Chevy Chase Elementary School

Chevy Chase Elementary School is an elementary school containing grades 3–5 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded in 1917 in as the “Chevy Chase School” and for many years was known informally as the "Rosemary School" by reason of its location on Rosemary Street.[1][2][3] The first building (since demolished) was erected in 1917.[4] New structures were added in 1930 and 1936, and renovations were made over the years, most recently in 1999. Described as "an early example of school architecture that successfully combines both traditional and modern design elements", with "Art Deco geometric panels and stepped-up parapets [that] were modern for the era, yet ... tempered by classical door and window treatments", the school has been designated as an Historic Site by the Maryland Historical Trust.[5][6] The school is also said to have had the first school library in the county, established in 1939.[2][7]

Chevy Chase Elementary School
West wing (1936)
Location
4015 Rosemary Street, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
Coordinates	38°58′42.7″N 77°04′49″W
Information
School type	Elementary School
Founded	1917
Principal	Jodi Smith
Grades	3–5
Education system	Montgomery County Public Schools
Mascot	Cheetah
Website	montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/chevychasees/

The early 1900s brought educated government workers to developing areas of Montgomery County such as Silver Spring, Bethesda, and Chevy Chase. A two-room structure on Bradley Lane in Chevy Chase served residents from 1898 until 1917, when the Chevy Chase School – the first Chevy Chase School in a permanent building – was constructed.[2] In that year, a two-story brick building was built on Rosemary Street by a contractor named Roy W. Poole of Frederick, Maryland, at a cost of $20,000 in county funds. In 1930, a 12-classroom brick building designed by Howard Wright Cutler was added to the Chevy Chase School for $94,000.[6] In 1936, nine classrooms were added for $103,000 to the west wing. With this addition, the original 1917 structure was demolished. To connect the new buildings, a “Long Hall” was added. This “Long Hall” connected the two buildings to each other, but only from the first floor. This hall did not contain any insulation and was known as unstable.

By the early 1970s, the school buildings were aging and out of date, necessitating extensive renovation and expansion. The process took two summers and a school year (during which time students were ferried to other nearby schools) and was completed in time for the 1975–76 school year. The renovated and expanded building provided more classrooms, a bigger library, and a courtyard in the middle.

The Chevy Chase Historical Society described how the school grew from 1917 through year 2000 renovations and summarizes that the "new state-of-the-art Chevy Chase Elementary School is distinguished in its architectural interior and exterior detailing. The design of the building is coherent and compatible with the original school, while preserving its unique location in the heart of the community."[1]

Chevy Chase Elementary was awarded a National Blue Ribbon for excellence during the 1993–1994 school year.[8] In 2017, the school celebrated its 100th anniversary.[9]