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  5. ^ a b c d French, Roderick S. (1973). "Chevy Chase Village in the Context of the National Suburban Movement, 1870-1900". Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 49: 300–329. ISSN 0897-9049. JSTOR 40067746. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  6. ^ "He Sells Oak View––Ex-President Cleveland Parts With His Pretty Summer Home" (PDF). Washington Post. February 28, 1890. pp. 6–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2025.
  7. ^ "ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION :: OpenCorporates". opencorporates.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  8. ^ a b Thos. J. Fisher & Co. (1916). "Chevy Chase for Homes". Chevy Chase Historical Society. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  9. ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d "The History of Chevy Chase and Friendship Heights". Bethesda Magazine. September 27, 2010. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Berryman, Clifford Kennedy (1922-02-19), Political cartoon by Clifford Berryman, published in the Washington Evening Star on 19 February 1922., retrieved 2024-10-23
  12. ^ "Duke Ellington Bridge, HAER" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-04-23. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  13. ^ Lavoie, Catherine C. (2018-07-17). "Chevy Chase Historic District". SAH ARCHIPEDIA. Archived from the original on Sep 27, 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  14. ^ Dryden, Steve (1999). "The History of Chevy Chase and Friendship Heights". Bethesda Magazine. Archived from the original on 2013-06-15. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  15. ^ a b Flanagan, Neil (November 2, 2017). "The Battle of Fort Reno". Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  16. ^ "Shuttered 4-H conference center in Chevy Chase goes under contract". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  17. ^ "The lost hilltop home of the National Bureau of Standards". 2013-07-01. Archived from the original on 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  18. ^ "White Cap Threats in Washington Suburbs". New York Times. July 6, 1906. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  19. ^ "The Schools of Section Four | Chevy Chase Historical Society". chevychase.sandglass.com. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  20. ^ a b c d e f "Sharon Family Tree (1000.106.01a) - 1000.106.01 | Chevy Chase Historical Society". chevychasehistory.pastperfectonline.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  21. ^ "2002.19.01 - Chevy Chase for Homes | Chevy Chase Historical Society". chevychasehistory.pastperfectonline.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-12. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  22. ^ "DC Inventory of Historic Sites" (PDF). DC Office of Planning. 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  23. ^ "Did You Know.... [Racial covenants in Chevy Chase, Maryland]" (PDF). Chevy Chase Historical Society. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  24. ^ a b Roberts, Steve (2016). Images of America: Bethesda and Chevy Chase. Arcadia Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 9781467117272.
  25. ^ "Chevy Chase, Maryland: the super-rich town that has it all – except diversity". the Guardian. 2015-12-04. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  26. ^ a b Asher (June 2, 1990). "Speech given by a CCLC vice president to mark the company's 100th year". chevychasehistory.pastperfectonline.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  27. ^ "2010.1043.01 - Tenleytown, DC: Country Village into City Neighborhood | Chevy Chase Historical Society". chevychasehistory.pastperfectonline.com. Archived from the original on 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  28. ^ Knight, Jerry (1979-01-19). "Metro Terminal-Tower Planned". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  29. ^ "The Chevy Chase Metro Building - Portfolio | Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Archived from the original on 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  30. ^ Knight, Jerry (May 22, 2006). "Old Money Takes Its Time At Chevy Chase Land Co". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  31. ^ Hull, Steve (2014-08-25). "Smith Out as CEO at Chevy Chase Land Company". Bethesda Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  32. ^ O'Connell, Jonathan (August 27, 2014). "Chevy Chase Land Co. abruptly ousts chief executive". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  33. ^ Kraut, Bethesda Now-Aaron (2014-10-10). "Chevy Chase Land Company Names New President, CEO". Bethesda Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  34. ^ a b "Chevy Chase Land Co. Hires New CEO From McCaffery". Bisnow. Archived from the original on 2022-06-04. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  35. ^ Parker, Kevin (2025-03-10). "Q&A with John Ziegenhein, President & CEO of The Chevy Chase Land Company". citybiz. Archived from the original on 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
  36. ^ "Coming Together To Build A More Inclusive Community". Chevy Chase Land Company. 2020-06-19. Archived from the original on 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  37. ^ Golden, Ana (September 21, 2024). "Historic marker in Montgomery Co. tells the story of Belmont: the 1900s upscale Black neighborhood that was never built". WTOP News. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  38. ^ "Hidden History: The DC Black Neighborhood That Was Never Built". 2024-11-18. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  39. ^ "ESG". THE CHEVY CHASE LAND COMPANY. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  40. ^ "Community - Mixed-Use Real Estate | Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  41. ^ "2 Bethesda Metro | The Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  42. ^ Lehrfeld, Jonathan (March 26, 2025). "Transformation of Bethesda, Maryland, office tower turns aging property into elevated tenant experience". CoStar News.
  43. ^ "2 Bethesda Metro Center". Project Presenter | ABC of Metro Washington & Virginia. 2024. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  44. ^ "The Chevy Chase Metro Building - Portfolio | Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Archived from the original on 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  45. ^ "Montgomery County Recognizes Excellence in Recycling Achievement During the 16th Annual Recycling Awareness Week". www2.montgomerycountymd.gov. May 22, 2015. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  46. ^ "Chevy Chase Center Office Tower | Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Archived from the original on 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  47. ^ "8401 Connecticut Avenue - Portfolio | Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Archived from the original on 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  48. ^ "The Collection, 5471 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815". www.cbre.com. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  49. ^ "The Collection Chevy Chase | Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  50. ^ "2000-2010 Chapter Design Awards Winners | DAC". dcarchcenter.org. Archived from the original on 2025-08-12. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  51. ^ "2021 AWARD WINNERS". Maryland ASLA. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  52. ^ "Best Revamp of a Shopping Area". Bethesda Magazine. Archived from the original on 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  53. ^ "Awards". CCLC. Archived from the original on 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  54. ^ "South Lakes Village". CCLC. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  55. ^ "Chevy Chase Lake". CCLC. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  56. ^ "BALA Winners Book 2024". FlippingBook. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  57. ^ "2024 Awards of Excellence Winners". NAIOP. 2024. Archived from the original on 2025-08-12. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  58. ^ "2024 Excellence in Construction Award Winners". ABC Greater Baltimore. 2024. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  59. ^ "March 2023". FlippingBook. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  60. ^ a b "Awards". CCLC. Archived from the original on 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  61. ^ "Lake West Shopping Center | The Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  62. ^ "5301 Marinelli Road - Portfolio | Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Archived from the original on 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  63. ^ "Northhampton Street - Portfolio | The Chevy Chase Land Company". CCLC. Archived from the original on 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  64. ^ "672 Flats". CCLC. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  • Official website
  • 400-plus items held by the Chevy Chase Historical Society having to do with the Land Company
  • Letter, December 4, 2014, Chevy Chase Historical Society; includes "A Selected Bibliography of Historical Research on the Early Development of Chevy Chase and the role of Francis G. Newlands"
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.