Mohican Hills has existed as a community for a long time. Read about its history and the history of the Mohican Hills Citizens' Association in "The Story of Mohican Hills". You can find more current information about our community and our activities in "Mohican Hills Today".
The Story of Mohican Hills
History Mohican Hills is a part of one of the oldest residential developments in the southern part of Montgomery County. Alexander Hamilton once owned a 301 acre track of which Mohican Hills is a part. He and a partner bought the land in 1794 shortly after it was known that the National Capital would be located in this general area. It was sold by the partner after the Hamilton-Burr duel.
In 1889, two brothers - Edwin and Edward Baltzley - came down from Philadelphia and bought a tract of farm land comprising what is now Glen Echo and Glen Echo Heights. The hill top along what is now upper Dahlonega Road had been used as a lookout post for the Union forces during the Civil War and, according to legend, to establish a clear view across the Potomac to Virginia, the hill had been denuded of trees all the way down to the river. The Baltzley brothers were familiar with residential developments on the Hudson River above New York City, and along the Rhine River in Germany, and felt that the relatively high ground along the Potomac in this area made it ideal for a similar community. In 1891, they issued a brochure describing in highblown language the scenic beauties overlooking the river, and its potential for becoming a cultural and educational center near the Nation's Capital.
As a first step toward attracting visitors to the area, the brothers erected the "Grand Cafe" - a large, rambling structure built almost entirely of cedar logs - opposite Sycamore Island. Tally-ho parties were organized to drive out the narrow, winding dirt road overlaying the Washington Aqueduct (Conduit Road - now Mac Arthur Boulevard) to have dinner and dance at the "Grand Cafe," and to be regaled with the beauties of life in Glen Echo Heights. Two large stone residences were pictured in the brochure and later built. These are the stone houses facing what is not MacArthur Boulevard at Mohican Road.
Sale of lots began in 1891 at fantastically high prices. The cultural aspect of the Baltzley's dream was to establish a Chautauqua - then a popular educational activity - attract the best lecturers and finest musicians, and thus make Glen Echo a cultural center for the nation. Lots — situated on roads laid out in arcs following the contours of the land, and given Indian names — sold well. Doctors, professors, artists, and others scattered all over the Mid-West and East, who pictured themselves spending their years after retirement amid the scenic and cultural beauties as shown in the brochure, were drawn to the area.
Work was rushed on the Chautauqua itself. A great stone amphitheater with a capacity of 6,000 and a stage seating 500 people was built; another large stone building called the Hall of Philosophy was begun nearby. But in 1890, the Grand Cafe burned to the ground, and while the Baltzleys immediately sold the land, including the site of the present Glen Echo Park and part of the village site to the local Chautauqua Association — which they no doubt organized — it was at a considerable financial loss to themselves. Nevertheless, the grand opening of the Chautauqua took place in June of 1891, with nationally famous Dr. Dewitt Talmadge as the principal speaker. Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross, was one of the backers of the organization; President Benjamin Harrison bought a five-acre tract of land on the hills across Conduit Road facing the Chautauqua.
It looked for a time as though the Baltzleys' dream might be realized. But they were ahead of the times. Traveling back and forth to Washington in that pre-automobile day was a major problem. The electric railway company was induced to build a branch line from Tenleytown on Wisconsin Avenue to Walhonding Road, but it stopped at the intersection with Conduit Road. Even this was a long, time-consuming trip. It was simply too far from Washington for the horse-and-buggy days, and the car line was too slow. It was never extended beyond Walhonding Road, and carriages had to take the trolley passengers on to the Chautauqua. By 1903, the Chautauqua was bankrupt, and its property was sold soon thereafter. Later the streetcar company bought it and transformed it into the Glen Echo Amusement Park, using the big, circular amphitheater as a fun house until more recently, when it was condemned.
Following the failure of the Chautauqua, the original plan to put in a water system and good streets was not carried out. Distant and scattered lot owners gave up the idea of building; the area did not become popular locally, perhaps because of a rumor supposedly spread by real-estate developers in Chevy Chase that living near the River at this point was a serious health hazard because of malaria! It was not until after the first World War that new families began to move into the Heights, and a renaissance set in. A few years thereafter, residents of the area bordering on Mohican, Wiscasset and Dahlonega Roads adopted the name Mohican Hills.
The Mohican Hills Citizens Association The Mohican Hills Citizens Association was organized in 1927, and is one of the few civic groups making up the early membership of the Montgomery County Civic Federation. The main reason why the Association was formed was to get needed local improvements, although the social aspects of such an association were important too; residents took a great deal of care to avoid missing any of these monthly evenings with their neighbors, and almost everyone was a member.
Securing street lights was one of our earlier concrete accomplishments at a time when such lights were scarce in the Conduit Road area. The next important improvement was the surfacing of Mohican, Wiscasset and Dahlonega Roads. A third major improvement pushed by the Association, and achieved in 1930, was the extension of water mains into the area. This was a much more difficult task than might at present appear, for at that time there was no residential development at all between River road and the northern edge of Mohican Hills - about the point at which Mohican Road intersects Dahlonega. There was no Massachusetts Avenue - it stopped abruptly in an earthen bank at what is now Westmoreland Circle. Goldsboro Road coming from Bethesda village ended at River Road, and the water mains did not extend even that far. The entire area north to River Road was a forest with one or two farms across the road from Kenwood Country Club. Glen Echo village got its water supply from its own small reservoir up Minnehaha Creek, near the present intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Goldsboro Road. In the rest of the area, each family depended upon its own spring or deep well.
The Mohican Hills Citizens Association also took an active part in problems affecting a much wider area. It took a position favoring the development of Potomac River Valley as a park and recreation area. First, it urged the building of a dam at or near Chain Bridge to produce cheaper electric power and to create a lake with encircling drives and recreation grounds, and in 1928 the County Civil Federation adopted such a resolution. When too strong opposition developed from those in Washington who feared destruction of the scenic values below Great Falls — although it was never proposed to eliminate the Falls themselves - our Association still urged park and roadway development along the Potomac. The idea finally crystallized into the Capper-Crampton Act of 1930, providing for the George Washington Memorial parkway on both sides of the River from Mt. Vernon to Great Falls, and for parks along Sligo Creek, Rock Creek, and Cabin John Creek. County political maneuvering, however, placed all the emphasis for many years on Sligo and Rock Creek development, with lesser attention to Cabin John Creek and very little money was appropriated for Potomac Valley.
One of the projects long demanded by this Association was the opening of Massachusetts Avenue from the District Line westward, and its connection with Conduit and River Roads. The proposal was first urged in a resolution adopted by the Association in 1929, and carried before the Montgomery County Civil Federation where it was finally adopted. But a leading politician in the Silver Spring area had residential lots to sell, and he realized that the opening of Massachusetts Avenue would give him severe competition. Being very influential on the State Roads Commission, he was able to hold up action on the Avenue for several years. Finally, by 1932, strong pressure resulted in construction of the underpass under the B&O tracks. In 1934, Massachusetts Avenue was, at last, opened to traffic.
Another matter of concern to the community in those early days was an effective fire department. There had been a devastating fire in 1919 which swept up the hill and destroyed three houses, followed by another large fire some years later. The voluntary Glen Echo Fire Department requested Mohican Hills Citizens Association and the Glen Echo Heights Citizens Association in 1932 to appoint delegates to its fire board with a view to raising necessary funds for new fire fighting equipment. One year later these associations helped to get the needed legislation to set up the Fire Board and Taxing area - River Road to the Potomac River to the District Line - to place the Fire Department on a stable footing.
In addition to securing street lights, water mains and improved roads, our accomplishments since the founding of the Association include obtaining mail delivery in the early 1930's; modern telephone service in the mid 1930's; metal street name markers and the assignment of house numbers at about the same time. One of our more spectacular early achievements was in helping to get sewer construction brought into the area in 1951.
The schools committee worked originally to get two new school buildings to serve this area. After these were provided, such matters as improving the school bus service, the school libraries, cafeteria and playgrounds have received attention. A special committee participated in the planning and completion of Little Falls Library.
Standing committees, together with special committees appointed to handle particular problems from time to time, such as securing a playground, developing tasteful "Mohican Hills" signs, fighting excessive jet plane noise, getting adequate entrance to the Mohican swimming pool, addressing traffic and safety problems, etc., keep the community's best interests under constant review.
Not the least of the benefits derived from the Association is the opportunity for social interaction. Community meetings are periodically scheduled to be held in the various homes and newcomers are invited and welcomed. A Halloween Party for the neighborhood children is staged each year. A wine and cheese party was introduced in 1969 and is also held early each year. A pot luck supper in June brings neighbors to the playground for a variable feast. The constant aim of the Association is to make Mohican Hills a vital "community" and not merely a real estate subdivision.
(These historical notes are based on an essay by the late Orville Kile, founder of the MHCA.)
Mohican Hills Today
Mohican Hills today is a thriving community of about 250 households. The Mohican Hills Citizens’ Association (MHCA), though more loosely organized than in the “old days”, continues to bring us together, to represent us on issues affecting our part of Montgomery County, and to cooperate with neighboring communities on issues and events of common interest. The wine and cheese parties have been expanded to four per year on Sunday afternoons. The Halloween party and children’s parade continue to be a tradition, and we still have a party in our little playground in May or June. Sometimes we sponsor an ad-hoc event such as the community-wide yard sale held in June of 2003, and which may become an annual affair. Most of the housing lots are already occupied by single family houses, and consequently new development tends to be rebuilding, expansion, and sometimes complete replacement of existing houses, usually with much more floor area. Our Development Review Committee keeps tabs on this activity with a major goal of preserving large trees in order to retain the woodsy character of the neighborhood. The MHCA also gets involved in other issues such as aircraft noise control, renewal of public facilities and infrastructure, playground maintenance, and snow removal, and occasionally public safety and crime control. We publish a Directory, which is updated about every two years, as well as a quarterly newsletter, the Mohican Hills Citizen, copies of which are viewable on this web site. We have an email address list, which is not publicly available but is used to inform people of emerging issues and events in between newsletters. Occasionally we use the email list to take votes on issues affecting the community.
A subsequent section of this web site contains contact information for MHCA officers and block captains. Give one of us a call to learn how you can get involved in neighborhood activities.