Francis Griffith Newlands Memorial Fountain

Francis Griffith Newlands Memorial Fountain is a historic fountain located at Chevy Chase Circle, on the border between the Chevy Chase neighborhood, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and the community of Chevy Chase, Maryland. The fountain was designed by Edward W. Donn, Jr. in 1933 and erected in 1938. The project was funded by Newlands' widow.[4][5]

Francis Griffith Newlands Memorial Fountain
LocationChevy Chase Circle, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°58′10″N 77°4′38″W
Built1938
ArchitectEdward Wilton Donn
NRHP reference No.07001058 [1][2]
Added to NRHPOctober 12, 2007[3]

Fountain

The fountain honors Francis G. Newlands, a U.S. senator and founder of Chevy Chase, Maryland. In 1902, Newland sponsored the Newlands Reclamation Act which allowed the federal government to begin irrigation of the West. He was an outspoken white supremacist and segregationist, advocating for the repeal of the 15th Amendment to deprive African-Americans of the right to vote.[6] He founded the Chevy Chase Land Co. which established whites-only neighborhoods on the D.C.-Maryland border.[4] He purchased over 1,700 acres (690 ha) of land and named it "Chevy Chase" to honor his Scottish homeland. In 1990, the fountain was refurbished by the Chevy Chase Land Co. to recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of Chevy Chase. The fountain was rededicated and recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

Proposed renaming

In December 2014, a proposal was considered by the Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission to rename the fountain due to Newlands' white supremacist views. The Historic Chevy Chase DC Board adopted a resolution on December 8, 2014 to support the motion to change the name of Newlands Fountain to Chevy Chase Fountain.[7] The descendants of Newlands opposed the renaming.[4] The ANC voted 4-2 (1 abstention) to table the motion and consider it at a later time.[8] The history of the issue is well-reviewed by HCCDC.[7]

See also

Further reading

References
  1. "National Register of Historical Places - DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (DC), District of Columbia County". www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. "Francis Griffith Newlands Memorial Fountain". LandmarkHunter.com. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  4. Bill Turque (February 17, 2015). "Senator's descendants urge no change in name of Chevy Chase fountain". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  5. Aaron Kraut (December 1, 2014). "D.C. Residents Want Name of 'Racist' Taken Off Chevy Chase Fountain". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  6. "Francis G. Newlands: A Westerner's Search for a Progressive and White America".
  7. "The Newlands Chevy Chase Fountain Debate, 2014-15".
  8. Aaron Kraut (December 9, 2014). "D.C. Group Tables Discussion of Newlands' Name on Chevy Chase Fountain". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
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