The history of DC as a mid-century enclave

First of all, thanks to my friends and (small) network for joining in on this journey via the new instagram account or the blog - or both! I'm admittedly not a social media savant so bear with me...

As you have probably gathered from the name of this blog and my geographic location, much of this content will be focused on mid-century modern (MCM) homes in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area. For those not as familiar with the history of MCM (aka me a few months ago), these types of homes often bring forth images of Palm Springs and the Hollywood Hills, the western cities of Austin, Texas and Denver, Colorado or the homes of the rich and famous tucked into the far-reaching corners of the Alps or Biscayne Bay. And yet, the DMV was a major part of this building and creativity from 1940-1970, thanks to a number of architects and residential developers looking to meet the demand for new homes and wanting to create an escape for working people (mostly men) and their families from the concrete jungle of Washington D.C.

These neighborhoods or "subdivisions" as they were referred to in the mid-century, are typically comprised of several models of homes. This was a more efficient and less expensive way for builders and architects to roll out projects quickly so one will notice in many of these neighborhoods today, that some houses may look similar or nearly identical. Further, in the post-war era, there was a general sense of practicality and simplicity. Designers (again, mostly men) gathered inspiration from Europe and the Bauhaus movement and began using new materials like plywood, fiberglass, steel, aluminum, foam and plastic laminates.

The most notable architects in the DC area include Charles Goodman (my personal favorite), Thomas Wright, Chloethiel Woodard Smith, Harold Esten, Nicholas Satterlee, F. Donald Lethbridge and Keys Condon.

Outside of DC in the 'burbs, developers built numerous enclaves for the mid-century modern family which can be found in Alexandria, VA (Hollin Hills, Wessynton), Falls Church, VA (Holmes Run Acres, Pine Spring, Lake Barcroft, Whites Addition, Truro), Bethesda, MD (Carderock Springs, Drumaldry), Rockville, MD (Manor Woods), and Silver Spring, MD (Rock Creek Woods, Hammond Woods, Quaint Acres). Having spent the last few months exploring these neighborhoods, I can say that it really does feel like being transported back to a simpler time, which in my opinion, looks very appealing right about now. More information on DMV midcentury history at the Metropole and Washington Post.