Existing comment:
A Community Grows
Wayne Avenue Landmarks
Silver Heritage Georgia Avenue
With a burst of new development in 1927, downtown Silver Spring's commercial center -- originally located around the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station (8100 Georgia Avenue at Sligo Avenue) -- firmly re-established itself three blocks to the north. Erected on Wayne Avenue, originally named Montgomery, were the Masonic Temple and Silver Spring Armory. These Structures attested to the community's continued growth and permanence.
The Silver Spring Armory, 924 Wayne Avenue, was the home of Maryland National Guard's 29th "Blue and Gray" Infantry Division, which served in World War I and II. Dedicated on August 20, 1927, the armory was designed by Maryland State architect Robert Harris and served as Silver Spring's town hall and community center for seventy years. A designated Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation structure, the Armory was razed in 1998 for construction of a parking garage. Architectural artifacts from the Armory, including its 1927 cornerstone, pre-cast concrete Maryland flag and main level lintel, are located alongside the garage.
Situated between these two civic landmarks was the Silver Spring Bowling Alleys, designed engineered, and built by local businessmen John M. Faulconer and Frank B. Proctor. Opened in 1928 with twelve lanes on the first floor, bowling's increased popularity resulted in construction one year later of a second floor that housed twelve additional lanes. The building was razed in the late 1960s and replaced by 962 Wayne Avenue. |