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. Named for Francis G. Newlands, the project was funded by Newlands' widow.[4][5] It is controlled and operated by the National Park Service as part of nearby Rock Creek Park.[6]

Francis Griffith Newlands Memorial Fountain
Francis Griffith Newlands Memorial Fountain is located in District of Columbia
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 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, antisemite, and segregationist who advocated the repeal of the 15th Amendment to deprive African-Americans of the right to vote.[7] He founded the Chevy Chase Land Company, 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 ancestral homeland.

In 1990, the Land Company refurbished the fountain 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, the Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) considered a proposal to rename the fountain due to Newlands' white supremacist views. On December 8, the Historic Chevy Chase DC Board voted to support changing the name to Chevy Chase Fountain; a report chronicled the debate.[8] The descendants of Newlands opposed the renaming.[4] The ANC voted 4-2 (1 abstention) to table the motion and consider it later.[9]

A bronze plaque at the fountain contained an inscription reading "His Statesmanship Held True Regard For The Interests Of All Men." In 2020, the ANC voted to have the plaque removed.[10]

On February 23, 2021, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., introduced a bill to require the National Park Service to rename the fountain. Designated H.R. 1256 and named the Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act, it was referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands of the House Natural Resources Committee on March 23, 2021.[11] On April 19, 2022, the Montgomery County Council adopted a resolution proclaiming its support for the bill.[12]

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. "Senator Newlands Memorial (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  7. Rowley, William D. (Summer 1974). "Francis G. Newlands: A Westerner's Search for a Progressive and White America" (PDF). Nevada Historical Society Quarterly. 17 (2). Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  8. "The Newlands Chevy Chase Fountain Debate, 2014-15".
  9. Aaron Kraut (December 9, 2014). "D.C. Group Tables Discussion of Newlands' Name on Chevy Chase Fountain". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  10. "D.C. neighborhood votes to remove plaque honoring white supremacist senator". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  11. Norton, Eleanor Holmes (2021-03-23). "Actions - H.R.1256 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  12. Herron, Patrick (2022-04-19). "Montgomery County Supports Removing the Name of Francis G. Newlands, a White Supremacist, From Memorial Fountain in Chevy Chase". The MoCo Show. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
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